Ava Rivera sat by the window in her hospital room, her gaze fixed on the rain pelting against the glass. Each raindrop felt like a countdown, a reminder of the limited time she had left. Cancer—stage four stomach cancer, the doctor had told her in that grim, clinical tone. Six months, maybe a year if she was lucky. It was a sentence, one that bound her to a future filled with pain and resignation, where each second slipping away was a precious one she'd never get back.
She forced herself to look away from the window as Sophia entered the room, carrying a vibrant bouquet of lilies and tulips. Ava couldn’t help but feel grateful for her friend, who was always by her side through the darkest moments of her life. Sophia’s smile was bright, almost annoyingly so, as she placed the flowers on the table beside Ava's bed.
“Come on, Ava. Don’t give up,” Sophia said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re stronger than this. You’re going to beat it. And look at me—I’ll be here every step of the way, making sure you don’t lose hope.”
Ava’s attempt at a smile was weak, like a fragile mask barely concealing the turmoil inside. “Sophia, I… I think Julian is cheating on me.”
Sophia’s hand froze in mid-air, her expression faltering for a split second before she quickly regained her composure. “Ava, don’t say that. He’s probably just stressed, trying to cope with everything. I mean, this has been hard on him too, right?”
But Ava felt an ache in her chest that had nothing to do with her illness. She knew Sophia’s words were meant to soothe, but they only heightened her suspicions. The man she’d vowed to love forever was growing more distant with every passing day, and Ava was sure there was a reason beyond her illness.
Before she could say anything further, a nurse stepped in with a reminder of her brutal reality: “Mrs. Rivera, I need to inform you that your medical bills are past due. You’ll need a guardian to cover the costs, or we’ll have to discuss discharge options.”
With a heavy heart, Ava reached for her phone and tried calling Julian. Her husband didn’t answer. The calls went straight to voicemail, filling her with an emptiness that threatened to swallow her whole. She looked over at Sophia, who gave her hand a comforting squeeze, but Ava felt only a hollow comfort.
Determined to return home, Ava hailed a taxi outside the hospital. She gave her address to the driver, barely noticing when he took a detour down a road she didn’t recognize. Cherry blossoms lined the street, their pink petals swirling in the breeze like delicate confetti. The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “You know, you can always choose a new path,” he said with a gentle smile, his eyes kind and wise. “Sometimes, a different road can lead to better things.”
Ava offered him a sad smile in return, unsure of what he meant. When they arrived, she reached for her purse to pay, but the driver waved her off. “No charge. Think of it as a gift—from your father.”
Stunned, she watched the taxi pull away before trudging up the steps to her house, feeling weaker than ever. She entered her bedroom, her movements slow, her breaths labored. But when she opened the door, she froze. There, entangled in the sheets, were Julian and Sophia, oblivious to her presence.
Ava’s heart shattered. She stumbled back, bile rising in her throat as her mind processed the betrayal. The one person who had promised to be with her, and her best friend—the only person who made her feel less alone in this nightmare—were both betraying her in the worst way possible.
Anger boiled over, and she grabbed the nearest object, hurling it at the bed. The sound of shattering glass filled the room as she yelled at them, her voice raw with hurt. “I trusted you both! You think I’ll just sit back and let this happen?”
Sophia recoiled, pulling the sheets around herself, but Julian only glared, his eyes cold and unrepentant. "You think this is about you? The second you’re gone, everything will be better.”
The cruelty of his words struck Ava like a physical blow, and she felt herself weaken. But before she could respond, Julian moved forward, shoving her back. She stumbled, losing her balance, and crashed into the glass coffee table behind her. She barely felt the pain as shards embedded in her skin, her vision fading. The world grew hazy, her last conscious thought a bitter acceptance of how far her life had fallen.
And then, everything went dark.