This Time, Watch Me Dazzle!

"The tumor is aggressively growing and lodged in a precarious spot. The success rate of surgery is only about 5%... However, if you don't undergo surgery, you might not last more than a year." The doctor's words lingered in her ears. Julia stumbled out of the hospital, dazed and disoriented, and got into a taxi, clutching the crumpled test results in her hand. It took her a while to realize she needed to tell her fiancé, Evan Pierce, about this first. She fumbled for her phone, her fingers trembling on the screen, and after a great effort, she managed to send a message. Julia: Evan, come home early. I have something to tell you. Out of nowhere, a deafening crash rocked the car. The impact threw her forward, her head hitting the seat, and her vision went black from the pain. Immediately, a cacophony of noise erupted around her. Before she could gather her thoughts, the car door was flung open, and a cool, handsome face leaned in, "Miss, are you okay?" "I'm okay..." Instinctively, Julia waved her hand, her mind solely focused on getting home, completely unaware of the man's sudden change in expression. In an instant, he seized her wrist, "I'm taking you to the hospital right now!" "No need..." Ignoring her protest, he scooped her up, carried her to the back seat, and sat down. Julia felt her head growing heavier, and eventually, she couldn't help but lean against his chest. When she came to, Julia found herself sprawled on a hospital bed, her head still throbbing faintly. The room was empty. Struggling to sit up, she took a while to remember she had arranged to meet Evan. He was never patient with tardiness. Her heart sank, and despite her dizziness, she hurriedly got out of bed and left the room. The emergency room buzzed with activity, and Julia slowly made her way forward, supporting herself against the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the crowd. It was Evan Pierce! He had Luna Blair in his arms, weaving swiftly through the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished into the throng! Julia stood frozen, unsure how long she remained there until her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and saw Evan's reply. Evan: I'm not coming back tonight, we'll discuss your matter tomorrow. It was a heartbreakingly familiar scene. Evan had abandoned her for someone else before. In his eyes, anyone and anything were more important than his fiancée. But she never imagined that even Luna, her unrelated sister, would one day take precedence over her. Why did it have to be like this? Julia's heart was in knots. Why did it have to be Luna? Compelled by a sudden impulse, she dialed Evan's number. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up. He sounded annoyed. "Didn't I say I wasn't coming back..." "Where are you now?" Julia's voice was hoarse, struggling to hold back tears. "Where else could I be?" Evan asked defensively, then added, "I'm at the office, really busy." Julia clutched her phone tightly, a bitter smile played on her lips. Of course, he was still lying to her. Sensing something was off, Evan's tone softened, "Julia, just stay home and wait for me. I'll come back to you once I'm done with work." A soft, delicate moan echoed through the line. Julia heard it clearly but pretended not to, responding quietly, "Okay, I'll wait for you." And just like that, the call ended. Evan didn't even have time to say goodbye before he was busy comforting Luna. Julia put down her phone, her heart, which had been aching moments ago, now felt frozen and lifeless. Evan had really forgotten. Today, they were supposed to pick out their engagement party outfits together. ***** Back at the villa, Julia retreated to the bridal suite and collapsed into sleep. In her dreams, her twenty-three years of life replayed like a fast-forwarded movie. Switched at birth, her life had been a series of endless trials. At ten, her adoptive father became addicted to gambling, amassing insurmountable debts, and her adoptive mother even considered using her to pay them off. Fate took an unexpected turn, landing them in prison. She was taken back to the Blair family, but the fake heiress who grew up there, Luna Blair, couldn't leave. At first, the Blair family tried everything to make it up to her, and those were her happiest times. But somewhere along the line, everything changed. Even with blood ties, she couldn't compete with the bond they had formed with Luna over the years. She became an outsider in the Blair family, and the elusive family affection became Luna's trophy to flaunt before her. Until Evan appeared, like a ray of light in her dark world. People ridiculed her as Evan's shadow, but they didn't know she saw him as her only support. She always believed Evan liked her; otherwise, how could they have reached the point of engagement? In just a few days, it would be their engagement party. "Marry me, and I'll treat you well for a lifetime." "I do." The dream scene blurred, and to Julia's horror, Luna stood as the bride on stage. She was paralyzed, forced to watch as Luna slipped on the wedding ring... Julia awoke with a jolt, drenched in cold sweat. The morning sun blazed through the window, casting its light on the empty room where she found herself alone. Last night, Evan hadn't returned. Julia refused to let her mind linger on the thought that he might be with Luna. Waking from the dream, her head pounded with a relentless ache, as if reminding her that time was slipping away, and she shouldn't waste it on others anymore. As she got up to wash, she noticed a bandage on her forehead, stained with dried blood. The injury from yesterday's car accident was more serious than she'd realized. She rummaged through the medical kit to change the dressing, wincing at the sting. 'I'm knocking on death's door, yet a little sting still makes me flinch,' she thought. After tending to her wound, Julia stared at her reflection. Her face was ghostly pale, her eyes void of life, making her look more worn out than ever. It was almost comical—this fleeting life she'd spent entirely for others. But at that moment, her once-chaotic thoughts became crystal clear. After a leisurely shower, she made her way downstairs to find May already bustling about in the kitchen. "Miss, once I'm done, let me know if there's anything else you need me to buy..." "No need for that, just whip up a bowl of noodles for me," Julia replied. May paused, peering out of the kitchen at Julia. "Is Mr. Pierce not coming back to eat?" "I don't know." On a day as important as this, he couldn't even remember, yet he was off with another woman. She didn't know what to say. Julia sat at the dining table, phone in hand, typing a message. Her fingers paused for a moment. 'He should come back, I guess.' No point in making anything special for him; he likely wouldn't have the appetite for it anyway. Then, she sent out the message to everyone. Julia: I've called off the engagement with Evan.