My Death Countdown

I wiped away my tears and carefully tucked the diagnosis report into my purse before leaving the bathroom.

I acted as if nothing had happened.

Back in the living room, Lucy White, the servant, walked out of the kitchen with some soup. "Jenessa, Tobias called specifically to ask me to make the soup for you. He said you'd been unwell lately and needed to have something nutritious."

The soup smelled good.

If it were in the past, I would have been moved to tears.

But at that moment, I just sensed an unsettling metallic scent in the fragrance.

I took the bowl from Lucy and said with a smile, "Thank you. You can be busy with your work now."

After she left, I walked to the window with the soup and unhesitatingly poured it into the flowerbed downstairs.

That evening, Tobias returned home with a cake.

As soon as he entered the door, he wrapped his arms around me. He said with a sickeningly sweet tone, "Honey, I'm sorry. Something came up at the last minute at work, so I came home late. Happy anniversary."

An unfamiliar woman's perfume lingered on him. It wasn't mine.

"It's okay. Your work is important." I mimicked his gentle tone while looking at him. "I had the soup. It was delicious. Thank you, honey."

He looked pleased in his eyes as he patted my head. "I'm glad you liked it. Come on. Let's cut the cake."

He lit the candles, turned off the lights, and pulled me close to make a wish.

In the candlelight, his profile was as handsome as ever, but I knew there was a vile heart beneath that exterior.

"Tobias," I said softly, "I went for a check-up at the hospital today."

Tobias was holding the knife to cut the cake. He paused momentarily before he resumed naturally.

He asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No. I've just been feeling tired lately and wanted to get checked out," I said, lowering my eyes. I sounded vulnerable in my voice. "The doctor said it was nothing serious. I just have a bit of anemia, and he asked me to have more rest."

I could feel Tobias's relief.

"That's good," he said. Then he handed me the largest slice of cake. "You scared me. You have to take good care of yourself. You will spend the rest of your life with me."

The rest of my life?

He meant that after my death, he would take away my heart and live happily ever after with another woman.

The rest of my life was now reduced to three months.

I took a small piece of the cake, and it tasted sickeningly sweet.

"Oh, by the way," Tobias seemed to say casually, "Jolie's condition has worsened. The doctor says she might need a heart transplant."

Here it came.

I set down my fork and looked at him with concern. "Is it so serious? Have you found a suitable donor?"

Tobias shook his head. His eyebrows were furrowed in distress. "It's not easy. None of our family members is a match. We're waiting on news from the organ donation registry, but the chances are slim."

As he spoke, he held my hand and looked at me intensely. "Jenessa, you've always been kind. You understand me the most. Right?"