Cooper explained, "Jessica, don't blame Edgar. It's my fault.

"I thought it was so late that Edgar would already be asleep, so I didn't bother to put on a shirt. But as soon as I opened the door, I ran into him. He saw the marks on me and started calling me shameless. He said someone like me doesn't deserve to be with you."

Just like that, Cooper painted Edgar as a twisted man who lurked outside Jessica's door late at night, eavesdropping out of jealousy and violently attacking her fiancé.

"He's lying! I didn't say any of that!" Edgar's eyes turned red at the corners as he protested. "He deliberately provoked me by bringing up my parents and… and calling my mom deranged!"

When Edgar was in elementary school, his classmates had bullied him because of his mother's story. They'd formed a circle around him, throwing trash at him while chanting, "Crazy kid with a crazy mom."

Jessica had been the one to step in and resolve the situation.

Surely, she knew he wouldn't lie about something like this, as that incident had traumatized him.

"Edgar, what are you talking about?" Cooper put on a confused expression. "What happened to your parents? All I know is that they passed away when you were very young. I don't know anything else."

Jessica gently comforted Cooper before turning to Edgar with a stern look. Disappointment was written across her face as she said, "Edgar, I never expected you to stoop so low just to slander Cooper! He knows nothing about your past. I never told him about it."

"He could've looked it up online," Edgar retorted, still upset. "It was all over the internet—"

"Enough!" Jessica cut him off sharply. "Do you think everyone is as malicious and petty as you? Always twisting the truth to stir up trouble?"

Edgar froze.

Malicious. Petty. Twisting the truth.

So this was how Jessica saw him.

At that moment, any words of defense felt meaningless.

"Apologize to Cooper immediately," Jessica commanded coldly.

Edgar stayed quiet. He refused to apologize because he did nothing wrong. Cooper was the one who should apologize!

"Looks like I've spoiled you for too long," Jessica added. "But not anymore. From today onward, you're not allowed to leave your room. Stay inside and reflect on your actions. When you've thought it through and are ready to apologize, you can come out."

For as long as Edgar could remember, Jessica had always been the one to defend him. But this time, she had chosen to defend another man.

Back in his room, Edgar curled up on his bed. Even so, he felt freezing cold.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a message from Harry.

"Mr. Lawrie, your physical examination results are out. Based on our research, your optimal cryopreservation window is between December 7 and 21. Please select a date at your convenience."

December was the next month.

Edgar's chest ached at the thought. He stared into the darkness for a long time before his trembling hands finally typed out his chosen date—December 12.

Not only was December 12 his birthday, but it was also Jessica and Cooper's wedding day.

There was no need for him to attend their wedding since Jessica was already fed up with him. His presence would only ruin their day.

Thus, Edgar decided he would leave quietly without bothering anyone.

December was just around the corner, leaving Edgar with little time. There were still so many things he needed to do, and he didn't want to waste all of it locked in his room. Therefore, he swallowed his pride and went to Jessica to apologize.

"Jess, I've thought it through. It was all my fault. I'm sorry."

But Jessica's face remained impassive, and her gaze was devoid of the tenderness and indulgence that once directed at him. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. It's Cooper."

Edgar realized with deep sadness that her tenderness and care had already been given to another man.

"Fine! I'll apologize to him!" Edgar's entire body shook with emotion as he blurted, "Cooper, you're my brother-in-law. I'm sorry for what I did! "

The title stunned Jessica momentarily. She couldn't quite believe what she had just heard.

"Is this enough, Jess?" Edgar asked with a mocking smile. But as the smile lingered, his eyes began to redden. "Are you satisfied now?"

Jessica should have felt satisfied. But for reasons she couldn't explain, hearing him admit fault and call Cooper his brother-in-law left her feeling unsettled.

She averted her gaze, unable to look at Edgar any longer, and said, "From today onward, you'll move to a room downstairs."

Edgar froze for a moment before the realization sank in. Jessica believed Cooper.

He wondered in despair, "Jess, do you really think I'm the kind of person who would lurk outside your bedroom door, listening to what you do with another man? Is this what you think of me?"

The icy feeling returned, and Edgar felt the world spin around him, nearly making him collapse. But he didn't fall. Instead, he steadied himself against the wall, gritting his teeth to stay upright.

"Fine."

If Jessica wanted him to move downstairs, he would. Anyway, he didn't have long to live.

That evening, Edgar visited the cryonics lab again. He needed to discuss with Harry where his body would be stored after the procedure.

"I read in the documents that you also have cryostorage facilities underwater. Is that true?" Edgar asked.

"Of course," Harry replied. "Actually, most of our storage units are located under the sea. Maintaining the cryonic capsules on land at temperatures below minus several hundred degrees requires enormous energy. But underwater, the naturally low temperatures drastically reduce energy consumption."

"Perfect," Edgar said with a smile. "I'd like my capsule to be stored underwater."

"May I ask why?"

"Because that's a place where the star can't find me."

The star had been a gift from Jessica. She once told him that no matter where he went, the star would follow and always watch over him for her.

But now, Jessica didn't love him anymore.

And soon, he would die.

It would be too depressing for the star to guard a corpse that no one cared about. So, Edgar decided to set it free by disappearing into the depths where even starlight couldn't reach.

He would go away quietly.

To avoid seeing Cooper, Edgar deliberately stayed out late. Nonetheless, when he finally returned home, the villa was still brightly lit. Jessica sat in the living room, her face clouded with anger.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Edgar asked dumbfoundedly. He couldn't think of what he might have done wrong since he'd spent the whole day away from home.

Jessica threw a stack of papers at him, barely containing her fury as she demanded, "Explain yourself!"

Looking down, Edgar saw the scattered documents on the floor. Among them was his cancer diagnosis.

"How could you rummage through my things without my permission?" Edgar panicked and dodged Jessica's question. "I'm already 18! You can't just barge into my room and go through my stuff!"

Furious, Jessica grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it to the floor. "That's not the point right now!"

The sound of the glass shattering echoed through the room, making Edgar flinch.

"Edgar, you've misunderstood Jess," Cooper interjected with feigned innocence. "She didn't go into your room. It was me. I didn't have any clothes to change into, and my clothes yesterday were…"

He paused deliberately before continuing, "I had no choice but to check your room for clothes to borrow. That's when I accidentally found the cancer diagnosis on your desk."

He was lying.

Edgar had locked the document away the very day he received it. In Cooper's version, it sounded as if Edgar had intentionally left it out in the open, waiting for someone to stumble upon it.

"Edgar, you're so young. How could you possibly have cancer?" Cooper's expression filled with sorrow and concern. "Be honest with me. Is the diagnosis real or just some prank?"

Edgar turned to look at Jessica and noticed her gaze was filled more with anger than worry. Before he returned home, Cooper must have said enough to convince her that Edgar was faking an illness just to gain her attention.

Edgar thought that perhaps this was for the best. At least his secret wouldn't come to light.

"It was a prank," he said softly. "I was just messing around with my friends. I didn't expect you to find—"

Before he could finish, Jessica suddenly stood up. "We're going to the hospital for a checkup. Now."

Whether it was a prank or not, they would find out at the hospital.

"Jess…" Edgar tried to resist, but her sharp glare silenced him instantly.

He knew Jessica too well. There was no way to avoid this.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was already midnight. Normally, only the emergency department would be operational at this hour, but Jessica had called the hospital director in advance.

Not daring to cross her, the director hastily arranged for doctors to conduct a full examination of Edgar.

Cancer screenings took at least two hours to process, and for Edgar, every second was torment.

He couldn't help but wonder, "If Jess finds out I'm dying, will she feel sad for me? Or maybe I'm just a burden to her. Jealous, twisted, and difficult. Maybe she's been wanting to get rid of me all along."

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally emerged with the report in hand. "Ms. Yale, the tests are complete. Mr. Lawrie's health is excellent; there's no sign of cancer at all."

Edgar was taken aback by the announcement. He couldn't believe that after enduring such agony, this was the outcome.

He turned sharply to look at Cooper. There was no doubt in his mind who had tampered with the results.

Cooper exhaled a long breath of relief and said, "Thank goodness. It's just a prank. Edgar is fine… Jessica and I can finally stop worrying."

Meanwhile, Jessica said nothing. Her gaze lingered on Edgar, and for the first time, she seemed to notice how frighteningly pale he was.

The once vibrant boy she cherished looked as if he were slowly withering away.