Chapter 2: The Envelope He Should Never Have Ignored
Daniel waited almost an hour before finally opening the envelope.
Not because he cared.
Only because curiosity had become impossible to ignore.
Inside was no love letter.
No goodbye.
No desperate plea.
Only several hospital documents.
At first, he frowned.
Then his face slowly turned pale.
The first page carried Emma's name.
Diagnosis: Terminal cancer.
His heart skipped.
She had known...
For nearly eight months.
Eight months during which she had continued smiling, supporting him, cooking dinner, encouraging him before every important meeting.
While secretly preparing herself to die.
Daniel's breathing became uneven.
His hands shook as he turned the second page.
But that wasn't the real shock.
The next report carried...
His own name.
He froze.
Blood test.
Genetic screening.
Urgent recommendation.
His vision blurred as he read the highlighted sentence.
"Patient carries a rare hereditary condition that may become fatal without immediate treatment. Early detection was only possible because his wife requested advanced testing after discovering compatible genetic markers."
Daniel staggered backward.
Emma had secretly paid for his medical examinations.
She had discovered the disease months earlier.
She had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars arranging specialists.
She had never told him...
Because she wanted him to focus on saving his company before worrying about himself.
At the bottom of the file was one handwritten note.
"If you're reading this... it means you've already chosen a life without me. I only ask one thing. Please don't ignore the doctors the way you ignored me."
Daniel collapsed into his chair.
For the first time in years...
The successful businessman cried like a child.
But when he grabbed his phone to call Emma...
Her number had already been disconnected.
Then his assistant rushed into the office, completely out of breath.
"Sir... we've been trying to find Mrs. Carter."
Daniel jumped to his feet.
"Where is she?"
The assistant swallowed hard before whispering the words that turned his blood cold.
May you like
"She checked herself into a private hospice this morning..."
"...and the doctors say she may not survive the weekend."
