She vividly recalled an evening when she spotted Charles’s car parked outside the women's health pavilion where Chloe worked. He had stayed there through the entire night.

For hours, the man in the car had done nothing but stare silently up at the windows of Chloe’s department.

Sera also knew about the encrypted album on his phone, entirely filled with photos from his college days with Chloe.

Charles had restrained himself for so many years, yet now, because of her illness, he had broken his own rule to contact Chloe.

A bitter, mocking smile touched Sera's lips at the thought.

"There's no need, but thank you. I only want to enjoy the final stretch of my journey. I have no intention of dying strapped to a hospital bed."

"And by all means, feel free to contact Chloe as much as you like. It’s not like I’ll be around to care anyway."

On the other end of the line, a rare crack appeared in Charles's otherwise flawless composure.

"Sera, I’ve told you a thousand times that Chloe is in the past. The only reason I contacted her this time is because of your diagnosis."

"Can you stop throwing tantrums like a child? Come back immediately. I’ve already discussed a tentative treatment plan with Harrison. As long as you cooperate with the treatment, you will—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Sera cut him off. "I will what? Live for another two days? Or maybe a month?"

Charles went dead silent.

Sera looked out at the falling autumn leaves outside her window, her tone completely detached. "Charles, you’re a doctor. Do you honestly think I don't know that my condition is terminal?"

"Are you doing this for my sake, or are you just terrified of the backlash if people find out what an unfeeling husband you were after I'm gone?"

Charles opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out.

Sera had never found him more hypocritical than she did in this exact moment.

Her voice turned icy cold. "I am begging you, stop calling me. I intend to savor every single second I have left."

She hung up without waiting for a reply.

By the time she checked into the resort, the sudden change in altitude had left her feeling slightly fatigued.

She lay down on the bed and rested for a long time before she finally recovered her energy.

Later that afternoon, looking out through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, she caught sight of a breathtaking, fiery crimson sunset. Unable to resist, she picked up her camera and captured the view.

She uploaded the photograph to her social media account.

So thankful to the version of myself that had the courage to quit yesterday. Otherwise, I would have completely missed this beautiful sunset. Sera had always had a passion for photography; her childhood dream was to become a professional photographer.

But crushed under the weight of reality, she had ultimately ended up working as a software engineer.

Since entering the corporate world, she hadn't touched her camera in years.

The most recent photo stored in her camera roll was from three years ago—a picture of her and Charles on her birthday.

In the photo, her smile was radiant, while Charles's face was completely devoid of emotion.

Scrolling further back, almost every single image featured Charles.

Without exception, his expression was cold and indifferent in every single frame.

One by one, Sera began deleting every photo that had anything to do with him.

A limited life shouldn't be squandered on someone who never valued it.

Once her album was entirely cleared of his presence, Sera stepped out of the resort, taking a slow walk while snapping pictures of the scenery.

After posting her latest batch of photos online, she went to bed early.

The next morning, Sera was pulled from her sleep by the continuous vibration of her phone.

When she tapped open her notifications, she was stunned to find that the sunset photograph she had shared the previous evening had gone completely viral.

Her inbox was flooded with thousands of comments, and her follower count was climbing at a staggering speed.

"The composition in these photos is insane! Every single one is perfect wallpaper material!"

"I'm so jealous of her courage. I wish I had the guts to just quit my job like that."

"This sunset is absolutely stunning..."

"Are you a professional photographer?"

……

Staring at the endless stream of notifications, Sera felt as though she were living in a beautiful dream.

In the past, whether at home or at work, no matter how outstanding she was, she was always invisible.

Yet yesterday, by simply taking a few casual photographs, she had captured the hearts of so many people.

Her hands trembled with pure excitement as she typed out replies to thank her followers one by one.

By the time she finished responding to everyone, it was already ten o'clock in the morning.

Sera used to wake up at six every single day to make breakfast and care for her husband, Charles.

Today was the very first time she had slept in since they got married.

After washing up, Sera left the resort and headed out to visit the mountain lake.

On the way, her phone rang. It was her mother-in-law, Catherine.

"Sera, Charles told me about your diagnosis. Why on earth aren't you getting treatment? Running off to such a remote place all by yourself, can your body even handle it?"

Hearing her mother-in-law’s apparent concern, Sera’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. But just as she was about to speak, Catherine pressed on.

"Quitting your job is fine, since you are sick, but you can’t be too selfish. You know how demanding Charles’s job is. He handles multiple surgeries a day, sometimes coming home after midnight, and now he doesn't even have a hot meal waiting for him. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

"Be a good girl and come back quickly. Spend more time with him so you won't leave any regrets behind."

What did she mean by too selfish?

Throughout their five years of marriage, Sera believed she had been nothing but good to her parents-in-law.

She bought them clothes and shoes for every season, and whenever they fell ill, she was the one who provided hands-on, attentive care.

Yet now that she was the one facing a terminal illness, the only person they could think about was their precious son.

Sera’s voice turned hollow and sorrowful. "Mrs. Vance, Charles might be your absolute world, but I was my parents' treasure too."

"I am literally dying! Why should I care whether your son has a hot meal on his plate?"

"Didn't you always boast that you treated me just like your own daughter? If your daughter, Charlotte, were diagnosed with cancer and had only a few days left to live, would you seriously tell her to worry about whether her husband was well-fed?"

Catherine gasped, completely stunned.

Sera had always been soft-spoken, obedient, and compliant in her presence.

How dare she talk back like this today?

Instantly throwing a tantrum, she shrieked into the phone.

"Sera! Where are your manners? How dare you curse my daughter! You—"

Sera cut her off ruthlessly. "You talk about manners? Does a well-mannered person demand a dying daughter-in-law cook for her son?"

Her father-in-law’s voice suddenly boomed from the background of the call. "Sera, apologize to your mother this instant!"

"Apologize?" Sera let out a bitter laugh. "I don't have a mother. My mother passed away a long time ago."

If her own parents were still alive, this family would never have dared to bully her so openly.

Sera hung up the phone without another word and immediately blocked both of their numbers.

After ending the call, she felt a heavy tightness constrict her chest, followed by sharp, agonizing cramps in her abdomen.

Enduring the pain, she swallowed two painkillers.

Half an hour later, her shuttle arrived at the scenic mountain lake.

Sera stepped out of the vehicle, turned the camera toward herself to snap a photo, and uploaded it online.

From this moment on, I am no longer anyone's daughter-in-law, nor am I anyone's wife. I live only for myself. Over the next three days, she traveled through the wilderness parks, valleys, and snow-topped mountain trails.

Sera posted every photo she took online, attracting a massive new wave of followers.

Every single second spent out in the wild brought her immense joy, allowing her mind and body to relax in a way she had never experienced before.

During this time, Charles’s calls and text messages poured in continuously.

"The treatment protocol has been finalized. When are you coming back?"

"You cannot be this irresponsible with your own health."

Sera didn't reply to a single one.

Their chat history, which used to be filled with huge blocks of green bubbles representing her one-sided warmth and care, had now inverted into a solid wall of white bubbles containing his relentless interrogations.