My mother left after giving birth to me and my father soon found someone new. One snowy day, he abandoned me at the edge of a lake, leaving me alone and helpless as he turned and walked away.

Grandma… She dove straight into that freezing lake without hesitation, risking her own life amidst the ice and snow to pull me out.

Holding me close, she sobbed, "Amara, you still have your grandma. Grandma will always be here to watch you grow up."

This old lady was as stubborn as they come, fiercely determined to raise me all on her own. I never lacked for love. Where other girls had beautiful school bags and trendy braided hairstyles, I had them too.Grandma always made sure of it.

The two of us, bound by a bond deeper than blood, depended on each other for everything. I dreamed of holding her hand and guiding her through life's happiest moments, especially when I married.

But in a sad twist of fate, those words became a mere wish. She fell ill and the sickness struck with a vengeance.

Now, she lay on her bed, her once-strong frame whittled down to skin and bones.

I knew the pain was unbearable. Every night, the man in the bed next to hers moaned in agony, yet Grandma stayed silent, suppressing her cries so I would not worry.

I cried so much that my eyes throbbed with pain. Rowan tried to comfort me, gently pressing a cold popsicle to my swollen eyelids. His expression was a mix of tenderness and frustration. "Don't dwell on it. It might not be as serious as you think. The test results aren't even out yet."

I struggled to breathe, my voice barely more than a rasp. "Rowan, I'm just glad you're here with me."

As I gazed at my grandmother's pale, frail face, the grief inside me felt like it would tear me in half. I barely slept that night, but as I lay awake, I happened to notice Rowan watching a live stream.

There was a young girl on the screen, sweet-faced and wearing a playful hat, speaking into the camera. "Hello everyone, welcome to Madeline's Treatment Diary."

I noticed a strange look flicker across Rowan's face as he watched her, something unnameable yet stirring. I bit my lip, trying to tell myself it might just be empathy.

However, it did not end there. Over the following days, I saw more posts on his Instagram showing this Madeline Cross.

I felt a cold weight settle in my stomach, my heart sinking to depths I had not known existed.