"Ms. Lawrence, your family didn't come with you?"

Kristen was confused. Did she need to have company to get a medical report?

Besides, she ... had no family.

Her mother died when giving birth to her. Her father took her as a cash cow while her brother blamed her for their mother's death and hated her beyond measure. And Kristen stole her lover from someone else. Kristen would have forgotten about her family if the doctor didn't mention it.

Kristen was stunned before she shook her head. "I'm all on my own."

The doctor frowned, pushed glasses up his nose, and sighed heavily. With regret in his eyes, the doctor picked up the test reports on the table and handed them to Kristen.

"Ms. Lawrence, the test results came back. You have stage IV stomach cancer."

The doctor pitied Kristen who was so young and terminally ill and spoke gingerly.

Kristen was horrified that she could hardly breathe. She took the reports and frowned at the various indices. Kristen was not a doctor, but she could see how serious her stomach disease was.

Kristen felt that something was wrong during the endoscopy, but she didn't dare to think about it.

The doctor pointed at the picture and explained it to Kristen carefully. While listening, Kristen was lost in thought and then concluded that she didn't have much time left and needed to be admitted for chemo as soon as possible.

How long could a patient with stage IV stomach cancer live? Kristen knew it better than anyone else because her grandfather died after suffering in bed for two years.

The doctor suggested, "Ms. Lawrence, I think you should be hospitalized as soon as possible."

"Will I recover if I take the treatment?" Kristen's voice was hoarse and she looked empty and dead as if she was talking to herself.

The doctor didn't say anything else but shook his head in embarrassment.

Kristen decided not to treat her illness. Kristen licked her dry lips, stood up, and stuffed all test reports into her satchel.

Kristen stood up, said thank you, turned around, and left the consulting room.

When Kristen came out of the hospital, it was drizzling outside and the cold wind blew on her face, which hurt a little. Kristen opened her satchel, took out the umbrella, and opened it, but she still felt cold.

It was not that cold in March. However, the cold settled deep in Kristen's bones and her limbs were stiff.

Kristen's fingers were red from cold. She held the umbrella in one hand, her other hand clenched into her pocket, but it didn't get warm.

Kristen walked aimlessly, twirling the ring on her ring finger, looking up at the dark sky. The weather in Ratna City changed fast and it was spring in the blink of an eye. Everything was supposed to be vibrant at this time of year. But how could she be dying?

Kristen stood by the side of the road and hailed a taxi. When the taxi pulled over, Kristen put the umbrella away slowly, opened the door, and got in.

The driver turned around and asked Kristen, "Where are you going?"

"Winley District of Band City," Kristen replied, lowering her head.

On the way, Kristen could not help but open her satchel and look at the picture on the test reports.

The stomach was so twisted and ugly that Kristen couldn't believe it was part of her body.

Kristen was ill because of starvation. During the four years of marriage with Marco, Kristen tried her best to cook the dishes Marco was fond of to please him. Kristen thought that Marco would at least be moved to be gentle with her when he came home from work and saw a nice dinner, even if he didn't like her.

But Marco did not want to have dinner with Kristen at all. However, Kristen was not depressed, still cooked every day, and waited for him to come home after texting him. Finally, Kristen got stomach cancer instead.

Kristen shed tears at last. Kristen took a breath, thinking that she was tough enough because she had been through a lot.

But Kristen's pretense of toughness was crumbling today. As Kristen's stomach twitched, she crouched, trembled, gritted her teeth, and let out a long groan.

When the driver heard the sobs, he looked in the rearview mirror and saw the woman bent over, sobbing with her thin back shaking. It was the first time he had ever seen someone cry so desperately.

"Miss, what's up? Did you just have a breakup? Or are you unhappy at work?"

No one answered the driver. He continued, "Some mountains are just meant to be climbed. It's okay. Crying doesn't help. Go back and have a good rest. It will be another day when the sun rises tomorrow morning."

Kristen raised her head and a bitter smile showed on her face. "Thank you." Kristen didn't expect a stranger to comfort her after she was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

The driver smiled quietly and continued to drive until he pulled into a makeshift parking space in Band City.

It was half an hour's taxi drive and the total fare was 5 dollars. Kristen got out of the car, tore up the diagnosis she was clutching, and threw it in the bin.

Cold wind blew and Kristen dried her tears. She put on her calm and mature look again, except that her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was pale.

Exhausted, Kristen went upstairs, took out the key, and turned it left to open the door. In the blues, Kristen felt the different atmosphere in the room and instantly came to her senses.

Through the door, Kristen heard someone talking on the phone.

Marco returned.

"Should I tell him about the stomach cancer? Would he care about that?" Kristen asked herself repeatedly.

While she was still thinking, she opened the door. Then Kristen saw Marco walking toward her angrily.

"Where have you been fooling around? Take a look at how many times I have called you!"

Fool around? All Kristen did was go to the hospital for a blood test and an endoscopy. Now she was about to die.

Kristen wanted to cry again when she thought about it. Marco didn't notice Kristen's reddened eyes. He kept on accusing her with his eyes for not answering his calls.

Kristen took out her phone from her satchel and shook it. "My phone died."

Kristen had two mobile phones, one for business and the other for Marco. Kristen had a severe stomachache these days and forgot to charge her mobile phone, so she didn't receive Marco's call on her way back.

"So, what's your emergency?" Kristen knew without giving it a thought why Marco was so anxious to call her many times.

Marco grabbed Kristen's hand and pulled her out. "Brenda is injured. She lost too much blood. Come with me to the hospital."

As expected, Marco was worried about Brenda.

Kristen was upset.

Brenda had severe clotting disorder, and her blood type was rare. The only match for her blood type was Kristen.

Kristen was wet from the rain. Her long black hair was sticking to her back. Her lips were blue from the cold and her hands were cold, which Marco didn't notice. Brenda's hospital was a 10-minute walk from here. Marco was so worried that he forced Kristen into the back seat.

Marco, who was driving, stared at the front. He noticed Kristen's pale face in the rearview mirror.

Marco couldn't help but frown. "Why are you so pale?"

He finally noticed it.

Kristen sneered, feeling slightly hurt. She opened the window and watched the rain fall harder. Her body shrank with cold and her breath fogged up the air with her eyelashes quivering slightly.

Marco looked at Kristen coldly. Seeing that she did not speak, Marco was in a fret.

Marco felt that something was wrong with Kristen today.

However, Marco didn't think Kristen had anything to do with him. He decided that Brenda's body should be his main concern, so he tapped the gas pedal with his right foot and the car sped up.

When they arrived at the hospital, Marco pulled Kristen out of the car. Before Kristen could stand firm, she was pulled by Marco and staggered behind him.

Marco brought Kristen directly into the blood collecting room and said to a nurse coldly, "Draw her blood. No need to check. Hurry up."

A bitter smile spread across Kristen's face. Marco trusted Kristen's blood more than he trusted her., and he even found the blood tests troublesome. Was Marco not afraid that Kristen's cancer cells would get into Brenda's body?

Kristen hesitated for a while before saying, "Marco, I am not feeling well. Can I not..."

Marco narrowed his eyes and grabbed Kristen's chin. "Who are you to say no? We signed the contract four years ago. It's all in the contract. Kristen, please do your duty well."

That was right ... Four years ago, Kristen signed a contract and agreed to donate her blood without pay when Brenda lost too much blood.

This was what she signed at the time. Even if Kristen was dying, she had to donate blood to Brenda.

That was what Kristen owed Marco.

Brenda had been in a car accident in Valenworth City that year, and she needed negative blood because she got to the hospital too late.

Learning that Brenda had an accident, Marco asked for Kristen's help anxiously.

Kristen offered a quid pro quo. "If you become my man and we get married, I will save Brenda."

Kristen still remembered the shock and disgust in Marco's eyes.

From that moment, Kristen knew that they would never get along.

Kristen took advantage of Marco when he was most in trouble and needed her company.

Marco was born into a prominent family and was born superior. Marco had a bad temper, but he enjoyed the best of everything, with people obeying him. Marco never heard a harsh word before, and this was the first time he was threatened.

Kristen knew Marco hated being forced to do something he didn't want to do. So, when she saw Marco sign the contract without hesitation, she knew she lost.

When Marco went this far for Brenda, Kristen felt bitter. However, Kristen consoled herself that love would come in time and that Marco would be as affectionate to Kristen over time as he was to Brenda.

However, Kristen did not expect to suffer the consequences so soon.

It served Kristen right that she got a terminal illness!

As the needle sank into her skin and the blood was slowly drawn out, Kristen's face turned pale with pain. It hurt. It hurt worse than an endoscopy.

The nurse who drew the blood never saw such a thin, frail woman. Staring at the white wrist, the nurse whispered, "Can you hold on?"

Kristen shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "Go ahead. I'm fine."

The nurse drew a total of 600cc of blood and stopped. Kristen's hand was too cold to be normal.

The moment before Kristen fainted, she heard Marco ask the nurse, "Is it enough? Go on if it's not enough."

How did Marco become so cruel all these years?

When Kristen woke up, she was in the ward alone.

Her phone was out of battery. Kristen didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but when she looked out the window, it was still dark.

Kristen got up, put on her shoes, took her handbag, and went out. As she passed Brenda's room, she saw the door ajar and stopped.

In the ward was Brenda, accompanied by Kristen's husband, Marco.

Brenda looked cute and innocent. Dressed in the blue-and-white striped hospital gown, Brenda was still elegant, her skin white and her eyes bright. Kristen thought maybe Marco just liked Brenda's simplicity. Kristen, by contrast, was like the evil who kept them from getting together.

Kristen was jealous that Marco was so nice to Brenda.

Those who didn't know Marco thought he was cold by nature, but Kristen knew Marco was only gentle with Brenda.

Of course ... Marco used to be nice to Kristen a long time ago, but now he wasn't.

Kristen finally caught the eye of Brenda and Marco inside. Taking one look at Kristen, Brenda shivered and hid behind Marco.

Brenda looked timid and her eyes turned red as if she saw a wicked man.

Marco patted Brenda gently on the shoulder. Marco looked over with cold eyes and got the fidgets when he saw Kristen standing by the door.

Marco was disgusted, scolding. "What are you doing standing there and sneaking around?"

Standing in the doorway and watching Marco and Brenda being tender and passionate towards each other, Kristen felt uncomfortable. Kristen didn't want to watch them, but she couldn't help it because she had never seen Marco like this before and she longed for Marco to be that tender to her.

Kristen's eyes began to blur with tears ... And her heart ached.

Marco shielded Brenda behind him and glared at Kristen. Seeing Kristen's pale and bloodless face, Marco had mixed emotions suddenly and frowned.

"Now that you're awake, go back."

Kristen hesitated before asking in a hoarse voice, "Are you coming back tonight?"

Watching Marco's wary eyes, Kristen didn't bother to explain. Kristen couldn't figure out what heinous things she had done these years to make Marco so defensive against her.

Although Kristen kept Marco away from Brenda, during the four years of their marriage, Kristen served Marco's daily life as a nanny.

Although Kristen didn't have a happy marriage with Marco, she never asked about Marco and Brenda all these years.

Marco had some concerns about Kristen before. After the Lawrence family faded from the rich list, Kristen was no longer a threat to Marco.

Kristen didn't even talk about Marco and Brenda being together, but it was impossible to let it go.

With Marco, Kristen lost everything. Kristen had stomach cancer and was dying, but had to donate blood to Brenda. But who could save Kristen?

Kristen was piercingly heartbroken and even her fingertips were shaking.

Kristen was used to taking orders from Marco over the years. At first, she fawned on him, but now she was quiet and trapped.

The moment Kristen turned around, she heard Brenda's voice.

"Is Kristen alright after giving so much blood? She is so pale..."

"It's fine. She has always been in good health."

Even Brenda could see that Kristen looked pale, but the man Kristen loved did not.

Marco wasn't careless. He could tell something was wrong with his work or Brenda, but he had no patience or concern for Kristen, whom he had known for six years.

Kristen took a deep breath and left without looking back. The rain was getting heavier.

Kristen walked slowly back with her head down. She didn't have an umbrella in her handbag and soon got soaked in the rain. Kristen, who was always freezing cold, felt bitingly cold that her lips, blue with cold, became parched, with drops of water on her black eyelashes.

Kristen's head and stomach ached with cold. Kristen reached over to cover her stomach and the ring on her ring finger dropped accidentally.

Kristen followed with dull eyes and found that the ring she had been wearing for four years lost its original luster and was kind of dark in there. Kristen recalled when she signed the contract with Marco, she said, "Since we're married, we should have a ring, right?"

Marco heard it and bought the ring for 5 dollars for Kristen at a roadside stall.

Marco satirized. "Take it. That's all you're worth."

Kristen only smiled, disappointed. The ring was one size smaller, but she forced it on. Her ring finger was red and bleeding, but she insisted on wearing it all the time.

Kristen stubbornly thought that the ring would fit one day, not that it would eventually come loose from her finger.

It was just like Kristen's relationship with Marco.

Kristen curled up in the heavy rain because her stomach ached. Kristen put her hands over her mouth and retched. Her eyes were red and tears began to flow down.

It was still raining. The pedestrians on the street held up umbrellas. Kristen squatted, picked up the ring, put it on her chest, and only stood up when her stomach was less upset.

Kristen was in a daze in the rain and bumped into someone before coming back to her senses. Kristen apologized in a panic to a young mother and a boy. The woman held the boy's hand and said gently, "It doesn't matter."

The boy looked up at Kristen's red eyes and asked in a low voice, "Are you crying?"

The woman patted the boy's head and looked apologetically at Kristen before taking him away.

Watching the woman and the boy leave, Kristen heard the boy ask his mother. "Why is she crying? Is it because she is afraid?"

"How could she be afraid..."

As the rain pattered, Kristen couldn't hear what the mother and son said.

Kristen covered her stomach gently and raised her head to hold back her tears. Was Kristen afraid? How could she not be afraid? Kristen was terrified when she went to the hospital for gastroscopy alone, and when she was called to the diagnosis room by the doctor. Besides, when Kristen was finally diagnosed with a terminal illness, she was even afraid of cold all over.

But even more than that, Kristen was afraid of dying alone, with no one around.