Of course I wouldn't argue with him. Instead, I pulled him close again, my own voice thick with unshed tears. "Tell me what you need, Corey. Whatever it is—whatever you want me to do—I'll do it. No questions asked."

Corey wiped his eyes. Lifted his head. Cupped my face in his hands, his gaze red-rimmed and tender.

"Honey… I wasn't actually working late tonight."

"Then where were you?"

"I went to see someone. A friend's sister—she went to our university, so technically she's our junior. She told me about this new laser treatment overseas. Supposedly it can eliminate 99.99% of cancer cells."

"I didn't know if it was real, so I met with her in person to find out."

Junior.

That word again.

The suspicion I'd tried to bury clawed its way back up. The "senior crush" in that video—it had to be him. It had to be.

But I didn't confront him. Didn't demand answers.

Instead, I played along. "And? What did she say?"

"She confirmed it's real. The treatment exists—it's just expensive. So I was thinking… I could use the money in our joint account to pay for it." He gripped my hands, desperation flickering in his eyes. "Even if there's only the smallest chance, I don't want to give up."

"You'll support me, won't you?"

"Yes." I nodded without hesitation, then leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips. "Of course I will. I'll drop everything and go with you—wherever this treatment is. And if it's about money, I'll sell everything we own. I'd sell a kidney if that's what it takes."

The moment the words left my mouth, Corey stepped back. Two full paces.

"You don't know your way around overseas," he said quickly. "Besides, my junior already offered to go with me. You should stay here and look after my parents."

"This new treatment carries certain risks—I might not make it. So I need you to help me tell a little lie to my parents."

"Tell them I died from cancer. If the treatment actually works, I'll come back and give them the surprise of their lives."

I frowned at this.

"You really think they'll buy that?"

"Trust me, my parents are easy to fool. If they insist on seeing my body, just tell them I didn't want them to grieve over a corpse—that I asked you to have me cremated at the funeral home, and you scattered my ashes in the ocean per my final wishes."

"You've really thought this through."

"Tomorrow, let's go finalize the divorce. Then I'll head overseas for treatment."