Chapter 2

When Ethan broke the news to my parents, they looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Ethan, did I ruin your wedding with Chloe?" Lily asked softly, looking down at her fragile body and sobbing.

"Lily, it has nothing to do with you. It's my own decision."

I sat there like an outsider.

Ethan put food on Lily's plate. Then, as if realizing I was his actual fiancée, he hesitated before putting a piece of fish on my plate.

But I absolutely hated fish.

I looked down, catching a glimpse of Lily's plate.

There was no fish. She hated it too. He remembered her preferences, but not mine.

Soon after, Lily was hospitalized. Ethan and I were still at the office.

I carried a carefully prepared lunchbox to his office. It was past working hours, and only his assistant was left at the desk.

"Mr. Miller got a call and rushed out," the assistant said.

"Ethan, where are you?" I called him, holding the lunchbox tightly, terrified of ruining the food inside.

"Chloe, Lily is in the hospital. Her condition got worse. I can't leave."

"But..."

Today is my birthday. You promised to spend it with me.

The call went dead. I bit my lip, slowly opening the box. It was a heart-shaped bento I had spent hours making.

I threw it straight into the trash can.

When the birthday cake arrived, I wiped my tears and shared it with my colleagues.

He had said he was busy, so I had only ordered one small cake and made one bento.

I just wanted to hear a simple "Happy Birthday."

That night, I took the long way home. I had a few drinks to numb the pain, and my steps were unsteady.

Slightly drunk, I dialed his number.

"Ethan, I'm lost. Come pick me up."

There was only a busy tone, but I kept talking to myself until the line went completely silent.

A dark alley, flickering streetlights, an empty road. I sobered up a bit.

"Hey, pretty girl. All by yourself?"

Three thugs with dyed hair suddenly appeared behind me, whistling and walking toward me.

"Get away from me!"

"Ooh, feisty."

The leader gave a look, and they grabbed my arms. In a panic, I kept dialing Ethan's number.

"Trying to call for backup?"

"How about this? Fifty thousand dollars, and we let you go."

I was dragged into the narrow alley, and a sharp switchblade was pressed against my throat.

"Be quiet!"

They threatened me. My hands shook, and cold sweat poured down my forehead.

In just one minute, I made dozens of calls.

Finally, the call went through. But all I got was:

"Chloe, be good. Lily isn't feeling well. She needs peace."

The blade slid down my throat to my chest. The thug lost patience and drove it straight in.

"Speak!" he growled, covering the phone's microphone to force me to answer.

As the blade sank into my body, I choked on the metallic taste of blood.

"I want strawberry cake."

"Chloe, stop throwing tantrums."

"Ethan, who is that?" Lily's soft voice came through the receiver, followed by Ethan's quiet apology to her before he hung up.

I laughed, my teeth stained with blood.

"Look... if I die, will he finally think I was good?"

I gasped out my last words. The thug cursed, quickly dragging my body to the harbor and dumping it into the sea.

Fine. If I'm dead, I won't throw tantrums anymore.