After confirming her name, the doctor explained to her slowly, "You are going through the middle stages of gastric cancer.

The best treatment at present is to remove most of the stomach."

Suddenly, Erica felt as though the sky was crashing down above her. She shivered, as streams of tears traced paths through her cheeks. The doctor continued, “Alas! Young Lady, just go through the admission procedures. Don't worry, you are still young. But, even though your life is not in danger, there are still some risks..

Erica had no idea how she came out of the outpatient room. The people waiting in the corridor stared at her in wonder while her eyes were lowered to the floor, focused on nothing in particular. She couldn't stop crying, as if completely oblivious to the confused gazes of those around her.

She was dying. Cancer...

‘Matthew, my sons, my parents, my family... I will have to leave them and won't be able to see them again...'

After walking out of the hospital, Erica fell into deep contemplation and she wondered whether she should find another place to spend her remaining days in. After all, the thought of dealing with the pain of treatment seemed horrifying enough

However, when she thought of her parents, husband and her children,

Erica felt despondent and disheartened. How could she think of doing such a thing to them without even telling them?

Without paying much attention, she somehow managed to pull out her phone and call Matthew. Unfortunately, before she could even figure out what she was going to say to him, the call got connected.

Matthew always answered her calls on time. No matter how busy he was, he wouldn't miss any of her calls.

“Rika?" The man's gentle voice graced her ears from the other end of the line.

The moment she heard him, she burst into tears, failing to control her emotions any longer.

"Matthew..." Erica's voice trembled and her muffled sobs wracked against her chest.

Matthew, who was just now talking business with a client, frowned and walked to the side, while his client gazed at him in confusion.

"Rika, what's wrong?" he asked in a worried voice.

However, the woman could barely utter a proper word without bawling or sniffling Like a baby.

Matthew could tell that Erica wasn't joking and that something very bad must have happened for her to be in such a state. This time, when he spoke, he sounded quite anxious.

"Rika, don't cry. Just tell me what happened."

“I... I...1 might be dying... Well, I want to die alone..." In truth, she didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her.

Her words caused Matthew's face to change dramatically. As he walked out of the room, he patiently tried to comfort her.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean you're dying? Just tell me everything clearly."

Erica wiped her face with a tissue and took a few deep breaths to ease her mood. After a minute or so, she explained, "I just came from the hospital... The doctor said I... have...gastric cancer and it is at stage III. Matthew, I don't want to undergo a partial gastrectomy. It hurts so much. I'm afraid of pain..."

“Gastric cancer? Stage III? That can't be right!" Despite his efforts to remain calm while facing problems, Matthew's voice rose in shock.

“But it's true..."