2
After that day, I began to fully dedicate myself to being Caden Rhodes's woman.
To be honest, there was nothing really wrong with Caden Rhodes as a man.
He was tall and handsome, rich and powerful.
While his personality couldn't exactly be called gentle or considerate, at least he didn't have any strange kinks, nor did he ever force me to do anything.
I saw him as my boss, my benefactor.
Occasionally, I would abandon all reason and pretend he was my pillar of support.
'I knew I was the woman who had been by his side the longest.'
'I also knew that I wasn't Caden Rhodes's only woman.'
I was well aware of where Caden Rhodes's boundaries were, and I knew what I could and couldn't do.
I was considerate and gentle, generous and tolerant. Even when I occasionally showed a bit of a temper, it was a calculated move just to make him feel like I was depending on him.
I constantly warned myself not to take it seriously, not to get invested.
Even though the time we'd been together was approaching that of a long-married couple, I knew very well that he would eventually get tired of me.
I just never expected the cancer diagnosis to arrive sooner than his boredom.
When my parents passed away, their attending physician told me that our family had a slightly higher chance of getting cancer than others.
It was related to heredity and genetics, he said. He was telling me so I'd pay more attention to my health and try to get an annual check-up.
At the time, I thanked the doctor but didn't take it to heart.
To be precise, I didn't care whether I got sick or not.
After all, people are just waiting to die from the moment they're born. I actually thought dying sooner would be an earlier escape from this world.
Perhaps Heaven heard the pessimistic, world-weary voice in my heart, because I was, in fact, diagnosed.
Terminal cancer. Three months left to live, at most.
Three months. Not even enough time for Caden Rhodes to finish a project, yet it was already the limit of my life.
