Charlotte Davis had a crush on Ethan Miller for 15 years, and confessed her feelings to him 716 times.

He only said, "If it snows heavily in Miami, we'll be together."

Later, as Charlotte was in critical illness, she received Ethan's wedding invitation in a snow-covered Miami.

...

In the ward, thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Charlotte sat on the hospital bed, holding the critical illness notice she had just signed in her left hand.

In her right hand was a light pink wedding invitation. Her strained gaze fell on the strong, forceful handwriting—

Groom: Ethan Miller.

Bride: Sophia Ayala.

The man she had loved for fifteen years was getting married.

After a long time, Charlotte messily wiped the tears from her eyes.

She took out her phone, stared at the pinned number for a while, and pressed the call button.

After a few rings, a man's deep voice came through the phone.

"Did you get the invitation?"

Those words made Charlotte's heart ache.

She hummed in agreement, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Didn't you say we'd be together if it snowed heavily in Miami?

It's snowing heavily in Miami today."

The other end of the line went silent.

After a long pause, Ethan finally answered in a low voice.

"Charlotte, we're not kids anymore. Besides, we haven't even seen each other in two years. You don't need to hold on to those childish words."

That's right. They hadn't seen each other since she came to Miami two years ago for pancreatic cancer treatment.

But she still texted him every day. Even though he only replied occasionally, they hadn't lost touch.

He never said he was dating someone either...

Charlotte choked up, unable to speak.

Then Ethan said, "I don't know what you've been busy with these past two years, but I still hope you can make time to come to my wedding."

Hearing that, Charlotte's eyes welled up with tears.

"...Okay. If I have time, I'll definitely be there."

With a faint "mhm," the call ended.

Charlotte's hand dropped limply. Tears silently fell onto the pure white sheets, blooming into flowers of grey memory.

Fifteen years ago, when she was in the third grade, she fell for the new transfer student, Ethan, at first sight.

Back then, no one understood what love was. She just liked the feeling of being with him.

From elementary to high school, they were always in the same school.

And Charlotte never stopped showing Ethan how much she liked him.

The first time Ethan ever responded to her was after their high school entrance exams.

He said, "Charlotte, we're still young. When we grow up, you might like someone else."

Charlotte replied, "Some things won't change in a million years. If you say yes, even for just a second, I'll be the happiest person in the world."

Later, Ethan got into an Ivy League university, while she only went to a state university.

But every holiday, Charlotte would take a thirty-two-hour train ride to see him.

It wasn't until her junior year internship that Ethan responded to her for the second time.

"If it snows heavily in Miami, we'll be together."

It basically never snows in Miami, let alone heavily.

But Charlotte still foolishly prayed for God to grant Miami a snowstorm, just to fulfill her devoted heart's wish.

But what she got wasn't snow in Miami, but the death of her mother, whom she depended on, from a stroke, and her own acute pancreatic cancer...

Charlotte looked at the critical illness notice and the invitation in her hands and gave a bitter smile.

Perhaps it was destiny. she would wither like a flower, and Ethan would begin a new life.

Perhaps all she could do now was to finally put an end to her fifteen years of devotion.

Just then, nurse Emily Carter entered with a medical tray.

"Charlotte, it's time for your shot."

Charlotte put away the invitation and looked at her. "Emily, I want to be discharged. Could you please get Dr. Carter for me?"

Emily looked stunned. "Discharged?

"In your condition, In your condition, leaving the hospital could be dangerous!"

Seeing that Charlotte was insistent, she immediately got Dr. Carter to help persuade her, but they couldn't change her mind.

With no other choice, they had to respect her wishes and had her sign a liability waiver.

As she left the hospital, Charlotte put on the wig Emily had bought for her six months ago.

She had lost all her hair from the chemo.

She put on makeup, but it couldn't hide her pale, gaunt face.

But Emily said, "Charlotte, you look beautiful."

As snow fell, Charlotte dragged her frail body and weary heart into a taxi bound for the airport.

Music was playing on the car radio.

"Forgive me for dressing up, holding flowers, only to miss you. I'd pray for all disasters to fall on me, leaving you only with fragrance. How I wish to boldly, humbly beg, to love you again in the next life…"

She wiped the condensation from the window, her eyes red as she stared into the distance.

Maybe it would snow in Miami again someday, but she knew she could never be with Ethan.

At ten o'clock at night, the plane landed at Capital International Airport.

Charlotte had just gotten off the plane when a blast of cold air made her shiver.

Washington was colder than usual this year.

As Charlotte walked, she took out her phone to call a cab, but a familiar figure at the arrivals gate caught her eye.

It was Ethan.

He was wearing a gray turtleneck sweater under a black overcoat, looking cold and standing out from the crowd.

She hadn't seen him in two years, and he was still so dazzling.

For a moment, Charlotte almost couldn't hold back her tears.

And Ethan saw her too.

His slightly surprised gaze cut through the bustling crowd and fell on Charlotte, who was frozen in place.

She was dressed more warmly than the people around her, in a long, light blue down jacket, a white scarf, and a gray knit hat.

But even so, you could still tell how thin she was.

Charlotte stared blankly as the man walked up to her and asked with a frown, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

She snapped out of it, fighting back the sting in her eyes. "...I didn't have much to do anyway, so I came early."

Now that he was closer, Ethan noticed her face was a size smaller than it was two years ago.

Her face was as pale as snow, but her hair, falling to her chest, was dark and shiny, creating a strange contrast.

Seeing Ethan staring at her, Charlotte nervously changed the subject. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan finally looked away. "I was here to pick up a friend, but his flight was delayed, so I was about to head back."

He paused, then took the suitcase from her hand. "You've booked a hotel, right? Give me the address."

Charlotte was about to refuse, but Ethan was already dragging the suitcase toward the parking lot.

Her eyes dimmed, and she followed silently. "The Four Seasons Hotel."

Hearing that, Ethan's gaze paused for a moment. He grunted in acknowledgment and opened the passenger door.

But Charlotte got into the back seat. "I'm a little tired. I'll rest in the back."

Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything.

The car slowly pulled away from the airport, the night scenery outside blurring past.

The atmosphere in the car was subtle.

Charlotte fiddled with the hem of her clothes, finally unable to hold back the question that had been haunting her.

"When did you start dating?"

"A year ago. Sophia and I met at a charity gala. After meeting a few times, we realized we got along really well."

Through the rearview mirror, Charlotte saw a hint of a smile in Ethan's usually indifferent eyes as he spoke.

That's right, you feel happy when you think about the person you like.

Just like when she cried in pain from chemotherapy in the past, she could still manage a smile just by thinking of Ethan.

But she couldn't ignore the emptiness and bitterness in her heart.

She had chased Ethan for fifteen years and had never moved him.

But he and Sophia had only known each other for a year, and they were already about to get married.

It turned out that in the face of destined fate, all her efforts were just an illusion.

Charlotte didn't have the courage to ask any more questions and looked out at the streetscape instead.

Ethan glanced in the rearview mirror and only saw Charlotte's sharp jawline.

She had really lost a lot of weight.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Charlotte had planned to thank him and go up by herself, but after Ethan took the room key, he dragged the suitcase straight into the elevator.

He didn't explain until they were in the room.

"Sophia owns this hotel. If you run into any problems, just find me."

Charlotte froze.

She couldn't believe she'd picked the hotel owned by Ethan's fiancée.

Just then, a woman in an apricot-colored coat walked in.

"Ethan."

Ethan turned to her, his expression softening. "Sophia."

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't help sizing up the elegant and stunning woman before her.

Sophia smiled. "The lobby manager told me you were up here, so I came to check."

Ethan nodded and made the introduction. "This is Charlotte, an old classmate of mine. She's here for our wedding."

Charlotte felt a little awkward. "...Hi."

But Sophia stared at her, her uncertainty slowly turning to surprise. "Charlotte, Charlotte, is it really you!"

Saying that, she grabbed Charlotte's hand, her voice filled with excitement as she reminisced.

"I'm Chole!

We were deskmates for two years in elementary school!

Don't you remember?"

Hearing this, Charlotte froze for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Chole?

Why did you suddenly transfer after the winter break in second grade?"

Sophia sighed. "My parents divorced, and I moved with my mom. She had my name changed later."

Saying this, she broke into a happy smile again.

"Charlotte, I've been looking for you all these years! I can't believe you ended up being classmates with Ethan. It must be fate!"

"I don't care, you have to be my bridesmaid and witness my happiness!"

Hearing this, Charlotte's expression tightened.

She looked at the man whose eyes never left Sophia, and her heart ached.

After a long moment, Charlotte managed to force a smile. "Okay."

The man she loved most was marrying her best friend.

This ending was fine, too.

After Sophia left her contact information, she left with Ethan.

Closing the door, Charlotte moved to the sofa, and the pain she had been holding back for so long began to scream.

Her face was pale as she fumbled in her bag for painkillers and took them.

After a while, the pain slowly subsided, leaving only an exhaustion soaked in cold sweat.

Charlotte gasped for breath, praying that the disease would slow its devouring pace, allowing her to hold on until after Ethan's wedding.

Even if it was just for a day, an hour.

Just to see him happy with her own eyes would be enough...

The next day, Charlotte was woken up by a call from Sophia.

"Charlotte, I've ordered a bridesmaid dress for you at the Dream Couture bridal shop. Come over and try it on!"

Her body felt as heavy as lead, and she wanted to refuse.

But remembering she had already promised Sophia last night, Charlotte forced herself to get up.

But when she arrived at the bridal shop, she only saw Ethan.

"Sophia had a sudden emergency at her company, so she rushed off to handle it. She asked me to help you pick out a dress."

Hearing his explanation, Charlotte felt a little nervous.

The stylist had her change into a sleeveless tulle dress.

When Charlotte came out of the fitting room, the stylist nodded repeatedly.

"Ethan has a unique eye. The dress he picked suits Charlotte very well, but... Charlotte is a bit too slender, so the size needs to be altered."

Charlotte looked up, her gaze meeting Ethan's deep eyes directly.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she nervously looked away.

The next moment, he unexpectedly grabbed her wrist.

"What happened to your arm?"

Ethan frowned, looking at the dense, purplish-blue needle marks on her pale arm.

A flicker of panic crossed Charlotte's eyes as she lowered her gaze and pulled her hand away. "I was sick a while ago, had to get a lot of shots."

Ethan looked at her, his expression dark.

In that moment, Charlotte felt time slow down, and it seemed like her heart was about to pound out of her chest.

Fortunately, Ethan didn't press further and instead had the stylist bring her a long-sleeved dress.

During the makeup trial, seeing the stylist staring at her hair, Charlotte explained on her own.

"I'm wearing a wig. My hair quality was bad after perming it, so I shaved it off to grow it back."

Through the mirror, her eyes met Ethan's probing gaze.

Charlotte wanted to flee in panic all over again.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly. The old her, who feared nothing and persistently chased after Ethan, had become so timid.

After the trial, the two of them left the shop to find heavy snow falling from the sky.

Charlotte's body was nearly exhausted, and just as she was about to say goodbye to Ethan, he made a suggestion.

"You haven't been here in two years. Let me treat you to a meal, at that same place we used to go to when you came to see me."

Looking into his deep eyes, she nodded on some strange impulse.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the fondue restaurant.

The moment she walked in, the familiar, rich, and complex aroma made Charlotte feel a bit dazed.

For a moment, it was as if she had returned to an ordinary winter break from the past.

She, full of sincere passion, had traveled two thousand kilometers from south to north to see the person she loved.

And he would always take her for a steaming meal of fondue.

But the heavy pain in her body was a stark reminder to Charlotte that it was all just a fantasy.

The reality was that she was dying, and Ethan was about to get married.

The fondue was bubbling, rich and fragrant.

Charlotte cooked a piece of lamb and, out of habit, went to place it in Ethan's bowl, but stopped halfway.

She awkwardly pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry..."

Ethan pressed his lips together. "It's okay."

The people at the next table were eating loudly, but their table was quiet.

Ethan looked at the person across from him, head bowed, drinking her soup. "...Why are you so quiet this time?"

Charlotte froze for a second, then gave a bitter smile. "You used to say I was too loud, that I never stopped chattering."

As she spoke, she felt like she was about to cry.

The taste of the fondue hadn't changed, and the people were still the same, but everything was different now.

Ethan pushed aside the strange feeling that crossed his mind and put all the lamb in her bowl.

"Eat more. You've gotten so thin."

Hearing this, Charlotte's eyes welled up. She struggled to control the ache in her jaw as she savored his tenderness.

Through the steam, Ethan's expression tensed. "What's wrong?"

Just as he spoke, his phone buzzed.

Ethan glanced at it and frowned.

Charlotte quickly wiped the corner of her eye. "Is something up?"

"Yeah."

Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, she forced a casual smile. "Go to handle it. I'll head back on my own after I finish."

Ethan looked like he wanted to say something, but his phone buzzed again several times, and he finally sighed.

"Text me when you get to the hotel."

"Okay."

Charlotte watched Ethan go to the front desk to pay, and only looked away after he strode out.

Looking at the empty seat across from her, her eyes grew red.

After a long moment, Charlotte picked up her now-cold water and gently tapped it against Ethan's empty cup.

This cup was a toast to his new marriage, and a memorial to her deep love.

Chapter 4

After eating dinner alone, Charlotte returned to the hotel.

She was exhausted, but she forced her eyes open to text Ethan before falling into a deep sleep.

To save her energy, Charlotte rested in her room for three straight days.

She didn't contact Ethan again either.

But Ethan would often ask what she was doing, and she would just reply with a few words.

On the fourth day, Ethan came to see her. "We're having a reunion with our elementary school classmates. Let's go together."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, but she agreed.

After all, with some people, every meeting might be the last.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hotel.

As soon as the two of them entered the private room, everyone immediately looked over.

A girl came forward and affectionately pinched Charlotte's cheek.

"Charlotte, your cheeks were so chubby when you were little. How did you get so thin!"

Charlotte gave a wry smile. "I lost weight."

Hearing this, someone immediately started teasing.

"It must have been for Ethan!"

"Definitely! Do you guys remember?"

"Back when Ethan first transferred to our school, Charlotte shouted in front of the whole class, 'Ethan, I like you! Will you marry me when we grow up?'"

"!"

Everyone burst out laughing, while Charlotte felt awkwardly like she was sitting on pins and needles.

She glanced at Ethan beside her, but he looked calm, seemingly unaffected.

Just then, a slightly drunk guy patted her on the shoulder.

"Charlotte, I really admire you. I still remember that time Ethan had a fever in the middle of the night. When you heard the news, you actually barged into the boys' dorm and carried him on your back for two kilometers to the hospital!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"And do you guys remember Eden from the class next door? He stole Ethan's chicken leg, and Charlotte beat him black and blue. Charlotte ended up getting reprimanded by the whole school!"

"And there's more!"

"..."

The crowd's memories were like a floodgate opening, rushing out in a torrent.

Ethan's originally composed expression slowly stiffened.

He looked in astonishment at Charlotte, who was looking down silently beside him, and his heart felt like it had been struck.

A lot of what they were saying were things he didn't know.

As they finished, everyone sighed with emotion.

"We all thought you two would end up together. We never expected... fate plays tricks on people."

Charlotte, not wanting and also afraid that Ethan would overthink it, quickly forced a relaxed smile.

"That was all stuff from when we were kids. Ethan and I, we're just good friends now."

Hearing this, Ethan's hand holding the wine glass slowly tightened.

He didn't say a single word for the rest of the meal.

But Charlotte could feel his gaze fixed on her the entire time.

The sky gradually darkened.

After the dinner party ended, the classmates said they wanted to go sing karaoke, but Charlotte was exhausted and politely declined.

Ethan also said he had something to do, so the two of them parted ways with the others.

The streetlights were already on. Charlotte and Ethan walked side by side down the street, the atmosphere between them subtle.

Charlotte could only feel the pain in her abdomen and back growing stronger, but with Ethan there, she couldn't bring herself to take out her medicine.

Just then, Ethan spoke.

"All those things they mentioned, why did you never tell me?"

Charlotte's gaze darkened. "There was no need."

But the next second, she felt a hot hand grab her wrist.

She looked up in shock, right into Ethan's complicated gaze.

"Then do you regret it?"

"You chased me for fifteen years, and in the end, you got nothing."

Hearing that, Charlotte's eyes welled up. "...I have regrets, but I've never felt remorse."

Her words pricked Ethan's heart like a thorn. It wasn't painful, just deeply uncomfortable.

Their eyes met. Charlotte took a deep breath, her voice sincere.

"Ethan, I came to your wedding this time to prove to you that I've moved on."

"I'm really happy that you're with my best friend..."

As she said this, she fought against her physical and mental anguish, pulling her hand from Ethan's grip.

"I hope you'll both be happy."

Ethan's gaze darkened, and a wave of irritation he'd never felt before washed over him.

Facing Charlotte, he was speechless for the first time.

But Charlotte could no longer bear the pain. She closed her eyes, swallowing the metallic sweetness rising in her throat.

"I'm really tired. I'm going to head back now."

With that, she quickened her pace and left.

But she'd barely taken two steps when her vision went black, and she collapsed toward the road.

"Charlotte!"

With a man's hoarse call, she felt a hand grab her arm, pulling her into a warm embrace.

Charlotte froze. She could actually hear his ragged breathing and pounding heartbeat, as if he had just survived a disaster...

An icy voice rang out.

"What are you two doing?"

Charlotte and Ethan turned their heads at the same time.

Sophia, holding shopping bags, was staring at them with a blank expression.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

Charlotte was the first to snap out of it, quickly pushing Ethan away. "...I just twisted my ankle, and Ethan helped me up."

Ethan grunted in agreement, his expression calm.

Sophia's gaze shifted between the two for a moment before she suppressed the doubt in her eyes.

"Oh, I see... By the way, I was out shopping and saw this outfit. I thought it would look great on you, so I bought it."

As she spoke, she handed a luxury shopping bag to Charlotte.

Charlotte instinctively tried to refuse, but Sophia took her by the arm.

Sophia smiled at Ethan. "Ethan, you can go back. Charlotte and I have something to talk about."

Ethan frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, Sophia pulled her away.

The traffic was heavy, and snowflakes danced wildly in the neon lights.

Charlotte couldn't even feel the pain in her body anymore, worried only that Sophia might get the wrong idea.

She hesitated before starting to speak, "Sophia, I..."

"Charlotte, I want to ask you something."

"...What is it?"

Sophia's expression was faint, unreadable. "I heard a girl has been chasing Ethan for fifteen years. You two are old classmates, do you know who she is?"

Hearing this, Charlotte was instantly speechless.

Noticing the person beside her stiffen, Sophia ignored it and continued speaking.

"I saw it on Ethan's phone about six months ago. The girl, with the contact name 'Summer,' messages him every day, but he barely ever replies."

Even though it was the dead of winter, Charlotte broke out in a cold sweat.

She didn't want Sophia to get the wrong idea, but she didn't know how to explain.

Facing Charlotte's silence, Sophia lowered her gaze. "There's nothing wrong with liking someone, but you shouldn't be too obsessed. Things you force won't stay, even if you manage to grab them."

Every word was like swallowing bitter water down Charlotte's throat.

That's right, she was just too obsessed.

Obsessed with that heavy snow in Miami, obsessed with that figure who would never turn back.

But she had forgotten that her gradually failing body was not strong enough to support her pursuit of that love.

At this thought, Charlotte gave a bitter smile, her eyes red. "You're right."

Sophia looked at her but didn't say anything more, simply parting ways with her at the intersection.

Back in her hotel room, Charlotte immediately took out her medicine and swallowed it.

Meanwhile, messages from Ethan kept coming to her phone.

But for the first time, she didn't want to look at them, nor did she want to reply.

She was really tired and just wanted to get a good night's sleep.

But just as Charlotte lay down, an overwhelming, sharp pain shot from her abdomen, feeling as if her insides were about to shatter.

Her face pale, she tried to call '911', but her phone fell to the floor because she was trembling.

She was too weak to pick it up and could only struggle to grab the landline on the nightstand, pressing the speed dial button for the front desk.

"Hello, this is the front desk at the Four Seasons Hotel. How can I help you?"

Charlotte felt her consciousness fading, but she gathered her last bit of strength to gasp for help.

"Help me... call... 911..."

With that, her vision went black, and she was completely plunged into darkness.

...

When Charlotte woke up again, she saw the familiar white ceiling, and the smell of disinfectant she'd been smelling for two years hung in the air.

"You're finally awake."

Hearing the relieved voice, she turned her head in surprise.

Ethan was sitting beside her, frowning, his deep eyes locked on her.

"The staff found you unconscious when they got to your room, so they rushed you to the hospital..."

"Charlotte, what's really wrong with you?"

Charlotte's breath hitched.

She had signed a medical confidentiality agreement, so the doctor wouldn't just reveal her true condition.

But how was she supposed to explain her current state?

She didn't want to tell him, especially not when things were going well for him, and add to his worries.

After a long silence, Charlotte avoided Ethan's burning gaze and mumbled, "I'm just not very strong, so even a small sickness looks serious."

But that answer wasn't enough to convince Ethan.

Charlotte had been known among her classmates as the 'star athlete' ever since they were kids.

Her grades weren't great, but she always swept first place in all the track and field events at the school's sports day.

Charlotte had always been rosy-cheeked, healthy, and optimistic.

But now she was pale and frail, and even her once-smiling eyes held a trace of unspoken sorrow.

Ethan clenched his fists without realizing it, struggling to suppress the chaotic feelings rising in his chest.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and a nurse walked in.

"Charlotte, your medical chart."

Seeing the chart, Charlotte panicked. She ignored the pain and pushed herself up to grab it.

But another well-defined hand got to it first.

Ethan's face darkened as he flipped the chart directly to the final results section.

When she saw the man's tightened gaze, Charlotte felt her breath catch.

"Charlotte, you have lupus!

?

Hearing Ethan's shocked question, Charlotte froze.

Lupus?

The nurse was the first to react. She glanced at the bed number and grabbed the medical chart, her face full of apology.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!

I delivered the wrong chart, this belongs to the patient in the next room!"

After saying that, she left awkwardly.

For a moment, the atmosphere was a bit tense.

A relieved Charlotte controlled her breathing, while Ethan was also calming his racing heart.

After a long silence, Charlotte was the one to break it.

"Don't worry, I'm really fine. I promised Sophia I'd be her bridesmaid."

Looking at her bright smile, Ethan's gaze darkened.

"If you don't feel well, don't force yourself to go..."

Before he could finish, Charlotte eagerly cut him off.

"How could I not?

!

This is your one and only wedding!"

Her stubborn look overlapped with the image he had of her in his memory.

But the difference was, she used to be like a sun that was always shining brightly, and now she was like the moon in the water, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

A feeling of anxiety he'd never felt before made Ethan a little uncomfortable.

Instead, it was Charlotte who gently urged, "I'm much better now, you should go take care of your work."

"It's fine."

Ethan glanced at his watch and stood up. "You were unconscious all night, I'll go get you something to eat."

With that, he turned and left.

Just

Watching the man's back, Charlotte's eyes started to sting with tears.

She suddenly understood that the greatest distance in the world isn't being unable to say "I love you."

It's loving him to the point of heartbreak, yet being destined to never be together...

While Charlotte was lost in her sorrow, the doctor walked in.

He was holding a diagnostic report, his expression serious.

"Charlotte, based on your treatment progress in Miami and your current physical condition, you must undergo systematic, intensive chemotherapy now, or you could face organ failure at any time."

Charlotte's face turned pale.

Counting the days, Ethan's wedding was only five days away. If she started chemo now, she wouldn't be able to attend.

A flicker of struggle crossed her eyes, and it took her a long time to respond.

"I have something I must do. After I'm done, I'll come back to the hospital for proper treatment."

The doctor wanted to persuade her, but then he remembered the liability waiver she had already signed in her file and could only sigh helplessly.

"In that case, I suggest you stay in the hospital for two more days of observation, to prevent any sudden deterioration from the cancer cells."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, but still nodded in agreement.

But she didn't expect that for those two days, Ethan stayed by her side almost constantly.

She tried to send him away several times, but he said, "You helped me so much in the past. Now that you're sick, it's only right that I take care of you."

"Just think of it as me repaying you for all the years you've been good to me."

Hearing this, Charlotte felt a mix of complicated emotions.

Perhaps this was heaven taking pity on her, arranging a small comfort for her in her final days.

So that when she looked back on her past as she was leaving, it wouldn't be entirely cold.

Two days later, Charlotte checked herself out of the hospital before Ethan arrived.

She had just finished tidying up her hospital bed when Sophia arrived.

When she saw her good friend, whose eyes were bloodshot and face was weary, Charlotte was stunned for a moment.

"Sophia?

What are you..."

"Ethan skipped our wedding rehearsal to come take care of you."

Sophia looked like she had made up her mind, getting straight to the point and letting out all her frustration and helplessness.

"Charlotte, I know you love Ethan, but he's about to marry me. He's going to be my husband."

"Maybe... I don't love him as deeply as you do, but he chose me, and I chose him. I'm the one who's going to grow old with him, do you understand?"

Her voice was soft, but it landed like a hammer blow on Charlotte's heart.

Her breath hitched as she nodded. "I understand."

The next moment, Sophia gripped Charlotte's hand tightly.

"Charlotte, for the sake of our friendship, and for my marriage, don't come to our wedding. And don't contact him anymore, okay?"

At her words, Charlotte felt a hand clench painfully around her heart.

But seeing the pleading in Sophia's eyes, her last bit of resolve began to crumble.

After a long silence, Charlotte squeezed Sophia's hand in return, forcing a hoarse reply from her throat.

"Okay."

Chapter 7

Sophia finally let out a sigh of relief after getting Charlotte's answer: "...Thanks."

After saying that, she offered to take her back to the hotel, but was politely refused.

She knew Charlotte needed some time alone, so she didn't insist.

After parting with Sophia, Charlotte immediately bought a ticket back to Miami and started packing her bags when she got back to the hotel.

She didn't have many things, but she tried to keep herself busy to forget the heavy ache in her heart.

Just as Charlotte was about to check out, Ethan arrived.

His face was grim. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me to pick you up? Why did you leave the hospital by yourself?"

As he finished speaking, his eyes swept over the suitcase beside her, and his expression tightened.

"Where are you going?"

Charlotte avoided his gaze. "I'm sorry, something urgent came up and I have to leave. I can't make it to your wedding."

The air instantly froze.

The man's scrutinizing gaze was like molten iron, making her feel both a burning pain and suffocation.

"Charlotte, are you hiding something from me?"

Ethan stared at her, as if trying to discern the truth in her words from her eyes.

Charlotte forced a smile.

"No, I really do have something... I'll tell you later, I'm running out of time."

Afraid that Ethan would ask more questions, she grabbed her suitcase and tried to leave.

But as she brushed past him, he grabbed her hand.

"Then I'll take you."

The warmth of his palm, along with Ethan's slightly hoarse words, made Charlotte's eyes well up.

"I'm not a kid anymore, I can manage on my own."

As she spoke, she painfully brushed his hand away. She wanted to say more, but in the end, all that came out was 'goodbye'.

Watching that slender figure slowly disappear, Ethan felt an inexplicable sense of loss.

It was as if a corner of his heart was missing, and a cold wind was whistling in.

A light snow was falling from the sky, dusting Charlotte's hair.

She got into a taxi and said to the driver, 'To the airport.'

The street scene outside the window began to recede.

Charlotte took out a protective red string charm, her pale fingers caressing it with reluctance.

This was the gift she had originally intended to give Ethan, but because of her treatment, she never got the chance.

She had wanted to wait until her condition stabilized before seeing Ethan again and giving it to him.

But who knew that Ethan was getting married, so she couldn't give this gift anymore.

Charlotte looked at it for a long time, then she opened the car window and threw the protective charm out.

Just leave this love of hers, along with the man she loved most, here in Washington...

Charlotte took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but tears poured out like a flood from an open gate.

She held back and held back, but finally couldn't bear it anymore and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Her grief-stricken sobs made even the driver's heart ache. He advised, "Miss, most things in life don't go our way. Just hang in there, the bad stuff will pass. Don't cry."

Charlotte choked out a sound of agreement.

If she had more time, she could definitely 'get over it'.

But fate didn't give her a chance. For her, 'getting over it' meant death.

Three hours later, Charlotte boarded the plane.

Her body and mind, exhausted to the extreme, quickly let her fall into a deep sleep.

At five in the afternoon, the plane landed in Miami.

Charlotte dragged her heavy legs, and the moment she stepped out of the cabin, she collapsed to the ground with a 'thud'.

Glistening white snowflakes landed on the crimson corner of her mouth, melting into the blood and streaking down her cheek.

Charlotte only saw darkness, her ears filled with screams and shouts.

"So much blood!

Is there a doctor? She's coughing up blood!"

"Call an ambulance, quick!"

...

When she woke up again, Charlotte saw the familiar white ceiling.

She instinctively tried to move, only to find her body riddled with tubes and an oxygen mask covering most of her face.

The voice of Emily, the nurse who had been taking care of her, rang out, choked with tears.

"Charlotte, you're finally awake. You've been in a coma for two days..."

Hearing this, Charlotte's brain finally started to work.

She had been in a coma for two days, which meant Ethan's wedding was tomorrow.

Charlotte opened her mouth, but her throat was too hoarse to make a sound.

Emily understood at once and quickly grabbed her phone. "While you were in a coma these two days, someone has been calling and texting you nonstop."

With that, she unlocked the phone.

Charlotte looked and saw 93 missed calls from Ethan, and hundreds of his messages.

[Have you arrived?]

[Why aren't you replying?

How are you feeling?]

[Why aren't you answering my calls?]

...

[It's been two days, and you're not replying to my texts or calls?

What on earth happened?

!]

Charlotte lifted her hand with all her might, trying to text Ethan back, but her fingers trembled too much to even have the strength to type.

Emily said with red-rimmed eyes, "I'll help you."

Charlotte curved her lips in thanks.

She gathered her strength several times before a muffled voice emerged from under the oxygen mask.

"Help me... tell him... I arrived in Miami... that afternoon... and everything... is taken care of."

"Lost my phone... just got a new one... new SIM card..."

"In Miami... it's still snowing... I'm with friends in the countryside... at a Farm Stay... having a good meal gathering... very, very happy..."

Hearing these words, Emily's heart ached and she began to cry.

She was already at death's door, yet she still had to weave such a beautiful lie for someone else.

As the last message was sent, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next second, a video call notification from Ethan suddenly rang out

Emily jumped and turned to look at Charlotte.

But Charlotte just shook her head with difficulty.

She couldn't let Ethan see her like this.

She especially couldn't leave a stain on his soon-to-be perfect life...

Seeing this, Emily rejected the call, only to hear Charlotte whisper again.

"Delete... delete him..."

Emily hesitated, but seeing the resolve in her eyes, she had no choice but to delete him.

...

Meanwhile, in Washington.

Ethan stared at the "call rejected" message, his brow furrowed.

He was about to call again, but his phone was snatched away.

Ethan looked up with a grim expression, meeting Sophia's somber eyes.

"We've had wedding rehearsals for days, and you've only shown up once. We're getting married tomorrow, and you won't even talk to me..."

"Ethan, what on earth are you thinking?"

But Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose, his voice tinged with both helplessness and impatience.

"Sophia, stop being unreasonable."

Those words pierced Sophia's heart like a needle.

As a pang of pain shot through her, her eyes glanced at the phone screen, and her breath caught.

She had underestimated the fifteen years of entanglement between Charlotte and Ethan.

She looked at the man in front of her, her hoarse voice laced with sarcasm and exhaustion.

"Ethan, I don't think we should get married anymore."

With that, she tossed the phone onto the sofa and turned to leave.

Ethan stood frozen, his mind a mess.

His mind told him to chase after her and explain, but his legs felt rooted to the spot.

His mind was filled with the image of Charlotte's frail figure as she walked away.

...

The winter wind howled as another day and night passed.

"According to the weather service, a stronger cold front is expected to hit starting tomorrow, the most powerful one to affect Miami in the second half of the year..."

The weather report played on the TV as the city lights outside shone into the grief-filled ward.

In a daze, Charlotte felt her life flashing before her eyes.

She clearly saw it all: her treatments, her mother's death, her separation from Ethan, and finally, that summer afternoon...

"Ethan, I like you. Will you marry me someday?"

"Ethan, it's snowing heavily in Miami. Can you like me now?"

To the sound of that childish declaration and choked plea, Charlotte slowly, so slowly, opened her eyes.

Snowflakes drifted in the night outside. Emily, Dr. Carter, and the two nurses who usually cared for her were standing by her side.

They said nothing, but their eyes were filled with pity and tears.

A bone-chilling pain, along with the fear of death, washed over her belatedly.

Charlotte's pupils constricted and trembled, as if her very soul was shuddering.

Emily gripped her cooling hand, fighting back her own pain as she gently pleaded.

"Charlotte, we all know you're so tired. Just go to sleep. Once you're asleep, the pain will be gone..."

But Charlotte clutched her hand, refusing to close her eyes.

She knew that if she fell asleep now, she would never wake up again.

She stared at the clock on the wall: 11:30.

She couldn't go. She couldn't let Ethan's wedding anniversary become the anniversary of her death...

The clock ticked, second by second.

Finally, as the midnight bells chimed, Charlotte's pupils slowly relaxed.

As if a final weight had been lifted, she let go of Emily's hand.

In her last moments, she thought she saw a red carpet covered in roses.

And Ethan was standing at the end of the red carpet, smiling gently at her.

Right then, Charlotte's half-open eyes lost their focus, until she stopped breathing altogether.

...

At the same time, the plane from Washington to Miami landed.

As the cabin door opened, Ethan was the first to walk out.

A bone-chilling wind hit him in the face, causing a strange, sharp pain in his heart.

His face turned a little pale as he clutched his chest, his gaze sweeping over the falling snow in the night sky.

So the snow in Miami was even heavier than in Washington.

Thinking of the call Charlotte made to him after receiving the invitation, Ethan's eyes darkened.

He had hesitated for a long time about whether to go on with his marriage to Sophia or to come find Charlotte.

In the end, he followed his heart. After she calmed down, Sophia had agreed with his decision.

Ethan took a breath of the cold air and pulled out his phone.

He opened his chat with Charlotte and typed out a message.

[I came to Miami to find you.]

The moment he sent it, Ethan felt a sense of peace he'd never known.

But what greeted him was a bright red exclamation mark

Ethan's heart sank.

He stared in shock at the glaring red on his phone, unable to process it.

Charlotte was just talking to him yesterday, so why would she suddenly delete him without any warning?

He tried calling, but the receiver only played a cold, automated message: "Sorry, the user you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

He tried a few more times, but it was the same.

That's when Ethan realized Charlotte had blocked his number too.

His brow slowly furrowed, a sense of panic and unease he'd never felt before rising in his chest.

What on earth could have happened to make Charlotte suddenly delete and block him?

The snow fell thicker, and while the early morning streets of Miami were still brightly lit, the cold was bone-chilling.

Ethan ignored the cold, hurried out of the station, and hailed a taxi straight to Charlotte's place.

The whole way there, he kept wondering why, but he had no clue.

But when he arrived, he never would have imagined that Charlotte's living situation was so remote and cramped.

Low-rise buildings were crammed together, wall to wall and window to window, with clotheslines sticking out haphazardly.

The alleys were deep and narrow, like gray cracks forgotten in a corner of the world, winding their way inward.

A cold wind swept through, carrying a damp, chilly echo from the deep darkness, making Ethan shiver involuntarily.

He followed the dim light from the eaves, searching bit by bit.

After searching for a full half-hour, he finally managed to find Charlotte's door number.

"Charlotte!

Charlotte!

Open the door!"

His urgent shouts tore through the silent night, sounding particularly harsh in the small alley.

For a long time, the apartment remained completely dark inside.

The only response Ethan got was dead silence.

Just as he was about to try calling Charlotte again, the door next to hers opened with a "click."

A middle-aged woman with curly hair, wearing pajamas, peeked her head out, her eyes heavy with sleep.

"It's so late, who are you looking for?"

It was authentic dialect, which Ethan could barely understand.

"I'm looking for Charlotte."

The woman tightened her thick cotton pajamas as she stepped out, switching to somewhat broken English: "Who are you to her?"

"A friend."

The woman looked Ethan up and down.

"A friend?

If you're her friend, how come you don't know she's sick in the hospital?"

Hearing this, Ethan's expression darkened.

Charlotte was sick in the hospital?

But didn't she text me yesterday saying she was at a Farm Stay with friends?

The woman looked at Ethan and sighed softly.

"That girl, Charlotte, she's had a really tough life.

After her mom died of a stroke, she got pancreatic cancer herself.

She's been going through treatment all by herself for the past two years.

Without a single friend or family member by her side..."

The words made Ethan's mind buzz, and he froze on the spot.

He couldn't help but recall all the strange things about Charlotte during their last meeting.

It was like all the energy had been drained from her; she was so thin she was a shadow of her former self.

She was unusually silent during their meal.

And the dense cluster of needle marks on her hand, and when she said, "I hope you can both be happy."

The indescribably intense emotion in her eyes at that moment.

Before, Ethan hadn't understood why Charlotte had that look in her eyes.

But now he understood: that wasn't a simple blessing, it was Charlotte's final, desperate goodbye.

All her strange behavior these past few days finally made sense.

"Which hospital is she in?"

Ethan's throat was dry and hoarse.

The woman told him the name of the hospital, and just as Ethan was about to rush off, he was called back—

"Hey buddy, wait!

Charlotte still owes me three months' rent.

You're friends, right? Why don't you cover it for her."

After paying the rent, Ethan rushed straight to the hospital.

The wind and snow outside grew stronger, just like the growing panic in Ethan's heart.

It was the first time in fifteen years that he'd lost his composure because of Charlotte.

But he could only suppress the turmoil in his heart and force himself to stay calm.

Ethan kept telling himself that maybe things weren't as bad as he thought.

Maybe the landlord's information was wrong, and Charlotte didn't have a terminal illness, but something else.

Or maybe, seeing his wedding date approaching, Charlotte couldn't handle it and was just throwing a tantrum on purpose.

He tried to spin everything in a positive light.

But no optimistic guess could quell the growing terror inside him.

...

At two in the morning, Ethan finally arrived at the hospital.

He hurried upstairs, heading for the nurses' station.

Just as he got out of the elevator, a gurney covered with a white sheet brushed past him.

As if compelled by some unseen force, Ethan stopped in his tracks.

The next second, a nurse's hoarse voice sounded from behind him.

"Let's take Charlotte's body to the morgue for now. She has no family, so we'll handle the arrangements together later."