Chapter 5

When I came out early the next morning, Chloe was already sitting at the dining table like the lady of the house.

She'd finished an entire bowl of chicken soup and smiled with satisfaction.

"Auntie, your chicken soup is delicious. I want more."

After saying this, Chloe belatedly covered her mouth. "Sophia, I'm so sorry. I heard that was chicken soup Auntie made for you, and I drank it all..."

"You haven't even had breakfast yet. It's all my fault!"

Watching Chloe's self-reproachful expression, Ethan affectionately ruffled her hair.

"It's just a bowl of chicken soup. We can make more."

"Sophia isn't feeling well. She can't digest such nutritious food anyway."

I really couldn't watch this. My stomach was full just from anger.

"I'm not eating."

I grabbed my bag and turned to leave.

Ethan's expression suddenly changed as he clutched his stomach and ran to the bathroom.

When he came out, his mother asked worriedly, "Son, what's wrong? Why has your stomach been hurting more and more frequently lately?"

Ethan sighed but didn't think much of it.

"Probably ate something bad recently."

Only I looked down, my expression dark and inscrutable.

How could it be food poisoning?

After all, stomach cancer couldn't be symptomless.

His mother's expression flickered strangely. "How odd. Sophia has stomach cancer but doesn't seem uncomfortable. How is it that you..."

Ethan laughed and interrupted. "Mom, what are you worried about? Your son's physical exam results came back. I'm perfectly healthy."

That day, after shopping with my best friend, I was eating an ice cream cone as we went upstairs.

Before I could finish half the ice cream,

Someone coming toward me violently knocked it out of my hand.

Ethan stared at me coldly. "Sophia, are you crazy?"

"You know you have stomach cancer and you still dare eat ice cream? Are you trying to die faster?"

For a moment I was startled, as if I saw worry and heartache in Ethan's eyes, but I quickly realized it was just an illusion.

Ethan didn't even care about my life.

Why would he care if eating ice cream would make my stomach hurt?

"What do you want?"

Ethan rambled on about many things before finally getting to the point.

It turned out he'd come to find me, even waiting downstairs without complaint, just to force me to transfer my premarital property to Chloe.

"Since we've both decided to be together, Sophia, we were married after all. Just give the house to Chloe as a wedding gift."

I could hardly believe my ears.

"Why should I give her my house as a dowry?"

Ethan looked displeased. "What kind of talk is that?"

"You don't have many days left anyway. After you die, won't your premarital property be inherited by me as your legacy? Chloe is an orphan. You won't even give her a wedding gift?"

Ethan pulled out a property transfer agreement. "If you sign obediently now, I'll still consider taking you to see the Northern Lights so you won't have regrets."

"Otherwise, just wait to regret it."

I coldly scanned those unfair terms, completely motionless.

"I'll never sign."

Ethan laughed in anger.

"Sophia, you're so confused."

"You're about to die. What use is holding onto this property? Don't forget, we're married. After you die, all the money will be mine..."

I took a deep breath. "Ethan, do you know that actually it's you who..."

Before I could finish, Ethan's phone rang.

He picked it up and looked at the caller ID, frowning. "City Hospital? Why are they calling now?"

He remembered he'd been feeling off these past few days and went for a physical exam.

This must be the doctor calling about the results.

Ethan didn't hesitate to answer, his tone casual. "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Ethan Hayes? Your test results are in. You've been diagnosed with late-stage cancer..."