Chapter 2Six Years of Feigned Devotion

I hailed a taxi, leaning against the window, my hands trembling. Not from fear. From exhilaration. To finally shed six years of pretense—it felt like taking a first deep breath. The countdown flickered chillingly before my eyes:

9 days 23 hours 10 minutes.

Less than ten days left to live. All because of someone who would never love me. How utterly absurd.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I gave him the address: my favorite riverside coffee shop from way back. Alaric used to say it was "too loud, too messy." He stopped me from going there after a while.

The comments floated by:

【Where is she going? Shouldn't she be running?】

【Alaric's last look was terrifying…】

【Am I the only one who thinks she looks stunning in that red dress?】

Outside the window, the city lights blurred into a streak. For six years, I’d lived as if in a glass dome, seeing only the world filtered through Alaric’s lens. Now the glass was shattered. The wind poured in, bringing with it the aroma of street-side barbecue, the damp river breeze, the chatter of strangers. It was so real, it made me want to cry.

The coffee shop was still in its old spot. As I pushed the door open, the wind chimes jingled. The owner, a man with a grizzled beard, stared at me for a moment. "Rowan?"

"Mr. Chen, long time no see."

"It really is you!" He wiped his hands and came from behind the counter. "Must be five or six years, right? You used to love that window seat, could write a whole afternoon's homework with one latte…"

That's when I remembered. Before I knew Alaric, I often came here to write my thesis. Back then, I was a film student, dreaming of winning an Oscar, filling script margins with annotations.

What happened after that?

Alaric said, "Acting is too tough, I'll take care of you."

He said, "The entertainment industry is too chaotic for you."

He said, "Rowan, having me is enough."

And I believed him. I gave up auditions, turned down contracts, locked my dreams in a drawer, and handed him the key.

"The usual?" Mr. Chen asked.

"Yes." I paused. "And a slice of Tiramisu."

I never dared to eat it before; Alaric said I'd "get fat, not look good on camera." But now I only had ten days left. What did it matter if I got fat?

The window seat was empty. I sat down, the river breeze caressing my face, the lights from the opposite bank reflecting on the water, shimmering like scattered gold. The first bite of cake—the sweet cream and bitter coffee liqueur melted on my tongue. I closed my eyes. So delicious. This was what it felt like to be alive.

The comments fell silent for a moment, then slowly drifted by:

【She's eating so seriously…】

【Why do I suddenly feel a little sad?】

【Only ten days left to live. I'd want a good meal too.】

【By the way, will Alaric really let her be this free? I doubt it.】

I doubted it too. So when my phone vibrated, displaying "Alaric Newlywed" as the caller, I wasn't surprised. I answered, but said nothing.

"Rowan, where are you?"

"I'm so worried about you." His voice carried a hint of fatigue.

"Eating."

"Come home, Rowan," he softened his tone. "We both need to cool off. I promise, I won't bother you tonight, you can sleep in the guest room. We can talk properly tomorrow, okay?"

Such a familiar tone. For six years, every time I threw a tantrum, he was like this. Gently, patiently, coaxing me back into the cage, then everything would return to normal.

"Alaric Newlywed." I looked at the river. "Do you remember my graduation project from college?"

He was silent for a moment. "Why ask that all of a sudden?"

"I played a woman who was imprisoned. In the end, she set the house on fire and burned herself with it." I scooped up a bite of cake with my spoon. "You said my acting was too extreme, that no one would be that foolish in real life."

"Now I understand."

"She wasn't foolish. She just had nothing left but that one fire."

His breathing on the other end of the line grew heavier. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," I finished the last bite of cake, "for the next ten days, I'm going to live my own life."

"Don't look for me. Don't disturb me. Don't threaten my family."

"After ten days, if I'm still alive…"

I smiled. "Then we can play your game again."