I broke up with my boyfriend the year he was at his poorest.

A year later, he was famous, and he married a prettier, livelier girl than me.

On a late-night show, a host asked him whether a grand slam of awards this early in his career left any regrets.

He pulled Mia closer.

"I want to know how she's been. Since she left me."

The host paused.

"She's been... not well at all."

Adrian finally smiled.

"Then I can stop thinking about her."

"But Ms. Whitman left behind a box of tapes before she died."

Adrian's smile locked into place.

On the tapes were every day and every night of my life, from the day I walked away from him to the day I stopped breathing.

"Before she died?"

Adrian Cole's hand, which was resting on Mia Sloane's waist, paused.

Then, he let out a disdainful scoff. "Is this some kind of staged effect for your show?"

The host shook his head.

On the giant screen behind them, my smiling face appeared.

"Hello everyone, I'm Claire Whitman. Today, I went through a breakup~"

"Huh? You're asking if I'm sad about dumping an incredibly promising, handsome, and sweet boyfriend?"

In the video, the girl—whose head was completely shaven—was picking out a wig for herself.

Hearing the question, she looked at the camera and smiled.

"I'm not sad. What would be truly sad is if he saw me looking like this, haha~"

"Hey? Why are you shaking? The footage is getting all blurry."

I reached out and steadied the trembling hands of my best friend, Paige Henderson.

Paigey choked out, "I don't want to film this... I'm going to cry to death. I don't want to film anymore..."

"No can do. You promised me you'd record every single day before I die."

Paigey's voice was thick with tears. "Can't I back out?"

"Nope!"

I pouted. "The perfect curtain call for this lady cannot be entrusted to anyone else."

Seeing that she was still crying, I grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged gently. "Oh, my sweet Paigey, you're all I have left in this world~"

Her sobbing became a bit louder. "I know, I know. I'll film it, okay?"

…

[Goodbye, World, 2023.4.17, 9:34 AM — Take What's Yours]

After many years, I finally returned to my childhood home in the countryside.

Paigey walked behind me, holding the phone to record, while I led Biscuit, our big yellow dog, down the dirt path between the fields. A light chuckle came from the ridge.

"I was wondering why Adrian Cole just updated his Instagram Story with a song. Turns out it's because you took Biscuit away!"

I turned my head. "What song? I blocked him right after the breakup."

"Take What's Yours."

Paigey and I exchanged a look, suddenly caught between laughter and tears.

"Take all that you want,

I'll bear what is left.

Just leave our dog behind,

Don't ask if it makes sense…"

Paigey laughed until tears streamed down her face. "He didn't want anything else, just the dog. And you didn't want anything either, except you took the dog! Hahaha!"

Our laughter echoed toward the horizon.

Gradually, it mingled with the sound of weeping.

…

[Goodbye, World, 2023.4.17, 10:08 AM — Do little dogs know when you're leaving too?]

The old wooden door creaked open, and I waved away the cobwebs.

"I'm telling you, ever since Adrian and I went to Beijing for college, we rarely came home."

"After my parents passed away, Adrian and I took Biscuit with us. This is the first time I've brought him back."

The camera angle flipped. Now I was the one holding it.

"Hello, hello! Claire Whitman is taking you on an immersive journey of cleaning the old house!"

Paigey, wearing an apron and holding a broom, frowned. "I'm the one doing all the cleaning! My lady!"

"I'm a sick patient~ Cut me some slack~"

After a burst of laughter, I walked out of the kitchen, my face covered in soot and ash.

Paigey's face darkened as she snatched the spatula from me. "I told you not to cook! I said don't cook! Do you have no idea how bad your skills are? Go out and sit down!"

I laughed and coughed simultaneously as I took a seat.

The moment Paigey went back into the kitchen, the smile vanished from my face. I propped the phone against the table and began gasping heavily for air.

With trembling hands, I took a few breaths from a portable oxygen canister before finally managing a smile at the camera.

"Sorry about that. My breathing has been acting up more and more lately… Cough, cough! But seriously, I'm actually a great cook. Really."

"Watch me brave the kitchen once again!"

Saying this, I picked up the phone to film, only to find something furry at my feet.

The camera tilted down. Biscuit was lying by my feet, his eyelids drooping.

"Are you hungry?"

I handed him a sausage. He rested his mouth on it but just continued to lie heavily across my feet, unmoving.

"Good boy, Biscuit. I need to go to the kitchen to see Paigey. Get up."

He didn't move.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so clingy today?"

I stroked his dry, brittle fur.

"I know, Biscuit is getting old too~ Too lazy to move, right?"

"Alright, I'll stay with you a little longer today~"

I leaned back against the sofa. "I won't have the chance to be with you anymore, anyway."

Biscuit let out a low, soft whimper.

…

[Goodbye, World, 2023.4.17, 11:21 AM — Is a home without people still a home?]

When I woke up on the sofa, Paigey was crouching by my feet.

Hearing my voice, she looked up, tears streaming down her face.

"Claire... I've heard that dogs can sense when their owner is about to leave, so they go to the next life ahead of time to wait for them. Is that true?"

I almost dropped the camera.

I frantically reached out to touch Biscuit.

He wasn't breathing.

He had been lying by my feet. While I was too tired and drifted into sleep, he had quietly left me.

I forced a smile, though it looked worse than crying.

"What are you talking about? Biscuit was ten years old. He simply reached the end of his natural life."

When the camera turned back on, I was adding soil to a small mound on the hill behind the house.

My breathing was shallow and rapid, and my face was pale. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I pointed toward the house.

"Just walk straight this way and you're home. Don't go the wrong way. If you walk toward Adrian..."

I abruptly stopped.

I smiled and pulled my hand back.

"Actually, don't go back there. It'll be empty soon anyway."

"Wait for me to come down, and you, me, Mom, and Dad will start a new home down there."

Sobbing accompanied the shaking camera. I looked up and smilingly pointed behind the lens.

"What are you doing? You can't even hold the camera steady."

Paigey cried even louder.

"Look who's talking! What are you saying?!"

I laughed aloud and waved her over.

"Look at you. Come on, let's go home and eat the food you made~"

"Claire Whitman! If you keep acting like this, I'm going to ignore you!"

I giggled, walked over, and slung my arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, your big sis Claire is invincible!"

"A little bit of cancer? Easy peasy!"

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

…

[Goodbye, World, 2023.4.18, 8:27 AM — Sometimes I forget I'm a sick patient]

"Claire! Claire, open the door!"

Paigey was frantically pounding on the door.

The camera was propped off to the side. Paigey hadn't even had time to adjust the angle, so only her lower half was visible in the frame.

Inside the room, I was screaming and crying hoarsely.

"Get out! I told you to get out! Go away!!"

This was immediately followed by the sound of violent retching.

Paigey was on the verge of tears.

"Claire, if you keep this up, I'm breaking the door down! What exactly happened?! Let me see you!"

"Get out! Leave me alone!"

My heart-wrenching screams pierced through the screen.

Paige Henderson slammed herself against the door, and the old wood gave way with a crash.

Inside the room, I was kneeling beside the trash can. Strands of hair were stuck to my face with vomit. I looked utterly miserable.

There was absolutely no trace of the girl who was laughing and singing just yesterday.

I looked up in despair, my eyes completely bloodshot.

"Paigey..."

"Claire."

She dropped to her knees and, ignoring the filth covering me, pulled me into a tight embrace.

With trembling hands, I hugged her back. Resting my chin on her shoulder, my tears soaked through her shirt.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you...

"But... I always wake up in a daze, thinking I'm still the normal Claire...

"And then I stare at the ceiling for a long time, and realize that I'm sick...

"I'm sick... I'm sick, Paigey..."

I broke down, unable to speak through my sobs.

Paige hugged me even tighter.

"Yeah, it's okay. It's okay, Claire. You can get through this, you can...

"Because you're...

"You're Claire Whitman..."

[Goodbye, World, 2024.4.21, 4:34 PM — Sometimes forgetting is a comfort to the departed]

I was leaning on Paige's shoulder. My sleeves were pushed up. My arms were mottled with old bruises.

My voice was hoarse.

"What should I do, Paigey? If this keeps up, there won't be any place left to put the IV needles. It hurts so much."

"Oh, now you know it hurts? Where was this energy when you stayed up late last night trying to snatch those concert tickets?"

I pouted.

"I have to see my ex-boyfriend's first concert after hitting it big, right? It's been a long time; I want to see if his singing has improved."

Paige fell silent. After a long while, she nudged me.

"You said the reason you broke up with him was that you didn't want to hold him back. If he still has feelings for you now, would you go to him for help?"

"No!" I said without a second of hesitation.

"But a single song of his can break ten million now. He definitely has the ability to help pay for your treatment."

"Still no! And you are not allowed to tell him either!"

"But, you right now..."

I put my hands on my hips. The indwelling IV needle on the back of my hand had left a blue-green mark on my skin.

"I'm doing perfectly fine right now. Besides, I dumped him when he was at his absolute poorest. If I went back to him right after he achieved fame and success just to tell him I'm sick, what would that make me?"

"Don't worry, I am Claire Whitman! A little bit of cancer? Easy peasy!"

I brought my index finger and thumb together, making a 'pinching' gesture.

Paige looked at me for a moment, then sighed.

I waved my hand. "Let's go. Throwing money at this disease won't necessarily cure it anyway. I might as well spend my limited funds enjoying my last days. Hurry up, hurry up, didn't we have plans for the amusement park tonight? Before that, I found this great barbecue place... Ah!"

I crashed headfirst into someone's chest. I was apologizing profusely, but when I looked up and saw the person's face, I instantly stumbled back several steps.

Paige gasped. "Adrian?"

Even though he was wearing a mask and bundled up tightly, lovers can recognize each other from just a pair of eyes.

"Claire?" His handsome eyes carried a hint of shock. Then, it morphed into anger and reproach.

Without a second thought, I turned around and ran.

The camera shook wildly as Paige sprinted after me.

A cancer patient managed to run at a pace faster than when she was healthy.

Behind my violent gasping, someone was screaming my name. "Claire! Do you really hate me that much?!"

…

[Goodbye, World, 2024.4.21, 11:19 PM -- Love always seems to hide in unseen corners]

"Yes, I'll just take one look and leave. Thank you for the trouble."

"Claire, it's not that I have a problem with you. We're from the same village, after all. But you were the one who dumped him, and it took him so much effort to finally move on.

"That junior of yours has also become a top star in the entertainment industry now, and she likes him a lot. The public opinion is strongly backing them together. Please don't..."

I smiled and nodded. "I know, Lana. I won't bother him. I just want to see him for the last... cough, I just want to see him."

"...Alright."

After a brief exchange, I pointed the camera at myself. "I'm at Lana's house now. The person standing behind me is Adrian's manager, by the way.

"Back then, to force him to write songs, she deliberately bought the apartment right across from his. From these floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see right into Adrian's place. The second he slacked off, she would call him, hahaha~

"But he always keeps his curtains drawn, so we probably won't be able to see anything anyway."

As I spoke, I pointed the camera toward Adrian's new apartment.

The camera lens passed through the open curtains and landed on a framed picture hanging on his wall. My smile abruptly vanished.

It was a couple's photo of him and me from the past.

In the photo, we were wearing clothes meant for a wedding, laughing jokingly at the camera.

That day, I had even teased him: "If you ever hit it big one day, you should really marry me."

I never expected that he would actually hang this jokingly-taken wedding photo dead center on his wall.

He was back.

Taking off his mask, he raised his hand and gently touched the photo.

Then, he clenched his hand into a fist and pressed it hard against the frame. He leaned against it as if all his strength had drained away, his head bowed, his shoulders shaking.

Holding the camera, I also pressed my fist against the floor-to-ceiling window, gritting my teeth to suppress my trembling.

I started to laugh: "I suppose he'll never know in this lifetime that I'm actually standing right behind him."