He Died, Yet Made Me Watch His Mistress’s Wedding

Chapter 1

The crystal chandeliers at the gala were so blinding that I could barely keep my eyes open.

The dull pain in my stomach began churning again, as if something were tearing at my insides.

I never should have attended this gala; I should have been resting at home.

But the company had just secured its crucial Series B financing round, and the investor representative had specifically requested that I come that night to handle the handover.

I forced down the bitter, metallic taste surging in my throat, took a deep breath, and barely managed to steady myself.

I wore a black gown I had carefully chosen; the delicate lace ruffles at the shoulders perfectly concealed my thin, protruding shoulder blades.

Before leaving, I had used concealer to cover the dark circles beneath my eyes and applied lipstick to lend myself some semblance of life.

No one could tell that I was already terminally ill.

I clutched the painkillers tightly and kept glancing toward the ballroom entrance, desperately hoping the investor representative would arrive soon.

As soon as the handover was complete, I could go straight home to rest.

Just as I was waiting intently, a sudden commotion erupted at the entrance.

All the guests turned toward the door in unison. I looked up instinctively, and my heart sank.

It was Kai Mercer.

He walked slowly into the ballroom, arm in arm with the perfectly made-up Layla Hart, behaving affectionately, the very picture of a loving couple.

I heard snippets of gossip around me—some wondering if he had really died, others claiming he had faked his death to lie low, and a few remarking how I had held the company together while he was gone.

Curious and shocked gazes fell upon the two of them, occasionally sweeping over me as well.

Kai's gaze cut through the crowd, locking onto me, his eyes filled with smug confidence.

He let go of Layla and walked toward me.

The people around us automatically stepped aside. He stopped before me.

"Eloen Ford, I'm back." He looked down at me, his eyes brimming with smug confidence. "I knew you would wait for me. Now I'm back to marry you."

A sudden wave of nausea washed over me, and the pain in my insides intensified.

Layla quickly stepped to Kai's side, grabbing his arm. "Kai, we've been through thick and thin for three years," she said, aggrieved. "How could you say something like that?"

She cast a provocative sidelong glance at me, deliberately implying that she and Kai were inseparable.

Kai frowned slightly and patted the back of Layla's hand impatiently, signaling her to behave and shut up. He said, "You've suffered for three years. After we're married, I'll make it up to you."

I looked up at him, my tone distant and polite. "Kai, I've never thought of marrying you."

The composure on his face instantly vanished. He shot back, "Eloen, are you done making a scene? I don't want to dwell on the past anymore. Layla has been through hell with me for three years. It's only right that I take good care of her. Now that the problem is solved and I'm back, I'm ready to give you your rightful place."

Hearing this, I found it both infuriating and ridiculous.

The whispers around me grew more frenzied. The crowd's eyes locked onto me, pressing down on me until I couldn't breathe.

A violent pain tore through my insides. My head spun, and I couldn't endure it any longer.

Without another word to him, I turned and walked straight out of the noisy banquet hall.

The evening wind was biting, chilling me to the bone.

I leaned against the car for a long while, but the pain refused to fade, and my body wouldn't stop trembling.

Just then, my phone screen lit up with a message from my attending physician.

"Your condition has completely deteriorated. You don't have much time left. Stop pushing yourself to work and wearing yourself down. Go do something you truly want to do."

I stared at the screen for a long while.

The anger, resentment, and indignation that had accumulated in my heart dissipated in an instant.

Yes, none of it mattered anymore.

This nonsense wasn't worth wasting my remaining life on.

I drove home, called my lawyer, and consulted him on a few matters.

After hanging up, a wave of pain swept through my body. I took a painkiller and fell into a deep sleep.