Julien was always perceptive; he’d long identified my weak spots. When he found out I was pregnant and planning to marry Drake, he made a desperate play. But he never saw it coming, me being willing to terminate Drake’s child.

Watching him break down, tears streaming down his face, I reached out and ruffled his hair. He was completely vulnerable with me.

I decided to let bygones be bygones. Honestly, his past kindnesses outweighed the harm he’d caused. He’d just gone off the rails, that’s all.

After all, without him, I might have ended up dead or abandoned ages ago.

I remember after my mom got pregnant, my stepfather treated me worse and worse. When he’d hand me leftovers, even my mom would just watch, cold as ice.

But Julien? He’d sneak snacks from his own house for me every single day. Then, one day, my stepfather was unusually nice.

Except he abandoned me on the side of the highway on his way to pick up goods. I was just in second grade.

It was Drake who found me, and brought me back to his place. My stepfather was totally against it when he found out.

My mom talked him around though, saying it was fine since someone else was willing to take care of me now, so they didn't have to bother anymore. That’s how I got to stay.

From then on, Drake became my shield. If anyone dared mock me for being parentless, he’d grab a stick and chase them off.

In college, when his first love looked down on him for being broke, I’d use my part-time job money to help him win her back.

He was head-over-heels for his first love, but for my sake, he dumped her without a second thought.

His first love had told him that for them to have a future, he had to kick me out; otherwise, he’d have another mouth to feed.

After he broke up with her, he didn’t date anyone else until I got my first love letter.

That’s when he realized he liked me, and that I’d been crushing on him for ages. So, we started dating in our senior year.

But once it came out that he was the heir to a mega-rich family, nobody believed he could have a loyal girlfriend.

Naturally, I became the trophy girlfriend everyone assumed he was keeping. But I didn't care. I knew he treated me differently than anyone else.

"Cecilia, can we go back to how we used to be?"

Drake's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

I wanted that too, but I wasn't sure how much time I had left. I needed to get checked to find out.

"Drake, can you give me a few days to think about it?"

"Of course! If you say yes, I'll marry you on the spot," he said, his eyes practically shining.

I smiled and nodded. If only this cancer would just disappear. After all, the happiness right in front of me felt so within reach.

But alas, our meeting was destined for tragedy. A few days later, on a dread-filled afternoon, I got my test results.

The doctor explained that because my body was already weak, and I’d caught a chill during my pregnancy, not to mention the lack of rest after the abortion and all the emotional drama, the cancer cells had spread.

It had triggered other complications. In simple terms, I had two types of cancer.

I asked the doctor how much time I had left. He said, at most, a month.

Leaving the hospital, I stared up at the sky. Winter had arrived, and the biting wind stung my face.

Watching couples on the street, hands clasped, laughing warmly, a sharp pain shot through me. My happiness had been just a breath away.

Dragging my feet, I made my way to the Alexander mansion. I had one month left. I just wanted to see him a few more times. Even a few extra days together would be something.

I pushed open the mansion doors. Drake's father, mother, and a woman who looked familiar were in the living room.

They spotted me and came forward with warm smiles. I’d actually lived with them when I was a kid.

After they’d told Drake he was the heir, they’d moved abroad.

Drake's mother took my hand warmly. "Cecilia, you’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman."

I just nodded politely and returned their greetings.

After some small talk, Drake's mother spoke up, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"Cecilia, we heard some things about you while we were away. This time, we’d like to ask for your help."

I replied politely, "Mrs. Alexander, please don’t be so formal. I wouldn’t be who I am without you. I just don’t know how I can possibly help."

She squeezed my hand. "Cecilia, you’re so understanding, just like when you were little."

After saying that, she exchanged a look with Drake's father and pulled a bank card from her purse.

"Cecilia, would you please leave Drake?"

Honestly, even if they hadn’t asked, I was already planning to leave him.

"Alright."

I pushed the card back. The smiles that had just graced their faces froze.

I continued, "Just let me stay with him for three more days, okay?"

Their expressions clouded over.

The woman beside them stood up, her voice cutting. "Three days? And then you’ll pull your usual tricks to keep him!"