Chapter 1

After the divorce, the company I built with my own two hands was snatched away by my ex-husband.

Everyone in our circle whispered that I got exactly what I deserved. After all, I was the one who cuckolded him with his biggest rival.

The world waited with bated breath, eager to see how Gage Sterling would exact his revenge on me.

But on the day of my funeral, a series of vlogs I recorded while I was alive was leaked.

Gage completely lost his mind. In front of the camera, he sobbed until he couldn't catch his breath.

The final sentence of the last video was the one thing I wanted to tell him most:

"Gage, stop hating me. Just forget me and live a good life."

......

This is the first day of my terminal diagnosis. I only just discovered it, yet it's already late-stage brain cancer.

The new collection of the design firm I built from scratch had just hit the market. I had only been married to Gage for a little over three months.

Everything was finally heading in the right direction, except for the fact that I was walking toward my grave.

No matter how much I raged or how much I didn't want to go, I could only look down at the crumpled diagnosis in my hand. I was powerless.

I smoothed out the paper. The wrinkled lines still cruelly announced my impending death sentence.

The early autumn wind was already biting. I looked up at the falling maple leaves.

I marched out of the hospital, trying to say goodbye to the version of myself that wanted to live.

The doctor said I had three months. That was enough time.

At that moment, I threw away my dignity and orchestrated a scene where I ended up in the bed of Jared Zephyr, Gage's sworn enemy.

I looked at Gage, who had stormed in to catch us, my clothes intentionally disheveled.

"Ivy Vance! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

Hearing Gage's feral roar, I met his bloodshot eyes with a cold stare.

"It is exactly what it looks like. I have nothing to say."

Gage was beyond livid. He lunged forward, grabbed Jared by the hair, and delivered two brutal punches.

I was the one who had asked Jared for this favor. I couldn't let him get hurt because of me.

So, I stepped in to shield Jared. To Gage, this was the ultimate betrayal, the spark that ignited his darkest side.

He let out a guttural scream and slammed his fist into the headboard behind us. Blood smeared across his knuckles and dripped onto the white sheets.

I understood his madness. I knew he loved me to his core. He had chased me for eighteen years before finally winning me over.

We had been married for three months, and here I was, stepping out on him.

Nobody could take that lying down.

But I needed him to hate me. Hate is a much cleaner break than love. I only had three months left; I didn't have time for a slow, painful separation. This was the quickest way.

Everything went according to plan. Gage spat out his final words through gritted teeth before storming out.

"Ivy, we're done. I'm filing for divorce!"

That was exactly what I wanted.

Once the room went silent, I thanked my old classmate, Jared, and left.

I walked along the sidewalk and, on a whim, pulled out my phone. I wanted to record the pathetic state I was in.

In the camera lens, I was bare-faced, wearing a torn dress and limping on a broken heel. I looked like a lunatic.

I pulled the tattered diagnosis from my pocket and flashed it at the camera.

"Hi. I don't know if anyone will ever see this."

"My first wish before I die was just checked off the list. It turns out Gage is actually quite easy to fool."

The words slipped out, making me realize I was truly starting to say goodbye to this world.

Three months from now, when I'm gone, what will be left?

Looking at my reflection, I suddenly wanted to leave something behind for myself, for Gage, for my parents, and for the few people who still cared.

I decided to make a vlog series. It would be my parting gift to them, a proof that I once existed vividly in this world.