Daniel left with Noah, clearly determined to teach Evelyn a lesson. In the past, whenever Daniel and Noah froze her out, Evelyn would be terrified.

The moment they went cold, she would panic and apologize over and over again until they finally forgave her. Only then could she breathe again.

This time, she did nothing.

For days, she quietly packed up the things in the house.

The team handling the private island needed her documents, so Evelyn picked a time and handed everything in. She had just finished the paperwork when her phone rang.

"Ms. Wynn, your wedding gown is here," the consultant from the bridal boutique said. "When would you like to come in for your fitting?"

Only then did Evelyn remember that Daniel was planning a wedding for their anniversary.

When they got married, Daniel was still in a wheelchair. There was no ceremony or wedding photos, just a marriage certificate and a rushed signature at the courthouse. He promised that on December 26th this year, he would make it up to her with a proper wedding. He even ordered her wedding gown six months in advance.

But now, Evelyn wasn't going to go through it anymore.

"There's no need anymore. Please cancel the order," Evelyn said.

"What?" The consultant sounded stunned. "But Mr. Hayes is already here at the store."

Evelyn went straight to the bridal boutique. Daniel and Noah were sitting in the lounge area. When Noah saw Evelyn, his small face twisted up.

It had been three full days. Evelyn hadn't called or texted once. That had never happened before. Noah was angry and hurt in a way he didn't know how to name. Had his mother really decided she didn't want him anymore?

When the consultant called to say the wedding gown had arrived, Noah had insisted on coming along. Now that Evelyn looked perfectly fine, his anger only burned hotter.

"Grandma was right," he thought. "Mom really is heartless! She's nothing like Aunt Zoe, who's always so gentle!"

Daniel's expression didn't look good either, but he held his temper in check. "Have you made enough of a scene? You were the one who was wrong the other day, yet you're the one sulking. Now, you don't even want to try on your gown."

Evelyn almost laughed.

They were the ones giving her the silent treatment, icing her out like she didn't exist. Somehow, it had turned into her throwing a tantrum.

"I'm not sulking," she said calmly. "There's just no point trying it on."

The 26th was the day she was leaving. There would be no wedding.

Daniel's expression darkened.

"Bad mom!" Noah stomped his foot, his voice rising. "You're so petty! You don't deserve to be my mom at all!"

Noah was spoiled and used to getting away with talk like that. He knew how to jab where it hurt, and every other time in the past, his words had left Evelyn so upset that she could barely hold back tears.

But this time, she only answered in a level tone, "You're right. I don't. Let Zoe be your mother instead."

Noah froze.

Daniel's expression went instantly cold. "Enough, Evelyn. There's nothing going on between Zoe and me. Don't twist it into something dirty! I just feel bad for her! She's barely in her 20s, and she has cancer! The doctor said she might not even have two months left. She's your sister! How can you be so cruel, so vicious?"

Evelyn let him say whatever he wanted. Her heart barely even twinged anymore. If anything, a distant, bitter curiosity flickered up. If the day ever came when Daniel found out Zoe did not have cancer at all, what kind of face would he make?

"Anything else? If not, I'm leaving," she said. With that, Evelyn turned to go.

Panic flashed across Daniel's face. "Evelyn!"

"Mom!" Noah shouted too.

Before Evelyn could react, Daniel's phone rang. He answered it, and the blood drained from his face even as his voice softened to a tone Evelyn barely recognized. "Zoe, don't be scared! I'm on my way!"

Before Evelyn could process that, Daniel grabbed her wrist.

"You're coming too!" he said.

He didn't give her a chance to pull away and shoved her straight into the car. Daniel slammed down on the gas, sending the car shooting forward. For the first time, Evelyn saw Daniel in such a panic.

When they reached the club and pushed open the door to a private room, Zoe was already crying as she threw herself at him.

"Daniel, help me! They're trying to force me to drink!" she sobbed.

Daniel immediately pulled her into his arms and shielded her with his body.

Noah stepped in front of her too, his little face drawn tight and serious. "Don't you dare bully Aunt Zoe!"

The room was full of men in suits. A contract lay open on the table. It seemed like they were in the middle of a business deal.

Seeing Daniel and Noah like that, one of the men casually dug a finger into his ear, looking completely unimpressed. "Ms. Wynn, that's not fair. Who's forcing anything? All we ask is that you finish this drink. Once you do, the deal is done."

Daniel's expression darkened. "Zoe has stomach cancer. She can't drink. I'll drink it for her!"

The man chuckled. "Are you from Wynn Group? If you drink it, what does that count for? I want someone from the Wynn family to drink!"

The next second, Daniel and Noah both turned to look at Evelyn.

Evelyn's face went white. Now, she understood why Daniel had dragged her here. She was here to clean up Zoe's mess.

"No!" Evelyn said, her hands curling into fists. "I'm not drinking!"

Zoe broke down again, tears streaming down her face. She begged, "Evelyn, please. Wynn Group is the Wynn family's company! It's practically yours too! Are you really going to just stand there and watch the family go under?"

Daniel snapped, "Evelyn, do you have to be this heartless? Do you have any idea how many nights Zoe stayed up working on this project? It's just one drink!"

Noah chimed in, "Mom, hurry up and drink it! If you do, I won't be mad at you anymore for pushing Aunt Zoe down the stairs!"

Evelyn's hand tightened around the edge of the wall. A cold numbness spread through her whole body. Every word from them pushed her closer to the edge.

She had late-stage stomach cancer, and they wanted her to knock back hard liquor. That wasn't just a drink. That was a death sentence.

And Wynn Group? What did that have to do with her? She might be the eldest daughter, but she didn't own even 1% of the company. Her eyes burned red. "Don't even think about it!"

Daniel's jaw clenched, and his face went rigid. Zoe's sobs filled the room as Daniel made up his mind. He grabbed the glass and lifted it. Then, without warning, his other hand shot out and clamped hard around Evelyn's lower jaw.

"No! Don't!" Evelyn's whole body shook with panic. She tried to shove Daniel's hand away, but Noah lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Dad, now!" Noah yelled.

Noah was only six years old, yet his grip was so tight that Evelyn couldn't break free. The liquor hit her throat in one burning rush. It tore its way down.

The moment it hit her stomach, it felt like someone had poured fire straight into an open wound.

Evelyn dropped to her knees and gagged over and over, her body convulsing with dry heaves.

Noah froze, stunned.

Zoe, however, lowered her eyes, burying the flash of triumph. When she lifted her gaze again, it was all trembling innocence. "Daniel, what's wrong with Evelyn? Anyone who doesn't know better would think she's the one with cancer..."

Her words wiped the worry clean from Daniel's eyes.

"Evelyn, you really should've gone into acting. Your performance is unbelievable," he sneered.

Noah snapped out of his shock and quickly found his voice. "Yeah, Mom, you're faking it again! Grandma said you used to love drinking!"

Daniel's voice turned sharp and mocking. "You used to go out for business dinners every night and drink until you were throwing up in the bathroom. Now, you take one glass and act like it's killing you?"

Tears streamed from Evelyn's eyes, but this was just her body's reaction. Her throat burned with the metallic taste of blood. She couldn't say a single word.

Right then, Zoe pressed a hand to her stomach and winced. "Daniel, it hurts. My stomach hurts..."

Daniel and Noah panicked instantly and completely forgot Evelyn was there.

"Zoe, hold on! I'll get you to the hospital!" Daniel said urgently.

"Aunt Zoe, you can't get sick! I need you!" Noah cried.

Their voices faded, drifting farther and farther away.

Evelyn's pain was like a wave crashing over her. Just before she blacked out, she doubled over and vomited a mouthful of bright red blood onto the carpet, sending a shock through the men still in the private room.

"What the hell!" one of them choked out.

Another man's voice shook as he said, "Damn! Zoe said this was just for fun! Is she trying to get her killed?"

"This has nothing to do with me! I didn't do anything!" another quickly yelled.

"Let's go now!"

They bolted instantly, clearing out the room as if a fire alarm had gone off.

Evelyn, left alone on the floor, trembled. A laugh broke from her, wet with tears. So, this was the woman Daniel and Noah loved. This was the woman they'd chosen.

Evelyn only hoped that when the truth finally came out, they wouldn't choke on regret.

...

The next time Evelyn opened her eyes, she was in a hospital bed. The ward was quiet. No one was sitting beside her.

She asked a nurse what had happened and was told that someone had dropped her off at the emergency room after she passed out in pain, then left.

The doctor came in a few minutes later. His face hardened as he questioned, "Your body is already in this state, and you're still drinking? Are you out of your mind, or do you not want to live?"

Evelyn gave a bitter smile. She hadn't wanted to drink. Her husband and son had forced that glass down her throat with their own hands. She wanted to live a little longer. They were the ones who had pushed her toward death.

The doctor sighed. "Listen. You need to get this through your head. If you want to suffer less, you can't touch alcohol again."

Once the doctor left, Evelyn asked to be discharged. Whatever time she had left, she didn't want to spend it staring at hospital ceilings.

On her way out, she walked past a cluster of patients and visitors chatting just outside one of the wards.

"That woman in Ward 6 is lucky. Her husband and son hover around her day and night. They treat her like she's made of glass."

Another replied, "She really hit the jackpot with that man. Did you see what happened earlier? She said she felt like eating cake, and they ordered one of everything from every bakery in town. If she wanted the stars in the sky, I swear those two would try to find a way to get them down for her."

"Stop talking. They're coming out."

The group shuffled aside.

Evelyn lifted her head and saw Daniel and Noah walking out of Ward 6. Both of them froze when they spotted her.

"Mom?"

"Evelyn?"

Daniel's eyes dropped to her hospital gown, and his face went slack with shock. "What are you doing in the oncology wing?"

Noah panicked, his whole body going rigid. People didn't end up on this floor because of a mild cold.

Before Evelyn could answer, Zoe stepped out of the ward. "Daniel? Noah? Why are you just standing here?"

She slipped her hand through Daniel's arm as naturally as breathing. Then, she saw Evelyn, and her fingers went stiff around his sleeve.

Daniel immediately shook Zoe's hand off, his whole body going tense. He strode toward Evelyn in a few quick steps, staring straight into her face. "Tell me, why are you here?"

Noah rushed to her side as well. "Yeah, Mom. Are you sick?"

Zoe bit down on her lower lip, unable to hide the flicker of panic in her eyes.

Evelyn smiled. So, Zoe could be afraid, after all.

Zoe really didn't need to worry. Evelyn had no intention of telling the truth. She would wait until after she was gone. Then, Daniel and Noah could finally find out what had really happened.

That kind of grief and regret, when there was no way to make things right, would follow them for the rest of their lives.

"I heard you were here, so I came to see you," Evelyn said calmly. Her expression was so mild that both Daniel and Noah visibly relaxed.

"So, you came over from another department?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Evelyn replied.

Daniel let out a breath, but his brows stayed furrowed. "What are you in for? You're in a hospital gown."

Evelyn's mouth curved in a mocking smile. "Stomach issues."

The words landed, and both Daniel and Noah exchanged an uneasy look. Daniel knew she'd had stomach problems for years. He just hadn't thought they had gotten bad enough for her to be hospitalized.

Before he could say another word, Zoe walked up, her eyes misty and her voice shaking. "Evelyn, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't made you drink that glass of liquor, you wouldn't be in the hospital."

The moment she started crying, Daniel and Noah softened instantly.

Daniel hurried to steady Zoe. "This isn't your fault at all! There's no way one drink landed her here! That would be a little too dramatic!"

"Yeah, Aunt Zoe! Don't be sad," Noah chimed in. "Mom definitely did this to herself! She probably skipped her meals on purpose and made herself sick just to get me and Dad to pay attention to her!"

To make Zoe feel better, Noah could say such cruel things. Evelyn couldn't help wondering when he had become this way. She remembered raising him to be better than this.

Zoe's expression finally softened. She pressed a hand to her chest and whispered that she felt a little unwell. Daniel and Noah immediately fussed over her, guiding her back into the ward. By the time they came out again, Evelyn was gone.

Daniel didn't think much of it. If there really was something wrong with Evelyn, she would say so. Evelyn was the type to cry over a minor scratch. There was no way she could face a serious illness without saying a word. If she wasn't talking, that meant she was fine.

Besides, Zoe didn't have much time left. He needed to be there for her while he still could. Once she was gone, he would make it up to Evelyn.

...

Evelyn picked up her prescription painkillers and went home. They were the only thing that could ease the pain.

There were eight days left before she left for the island. She didn't want anything to go wrong before then.

To keep her health from collapsing, she allowed herself to rest for the first time in years. She slept until noon every day.

She didn't have to prepare Noah's meals, worry about his school schedule, or lie awake at night wondering if Daniel would come home drunk from another business dinner.

It turned out living alone could be so comfortable.

A few days later, her parents called.

"If you're free today, come over. We should all get together," her mother, Tiana Dunn, said.

For the first time since Zoe's so-called cancer diagnosis, they were finally reaching out to Evelyn. Ever since they decided she was lying, they even blocked her on messaging apps.

Evelyn glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was the 21st, her birthday. She agreed to go, just for one last birthday with her parents. After that, they could all consider things settled.

When she walked into the Wynn residence, there was no cake nor presents—just her parents' strange expressions and a heavy, suffocating silence. Seeing her at the door, they exchanged a look.

"Since you're here, sit down," her father, Owen Wynn, said.

Evelyn sat on the couch.

Tiana watched Evelyn for a moment, then said in a low, conflicted tone, "On the 26th, Daniel's supposed to hold a wedding for you, right?"

Evelyn frowned, not sure where this was going yet. Before she could answer, Tiana continued, "Let Zoe have the wedding instead."

Evelyn's whole body went still.

Tiana went on bluntly, "You know Zoe likes Daniel. Daniel and Noah like her too. Their bond is already stronger than what you have with them! If this were any other time, I'd never step in. But Zoe has cancer. She doesn't have much time. I want to help her fulfill her wish and let her marry Daniel, even if it's just in name."

For a second, it felt like Evelyn's blood was boiling in her veins. Help Zoe fulfill her wish? What about her? That was her husband and her wedding. But her parents were asking her to hand them over like it was nothing. It was ridiculous.

"Have you thought about me at all?" Evelyn asked quietly.

Owen's expression darkened. "What's wrong with you? Are you the one dying?"

Evelyn's lips lifted into a thin smile. "Yeah. I'm the one who's dying."

The next second, a loud slap smacked across Evelyn's face. She raised a hand to her cheek and felt blood at the corner of her mouth.

"You're so stubborn!" Owen shouted. "How did I end up with such a cold-blooded daughter?"

Tiana's face was full of disappointment and disgust.

"As her sister, how can you be this heartless? You won't even agree to Zoe's last wish. If I'd known you'd turn out like this, I never would've had you! If we hadn't been so busy looking after you, Zoe wouldn't have gone missing back then. You're nothing but a curse on my life!

"If you refuse, I might as well move out and live with Zoe. Then, I won't have to see you and feel sick!"

Evelyn ran her tongue along the blood on her lip.

"You don't have to go with Zoe. I'll leave," she said.

She would go somewhere none of them could ever find her.

If they all ended up in heaven someday, she'd gladly go to hell instead.