My Last Call Was For Cake

On Valentine's Day, my boyfriend ditched me and ran off. All because of an Instagram post my sister made. "Really craving strawberry cake right now." Late that night, I was cornered by thugs in a dark, narrow alley. The blade was pressed cold against my skin. My hands shook as I dialed his number countless times, only to get one cold sentence in return. "Chloe, be good. Lily isn't feeling well. She needs peace and quiet." The blade sank into my chest. Gagging on the metallic taste of blood, I whispered, "I want strawberry cake." "Chloe, stop throwing tantrums." Fine. Once I'm dead, I will never throw a tantrum again. "Ethan, try this. It's the Valentine's Day special." Inside the fancy French restaurant, I pushed a plate of foie gras toward Ethan. He was frowning, his fingers tapping furiously on his phone screen. I leaned in slightly. Ethan casually tilted his phone away from my sight. But I still caught the contact name on the screen: Lily. My hand froze. I forced a smile and pushed the plate closer to his lips. "Chloe, something came up. I have to go. I'll make it up to you next time." Ethan stood up and grabbed his coat so fast that the sauce smeared onto his chin. Before I could even react, the waiter stepped forward. "Ma'am, should I clear the table?" I stared out the window. It was Valentine's Day, and there was a long line waiting outside. "Yes, clear it." I pursed my lips. I had waited hours for this reservation. I hadn't even had time to reapply my lipstick. Walking home alone, feeling empty, I opened Instagram. "Craving strawberry cake." Lily's post wasn't anything special. What made it stand out was Ethan's comment below it. "Where are you?" I laughed. A second later, tears streamed down my face. This wasn't the first time. "Lily, you shouldn't eat too much sugar." I stopped right outside the front door. Peering through the glass window, I saw a cozy, happy scene. Ethan was feeding Lily cake, while she giggled and teased him for more. My parents were sitting on the couch, smiling warmly at them. My hand froze on the doorknob. I didn't know whether to open the door or walk away. "Oh, Chloe is back." The door clicked open, and Lily was the first to notice me. I nodded and glanced at Ethan. He didn't even look up. All his attention was on Lily as he gently wiped the cream off her lip. "Mom, Dad." The smiles on my parents' faces vanished instantly. "Do you know what time it is? Lily needs her rest. Why do you always have to make so much noise when you come home?" How did my walking in affect her sleep? I kept my head down and said nothing. They just didn't want me there. I only stopped when I reached the turn of the stairs, looking down at them. "Ethan, did I interrupt your date with Lily?" "No, we're already done eating," Ethan replied coldly. I shook my head and hurried upstairs. Their table at the French restaurant had been untouched. "Chloe, you know Lily's heart condition. She can't handle stress." I knew. Her weak heart. That was why Ethan pampered her, and my parents spoiled her. "I'll make it up to you next time." "Don't bother." I stood by the window, pulling back the curtain. Ethan's car was still parked outside. The window was rolled down halfway. He was smoking, tapping the ash out of the window. "Chloe, I want to postpone our wedding." Ethan looked apologetic. I opened my mouth and asked why. "I want to make sure I can give you a stable life. And Lily's health is still rocky." In the end, it was still because of Lily. "I really want her to be able to attend our wedding," Ethan added. I smiled. I understood. The one Ethan loved was Lily. "Okay," I agreed. But I still loved him.When Ethan broke the news to my parents, they looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Ethan, did I ruin your wedding with Chloe?" Lily asked softly, looking down at her fragile body and sobbing. "Lily, it has nothing to do with you. It's my own decision." I sat there like an outsider. Ethan put food on Lily's plate. Then, as if realizing I was his actual fiancée, he hesitated before putting a piece of fish on my plate. But I absolutely hated fish. I looked down, catching a glimpse of Lily's plate. There was no fish. She hated it too. He remembered her preferences, but not mine. Soon after, Lily was hospitalized. Ethan and I were still at the office. I carried a carefully prepared lunchbox to his office. It was past working hours, and only his assistant was left at the desk. "Mr. Miller got a call and rushed out," the assistant said. "Ethan, where are you?" I called him, holding the lunchbox tightly, terrified of ruining the food inside. "Chloe, Lily is in the hospital. Her condition got worse. I can't leave." "But..." Today is my birthday. You promised to spend it with me. The call went dead. I bit my lip, slowly opening the box. It was a heart-shaped bento I had spent hours making. I threw it straight into the trash can. When the birthday cake arrived, I wiped my tears and shared it with my colleagues. He had said he was busy, so I had only ordered one small cake and made one bento. I just wanted to hear a simple "Happy Birthday." That night, I took the long way home. I had a few drinks to numb the pain, and my steps were unsteady. Slightly drunk, I dialed his number. "Ethan, I'm lost. Come pick me up." There was only a busy tone, but I kept talking to myself until the line went completely silent. A dark alley, flickering streetlights, an empty road. I sobered up a bit. "Hey, pretty girl. All by yourself?" Three thugs with dyed hair suddenly appeared behind me, whistling and walking toward me. "Get away from me!" "Ooh, feisty." The leader gave a look, and they grabbed my arms. In a panic, I kept dialing Ethan's number. "Trying to call for backup?" "How about this? Fifty thousand dollars, and we let you go." I was dragged into the narrow alley, and a sharp switchblade was pressed against my throat. "Be quiet!" They threatened me. My hands shook, and cold sweat poured down my forehead. In just one minute, I made dozens of calls. Finally, the call went through. But all I got was: "Chloe, be good. Lily isn't feeling well. She needs peace." The blade slid down my throat to my chest. The thug lost patience and drove it straight in. "Speak!" he growled, covering the phone's microphone to force me to answer. As the blade sank into my body, I choked on the metallic taste of blood. "I want strawberry cake." "Chloe, stop throwing tantrums." "Ethan, who is that?" Lily's soft voice came through the receiver, followed by Ethan's quiet apology to her before he hung up. I laughed, my teeth stained with blood. "Look... if I die, will he finally think I was good?" I gasped out my last words. The thug cursed, quickly dragging my body to the harbor and dumping it into the sea. Fine. If I'm dead, I won't throw tantrums anymore.I thought death would be the end, but I watched my own body float away with the waves. My soul was filled with resentment. I tried to walk away, but an invisible force dragged me right back to Ethan's side. "Lily, if it hurts too much, just bite my arm." Ethan offered his arm. Lily lay on the hospital bed, looking pale and fragile. "But then you'll be hurt," Lily giggled, pushing his arm away. They couldn't see me standing right next to them. "Did Chloe call you?" Lily asked. Ethan frowned, as if mentioning my name ruined the mood. "She called earlier saying she wanted strawberry cake. You know she hates sweet things. She's probably just throwing a fit." "But I am the one who loves strawberry cake," I whispered. You were the one who told me it was too sweet and made me stop eating it. "My illness is such a burden to you guys," Lily whimpered, lowering her head. My parents used to stand by and lecture me: "Lily is sick, Chloe. Can't you just let her have her way?" "She's your sister. Why can't you let Ethan spend some time with her?" Ethan hugged her tightly, whispering that it wasn't her fault. "Lily, you know that if it weren't for Chloe, we..." His unfinished words were the clearest answer. I couldn't stand watching them. I tried to walk out of the room, but the moment I opened the door, a massive force pulled me back. I couldn't leave Ethan. "Ethan, can you stay with me tonight? I've been feeling worse lately." "Of course." At midnight, I stood by Ethan's bed. If I were still alive, he would have snapped, "What are you staring at my face for?" Now, I watched him pick up his phone, light up the screen, and lock it again. His face was calm, but I knew. It was 11 PM. Normally, I would have texted him goodnight. By midnight, I hadn't sent a single text. Because I was dead. For once, Ethan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I always knew Ethan loved Lily. In senior year, he had carried Lily to the nurse's office in front of everyone when she was hit by a basketball. They started dating on the 325th day of my secret crush on him. But there was one thing Ethan didn't know. The breakfasts Lily gave him were made by me. The gifts were personally picked by me. Ethan was just one of Lily's many admirers. "Chloe, I have things to do tomorrow. Can you help me pick out a gift for Ethan?" Lily would say, wearing heavy makeup, calling other guys "babe" on her phone. Our engagement was an accident. Ethan's family was wealthy, and his elite parents despised Lily's promiscuous behavior. They chose me instead—an Ivy League graduate, polite and proper. "Are you crazy? You won't let me marry Lily, so you want me to marry Chloe?" Ethan had threatened suicide, but it was useless. Lily had only shed a few fake tears. "Ethan, I'm not good enough for you," she had said, playing the victim. But as Ethan's family business grew, our marriage became a cold contract. "I'm married to Ethan now, Lily. Stay away from him," I had confronted her right before my death.