He then messaged again: "Sera, file a report to get that video taken down as soon as you wake up. You've had enough time to rest out there, haven't you? Once you're done resting, come back home."

"Charles works tirelessly to support this family alone, it isn't easy on him. You shouldn't throw tantrums over such trivial matters. Dragging yourself and your husband into the public eye over minor arguments just to invite criticism from strangers is completely unacceptable."

A string of relatives immediately followed up in agreement.

"Exactly, a family should always live in harmony."

"Sera, listen to your parents. Have that video deleted."

"Yes, your parents are at an advanced age, yet they still have to stress over you. You need to be more mature."

……

Sera stared at the screen filled with messages, then checked the trending topics online to fully comprehend what had happened.

She offered no apology, nor did she offer any explanation. Instead, she took a photo of her terminal diagnosis and dropped it directly into the family group chat.

"To all my aunts and uncles, this is my medical report. The doctors say I have six months left to live at most."

"Not long ago, my mother-in-law called to label me selfish because Charles had to stay home without a hot meal prepared for him."

"And now, my father-in-law claims I am throwing a tantrum over a trivial matter. Let me ask you all, is facing imminent death considered a minor argument?"

Instantly, the entire group chat went completely silent.

Sera wasn't finished. She sent another message: "The video online wasn't posted by me. It was captured by a kind stranger after Charles and Chloe decided to flaunt their undying affection right in front of my face yesterday."

"If you're so worried about family scandals, you should be advising Charles to keep his hands to himself."

"After all, cheating on a wife who isn't even dead yet with his ex-girlfriend shows a disgusting lack of upbringing. It's embarrassing to even talk about."

Without waiting to see their responses, Sera promptly left the family group chat.

She got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to wash up.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed that her complexion had actually grown much rosier.

Perhaps because she had spent the past few days violently venting every ounce of her frustration, her physical and mental state had drastically improved.

Once she finished getting ready and stepped out of the hotel lobby, she found Charles standing near the entrance.

A cigarette glowed faintly between his fingers, and several discarded filters littered the ground by his shoes.

Sera found it almost amusing.

The great Dr. Vance, a renowned germaphobe, had actually taken up smoking.

He must have seen the news online.

Noticing Sera's approach, Charles snuffed out the cigarette and stepped directly into her path.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" Sera asked nonchalantly.

Her complete indifference sent a wave of inexplicable frustration through him.

"I saw the video online, and I saw what you posted in the family group. I want to apologize on behalf of my parents first; they shouldn't have said those things."

"Chloe didn't mean any harm yesterday either. That's just how she is, loud and blunt, but she didn't have any malicious intent. She already took a late-night flight back to Seattle."

Sera crossed her arms, looking at him with a deadpan expression.

"Charles, the damage has already been done, yet you speak as if saying it wasn't intentional magically erases it. If you murder someone and claim it was an accident, do you get to skip prison?"

Charles choked on his words, completely taken aback, but couldn't help snapping, "When did you become so utterly relentless, refusing to give an inch even when you're in the right?"

Sera curled her lips into a cold smile. "Why should someone who is in the right give an inch? Perhaps this is who I’ve always been. After facing a terminal illness, I’ve gained total clarity. I have no intention of tolerating any more garbage, so my true nature is finally showing."

Hearing the word illness, Charles’s expression shifted subtly.

He fell into a long silence before finally speaking.

"Could you have someone take down that video?"

"People might use the footage to dig up your personal information, and it could end up affecting others. If there's an issue, let's resolve it privately between us instead of dragging innocent people into it, alright?"

"From now on, I will accompany you in whatever you want to do. I’ve already approved an extended leave with the hospital. For the time you have left, I'll go with you wherever you want to go. Just the two of us."

Hearing this, Sera automatically drifted back to the past.

Two years ago, when she was hospitalized with acute appendicitis, she had called Charles.

Charles had brushed her off, claiming he was far too busy.

Later, during her hospital stay, he had merely walked past her room during his daily rounds. Even then, he hadn't bothered to offer her a single word of genuine concern.

Yet now, solely because Chloe’s reputation was on the line, he was suddenly capable of playing the devoted companion.

Sera pulled herself from the memory and let out a slow breath.

"It’s too late, Charles. I have absolutely no need for your company anymore."

"You and your family better stay far away from me from now on. I will never stay silent or endure your abuse like I did before. The moment I have a grievance, I will voice it loudly," Sera delivered each word with absolute precision.

Charles’s eyes darkened with a heavy sorrow at her words.

"I won't disturb you then. Please take care of yourself. If you ever need me, just call."

With that, he gave Sera a deep, lingering look before turning to walk away.

Sera stood in place, calmly watching Charles depart.

Not long after he vanished from sight, her phone buzzed with a social media notification.

Sera opened her page to find several direct messages popping up.

She tapped on the first one.

"Hello there! We are the marketing team for VKI Outdoor Apparel. We stumbled upon the photography on your page and believe your stylistic vision aligns perfectly with our brand identity. Would you be interested in a sponsored collaboration with us? Our initial offer for a promotional post is twenty thousand dollars. If you find the terms agreeable, we would love to connect and discuss the finer details."

Sera stared at the screen, momentarily stunned.

Twenty thousand dollars?

She had never realized making money could be this effortless.

Back when she worked as a software engineer, her monthly salary topped out at two thousand dollars at most.

Now, a single promotional post could match what she used to make in an entire year.

But she was supposed to be dying, so what was the point of taking on advertisements?

Was she supposed to leave all the accumulated wealth to Charles in her will?

Shaking off the thought, Sera typed out a polite but firm rejection.

"Thank you so much for recognizing my photography skills, but I currently have no plans to take on sponsored content. My apologies."

She didn't give the matter another thought and continued with her itinerary, traveling and shooting.

After leaving the arid western deserts, she headed out to experience off-road desert racing.

Upon concluding her desert journey, she traveled further north to document the untouched winter wilderness.

Pressing onward toward the northernmost borders, she explored the deep snow forests.

Everywhere she went, she mailed prints of her photographs and local delicacies to her dedicated followers.

Before she knew it, three entire months had flown by.

Her follower metrics experienced a massive surge, quickly breaking the ten-million mark.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Seattle.

Charles lived his life in a mechanical, repetitive loop of shifts and surgeries.

Except he had developed a new habit.

Every few minutes, he would unlock his phone to see if Sera had sent him a message.

The woman who used to be completely attached to him, sending him updates throughout the day, hadn't sent a single text in three entire months.

On this particular day, Charles had just stepped out of the operating room and instinctively pulled out his phone.

Still nothing from Sera.

His colleague, Dr. Blake, noticed his sullen expression and stepped forward to ask, "Charles, is your wife still upset with you? She hasn't come back yet?"

Charles slipped his phone back into his pocket, shaking his head slightly.

"She isn't upset. She just wanted to travel alone."

Dr. Blake patted his shoulder, his tone turning serious.

"You should still remind her to come in for a follow-up exam. That condition progresses incredibly fast. Traveling at such high intensity is terrible for her body; if something happens to her out there, no one will even know."

Hearing this, another colleague chimed in.

"Honestly, Charles, your wife is incredible. She’s practically a top-tier digital creator with ten million followers now."