The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Aria stood in the kitchen alone.
The large dining table behind her still held the open laptop and the wedding spreadsheet she had been working on earlier. The screen glowed softly in the dim room.
But she wasn't looking at it anymore.
She tied the apron around her waist and opened the refrigerator.
"I'll just make something simple," she murmured to herself.
Adrian and Daniel had already left.
The house always felt different when they were gone.
Empty.
She pulled out eggs.
Some vegetables.
A small piece of chicken.
Nothing complicated.
Just something warm.
She placed the pan on the stove and turned on the heat.
The sound of oil sizzling filled the quiet kitchen.
She cut the vegetables slowly.
Her mind wandered.
She wondered if Daniel was enjoying himself at the company.
She wondered if Adrian had eaten yet.
Her chest felt warm thinking about them.
"I should cook something special tomorrow," she murmured softly.
Suddenly—
Her stomach twisted.
She froze.
The knife slipped slightly in her hand.
A wave of nausea rushed up her throat.
"Mm…"
She pressed a hand over her mouth.
The feeling came again.
Stronger.
"Oh"
She quickly dropped the knife and ran toward the bathroom.
Her feet moved fast across the floor.
She barely reached the sink before she bent forward.
Her body jerked.
She vomited into the sink.
Her stomach emptied painfully.
Her shoulders trembled.
"Ugh"
She held the edge of the sink tightly.
Her breathing became uneven.
When she finally lifted her head, she reached for the water tap.
Cold water rushed over the sink.
She rinsed her mouth quickly.
Then she froze.
Red.
Bright red.
Drops of blood stained the white sink.
Her eyes widened.
Her nose was bleeding.
"What"
She grabbed a tissue quickly and pressed it against her nose.
Her heart began beating faster.
"This never happened before."
She stared at herself in the mirror.
Her face looked pale.
Her lips were dry.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She grabbed her phone quickly.
Her fingers dialed Adrian's number.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
"Pick up" she whispered anxiously.
The call ended.
She tried again.
The phone rang again.
Still nothing.
She lowered the phone slowly.
"He must be in a meeting."
She leaned against the sink.
Her head still felt light.
Another wave of dizziness passed through her.
"I should go to the hospital," she murmured.
She cleaned the blood carefully.
Then she changed her clothes quickly.
She wore a loose coat.
A face mask.
Large sunglasses.
She didn't want anyone recognizing her.
The last thing she wanted was attention.
Twenty minutes later, she entered the hospital quietly.
The building smelled strongly of disinfectant.
People sat in the waiting area.
Some looked tired.
Some looked worried.
Aria walked slowly toward the reception desk.
But before she reached it
A familiar voice caught her attention.
"Elena, you shouldn't be walking so much."
Aria froze.
Her entire body stiffened.
That voice.
Her brother.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Across the hallway, she saw them.
Her brother stood beside Elena.
Elena leaned slightly against him.
Her belly was slightly rounded.
Her brother supported her arm carefully.
"You need to be careful," he insisted gently. "The doctor said you should rest more."
Elena smiled sweetly.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not," he replied quickly. "You're pregnant. You need to take care of yourself."
Aria's chest tightened painfully.
Five years.
Five years had passed.
But seeing them still hurt.
Her brother used to speak to her like that.
He used to worry about her too.
Now his attention belonged to Elena.
Aria slowly lowered her head.
Her sunglasses hid her eyes.
Her mask hid her face.
But her heart still felt exposed.
She turned quickly and walked in the opposite direction.
Her steps were slightly unsteady.
She forced herself not to look back.
"It doesn't matter," she whispered to herself.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
She reached the oncology department.
She had already done a basic checkup last week because of frequent dizziness.
Today was supposed to be the follow-up.
The nurse recognized her name on the appointment list.
"Ms. Cross?"
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
"The doctor is waiting for you."
She walked into the consultation room slowly.
The doctor sat behind the desk.
He looked older.
Serious.
When he saw her, he nodded politely.
"Please sit."
Aria sat down.
Her hands rested nervously on her lap.
The doctor looked at her file carefully.
Then he lifted his eyes.
His expression looked strange.
Sad.
Cold.
Heavy.
Aria felt uneasy.
"Doctor?" she asked softly.
He hesitated.
"There is something we need to discuss."
Her stomach tightened.
"Is something wrong?"
The doctor looked down at the report again.
"First, there is something you should know."
She leaned forward slightly.
"You are six weeks pregnant."
The words filled the room.
Aria blinked.
For a moment, she thought she heard wrong.
"Pregnant?"
The doctor nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her hands moved instinctively to her stomach.
Her eyes widened.
A small laugh escaped her lips.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
"I'm pregnant."
Her fingers rested gently over her belly.
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
A baby.
Her baby.
Her heart beat faster.
Adrian would be happy.
Daniel would have a little brother or sister.
Her life suddenly felt brighter.
She looked up with a bright smile.
"This is wonderful."
But the doctor did not smile back.
His expression remained serious.
Cold.
Heavy.
Aria noticed.
Her smile slowly faded.
"Doctor?"
He folded his hands together.
"There is another result."
Her heart began beating faster again.
"What result?"
He looked directly at her.
"You have breast cancer and blood clot in your lungs."
The words felt unreal.
She stared at him.
"What?"
"Stage three lung cancer," he continued carefully.
The room felt silent.
Aria blinked slowly.
"No."
The doctor nodded gently.
"I'm afraid it is confirmed."
She shook her head immediately.
"No, that's not possible."
He slid the medical report toward her.
"The scans are clear."
Her hands trembled.
"I feel fine, I should be fine, I am suppose to." she muttered, over and over
"You have been experiencing nausea, dizziness, and nosebleeds."
Her chest tightened.
"That doesn't mean cancer."
The doctor sighed quietly.
"I'm sorry."
Aria shook her head again.
"No."
Her voice trembled.
"No, this can't happen."
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the desk.
The doctor spoke calmly.
"If we begin treatment immediately, we may be able to slow the progression."
She blinked.
"Treatment?"
"Yes."
Then he added slowly.
"But you cannot continue the pregnancy."
The words cut deep.
Aria froze.
"What?"
"The treatments required are strong," he explained. "Chemotherapy and radiation will harm the baby."
Her eyes widened in shock.
"So?"
"You will need to terminate the pregnancy."
The room felt suffocating.
Aria's hands moved protectively over her stomach.
"No."
The doctor remained calm.
"It is necessary."
"No."
Her voice grew stronger.
"I'm not doing that."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Without treatment, your condition will worsen."
She shook her head.
"No."
"You have less than six months if the cancer continues to grow."
Her breath stopped.
Six months.
The number echoed in her mind.
"But treatment could extend your life," he added quickly.
Aria stared at him.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I just found out I'm pregnant."
Her voice cracked.
"I'm finally having a life."
The doctor stayed silent.
She shook her head again.
"I want this baby."
He spoke carefully.
"This pregnancy is dangerous for you."
"I don't care."
"You could die."
"I know."
Her tears fell freely now.
"I want the baby."
She leaned forward desperately.
"Are there other procedures?"
The doctor hesitated.
"Any other way?" she begged.
He sighed.
"There are experimental treatments, but they are risky."
"I'll take them."
"They might not work."
"I don't care."
He studied her face carefully.
"You should think about this carefully."
Aria shook her head stubbornly.
"I already know what I want."
The doctor closed the file slowly.
"Take one week," he suggested quietly.
"Think about it."
She stared at the desk silently.
"Come back after a week and tell me your decision."
Aria placed one hand over her stomach again.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I already decided."
But the doctor only nodded quietly.