Jane felt a chill run down her spine. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin.
Peering into the room, she saw Summer sitting in a wheelchair, holding a large bouquet of red roses. William stood in front of her, his back to
Jane.
Summer was smiling, her eyes shimmering like they held all the stars in the sky.
9:16 AM
<
“William, I’ve actually had a crush on you since college. All these years, I’ve always liked you.”
“I know saying this might trouble you, but I just had to get it off my chest. For the rest of my life, I’ll never love anyone else.”
“No one will ever treat me like you do.”
Her eyes glistened with tears as she gazed at William, her voice filled with emotion.
William stood frozen, unable to respond.
The crowd outside the room erupted in encouragement.
“What are you waiting for? Say yes already!”
“Yeah, everyone knows you’re always here for her. You two are obviously made for each other!”
“Don’t let this chance slip by, man! Girls with her kind of courage don’t come around every day. Hold on to her!”
William hesitated, finally opening his mouth. “But I’m still with—”
“William,” Summer interrupted, her voice trembling and her eyes now red–rimmed.
She lowered her head, her fragile neck bowing like a butterfly with a broken wing, lifeless and defeated.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “You can reject me. Maybe… maybe I don’t deserve happiness after all.”
She let out a sad smile, her eyes full of hurt.
“Really, you don’t have to give me an answer. I just wanted you to know how I feel…”
“I’m already broken. Even if surgery can save me, I’ll never be the same as I was before…”
The next moment, William took the bouquet from Summer’s hands.
He pulled her into a gentle embrace, his hand softly brushing over the top of her head, his voice tender and comforting.
“How could I ever think that, Summer?” he said quietly.
“You have to keep going, to stay strong. Don’t give up–not for yourself, but for me.
No matter what happens, you’ll always have me.”
The room erupted into cheers, celebrating Summer’s “successful confession” as if it were the happiest moment in the world.
Only Jane remained silent. She turned and walked away, making no effort to stay.
It was then that Summer spotted her. In surprise, she called out over the excited crowd, “Jane? When did you get here?”
After paying her hospital bill, Jane noticed William waiting at the entrance. His expression was calm, as though he’d been standing there for
some time.
Seeing the receipt in her hand, William walked over and asked, “Were you sick?”
Jane gave him a faint smile, her tone almost teasing. “Yeah, I am. Maybe I’m dying soon.”
William’s expression changed instantly. He grabbed the receipt from her hand, looking panicked, but when he saw the diagnosis was just gastroenteritis, he exhaled in relief.
“Jane, don’t joke about things like that,” he said, his tone heavy.
Jane chuckled lightly before asking, “What counts as a joke, William? Summer confessed to you, and you accepted. Does that count as one?”
<
William rubbed his temples, letting out a long sigh. “Jane, I’m sorry. You saw the situation. I couldn’t exactly reject her in front of everyone…”
Jane let out a soft laugh–not angry, just distant.
William continued, trying to explain. “Her surgery is the day after tomorrow. If I upset her now, she might refuse the operation. I didn’t want to risk saying something that would affect her mood.”
As he spoke, Jane seemed to realize something–the seven days were almost up.
“She’s been through so much already,” William added. “She’s fragile after everything that’s happened since she got out. Once the surgery is over, she’ll recover, and everything will go back to normal.”
Jane’s expression remained calm, her voice steady as she replied, “It’s fine. I’m not upset.”
William seemed relieved that she wasn’t angry. He even went so far as to reach out and take her hand gently, as if to seek her approval.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” he said hesitantly.
“Our wedding was supposed to be in two months…” William paused, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words. “But after talking to the doctor, I realized that Summer’s physical and mental state will take at least six months to stabilize after the surgery.”
“She told me she loves me, Jane. I’m worried that if we move forward with the wedding now, it might upset her. So I was thinking… maybe we could just get the marriage license and postpone the ceremony until next year?”
Jane looked at him, her lips curving into a faint smile. “You’ve clearly already made up your mind. Why are you even asking for my opinion?”
William sighed deeply. “Jane, you’ve always been the understanding one.”
“Just think of her as a child throwing a tantrum for candy. Don’t take it personally.”
Jane stood there in silence for a long time before finally speaking. “William, do you remember what you said to me when you first encouraged me to leave my family?”
William froze, caught off guard. “What did I say?”
“You said the loudest child always gets the most attention. That Summer was too good at crying, too good at demanding, and that I couldn’t keep backing down.”
Jane’s tone was calm, but every word cut deep.
“And now, you’re asking me to be the one who compromises,” she added.
William looked at her, confused. “What are you trying to say?”
Jane didn’t have the energy to explain anymore. She simply shook her head. “Forget it. Do whatever you want.”
William thought she was giving him permission and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for understanding, Jane.”
But Jane’s silence wasn’t understanding. It was resignation.
That evening, William drove Jane home before returning to the hospital.
Before leaving, he rolled down the car window and reminded her, “Don’t forget–Summer’s surgery is at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Make sure you’re there in case she needs a transfusion during the operation.”
“I probably won’t have time to pick you up, so call a cab. And could you bring some soup? She’ll need something soft to eat after the surgery.”
Jane simply nodded. “Got it.”
As William drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror. Jane’s figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
For a moment, a strange feeling of emptiness settled over him.
<
She was right there, standing still. So why did it feel like she was slipping further and further away?
William shook off the thought, pressing the gas pedal as he headed back to the hospital.
The day before Summer’s surgery, Jane quietly took care of everything.
She arranged for her body to be donated. The forged cancer diagnosis and death certificate were handed over to the agency. Every asset she
owned was transferred to a new offshore account.
At 8 a.m. on the day of Summer’s surgery, Jane boarded a plane in disguise, her face hidden beneath a hat and sunglasses.
As the plane taxied down the runway, a text came through from William’s mother:
“Where are you? Why aren’t you here yet? Are you seriously going to let your sister die?”
“Get to the hospital NOW!”
Moments later, William’s calls and messages began flooding in one after another:
“Jane, where are you? Stop messing around and get here.”
“Summer needs a transfusion. Are you really going to just stand by and watch her die?”
Jane scrolled through the messages calmly, then composed one final text:
“William, this is the 45th day since I was diagnosed with cancer. I’ve realized I can’t continue anymore. Physically and emotionally, I’ve been fighting this battle alone.”
“I’ve decided to stop treatment. Don’t bother looking for me.”
“Goodbye. I hope you and Summer find happiness.”
She snapped her SIM card in half without hesitation.
She knew that in ten days, the agency would deliver her death certificate and a forged letter to William.
Jane, as they knew her, would cease to exist.
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When William first read the text message, he thought it was some kind of spam.
A nurse burst out of the operating room, her face frantic. “Have you still not found a donor with Rh–null blood? What’s going on here? Didn’t you say you had someone lined up to donate?”
Mrs. Faulkner was trembling with rage, her designer handbag hitting the floor with a loud thud as she threw it down without a second thought.
“That little brat! She’s really grown wings now, hasn’t she? At such a critical moment, she dares to turn off her phone!” she shrieked, her voice
shaking with fury.
She turned to William, her tone sharp. “William, what’s going on here? You’re the one closest to Jane. What the hell is she doing?!”
As her words tumbled out, William’s eyes fell back on the screen of his phone.
The sender of the message: Jane.
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on his head. The color drained from his face, and he stood frozen in place for several
seconds.
The nurse called out again, her voice rising in urgency. “Is the donor here yet? If we don’t get blood soon, the patient won’t make it!”
Mrs. Faulkner rushed to William, practically grabbing his arm. “William, call Jane again! You’re the only one she might actually answer right
9:17 AM dd.
<
Snapping out of his daze, William quickly dialed Jane’s number with trembling hands.
But all he got in return was the cold, automated voice:
“Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.”
His whole body went numb. “She’s not picking up…”
“What do we do now?” Mrs. Faulkner cried out, her voice breaking into a wail of despair. “Is she really just going to let her own sister die?”
“Think of something, William!” she demanded, her hands gripping him like he was her last hope.
William stood there, his body stiff and cold. His mind told him he should be focusing on finding another blood donor for Summer, but his emotions kept pulling him back to the text message he’d just read.
In the chaos, William suddenly asked, almost absentmindedly, “Mrs. Faulkner, Jane said she has cancer… Is that true?”
Mrs. Faulkner froze, then let out a bitter laugh, dripping with sarcasm. “What? Cancer? Impossible! She just had a full physical six months ago -healthy as a horse!”
She crossed her arms, her tone growing even more dismissive. “And besides, if she really had cancer, would the hospital even let her donate blood to Summer in the first place?”
“She’s been acting strange lately. Just the other day, she came to me asking for my signature on some organ donation papers. Crazy, right? I think she’s just making up excuses to avoid helping her sister!”
Mrs. Faulkner narrowed her eyes at William, her voice sharp. “You don’t actually believe her, do you? William, you promised Summer you’d do everything to help her get better.”
William took a deep breath, his eyes flickering toward the glowing “In Surgery” sign above the operating room doors. He forced himself to suppress the unease churning inside him.
Turning away, he made another call, his face growing darker by the minute. After hanging up, he turned back to Mrs. Faulkner and said grimly, “The other potential donor is out of the country on vacation. Even if they flew back immediately, it’d be too late.”
“All the registered Rh–null donors in the city… these are all we’ve got.”
Mrs. Faulkner’s legs buckled, and she collapsed into the nearest chair, trembling. She held her phone tightly, her eyes darting back and forth as if weighing some terrible decision.
The nurse appeared again, her voice more urgent than ever. “The patient is hemorrhaging! If we don’t get blood immediately, she won’t
survive!”
Mrs. Faulkner scrambled to her feet, practically throwing herself at the nurse. “Please, do whatever you can to save her! I’ll call her father–he
can donate!”
William’s head snapped up. “Mr. Faulkner? He’s Rh–null?”
Mrs. Faulkner’s lips tightened, and she looked away, avoiding his eyes.
Summer’s surgery was a success.
After donating blood, Mr. Faulkner sat pale and motionless in the recovery room. His frail body seemed even weaker now, his breathing shallow and labored.
Mrs. Faulkner hovered over him, fussing endlessly. She handed him red date tea, a bowl of thick oatmeal, and an assortment of supplements, her face full of worry. “You’ve never been in good health, and now, at your age, you’re giving blood to save your daughter! What if this takes a toll on you?”
She bit her lip, her voice turning bitter. “And that Jane… that ungrateful brat. She could’ve solved all this by donating a little blood, but no! She’s off doing God–knows–what, leaving us no choice but to call you. I was so scared something might happen to you…”
9:17 AM
<
Mr. Faulkner closed his eyes and replied quietly, “I’ll be fine. I just need some time to recover.”
William stood off to the side, watching Mrs. Faulkner care for her husband like he was royalty. For some reason, he couldn’t quite put a name to the emotion stirring inside him.
In the past, after donating blood, Jane would always press a cotton swab against the needle mark and slowly make her way out of the hospital, all by herself. For some reason, that image of her suddenly surfaced in William’s mind.
…So, Mr. Faulkner was Rh–null too, yet he had refused to donate to his own daughter..
Did Jane know about this?
A sharp, stabbing pain spread through William’s chest. Almost instinctively, he pulled out his phone, wanting to call Jane.
But just as he was about to dial, Summer stirred awake.
Her weak eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she asked was, “Is William here?”
William hesitated, then walked to her bedside, his voice soft. “I’m here. What’s wrong?”
Summer’s hand, with the IV still attached, gently rested in his palm. She smiled faintly, her voice tinged with relief. “William, I can’t believe it… the surgery was actually a success. My future… it really feels like it can get better now, just like you said.”
William managed a small smile.
Summer then asked, “Did you talk to Jane about postponing the wedding yet?”
PHE
A wave of discomfort hit William. The question lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating.
His mind flashed back to Jane’s text message. Suddenly, he couldn’t bear to stay in the room any longer. He stood up abruptly, gently pulling his hand away from Summer’s grasp.
Summer’s smile faltered for a moment, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“I’ll be back,” William said hurriedly. “You just woke up–you should eat something light. I’ll go grab some soup from your favorite place.”
Without waiting for her response, William left the room.
Standing outside the hospital, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city, William realized he had no idea where to go.
He pulled out his phone and called Jane again.
Once more, the call went unanswered.
Frustration mounting, William started typing a string of text messages:
[Where are you? Why haven’t you turned on your phone all day?]
[Jane, stop sending me texts like that. Joking about things like this isn’t funny–don’t you worry about jinxing yourself?]
[And… I worry about you.]
[Please reply as soon as you see this.]
Even after he bought Summer’s soup and returned to the hospital, there was still no response.
That nagging sense of unease in his chest only grew stronger.
After finishing the soup, Summer leaned back against her pillow, her voice soft and sweet. “William, can you stay with me tonight? Just for one night?”
<
9:17 AM
But for the first time since Summer had been discharged, William declined her request.
“I can’t,” he said, standing abruptly. “Something doesn’t feel right. I need to go home and check on things.”
Summer pouted, her tone turning sharp. “You’re worried about Jane faking her illness, aren’t you? You don’t actually believe her, do you? She’s perfectly healthy! She’s been strong her whole life, and there’s no family history–how could she possibly-”
Before she could finish, William had already walked out the door, leaving her alone in the room.
Summer stared at the empty space where he’d been standing, her expression darkening. Her anger boiled over, and with a loud crash, she hurled the thermos against the wall.
When William got home, everything seemed just as it always had.
But the moment he opened the closet and saw a few missing pieces of clothing, his heart sank.
Jane’s most–worn outfits–gone.
Taking a deep breath, he scanned the closet, his eyes landing on a single long dress tucked in the corner.
It was the dress he had given her on the day of their engagement. Jane had loved it, once saying she’d wear it as her reception gown at their wedding.
And yet, it remained.
William’s hands trembled as he opened the bedside drawer.
Inside were their important documents–property deeds, driver’s licenses, car registrations… everything was still there.
Except for Jane’s ID.
Beneath the stack of documents, a folded piece of paper caught his eye. He pulled it out and felt his breath catch.
A medical report.
“Stage IV Lung Cancer.”
The words burned into his vision, searing his mind.
William collapsed into the nearest chair, clutching the report in his shaking hands. His thoughts scattered, memories flashing through his mind at a dizzying speed.
Finally, he pulled out his phone and sent Jane a message:
[Is this report fake? Did you forge it?]
But just like before, there was no reply.
Desperate, William scrolled through his past messages with Jane.
It was only now that he realized just how little he had responded to her in recent months.
Jane had always loved sharing little moments from her day with him–funny pictures, random thoughts, stories about her life.
And he used to reply, always engaging with her, their conversations lively and warm.
But a few months ago, everything had changed.
Jane had continued to send messages at first, but his replies became shorter and less frequent. Sometimes, he’d just send an emoji. Other times, he wouldn’t reply at all.
D
9:17 AM
<
Once, Jane had urgently reached out to him about something, and he had snapped at her in frustration:
[I’m busy dealing with your sister’s issues. Can’t you handle this on your own? Stop bothering me with small stuff.]
After that, Jane had stopped sharing her life with him.
Their conversations had dwindled down to the bare minimum:
[I’m not coming home tonight.]
[Okay.]
A lifeless, monotonous exchange.
And now, staring at those old messages, William felt a crushing weight settle over him.
He hadn’t noticed it before.
But Jane had been slipping away from him for a long time.
William hesitated for a moment before typing out a message to Jane:
[Jane, stop being like this. Summer’s surgery is over, and everything will go back to normal now–I promise.]
[Let’s not postpone the wedding after all. Let’s keep it on the original date, okay? Please call me when you see this. I’m really worried about you.]
He stayed up the entire night, unable to sleep.
His eyes were glued to his phone, staring at the screen for hours, waiting for a response that never came. With every passing moment, the sinking feeling in his chest grew heavier and heavier.
At dawn, just as the clock struck 9:00 a.m., his phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a call from Suzy, one of Jane’s closest friends.
“William, is Jane not coming today? Weren’t we all planning to celebrate her birthday together?”
Hearing that, William froze. It hit him like a bolt of lightning–today was Jane’s birthday.
He cleared his throat, but his voice came out hoarse and broken. “She… she hasn’t responded to my messages or calls.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Suzy spoke again, her voice tinged with hesitation.
“William, have you gone with Jane to any of her recent doctor’s appointments? She’s been acting strange lately… She kept telling us that if anything ever happened to her, she wanted me to take over managing her studio. Do you think… do you think she’s sick?”
Suzy’s words were like a bomb detonating in William’s mind, a deafening explosion of realization.
He shot to his feet, not even bothering to reply, and stormed out of the house, While rushing to his car, he called his assistant.
“Contact someone at City Medical Center. I need Jane’s medical records from the last few months. Do it now.”
Half an hour later, William pulled up in front of the hospital.
His phone buzzed again–a message from his assistant.
“Mr. Grant, I’ve sent you Jane’s medical records. According to the report, she was admitted two weeks ago for severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with possible late–stage lung cancer. She’s had multiple follow–up tests since then, and it’s been confirmed…”
The assistant paused, as if afraid to deliver the final blow.
9:17 AM
<
“The doctors say she has less than three months to live.”
William ended the call, his hands trembling as he stared blankly at his phone. He pressed Jane’s number again, but it went straight to voicemail.
A knock on his car window startled him. He looked up to see Mrs. Faulkner standing outside, pushing Summer in a wheelchair.
“William, why are you sitting out here? Why didn’t you come inside?” Summer asked, her pale face glowing faintly with a renewed sense of vitality. “It’s such a nice day–I asked my mom to take me outside for some fresh air.”
Her voice trailed off as she got a better look at him, her brows furrowing in concern.
“William, did you not sleep at all last night? You look… exhausted.”
William’s disheveled appearance was far beyond just exhaustion. He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, unshaven, with dark circles under his eyes and a haunted expression that made him look like a shell of himself.
He rubbed his hands together nervously and said, “I’ve been trying to reach Jane. I couldn’t find her all night.”
Summer’s expression shifted ever so slightly before she quickly masked it with a look of feigned concern.
“Jane’s missing?” she asked, her voice rising with apparent worry. “Maybe she’s off on another trip with her friends from the studio and just forgot to tell you.”
William paused, his gaze narrowing as he looked at her.
For a brief moment, something in Summer’s tone struck him as off–an almost calculated attempt to deflect.
His brows furrowed as he said quietly, “Summer, Jane is seriously ill. She has cancer. Did you not know?”
Summer froze, her face blank with shock. “What? William, you’re joking, right? You and Jane must be trying to prank me.”
“It’s true.”
Those two words landed like a heavy weight between them. Summer fell silent, lowering her head as if lost in thought.
But Mrs. Faulkner suddenly let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
“Well, well,” she said with a sneer. “So the heavens finally grew a conscience. After all the trouble she’s caused, looks like karma finally caught
up to her.”
“Mom!” Summer gasped, quickly cutting her off. “Don’t say that! Jane didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t do anything wrong?” Mrs. Faulkner snapped, her voice dripping with venom. “She stood by and did nothing while her own sister was bleeding out! She let her elderly father donate blood for her instead! What, does she have to commit murder for you to admit she’s done something wrong? If you ask me, it’d be better if she just stayed gone forever!”
William rolled up the car window without a word.
His entire body was trembling with rage, but he forced himself to stay calm.
For the first time, he realized what Jane’s life must have been like after returning to the Faulkner family.
In this household, no one cared about her well–being. No one respected her as a person.
And he he had been the one to drag her back into this nightmare.
Summer’s voice broke through his thoughts. “William, don’t take it to heart. My mom’s just upset–she doesn’t mean it.”
She hesitated before adding, “Hey, since you’re already out, could you take me to the amusement park? I haven’t been outside in so long, and I could really use the fresh air.”
9:17 AM
<
William looked at her through the glass, her eyes filled with hope and expectation.
Under normal circumstances, he would have agreed without hesitation.
But now, all he could see was Jane’s face, flashing in his mind like a ghost haunting his every thought.
“I can’t,” he said coldly. “Jane needs me. I have to find her.”
He drove off, leaving Summer and Mrs. Faulkner behind as he began his desperate search for Jane.
But Jane had vanished, as if she’d been erased from the world. There were no leads, no traces, no signs of where she might have gone.
Late one night, Summer–who had recovered enough to visit William’s office–showed up with a homemade lunch. She stubbornly refused to leave, insisting on helping him search for Jane.
“After all,” she said sweetly, “Jane is my sister. If she’s sick and missing, of course I’m worried too. I want to find her so I can tell her she’s not alone–we’ll all fight this together.”
William didn’t have the energy to argue, so he let her stay.
That evening, his assistant rushed in, breathless.
William shot to his feet. “Do you have news?”
“No leads,” William’s assistant said with a heavy sigh. “We’ve contacted all of Jane’s friends, former classmates, even casual acquaintances. They all said the same thing–since she moved here with you, she’s barely kept in touch with anyone.”
William slumped into his chair, his body heavy with exhaustion and defeat.
He gripped his phone tightly, scrolling through their chat history. Message after message he’d sent her, desperate pleas for a response. Not one had been answered.
In a daze, he dialed Jane’s number again, clinging to a faint sliver of hope.
But once again, the cold, automated voice greeted him:
“We’re sorry. The number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.”
William shot upright, his heart pounding. He redialed, again and again, only to hear the same message.
The reality sank in–her number wasn’t just unreachable. It was disconnected.
She was gone.
Summer appeared in the doorway, holding a lunchbox she’d been reheating over and over. She walked over, placing it in front of William with an almost childlike eagerness.
“William, you need to eat something,” she said, her voice soft with concern. “I’ve been reheating this all afternoon–hot, cold, hot, cold–just waiting for you to take a break.”
it.”
She pouted, her tone turning slightly petulant. “This is the first meal I’ve ever cooked for anyone. I spent so much time learning how to make
William stared at the lunchbox, unmoving.
Suddenly, he was hit with a memory of Jane. She had always been an incredible cook. Early in their relationship, she’d made him homemade lunches a few times. At first, William had been hesitant, thinking she wasn’t much of a cook. But after one bite, he’d been floored.
“You’re amazing! I didn’t know you could cook like this,” he’d said, genuinely impressed.
Jane had smiled, a hint of pride in her eyes. “Of course! I’ve been cooking for my entire family since I was a kid. They’ve always said I could open my own restaurant if I wanted to.”
9:18 AM
