"But the truth is… I was never really that pitiful. I still had my brother, and my friends…" I said.

A gust of wind howled through the cracks of the run-down rental. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself as silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

My reddened hand was suddenly wrapped in warmth. William had reached out, his gaze steady and serious.

"I've saved up a bit. Let's go to the hospital tomorrow and start your treatment, okay?"

I sniffled, then let out a soft laugh. "You don't even have a hundred followers on your channel yet, and you still share instant noodles with me every day. How much could you possibly have saved?"

His fingers curled into fists on the faded denim covering his knees. "It's… enough to help a little."

"No need," I said with a smile. "Actually, I have good news. I've saved up two thousand dollars. That's enough for one round of chemo."

William blinked in surprise. Then, he smiled. "Is it enough? I can chip in too."

I shook my head stubbornly. "No need. I never accept help from others."

I tilted my chin up with pride, shooting him a grin. "Relax. I'm earning enough now to cover my meds. Look, these are what I bought with my salary."

I scooped up a handful of colorful pills, tossed them back, and swallowed without hesitation. Then I frowned, falling into a long silence as I pressed a hand to my chest and finally exhaled in relief.

When I looked up, William was staring at me. His eyes were faintly red at the corners.

I let out a sudden laugh. "Impressed?"

He lowered his gaze. His smile was soft, but it carried a quiet bitterness. "Yeah."

…

[In the Next Life — December 31, 2023, 11:45 PM — I Hope You Live a Long Life, Part Two]

The camera rolled on the two of us, full and warm after dinner, nestled on the couch waiting for the New Year countdown.

William turned to me. "Is that really all you're eating?"

"My stomach hurts," I said, weary. "Any more and I'll throw up."

He was silent for a moment before speaking again, "Ben… he succeeded. His new project made tens of millions."

I kept my eyes shut. "I know."

"You should go back to him. He could afford to cure you."

I shook my head.

"Why not? Do you really want to die like this?"

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Did you think, when I cut ties with him, I still had hope I'd survive?"

That left him speechless. He took a deep breath before asking, voice trembling, "Why cut him off? Wouldn't it be better if he faced this with you?"

I gave a soft, bitter laugh. "Our parents had always taught us to be independent. To not accept help from others. But our family was always helping all our relatives."

My voice was calm, but my hands clenched beneath the blanket.

"Yet when my brother went bankrupt, not a single one of our relatives lifted a finger. Do you know what it felt like… watching him bow and scrape, begging them to help pay for my tuition?"

I choked on a breath, teeth clenched. "My brother… he never begged. But after that rejection, he took me to a tiny rental—barely twenty square meters, not unlike this place. And he told me, even with nothing, he'd get us back to where we were. That's the brother I admire. Even with nothing, he'd never give up his pride."

I turned to look at him, tears sparkling in my eyes. "Now guess, what do you think he'd do if he found out I was sick?"

William couldn't answer.

"He'd get on his knees to those relatives. He almost did before, for my tuition. I stopped him just in time…" I laughed softly, wiping at my eyes.

"By the time I left, he and his partner were finally starting to make it. So now tell me, if he finds out I've become a sick burden, do you think his partner would still invest in his business?"

William's voice cracked. "Hailey…"

I lifted a hand, stopping him. "Cancer might kill me. But fifty grand… that would kill him."

William clenched his fists tightly.

I let out a soft sigh and smiled.

"The day I left, I tore into him, called him every name under the sun. In the end, he held onto my arm, crying, begging me to stay. He said things would get better soon, that he'd bring us back to how things used to be. You see him now, all polished and put-together. You'd never imagine how pathetic he looked back then," I said as I recalled the past.

William spoke in a low voice, "Why did he finally let you go?"

I thought back. "I told him he was a failure. That everything he'd achieved in the past was just because of our parents. And now he was just disgracing their name. I said if he still remembered what family meant, he should let me go and find my own happiness. And then, bit by bit, he loosened his grip on me."

The New Year's bell rang. Fireworks burst outside the window. I raised a hand and wiped the tears off my face.

…

[In the Next Life — January 1, 2024, 12:00 AM — I Hope You Live a Long Life, Part Three]

William turned to the window.

"Happy New Year."

"Thanks."

"Aren't you going to wish me something too?"

I looked up. "You want a blessing from someone who's about to die?"

His hand rested gently on my thin, dry one. "Please."

I looked at the golden fireworks outside, as if I were bathing in hope. I smiled. "I hope you live a long life."

The hand on mine clenched slightly, trembling. William kept his gaze on the window, his expression hidden.

The frame shifted—we were each lying down, settling into the silence. But then, in the dark, I reappeared on screen.

I leaned toward the camera, frowning slightly. "Forgot to turn this thing off."

I reached out to stop the recording, then hesitated.

After a pause, I dragged a chair over, sat in front of the lens, and adjusted it, a trace of confusion in my eyes. "Will anyone actually watch this?"

Another firework lit up the sky. Warm yellow light washed over my face. I took a deep breath and gave the camera a small smile.

"If someone sees this… then, I wish you peace and a happy, long life."

I waved at the lens and shut off the camera.

[In the Next Life — January 2, 2024, 10:01 AM — Don't Say You Forgive Me, and Don't Ever Forgive Me]

"Hailey! Wait! Hailey! Hailey!" William rushed behind me, his voice urgent as he grabbed my arm. "Didn't you say you were going for chemo? What are you doing with the money?"

I held the barely breathing Dante in my arms. "Putting him down."

"And what about you?"

"I've made up my mind." I brushed past him and handed Dante to the vet.

"Hailey!" William gripped my arm tightly. "What's more important, the dog or you? You're in pain too, you know that!"

"Exactly because I know what the pain feels like… I'm putting him down."

His grip slackened. I took the chance to push him aside and walked into the exam room.

Dante lay weakly on the table, a plastic cone around his neck. He'd been howling all morning, and now he was just barely breathing.

When he saw me, he still tried to get up, dragging himself toward me like he always used to.

"It's okay, Dante. The pain will be over soon, alright?"

I bent down, gently holding his paw. The vet had already prepared the injection.

The needle went in.

Dante's breathing turned sharp and rapid. He struggled to his feet, then collapsed again.

He looked at me, his belly rising and falling fast. His throat let out a wheezing cry, thin and helpless.

I held back my tears. "I know… it's my fault. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

His breathing slowly calmed. He looked at me, quiet now, as if he had never been sick.

A single tear slid from the corner of his eye into his fur, and he let out a faint whimper.

I stroked his head. "Sleep, Dante. And when you wake up, find yourself a good home and live a sheltered life. And if you ever miss me… come see me in my dreams."

"I know, I know… You don't have to forgive me. Don't ever forgive me. Just keep walking—walk all the way home. To a warm and peaceful home..."

Dante closed his eyes.

A sharp pain surged through my stomach, making me dizzy. I turned and stumbled outside, throwing up violently by the flower bed.

By the time William found me, I was sitting on the bench beside the flower bed, dazed.

"Hailey!" He rushed to my side, panic in his voice. "How are you feeling?"

I turned to him, my face streaked with tears. "You want the truth?"

"Of course."

"I'm scared. I just… want someone to help me."

He pulled me into his arms and gently wiped the tears from my face. "It's okay. I'll take you to the hospital right now. We'll hear what the doctors have to say. And while we're there, we'll do the chemo. I have money."

"Thank you." I smiled and shook my head. "But I've already talked to plenty of doctors. The chemo… It's a lie. It stopped working a long time ago. Do you even know what 'terminal stage' means?"

He held me tighter. His voice trembled. "Don't say things like that. Let's try treatment first."

"If I had a choice, I'd rather just get one shot and end it peacefully…"

"Don't talk like that!"

Suddenly, I held him tightly.

The camera had been tossed aside long ago.

What followed were my soft sobs. Then, loud, unrestrained crying.

…

[In the Next Life — March 15, 2024, 11:13 AM — Let's Meet Again in the Next Life]

"Hailey!"

The camera shook. William sounded urgent.

He burst through the door. I was curled up under a small blanket on the couch, slowly poking my head out.

He ran over and snatched the phone from my hands.

I only smiled. "I already saw it."

He quickly unlocked my phone.

My Instagram account was flooded with a tidal wave of accusations and hate. The inbox was packed with over 99+ messages—each one filled with insults.

All of it started because, on the same day my brother topped the wealth rankings, I used a burner account to leave a single comment: [Congratulations]

But someone had traced it back to me.

[What's she trying to do, show up now that her brother's rich and famous? Trying to crawl back into the family?]

[Even a dog raised by Ben is more loyal than Hailey—at least the dog doesn't care how poor you are.]

[And you're congratulating him? Who do you think you are? Ben has already adopted a new sister, someone who stayed by his side when he had nothing. Don't try to worm your way in.]

...

Amid the avalanche of hateful messages, only one message by "Ben" had been opened.

He'd sent a single question mark.

I hadn't replied.

But the chat box had once been filled with a long, unsent message. In the end, after editing and deleting, only one word remained: [Goodbye]

And even that… I didn't send.

"Hailey, don't take it to heart. Actually…"

"I know. I'm not bothered." I smiled and reached for my phone.

But the moment I stood up, everything went dark. I collapsed, face first.

From somewhere nearby, I heard William scream my name, "Hailey!"

The scene was cut suddenly. I was lying weakly on a hospital bed.

Doctors were shouting frantically nearby, "Over here! Bed Two, emergency surgery!"

I just stared quietly at the television mounted on the wall. It was showing an interview with my brother.

The reporter asked, "At this moment, who do you most want to share your joy with?"

Not long after, my phone began to ring.

On the other end, my brother's voice came cold and clipped, "Isn't there anything you want to say to me?"

On screen, he was poised in a tailored suit, full of confidence.

I smiled faintly. Satisfied. "No. Nothing."

He went silent for a second, then laughed scornfully. "What if you apologized now? Maybe I'd bring you back home."

I looked down at my hand, swollen and bruised from countless IVs. "That's not necessary. I've been doing just fine since I left."

His face darkened instantly.

My phone was snatched away.

William's voice came cold as ice, "Ben, she's dying."