"The 180-Day Freedom Verdict: My Diagnosis Was a Lie" Chapter 15
Moving leisurely from place to place, her physical and mental health reached an all-time high.
One afternoon, Sera returned to her luxury resort after a long trek up a scenic peak, her muscles aching with exhaustion.
All she wanted was to soak in a hot bath and lie down.
But the moment she stepped into the grand lobby, her eyes locked onto Charles, who was standing at the front desk with a suitcase.
Charles caught sight of her at the exact same moment, his entire body freezing up with visible nerves.
He quickly grabbed his room key from the receptionist and sprinted over to block her before she could step into the elevator, his words tumbling out frantically.
"Sera! I've been keeping up with your updates and knew you were in town. I managed to approve some vacation time and thought I'd explore the area too."
"How are you feeling? Is your body holding up alright?"
Sera looked at him, her eyes flashing with deep irritation.
"Charles, you are being incredibly pathetic and annoying."
"We explicitly agreed to never interfere with each other's lives again. What do you think you're accomplishing right now? Stop stalking me, and stay out of my sight."
Charles refused to back down, dragging his suitcase along as he hurried to keep pace with her footsteps.
"Sera, please don't misunderstand. I don't have any hidden motives. I just couldn't stop worrying about you, and I wanted to see for myself that you were okay."
Sera cast a pointed glance behind him.
"Why are you alone? Where is Chloe? She didn't tag along this time?"
"She went out of her way to track me down not long ago, bragging about her own divorce and thanking me for stepping aside so you two could reunite. How are things going between you? Have you two registered your marriage yet?"
Charles's face paled instantly upon hearing this, and he scrambled to explain.
"It's not what you think! There is absolutely nothing going on between Chloe and me, and I have never once considered getting back together with her."
"What a shame."
Sera offered a cold, mocking shrug. "You two are toxic enough to deserve each other. It's a pity you aren't locked together for life; at least that way you wouldn't be ruining other people's lives."
Leaving those final words hanging, she completely ignored his devastated expression, stepped into the elevator, and slammed her finger against the close-door button.
Charles stood paralyzed in place, a wave of profound defeat crashing over him.
Early the next morning.
Sera changed into a fresh outfit and opened her door, only to find Charles standing in the hallway holding a gourmet breakfast tray.
The moment he saw her emerge, he hoisted the tray forward eagerly.
"I stayed up late making some fresh pastries. Would you like to try some, or take a little along as a snack?"
ADVERTISEMENT
"No."
Sera rejected him without a moment's hesitation, stepping around his form and walking straight ahead.
As she made her way through the lobby, she pulled out her phone and called the front desk.
"There is someone harassing me. Please have security handle it outside VIP Room One immediately."
The receptionist offered an immediate apology and promised to dispatch security.
Over the next few days, Charles stopped knocking on her door.
Instead, he resorted to shadowing her every move during the day.
No matter where Sera went, Charles would inevitably materialize.
Every single time their paths crossed, Charles would repeat the exact same phrase.
"Sera, I don't mean to crowd you. I just want to look after you."
Finally, on the eighth time he manifested in her presence, she couldn't take it anymore.
Sera slammed her footsteps to a halt, turning around to face the man tracking her, delivering each word with razor-sharp clarity.
"Charles, I don't need your care, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with me."
Charles froze in his tracks, his brain struggling to process the statement.
"What do you mean?"
Sera stated flatly, "The initial cancer diagnosis was a complete medical error."
"I've had it verified by multiple evaluations. Dr. Blake knows the truth too; if you don't believe me, go ask him yourself."
"Now that I've told you everything, you can stop thinking about making things up to me, and you don't need to carry any guilt. You can leave now, and stop appearing in front of my eyes."
Charles's throat tightened, his voice barely a whisper.
"Then... why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"If I had told you, would you have ever agreed to the divorce?"
Sera left him with that parting question and walked away without a single backward glance.
Charles was left standing entirely alone on the pavement, his world spinning as the realization hit him, unable to move for a very long time.
After returning to her hotel suite, Sera couldn't stop thinking about the encounter.
After careful deliberation, she set up her tripod, adjusted her camera lens, and hit the record button.
"Hello everyone, this is Sera. Today, I want to share a rather unbelievable story with you all."
"I know many of you have been curious about the countdown I used to mention in my early posts, and I've kept silent until now. Today, I want to tell you that on the day I made that first post, I had just been handed a terminal cancer report. The doctors told me I had six months left to live."
She reached out, holding the original medical document up to the lens.
"Believing my time was running out, a switch flipped in my mind. I decided to strip away every mental burden and spend whatever time I had left living purely for myself."
"I quit my job on the spot, treated myself to my very first first-class ticket, and set off to see the world. But as I traveled, I noticed something strange: my body wasn't failing. In fact, I felt healthier and more energetic with each passing day."
ADVERTISEMENT
"Eventually, my physician urged me to come in for a comprehensive evaluation, and for the sake of my own peace of mind, I checked into a hospital."
She paused, lifting her follow-up reports.
"The results from multiple reviews confirmed that I am perfectly healthy. The initial diagnosis was an absolute error."
"I’m sharing this video today to give a transparent answer to all of you who have shown me so much love and worry. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible support. Through this wild journey, I didn't just regain my health; I found my true calling and my passion."
"I hope my story inspires you all to cherish your lives, be brave, and love yourselves fiercely."
The moment the video cleared processing and went live, the comment section exploded into absolute chaos.
"It was an error! Oh my god, she's healthy! This is the best news ever!"
"I remember she shared her divorce certificate a while back too. Getting rid of a toxic husband, regaining her health, and starting a brilliant new career—this is the ultimate revenge plot!"
"Sera, I'm not trying to cause drama, but your ex-husband was literally a curse on your life. When you were with him, you looked entirely miserable and ended up with a fake cancer scare. The second you dumped him, your health cleared up and your career took off!"
By that evening, her video had claimed the top spot on every trending chart.
Her follower metrics experienced another massive surge.
Her notifications were a blur of texts and emails from old acquaintances, distant relatives, and strangers trying to claw their way back into her good graces.
Sera had just finished replying to a few close friends when an unknown number flashed across her screen.
Assuming it was a publisher reaching out for a licensing agreement, she accepted the call.
To her utter disgust, her former mother-in-law's voice filled the line.
"Sera, darling! I saw your beautiful video online! Finding out you're perfectly healthy is an absolute miracle! I always knew a sweet girl like you had a blessed life; there was no way you could have been taken so soon."
"You know I've always cherished you like my very own daughter. Now that this awful misunderstanding is cleared up, you and Charles should hurry up and reconcile. Charles has completely changed, he promises to treat you like a queen. Let's get you two back together, have a baby quickly, and I'll even move in to help you raise the child."
"Your father even mentioned sending you some cash to support your hobbies. We fully back your traveling photography from now on."
Sera couldn't contain the sharp, mocking laugh that bubbled up her throat.
"Mrs. Vance, when I believed I was dying, your entire family treated me like a plague to be avoided. Now that I am perfectly healthy and pulling in a massive income, I’m suddenly your beloved daughter again? The hypocrisy is truly staggering."
"Save your breath. I am never getting back together with Charles, and if you ever call this number again, I will have my legal team handle it."
She cut the line and blocked the number instantly.
As for the sudden influx of flattery pouring in from Charles's extended family, she didn't waste a single second reading them.
She systematically blocked and deleted every single contact.
Six months later.
Sera returned to Seattle.
By this time, she had established herself as a renowned professional photographer, with international licensing deals bringing in a fortune.
She had just purchased a sprawling luxury penthouse with a cash payment.
While browsing a high-end department store for home decor, she crossed paths with Charles.
He looked completely gaunt and exhausted, the crisp, untouchable aura of a brilliant surgeon entirely vanished from his posture.
He froze upon spotting her, his eyes wide.
After a long struggle, he managed to step forward, his voice tight and trembling.
"Sera... what a coincidence running into you here. How have you been?"
Sera offered a polite, professional smile.
"Wonderful."
Charles nodded slowly, his eyes dropping to the floor, radiating a deep, unshakeable sorrow.
"I haven't been doing well. I never remarried, and I completely cut ties with Chloe."
He slowly lifted his right hand, revealing a jagged, discolored scar running across his wrist and thumb, his fingers twitching faintly.
"A few months back, I happened to pass by the gynecology wing during a violent medical dispute. I stepped in to shield Chloe from an aggressive patient family member, and my wrist was slashed. The nerve damage was extensive; I'll likely never be able to hold a scalpel or perform surgery ever again."
"And because Chloe had been named in so many internal complaints and malpractice disputes, the board launched a massive investigation. They discovered a pattern of severe misdiagnoses and covering up complaints. She was stripped of her license and fired from the medical center."
Sera listened to the downfall of her tormentors with absolute neutrality, offering a casual nod.
"I have an appointment to catch, excuse me."
Panicking at her departure, Charles took a desperate step forward.
"Sera, what are your plans for the future?"
Sera turned back, her smile radiant, independent, and free.
"To eat well, live beautifully, and spend every single day doing exactly what I love."
With that, she walked past him, her boots clicking against the polished floor as she vanished into the crowd.
The following morning, Sera posted a photo of an international flight ticket to her page.
The caption read:
"First stop on my global tour: New Zealand."
"Main objective: Savor every breath, live without regrets, and keep loving myself fiercely."
As the aircraft tore through the clouds, Sera looked out into the endless, bright sky.
The ghosts of her past had finally crumbled into dust.
From this moment on, the horizon belonged entirely to her.
[End of Story]
ADVERTISEMENT
You May Also Like
-
CompletedChapter 28
The Gilded Cage: Playing with Fire
To the elite, women like Chloe are nothing but gilded ornaments—beautiful, expensive, and easily discarded. For eight years, she played her role perfectly as the hidden lover of Christian, a powerful director with an iron grip and a terrifying obsession with loyalty. She never asked for marriage, and she never dared to love. But a blood-stained night at The Dusk shatters her carefully built cage. Thrust into a deadly game of power between her possessive master and Julian, a dangerously seductive billionaire heir who knows her darkest secrets, Chloe realizes she is playing with fire. In a world where desire is weaponized and trust is fatal, can a woman who has lost everything survive the war between two kings?Glow-Up|Substitute Lover|OE41.5k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 14
Blinded by Your Love
Serena was the epitome of innocence in high society—a pure, untouched flower who lived by strict rules. That was until Julian, the notoriously wild and rebellious heir, forced his way into her quiet world. His reckless charms stirred a dangerous passion within her, leading her to risk everything to save him from a brutal blizzard, only to have her reputation shattered overnight in a staged scandal. But the nightmare was only beginning. Standing outside his door, Serena overheard the crushing truth: his affection was nothing but a cruel game, a wager orchestrated by her toxic stepsister, Mandy, to strip her of her dignity. Heartbroken and betrayed, Serena fled across the ocean to Italy to piece her soul back together, accompanied by the gentle Sean. Yet, Julian refused to let her go. Driven by a newfound, obsessive regret, he traced her every step, triggering a dark spiral of obsession, a forced marriage alliance, and a tragic encounter that would cost a life—and demand the ultimate sacrifice for Serena to finally see the light.Glow-Up|Second Chance|OE20.5k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 14
Late to Your Love: The Second Chance
On their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Vivian Hurst received two life-altering gifts. One was a medical diagnosis from her doctor: “Late-stage pancreatic cancer. Two months left, at most.” The other was from her husband, Sylvester: an invitation to his mistress's lavish beachside birthday party in Miami. For twenty-five years, Vivian had been the perfect, dutiful wife, enduring his coldness, his emotional absence, and his endless devotion to another woman. Broken and exhausted, she left a divorce paper, choosing to end her agonizing "lesson" of a marriage beneath the dark ocean waves. But when Vivian’s lifeless body was recovered, the devastating truth shattered Sylvester’s world. Paralyzed by profound regret and boundless grief, Sylvester wept until his heart broke—only to open his eyes and find himself thrown fifteen years back into the past. It is May 20, 2018. Vivian is still alive, and her cancer hasn't taken her yet. This time, the arrogant billionaire vows to tear up his contracts, burn down his old life, and spend every heartbeat begging for her forgiveness. But can a shattered soul truly learn how to love before the clock runs out?Second Chance|HE19.7k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 14
Love Substitutes: The Twin Game
Seraphina thought she married Christian, the gentle, noble heir to the Vanderbilt empire—the boy who had protected her since childhood. But after a night of breathless passion, the man in her bed whispers a single, devastating word in her ear: "Sister-in-law." Turning around, she stares into the dark, predatory eyes of Caspian—Christian’s wild, rebellious twin brother. For three years, the brothers played a sick game of deception. Christian gave up his marriage bed to pursue his mistress, while Caspian took his place, ruling her body and her heart under a stolen identity. Heartbroken and humiliated, Seraphina signs the divorce papers and vanishes to London, determined to erase the Vanderbilt name from her life forever. But when the truth of the brothers' obsession comes alive, the cold, ruthless Christian and the feral, broken Caspian both cross the Atlantic, ready to tear the world apart just to bring her home. But Seraphina is no longer their pawn. And this time, she’s not coming back.Glow-Up|Love After Marriage|OE20.3k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 16
The Crimson Rose Reclaimed
The moment Sienna Fontaine’s soul snapped back into her body, the pathetic "system" and the transmigrated weakling who spent five years ruins her life were thoroughly erased. Five years ago, Sienna was the legendary "Crimson Rose" of Upper Manhattan's elite—untouchable, proud, and breathtaking. But a car crash left her trapped in her own mind, forced to watch a flawless imitator turn her into a desperate, begging slave for Shane Vance, a man who treated her like dirt while showering his "white chocolate" Stella Lyne with millions. Even the son she birthed despised her. But now, the real Sienna is back. Frozen bank accounts? Reclaimed luxury estates? A clean, ruthless divorce and an ironclad severance of parental rights? Sienna strips Shane of everything she once gifted him, leaving him and his mistress in the gutters. As Shane finally realizes what he lost and begs on his knees like a dog in the pouring rain, Sienna simply steps into a luxury ride, her hand gently held by Lucas Sterling—a man far more powerful, dangerous, and deeply devoted to her. "Shane, you called me a pet," Sienna smiles coldly from the window. "But you forgot—roses have thorns, and mine are lethal."Glow-Up|Fake Relationship|OE22.6k words5 5 -
CompletedChapter 25
When the Waves Bring You Back
For three years, Seraphina Cross poured her soul into a silent marriage with Ethan Vance, the ruthless heir of Vance Enterprises, knowing his vows were driven by a cutthroat inheritance clause rather than love. When the sudden death of the family patriarch shatters the last tie binding them, Ethan coldly demands a divorce. Driven to despair and silenced by a tragic accident that robs her of her voice, Seraphina vanishes into the rugged wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, leaving behind a tragic rumor of her death. Yet, just as Ethan realizes that the quiet warmth he so brutally pushed away was the only true anchor in his chaotic life, Seraphina returns—no longer the submissive wife, but a woman reborn. Swept into a storm of corporate betrayals, hidden wills, and a love that refuses to die, can a broken mermaid reclaim her voice, or will their second chance dissolve like foam in the open sea?Glow-Up|Second Chance|HE35.4k words5 8 -
CompletedChapter 25
The Spy Bride of a Billionaire
By day, Scarlett is the internet’s favorite "knife-trick" livestreamer, throwing daggers with lethal precision. By night, she is the deadliest assassin for the Shadow Syndicate. When her husband Ethan claims his empire has gone bankrupt, she plunges back into the underworld to feed the family—only to discover his bankruptcy is a cruel lie to force a divorce, all while he lavishes millions on his celebrity mistress, Chloe. Heartbroken but cold as steel, Scarlett decides to orchestrate her own vanishing act. But her escape path collides with Sebastian, the ruthless, mesmerizing crown prince of the city's most feared billionaire dynasty. He offers her the ultimate sanctuary: a fake marriage to claim his inheritance. But in a den of wolves where love is a lethal weapon, who is protecting whom?Glow-Up|Fake Relationship35.2k words5 6 -
CompletedChapter 18
Shattered Vows and Silent Lies
"I told you, Lana. The only way you’re leaving me is if I die." At seventeen, Ethan crushed my stepfather’s head with an iron pipe to buy me my freedom. Ten years. I waited for him through a decade of cold prison glass, sacrificing my youth, taking a knife for him, and losing our unborn child on a bloody operating table. Now, he is the most powerful tycoon in the city. But his loyalty has expired. A forgotten tablet revealed 2,300 hidden text messages, secret keys to a love nest, and an ultrasound photo from a twenty-three-year-old girl. On his ring finger, our wedding band glared back at me—the ultimate mockery of my ten years of devotion…Glow-Up|Second Chance|BE23.9k words5 514