Chapter 5

Morning light stabbed through the curtains, and Stella Valentine realized she was still alive.

She opened her eyes slowly, every bone in her body aching as if disassembled and reassembled.

Her skin burned with pain, but her heart felt terrifyingly hollow.

Last night had been less like lovemaking and more like torture. Adrian Roland hadn't even granted her a kiss—just mechanically fulfilled his marital duty.

The sheets beside her were cold. She traced the wrinkled fabric, still faintly scented with his cologne.

A silk tie lay abandoned on the floor, its navy blue sheen icy under the light. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up.

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart..." She folded the tie carefully and tucked it into her purse. The smiling face in the photograph made her eyes sting.

Tears splashed onto the picture. She frantically wiped them away with her sleeve, terrified of smudging her daughter's smile.

"Mommy promises, this time will work."

The documents on the desk waited silently. The bold letters "Divorce Agreement" burned her vision.

The final clause glared at her: Permanent departure from Houston.

Stella laughed softly. She wasn't just leaving Houston—she'd soon leave this world entirely.

The pen scratched across paper. When she finished signing, relief washed over her like a tide.

Hospital antiseptic assaulted her senses.

"Miss Valentine..." The doctor hesitated, eyeing the bruises on her neck. "Do you need legal assistance?"

"No." She adjusted her collar. "How soon can we test for pregnancy?"

"At least seven days." He adjusted his glasses. "But if unsuccessful, chemotherapy must begin immediately."

"And without treatment?"

"Six months, maximum." The doctor sighed. "Chemo could extend it to three to five years—"

"I need nine months." Her voice cut through his words. "Money isn't an issue."

The examination room turned deathly quiet. The doctor studied her for a long moment. "Cancer pain is worse than death itself."

"I'll endure it."

"It's beyond ordinary human tolerance."

Stella smiled suddenly, backlit by sunlight that gilded her frail silhouette.

"You're mistaken, Doctor." Her whisper barely stirred the air. "At the worst pain...you stop feeling anything at all."

Just like now. Her heart had long gone numb.