The doctor’s words brought tears to my eyes. I struggled to hold back the ache in my heart.

“I don’t have any family left.”

I used to, but she had now become Matt’s family.

My memories drifted back to that summer—to the car accident Sienna and I got into when we were eighteen.

I pushed Sienna out of the way with all my strength, but a shard of glass pierced my lung.

The doctor issued three critical condition notices in quick succession.

Sienna cried herself hoarse outside the operating room, saying she would not live if I died.

I had been drifting in and out of consciousness, but hearing those words jolted me awake.

24 hours later, I was wheeled out of the operating room. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Sienna.

Sienna, someone who always prided herself on her beauty and neatness, appeared before me in a state of disarray for the first time.

Her eyes were red and swollen. Her makeup was smudged.

Flames seemed to dance in her eyes as she said softly in my ear, “From now on, nothing will ever separate us.”

I, too, once believed that after we survived life and death together, nothing could tear us apart.

Then came Matt, a man who had been in our lives for just one year.

He shattered everything.

After being diagnosed with stomach cancer, my first thought was, ‘What about Sienna?’

She was so dependent on me. What would she do if I were gone?

When I arrived at the first floor of the office building, what I saw was Sienna holding an unconscious Matt. Her face was pale with shock.

Sienna was so panicked that without even glancing at me, she shoved me aside.

I was already in a daze from the stomach cancer diagnosis. I could not dodge in time and was sent tumbling down the stairs.

Sienna passed by me, still holding Matt. In that moment, I realized I had been deluding myself.

In Sienna’s heart, there was already someone more important than me.

My first round of chemotherapy was over.

Even though I was usually pretty good at handling pain, I had to rest in the chair for a long time before I could sit up straight.

As I was getting ready to be discharged, I ran into Sienna in the hallway, who was discussing something with a doctor.

When she saw me, she frowned at first. Then, she walked over to ask, “What are you doing here at the hospital?”

When she saw the gastroenterology medical records in my hand, the coldness in the corners of her eyes faded.

She smiled and reached out to rub my cold, aching abdomen.

“Is your stomach hurting again? I told you not to drink and to stick to a regular resting schedule, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look, here come the aftereffects!”

She said it so casually, as if I simply enjoyed drinking and living a chaotic lifestyle.

However, Sienna had forgotten that back when Lyon Corporation was on the brink of bankruptcy, she was constantly wearing a worried expression.

To land clients, I, someone who never touched a drop of alcohol, forced myself to be a heavyweight drinker.

I spent years traveling between major cities on business trips, often pulling all-nighters without even a bite to eat.

Sienna had long forgotten the sacrifices I had made on my own accord.

Matt emerged from the hospital room. His face was pale. He raised his head and struggled to force a strained smile.

“Is Mr. Sutton having a stomach flare-up? In that case, Ms. Lyon, you go keep him company. I’ll be fine on my own. Don’t let me come between you and Mr. Sutton. He can’t stand me anyway.”

Sienna instinctively pulled him into her arms and soothed him patiently.

She said, “It’s just a stomach flare-up. He’s a man. There’s no way he’s that delicate. Don’t read too much into it.”

After saying that, Sienna turned to me. “Right, Callum?”

Though phrased as a question, her tone left no room for doubt.

I found it absurd and laughable. Without so much as a glance at him, I turned to leave.

However, someone grabbed me. Instinctively, thinking it was Sienna, I shook her off forcefully.

A moment later, Matt let out a cry of pain.

When I turned to look, Matt was already lying on the floor. Sienna started to help him to his feet.

She looked at me with that disappointed yet calm gaze. “Callum, you really disappoint me. When did you become like this?”

As she helped Matt up, she shoved me aside with force. I lost my balance and slammed into the corner of a chair.

A sharp, stabbing pain mixed with a dull ache made me nearly lose my footing. I clutched my abdomen and crouched on the floor.

I looked up and saw Sienna hurrying away while holding onto Matt.

She did not look back even once.

When I woke up again, it was already afternoon.

I took a cab home.

As I entered the code on the lock, I realized that nothing I tried worked.

However, in the next moment, someone opened the door from the inside.

Matt was wearing my pajamas. When he saw me staring at the lock, he stuck his tongue out at me and gave a bashful smile.

“Mr. Sutton, Ms. Lyon changed the code, and I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet.

“My memory is terrible. I couldn’t remember your wedding anniversary, so Ms. Lyon changed the code to my birthday.”

I looked up at Sienna, but she averted her gaze.

“Matt is an orphan. I’m taking him home to look after him for a while. Don’t read too much into it.”

I nodded calmly. There was nothing to read into.

Matt pulled me along enthusiastically. “Mr. Sutton, this afternoon, Ms. Lyon and I went out together to pick out a bunch of 10th-anniversary gifts for you. Please don’t hold a grudge against Ms. Lyon anymore.”

As he spoke, he took my hand with one hand and Sienna’s with the other.

Together, they walked to the guest bedroom.

The room was already piled high with video game consoles and clothes.

Matt introduced each item to me one by one. Sienna looked at Matt with an affectionate expression and said to me, “We skipped dinner so we could go shopping for you this afternoon.”

I cut her off immediately, saying, “It’s not necessary.”

Matt’s face turned pale in an instant. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“I know you don’t like me, Mr. Sutton, but Ms. Lyon and I picked all of these out together. If not for my sake, then do it for her sake. Please keep them.”

I gave a self-deprecating smile and repeated, “I don’t need them.”

I really did not need them anymore. Our tenth anniversary had already passed.

Sienna looked somewhat displeased. “Callum, how long do you plan to keep acting like this?”

My lips curved into a smile. How ridiculous.

Sienna had abandoned our past and future because of Matt.

Yet she imagined I would stay put and wait for him.

“Callum, think it through carefully. Don’t assume I’ll do whatever you say just because of our past.”

Think? I had already made up my mind long ago.

I had spent countless late nights tossing and turning as tears streamed down my face.

I had already made up my mind. I would end everything with her.

This ordeal left me physically and mentally exhausted. So, I slept exceptionally soundly.

When I regained consciousness, I felt a sharp pain in my face.

I opened my eyes groggily to find Matt standing right in front of me.

He looked at me smugly. “Mr. Sutton, you’re finally awake. You really kept me waiting!”

With that, he pulled out a knife and walked toward me with a savage grin.

“Mr. Sutton, why can’t you be sensible and leave Ms. Lyon sooner?

“She has already slept with me. She belongs to me, body and soul. I’m younger than you and in better shape. How can you possibly compete with me?”

The knife plunged viciously into my abdomen.

Tears streamed down my face from the pain, and I screamed for Sienna.

However, Matt just smiled at me.

Then, he used the knife to cut the ropes binding my limbs and threw them out the window, before turning the blade on himself.

When Sienna burst through the door, she saw Matt lying on the floor, with blood pooling all around him.

I was covered with a blanket. My wounds and blood were hidden beneath it.

She held Matt closely and looked down at me.

“Callum, how could you be so cruel! How did I never notice this before? If anything happens to Matt, I won’t let you off the hook!”

Sienna hurriedly left, still holding Matt.

The memory of that girl from years ago, crying herself hoarse outside my hospital room, slowly faded from my mind as she walked away.

I, too, was finally free from clinging to those hopeless memories. I was done waiting in vain and dwelling on them.

It was just as well that it all ended here.

I hoped we could part ways and move on. Then, we could pursue our own happiness.