My Girlfriend Got Cancer, But I Dumped Her

Someone said that at the end of life, memories flash before your eyes like a kaleidoscope.

I remembered the moment I first met Caroline.

She wore a light white dress and long hair in a thin ponytail, smiling brightly under the willow tree by the lake.

In that instant, she became an indelible light in my heart.

Fate later made us deskmates.

I recalled buying a cup of coffee. Caroline said she was thirsty and drank from the straw I had used.

She showed me two hair clips and asked which was prettier. I chose pink, and she bought it.

The long pavilion on campus witnessed our first date.

The crowded supermarket marked our first hand-holding.

We embraced for the first time under the starry sky, amidst the sound of fireworks on Christmas Eve.

At the Ferris wheel's peak, I confessed to her.

In the movie theater, her head rested on my shoulder.

And in our humble rented room, we made love for the first time until dawn.

...

"Honey, tonight I'm making you the crab cake I just learned to cook!"

It was my favorite dish, especially in the fall when crabs are at their freshest.

I had hoped this fall would be bountiful, but I didn't foresee the heartache it would bring.

I expected to enjoy her hand-cooked crab cakes after a long day.

But instead, I witnessed her drinking with another man in a bar.

To my shock, her relationship with me was just a bet.

They betted on whether Caroline would spend five years with me.

Overwhelmed with grief, I laughed bitterly before losing consciousness.

When I woke up again, it was two days later.

My body was full of tubes, and the instrument was monitoring my heartbeat. I was temporarily out of danger.

"Micah, you finally woke up," a familiar voice said.

"Lucia, am I still alive?" I asked, slowly opening my eyes.

Lucia said, "Of course! As I rushed out of the bar that night, I found you were freezing and almost stopped breathing. Luckily, I got you to the hospital in time. The doctor said that if we had come any later, you'd die."

I managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Lucia, for saving me."

Lucia was the manager at the bar.

She had always treated me well and saved me in time. I owed her my life again.

Why would I say that?

It wasn't my first fainting spell.

Lucia hesitated to speak, "Micah, the doctor said that you have overdrawn your body too much, and your organs are aging like someone in their seventies or eighties. You can't work so hard anymore, you must rest well."

I smiled bitterly and said, "Lucia, I know my health problems, I know my condition, but I still have a loan of ten thousand dollars to repay every month.

"I can't stop."

Lucia said she would help me find a solution and let me rest well.

But I knew my time was running out.

This health crisis from overwork felt like a ticking time bomb.

I feared I didn't have many days left to live.