The Price of Your Dying Wish

My girlfriend eloped. Not with me, but with her first love. I went completely insane with jealousy and called to confront her, only for her to scream at me through the phone: "He's willing to die for me! Would you ever do that for me?" All because he had once saved her life and told her: "My life was given to you a long time ago. So now, you belong to me, too!" I might have never saved her life, but everything she possessed today was something I had handed to her. Hearing her shrill demand—"I only married him to fulfill his dying wish! Are you seriously going to get jealous over a man on his deathbed?"—my heart turned cold, inch by inch. Since she didn't value what she had, I would gladly give it to someone who actually deserved it. The moment I hung up on Savannah, I immediately dialed my mother. "Mom, cancel all of Savannah's upcoming appearances and endorsements. And pull her from that lead role. She's off the project." My mom sounded utterly astonished on the other end. "What happened? Did you two have another fight? That doesn't sound like you, Tyler. You're never this impulsive!" "No, Mom. She married someone else." Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, I let out a hollow laugh. Savannah and I had grown up together. I had known since we were kids that she dreamed of becoming a star. To make that dream come true, I tapped into every single resource and connection my family owned. In just a few short years, I transformed her from a complete nobody into one of the hottest rising starlets in the industry. I had even planned to step into the family media empire right after our wedding, pouring everything I had into pushing her into the A-list so she could cement her place in Hollywood forever. My mother had fully supported the plan. I had wanted to surprise Savannah with the news right after we registered our marriage at city hall. But now, it was glaringly obvious that she didn't deserve a single bit of it. When I got back to the penthouse, I walked in right as Savannah was dragging Justin around my walk-in closet, holding up clothes against him. "Justin, you really are the only one who can pull off this kind of style," she said, her voice dripping with admiration. "Unlike Tyler. Even if you put him in a bespoke designer suit, he still looks like an awkward poser." A sharp ache pierced my chest, but I pushed the door open and stepped inside anyway. Caught red-handed, a flicker of guilt flashed across Savannah's face, but she quickly masked it. Within seconds, she was barking orders at me as if nothing had happened. "Oh, you're finally home? Justin's starving. He wants to eat." "And make sure you cook it yourself. Don't let the housekeeper do it. Justin said that braised pork belly you made last time was amazing, so get in the kitchen." She was as bossy and demanding as ever, acting like she was the master of the house and I was just an unpaid servant she kept on a leash. Justin leaned against the wardrobe, looking pale and fragile. His lips were bloodless, his eyes faintly rimmed with red, and a mocking smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he looked at me. "Tyler, man, I'm really sorry to trouble you to cook for me." I didn't even bother giving them the time of day. Walking straight into my bedroom, I pulled out my suitcase and started packing. I had originally bought this luxury downtown condo out of pure consideration for Savannah's grueling commute. The location was prime, right in the heart of the city, convenient to everything. Now, the very air in this place felt filthy. Even breathing the same oxygen as them disgusted me. On my drive home, I had already decided to put the condo on the market. "Tyler! Did you not hear me talking to you? Justin is hungry. Go make dinner right this second!" Savannah's irritated voice snapped behind me. I didn't even bat an eye. Brushing past her, I methodically took my clothes out of the closet and folded them into the suitcase one by one. Only then did Savannah actually notice what I was doing. "What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?" "God, you're so pathetic, Tyler. You're a grown-ass man, and you're storming out of the house over every little thing? It's ridiculous." Our home? Once upon a time, I genuinely believed this was our home. But the foundation had rotted away. In the past, every single argument had ended with me backing down and apologizing. She naturally assumed this time would be no different. That was why she was always so arrogant, acting as if she were totally untouchable. Except this time, I had zero desire to indulge her nonsense. Even opening my mouth to respond felt like a chore. "Think whatever you want." Savannah and I had been inseparable since childhood. Over twenty years of shared history had rooted her deep inside my heart. I had spoiled her endlessly, turning her into my personal, demanding princess. Until high school, when Justin showed up. He was a rebellious day student with bleached hair, riding around with a careless, delinquent attitude. Accustomed to my gentle, attentive care, Savannah was instantly captivated the moment she met someone so "edgy" who treated her with total indifference. Savannah, who had always been the obedient, well-behaved golden girl, suddenly started skipping class, dating, staying out all night, smoking, drinking, and partying at clubs. She even went street racing on motorbikes late at night with Justin and his reckless crowd. That was when the accident happened. Justin threw himself in front of her to shield her, leaving him with a permanent limp in his left leg. Later, when Savannah's older brother found out about the entire disaster, he used every means at his disposal to send Justin far away, finally putting an end to the madness. I never could have imagined that a ghost from over a decade ago would suddenly reappear right on the eve of our wedding, completely obliterating fifteen years of sweet, shared history in a matter of days. "Tyler, is it because Savannah and I got married today? Is that why you're mad?" Justin was wearing the custom-tailored groom's tuxedo that had been made specifically for me, complete with the boutonnière pinned to his lapel, his gloating pride practically oozing from his pores. Suddenly, he put on a deeply remorseful face and bowed deeply toward me, staying bent at the waist for a long, exaggerated moment. "I'm so sorry, Tyler. It's all my fault. Savannah just wanted to fulfill my dying wish of marrying her, which is why she agreed to it." "The truth is, I have late-stage cancer. I don't have much time left." "Once I'm gone, Savannah will still be yours." It was as laughable as it was pathetic. Savannah would rather legally marry a man with terminal cancer than marry me. Seeing this, Savannah rushed over in a panic to help Justin up, tenderly dabbing the sweat from his forehead. "Justin, stop humiliating yourself! Getting sick isn't your fault! You don't need to apologize to someone so petty and narrow-minded!" "Tyler's only throwing a fit because I agreed to marry him first, but ended up signing the marriage license with you instead. He brought all of this on himself. Did he really think those filthy, disgusting things he did all those years ago would stay buried forever?"My hands froze over the clothes I was packing. I turned around to face Savannah, my mind a mix of absolute confusion and blistering rage. "Filthy things? What the hell did I hide from you?" From the day we met until now, I had never hidden a single thing from her. My devotion to her had always been transparent and pure. Even now, when she chose to betray me and marry Justin, I had accepted it with dignity and was ready to walk away. What right did she have to throw mud on my name? "Savannah, say it plainly right now. What did I ever hide from you?" Savannah suddenly grew hysterical, her face contorting with blame and sheer hatred. "Look into your own conscience, Tyler! Fifteen years ago, the night of Justin's birthday party, why did my dad suddenly show up out of nowhere?" "Besides you snitching to him, I can't think of a single other explanation!" Fifteen years ago, when I saw Savannah drifting further and further down a destructive path, I had tried to talk sense into her countless times. At first, she claimed it was just harmless fun, something to bring excitement to her boring high school life. Later on, she started treating me like a nagging old woman, telling me I disgusted her and that she didn't need a boy her own age acting like her controlling father. So, out of spite, on the night of my own birthday, she publicly confessed her feelings to Justin and officially became his girlfriend. Heartbroken, I chose to let her go and step aside. But I had never once thought about ratting her out to her family. I only found out about what happened after Justin had already dropped out of school and left town. I never dreamed that she had pinned the entire blame on me all these years, convinced that I had ratted them out purely out of petty jealousy. Yet, if she had suspected me all this time, why had she stayed by my side for so many years? "Savannah, please, let's just drop it. It's been so many years. Time heals everything," Justin chimed in softly. "Tyler's actions back then were understandable. He loved you, and jealousy just clouded his judgment for a second. It wasn't really his fault!" He made it sound like he was defending me, but every single word hammered another nail into my coffin, confirming my supposed guilt. A surge of fury rushed straight to my head. It was this little bastard stirring the pot all along. I rolled up my sleeves, fully prepared to beat the living hell out of him. The next second, the pathetic coward squeezed out a few crocodile tears, his face crumpling into dramatic remorse. "Tyler, Savannah only said those things because she cares about me too much. Please, be the bigger man and forgive her." "It's really all my fault. I loved her too much. I couldn't bear the agony of missing her anymore, so I traveled thousands of miles back just to see her. I never intended to ruin your relationship." "If it weren't for me, the two of you would have tied the knot long ago after your fifteen-year relationship. It's all on me. I shouldn't have come back. I'll leave right now, and I'll never bother you two again!" Justin made a dramatic show of turning to leave. Savannah panicked completely, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as if they were about to be torn apart forever. "You can't leave, Justin! We went through so many obstacles over all these years just to finally be together!" "If anyone is leaving, it's Tyler! He was the one who tore us apart in the first place, forcing us to endure fifteen miserable years of longing before we could reunite!" A crushing wave of defeat washed over me. I never imagined that the girl I had cherished and protected since childhood would buy into someone else's lies so effortlessly, viewing me as such a vile, despicable human being. Closing my eyes, I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Twenty years of devotion couldn't stand against Justin's twisted words. Accepting that reality hurt far worse than any punch to the gut. My hands moved faster, packing the rest of my things. It was time to put a final, absolute end to this chapter of my life. "You don't need to kick me out. I'm leaving. And I'm putting this condo on the market immediately." Savannah froze. When she snapped back to reality, her eyes were filled with smug condescension and mockery. "Tyler, I had no idea you were this petty. Now you're resorting to threats?" "Do you honestly think that threatening to sell the condo and leave me homeless is going to make me crawl back to you?" "Let me tell you something: I am currently the hottest rising star in the industry! The studio executives held a high-level meeting and confirmed that they're going to pour all their resources into promoting me and me alone. My A-list breakthrough is right around the corner!" "Meanwhile, you'll always be nothing more than a pathetic cockroach plotting behind people's backs, never amounting to anything in your life." "Besides, I'm sick of this crappy place anyway. It's small, it's cheap, and it doesn't even come close to matching my status as a future superstar. You want to break up, right? Fine! We're done! Get the hell out! When I'm at the top of the world, don't you dare come crying and begging on your knees, because I won't look back!" Every word was designed to cut deep, leaving no room for reconciliation. Not that I wanted any. A cold smirk crossed my face as I shattered her delusion. "Do you really think the studio is going to back someone who pulls cheap stunts like this? You better start worrying about your PR crisis first." "You might not care about your reputation, but the company sure as hell cares about theirs."My words hit Savannah right where it hurt. Her fragile ego shattered, and she exploded in pure, unadulterated rage. "You're the one with no shame! Your whole damn family has no shame!" "If you hadn't snitched back then, Justin and I wouldn't have been separated for so many years! We would have been together a long time ago. He wouldn't have suffered day and night from heartbreak, and he wouldn't have gotten cancer!" "All of this is your sin!" I actually laughed out loud. It was so absurd I couldn't help it. If that was what she wanted to believe, then fine. From now on, our paths would diverge completely. We would be total strangers. Whether her life turned out wonderful or completely miserable had absolutely nothing to do with me anymore. Just as my foot crossed the threshold, a sudden, violent retching sound came from behind me. Justin rushed over to hand Savannah a glass of water, gently rubbing her back with exaggerated tenderness. "I told you not to get so worked up. Why are you stressing over someone so completely irrelevant? You're going to upset the baby!" The baby? My foot pulled back from the doorway. My mind instantly went blank. I was going to be a father? Right at the exact moment our relationship was shattering into pieces? I stood frozen in place for what felt like an eternity, completely lost on how to process this. Savannah and I had been together for fifteen years. After we got engaged last year, we hadn't used any protection. A pregnancy felt like the natural next step. Except, with our relationship falling apart right this second, the timing of this baby felt shockingly coincidental—or maybe, tragically ill-timed. And yet, if Justin hadn't just blurted it out, I would have been kept completely in the dark. Why hadn't Savannah told me she was pregnant? Savannah kept gagging dryly, and with every wretched sound, my heart tightened another notch. Swallowing my pride, I took a cautious step toward her and asked softly, "You... you're pregnant? Since when? Why didn't you tell me?" She had betrayed me, yes, but the child was completely innocent. I couldn't just walk away from my own flesh and blood. Seeing how much I suddenly cared about the baby, Savannah's arrogant demeanor instantly returned. She deliberately turned her head away, refusing to meet my eyes. Whenever we used to fight, she would pull this exact same routine, waiting for me to lower my head and beg for her forgiveness. I forced myself to stay patient and asked again, but it was Justin who spoke up instead. "Savannah, you've been pregnant for over a month now. Wait... you didn't tell Tyler?" Savannah leaned back on the sofa, letting out a venomous scoff. "The baby isn't his. Why the hell would I tell him?" Those words hit me like a physical strike. My entire body went completely numb, frozen to the spot. Refusing to believe what I just heard, I asked in a trembling voice, "Savannah... what did you just say? Whose baby is it?" Savannah sneered, her voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. "The baby belongs to Justin and me. Happy now, Tyler?" My pride was shattered into dust. An overwhelming wave of humiliation washed over me. Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand flew out and struck Savannah across the face with a resounding crack. The slap was so hard that half of her face instantly swelled red. Clutching her cheek, she stared at me in absolute, utter disbelief. "You hit me?! Tyler, have you lost your goddamn mind?!" "I'm your fiancée, and I'm pregnant! You actually laid a hand on a pregnant woman? Are you even a man?!" I had lost my mind. She had driven me completely insane. Any man put in that exact situation would have found it impossible to hold back. All of my remaining patience evaporated in an instant. I grabbed all of their belongings and hurled them out the front door. "Pack up your shit and get the hell out of my house right now!" Justin immediately put on his frail, dying act, crying softly as he turned to Savannah. "Savannah, don't lower yourself for me. It's all my fault. I'm the reason you got hit..." Savannah shook her head frantically, turning around to comfort him instead. "Justin, don't cry, it's bad for your health! Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'm having this baby." "This is our child. I will never, ever give him up." "But..." Justin hesitated for a long moment, looking down miserably. "I only have a few months left to live. But our child... he can't grow up without a father!" Savannah's head dropped in sorrow. A moment later, as if a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in her head, her eyes lit up, and she turned to look at me. "Tyler, I can give you one more chance. We don't have to break up." "I can still be your wife. Once Justin passes away, we'll go register our marriage. But you have to agree to one condition!""Once the baby is born, his last name has to be Vance. Justin is the only son in his family, and I need to carry on his bloodline." "Don't worry. After Justin passes, I'll settle down and live a good life with you. We can have plenty of our own kids later. You've always loved kids, haven't you?" I was so disgusted by her sheer audacity that I burst out laughing. Even now, she was delusional enough to believe that my anger was just me being jealous, a desperate attempt to win her back. After knowing her for over twenty years, I felt like I was seeing her true colors for the very first time. I genuinely wanted to crack her skull open just to see if there was anything inside besides sewage. My laughter made her snap, her face flushing with indignant rage. "What are you laughing at?! I've already made a massive compromise!" "If you still want to be with me, you have to make sacrifices too. Otherwise, I'm not going to forgive you that easily." "Justin doesn't have much time left anyway. When the baby is born, he'll still call you dad! His last name will just be Vance. How is that any different from being your biological child?" "Get the hell out," I snarled, completely done listening to her bullshit. Savannah glared at me venomously. "You'll regret this!" she hissed, dragging Justin toward the elevator. The very next morning, a trending topic blew up the internet, claiming the number one spot on social media. [Rising Starlet Savannah Davis Sacrifices Everything to Marry Terminally Ill First Love: A Heartbreaking Tale of True Devotion.] Beneath the headline were countless related tags, many of them dragging my family's entertainment company into the mud. [Future Partner at H&T Media, Starlet Savannah Davis, Marries Someone Else.] I checked the location tagged in the wedding posts, grabbed my car keys, and sped straight over. We were done, yet she still had the nerve to leech clout off my family's empire? I wasn't going to let that slide. On top of that, after the topic went viral, internet sleuths dug up old breadcrumbs between Savannah and Justin, sparking rumors that were already causing H&T Media's stock to dip. There was no way in hell my family was going to take the fall for her mess. Before long, I arrived at the luxury outdoor venue. Savannah was draped in an exquisite white designer gown, her makeup flawless, her face radiant with a triumphant smile. The moment she spotted me, however, the smile froze solid. A second later, she swayed gracefully toward me, her voice dripping with provocation. "Give it up, Tyler. I'm never going back to you!" The wedding march began to play right on cue, and the ceremony proceeded smoothly. They exchanged rings, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. When it came time for the vows, Savannah raised her microphone, boldly declaring: "Justin, I've already received insider confirmation from senior leadership. The agency is about to pour all its top resources into me. Fame and endless fortune are right at our fingertips." "As husband and wife, what's mine is yours. And I will take care of your family, too." "I'm going to secure high-paying executive positions for them at the company, and I'll even transfer company shares to their names so you can leave this world without a single worry." "Marrying you has always been my greatest dream in this life. And today, that dream has finally come true." "In this life, and in the next, I, Savannah Davis, will only ever love you, Justin Vance." Every single dime and shred of influence she had today was handed to her by me. What right did she have to promise my family's assets to someone else? Justin's eyes welled with tears as he nodded furiously. "I believe you, Savannah. Being able to marry you is the greatest blessing of my entire life." "I love you, Savannah. Forever!" Atmosphere peaked, and the guests started chanting and cheering, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" Savannah closed her eyes coyly, tilting her chin up in anticipation. I couldn't take another second of this sickening circus. I stormed onto the stage, my roar cutting straight through the sound system. "Savannah! I don't give a damn that you cheated on me to marry Justin, but who the hell gave you the authority to hand out shares of my family's company?! Who gave you that right?!" Savannah sneered at me with pure contempt. "Look at you, Tyler. Look at how pathetic and green with envy you are. Men like you make me sick—fake, hypocritical, and totally hollow." Lifting her chin, she looked down on me with haughty disdain. "I got the insider scoop days ago. The board isn't just going to push me to the A-list; they're making me a equity partner!" "As a shareholder, I am ordering you to get the hell off my stage right now!" "With my current status and power in this industry, ruining your entire life and making sure you never work again would be as easy as snapping my fingers." Before the words had even fully left her mouth... A thunderous roar of high-performance engines echoed from the distance. A fleet of hundreds of exotic luxury cars swept into the venue, pulling up in a flawless, intimidating line right before the stunned crowd. Every single vehicle was an elite hypercar—Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, custom Maybachs—not a single one worth under two million dollars. Click. The rear door of the lead limousine swung open. A woman draped in an impeccably tailored couture suit stepped out, radiating absolute elegance, wealth, and an icy, suffocating authority. "And just whose life do you think you're going to ruin?"