The CEO’s Lies, My Second Life

After my boyfriend risked his life to save me in a fire, I proposed to him.

But he refused, saying he was burdened with massive debt and wasn’t worthy of me.

From then on, I worked five jobs a day, just to pay off what he owed as soon as possible.

But fate had other plans.

I was diagnosed with brain cancer.

When I finally saved enough and went to say goodbye, I overheard his conversation with his friends.

“The heir of the Law family, pretending to be broke in front of some poor girl. Seriously?”

“She’s worked herself to the point of coughing up blood. You really don’t feel anything?”

Landon Law curved his lips into a faint smile.

“This is just a test for her. Once we’re married, I’ll treat her well.”

“And what about Clara Shaw? She’s coming back soon. That rich girl has been talking about marrying you for years.”

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“They’ve both been through hard times with me. I can’t let either of them down.”

“But Clara’s fragile. She can’t handle any shock. She wouldn’t survive without me. I have to protect her.

“Stella is understanding. As long as I give her the position of Mrs. Law, she’ll accept it.”

The moment I heard that, everything went black, and I collapsed.

When I woke up again, Landon was gripping my hand tightly.

“Stella, don’t be afraid! Even if I lose everything, I’ll make sure you get treated!”

A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

[Congratulations. You have been granted the ability to detect lies.]

[Accumulate more than five detected lies from the male lead to exchange for a full recovery from brain cancer.]

Before I could even process what was happening, the phone in Landon Law’s pocket, its screen shattered into a spiderweb of cracks, started ringing.

A message notification popped up on the lock screen.

[Clara]: “Landon, I’m scared being here alone…”

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He quickly turned off the screen.

When he looked up again, his face was full of guilt as he tucked the blanket around me.

“Stella, the foreman’s calling me back to the construction site. Just rest, alright? I’ll find a way to cover your treatment.”

Before, hearing those words would have made my heart ache.

I would have cried, then handed over every last cent I’d earned.

But now, all I felt was disgust.

Right then, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in my mind.

[Detected male lead’s lie: “Returning to the construction site to earn money for medical expenses.”]

[Lie identified. Reward granted: Brain tumor progression has been halted.]

As the notification faded, the splitting pain in my head, the kind that felt like it might explode at any moment, actually eased, as if by a miracle.

He had barely left when my attending doctor walked in right after.

“Miss Ross, the tumor is already pressing on your nerves. You need to pay the full 60,000 for treatment by tomorrow. Otherwise, you won’t last a month.”

I took out my phone and looked at the remaining balance of 52 dollars and let out a bitter laugh.

For eight years, every cent I made had gone to him.

And in the end, all I got in return was a ridiculous act of playing poor.

I took a deep breath, pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand, and struggled out of bed, steadying myself against the wall as I stumbled after him.

The man who, just ten minutes ago, had claimed he was heading to a construction site stepped out of the general ward and, in the next breath, was dressed in an immaculate custom-tailored suit.

On his wrist was a watch worth a million, and he was striding quickly toward the VIP executive ward on the top floor.

Through the crack in the door, I heard a woman’s soft, delicate voice complaining, “Landon, the smell of disinfectant in this hospital is awful.”

Landon’s eyes were filled with a tenderness I had never once seen before.

He gently stroked her hair.

“Be good, Clara. I’m sorry you had to put up with this. I’ve already bought this private hospital. From now on, the entire building will be reserved just for you to recover in, alright?”

The laughter between the man and the woman inside the room pierced straight through my heart like a blade.