Chapter 1

My best friend's illegal pit bull went wild and brutally mauled a passerby. The police officer told us the owner was looking at three years in prison.

Seeing Serena about to be handcuffed and taken away, my boyfriend suddenly pushed me forward. "The dog belongs to my girlfriend, Chloe. If you're going to arrest anyone, arrest her."

I froze, staring at Derek in utter disbelief.

He gripped my hand tightly, not even having the courage to look me in the eye.

"Serena has a congenital heart condition, Chloe. If she goes to prison for three years, she won't survive. But you're different. You're strong and healthy."

I couldn't say a single word. My throat was tight with unshed tears.

I didn't tell Derek that my doctor had already given me a terminal diagnosis. I only had three years left to live.

In the final second before the police cruiser's window rolled up, Derek finally looked up at me. "Three years from today, I'll be waiting right here to propose to you."

One thousand and ninety-five days of agony left me nothing but skin and bones.

I dragged my frail, trembling body out of the prison gates.

A figure in the distance waved at me.

There were no romantic flowers, no applause, and no warm hugs.

There was only the howling, freezing wind, and Derek standing there with a little boy clutching his hand, and Serena standing right beside him.