Chapter 2

I had indeed run into Harper at the hospital. I was wearing a mask, and my first instinct upon seeing someone I knew was to run.

I never expected her to recognize me, let alone follow me all the way home.

Chloe tried to block her, but Harper completely ignored her.

Harper marched right up to me. She glanced at my pale face, reached into her pocket, and shoved a silver lapel pin into my hand. Her voice was as sharp as always.

"You dropped your stuff and didn't even know. I yelled your name, but were you deaf?"

A lapel pin?

I stared at my palm in confusion.

I had never owned a pin like this.

But I grabbed the excuse immediately. I gave her an embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry, Harper. I wasn't feeling well and was in a rush."

"I really didn't hear you. Thank you so much for bringing it back to me."

Harper stared at me with unusual intensity, as if she wanted to say something else.

But in the end, she just sneered. With her usual arrogance, she muttered, "How amusing. The groom goes to the hospital alone, while the bride stays home playing house with his brother..."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away.

The room fell into an awkward, suffocating silence.

I quickly broke the tension with a laugh.

"Don't mind Harper. She’s hated me since we were kids. She always tries to stir up drama between us. Don't let her get to you."

"Next time I see her dad, I'm definitely going to complain about her."

Afraid they would overthink, I noticed Mrs. Gable, our housekeeper, bringing dishes to the dining table.

I grabbed Chloe's sleeve with one hand and Ethan's arm with the other, forcing a cheerful smile.

"Wow, that smells amazing. Let's eat!"

"I've been running around all day. I'm absolutely starving!"

I was lying.

With my cancer at this stage, hunger had long since disappeared. Even my sense of taste was completely gone.

But thanks to my act, the tension finally dissolved.

At the table, I chewed the food mechanically.

It tasted like ash.

Across from me, Ethan suddenly remembered something. He put down his fork with excitement.

"Brandon, I bought a ton of fireworks for the backyard."

"Why don't we go light them together after dinner?"

I shook my head gently.

With my current physical state, I wouldn't survive a firework show without collapsing.

"I'll pass, Chloe. The cold meds I took make me really drowsy. I want to get some rest early tonight."

"Ethan, why don't you go with Chloe?"

Chloe smoothly took over the conversation.

They started talking about the fireworks, which quickly led to childhood memories.

"Ethan, do you remember when we snuck fireworks into Grandpa's anniversary gala? We ended up setting the guest room curtains on fire and hid in the closet all afternoon!"

Chloe looked up, her beautiful eyes shining with a vibrant warmth.

It was a look she had never given me.

"How could I forget?" Ethan laughed. "You ruined it by sneezing."

"That was your fault! You insisted on squeezing us into a closet full of air fresheners."

"My fault? Who was the one holding the sparklers pretending to launch a rocket? Look at our big-shot designer now, playing innocent!"

They laughed, sharing a past I could never be a part of.

I sat between them.

My bones ached, and every second felt like a slow, agonizing execution.

Fortunately, Ethan was impatient to play. Before dinner was even fully over, he dragged Chloe to the backyard.

I used my drowsiness as an excuse and went upstairs to the master bedroom.

Standing by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the backyard light up as bright as day.

Chloe was running around like a happy child, and Ethan stood just a few steps behind her, his eyes following her every move.

A firework shot into the sky, illuminating their laughing faces.

Ethan turned around and caught sight of me standing by the window.

He smiled and waved.

"Brandon! Look! Isn't it beautiful?"

I forced a brilliant smile, waved back, and then put my hands together next to my cheek to signal I was going to sleep.

They nodded. I drew the heavy curtains shut.

The moment the light was blocked, I rushed to the bathroom and began to throw up violently. The pain curled my body, and I slid down onto the cold tiles.

Instinctively, I crawled toward the nightstand and grabbed my painkillers with trembling hands.

Ignoring the recommended dosage, I swallowed a dozen pills dry.

I grabbed the curtain to pull myself up.

But as I did, I accidentally parted the fabric.

Through the gap, I saw them.

Under the fading light of the fireworks, Chloe and Ethan were kissing.