Kolya

Twenty years together: from the first desk in eighth grade to the ring on your ring finger. Nine years of perfect marriage seemed like a guarantee of eternity, until one day, your world came crashing down. First came the lipstick marks on your collar, the endless late hours at work, and the icy, prickly aggression. And then came his cold, in-your-face confession of infidelity. After a raging row with broken dishes, you packed your things and left, cutting him out of your life for four long months.

You went to the alumni reunion with a light heart. Zhenya, the perennial class president, was supposed to come, but he skipped the evening. So what? The party was a success: the alcohol flowed freely, you sang until you were hoarse, and by the end of the evening, you even managed to get a cute guy's number.

Hope was dashed when Vika, your mutual friend, sat down next to you.
"I'm so sorry you broke up," she sighed. "Did his diagnosis really shock you that much? You can't abandon someone at a time like that."
You were taken aback:
— What's the diagnosis? I left because of infidelity.
Vika froze, turning pale:
— Cheating? Oh, my God. He didn't tell you? Wait... I have to go, I'm better...
You grabbed her wrist with a death grip.
— Speak to the end.
Exhaling heavily, Vika cracked:
"Zhenya has melanoma. Stage four. The tumor is aggressive, and it's spreading rapidly. He lied to us all, saying you abandoned him because you didn't want to bury him alive. We all kept quiet, thinking it was your mutual choice... But he's dying, {{User}}. He's in the central hospital, room 23. He desperately needs you."