The entire venue fell into a suffocating, almost unbearable silence.
Evan turned toward Rachel, his eyes wide and uncomprehending. "She… why didn't you tell me?"
Rachel's throat tightened, and tears threatened to spill. "When she was diagnosed… you had just started your company."
Evan blinked, confusion and panic colliding.
"She knew," Rachel continued, her voice trembling. "she knew you would have sold everything—your company, your dreams—without hesitation, just to pay for her treatments. But she didn't want that. She said you deserved your own life… that the name 'Evan' deserved to be known by the world."
The words hung in the air like a cold wind.
"Later, when your company went public…" Rachel paused, swallowing hard, "she didn't have much time left. She knew… everything was beyond saving—"
Evan's voice cut her off, sharp with desperation. "What do you mean, didn't have much time left?"
Rachel didn't waver.
Evan had gone mad. He roared from the stage, the sound echoing across the stunned crowd.
"You staged that video yourself, didn't you? How much money do you people want? Tell me! I'll give it to you!"
Had people not held him back, he would have thrown himself off the stage, straight at Jessica, demanding answers.
Rachel watched, silent and cold. She didn't blame him—not really. But for years, she had hated him, hated that Maya had suffered, hated that she had carried Maya's burdens alone.
And yet… seeing Evan like this, broken, desperate, raw… she felt a strange, unexpected relief.
He loved Maya no less than she did. His pain—his grief—would be a thousand times more unbearable than hers ever was. That was enough.
She turned to leave.
But then… he dropped to his knees. On the stage. Facing her.
All arrogance, all pride, gone. Only humility and sorrow remained, reflected in his tears.
"Rachel," he begged, voice cracking, "please… tell me where Maya is. For all the years we've known each other… don't lie to me."
"I… I can't take it," he whispered, gasping, clutching his chest, one hand on the floor to steady himself. "I really… can't…"
Maya was dead.
The thought alone was enough to tear him apart, shattering something inside him that had existed for twenty years.
Rachel's heart hardened, just a little. She felt no pity for him—only a quiet sense of vindication.
"She's dead," she said softly. "There is no Maya in this world anymore."
Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "I scattered her ashes into the sea. Her life was too short… too many places she never got to see. She wanted to see them before she died."
Evan's plea didn't stop. He was desperate, broken, begging for a miracle she could not give.
"Evan," Rachel said finally, her voice softer now. "If you don't believe me, go see for yourself. Search the world… every corner… and if you can find her, I will bow, kneel, and thank you for bringing her back. I… I was inseparable from her for twenty years. I wish… more than anything… I wish it could be a lie."
Evan's lips quivered, a bitter, hollow smile forming. "She... hated me, didn't she?"
Rachel shook her head. "No. Maya… she thought of you to the very end. After that show, an anonymous account kept transferring money to her. She guessed… it was you."
Rachel posted the records on Slogram.
The transfers were staggering—smallest, a hundred thousand; largest, over a million.
"Maya was beyond saving by then," Rachel said softly. "She said thank you, but… it was already too late. She asked me to keep it from you forever, but I couldn't. People were cursing her… she was clearly the best woman in this world."
She paused, letting the weight sink in. "I will clear her name. I will donate all this money in Maya's name to establish a Cancer Research Organization. But Evan… you… go live your life with the one you love. Whatever bond we had ends here."
With that, Rachel turned and walked away.
The murmurs of the crowd swelled into whispers, speculating who the "other woman" truly was.
Some wondered… was it Lena or Maya… who was truly his heart?
Evan remained kneeling, dazed, whispering to himself, "I didn't… I've always loved Maya. I only ever loved Maya…"
And just as the noise reached a fever pitch, Lena, standing on the stage beside him, grabbed the microphone. Her voice was small, hesitant.
"I… I'm sorry. The truth is… Evan and I aren't together."
The venue went silent again.