Chapter 18
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He sat on the bed, pulled open the nightstand drawer, and saw a notebook.
Only one sentence was written on the page.
“The one who chooses to leave is the one in the most pain, for she’s already endured countless struggles before finally making this decision.”
Looking at her delicate handwriting, he sneered, “The most pain?
“What about those years I spent with you? I suffered, too.”
He tossed the notebook into the trash bin.
But before he left, he put it back into the drawer.
That night, he didn’t sleep a wink.
***
Gareth tossed and turned in bed.
For some reason, he couldn’t sleep. He could tell something had been off about Maureen lately, but he just couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
At around 4:00 a.m., Zoe called him.
“Gary, could you check on Reenie for me? I had a weird dream.”
Gareth sat up. “What dream?”
“I dreamed that something happened to her. She came to me, drenched in rain, reminding me to come take her home.”
Tears rolled down Zoe’s face as she continued, “I’m worried sick. I called her, but no one answered.
“A few days ago, she called me and asked me to pick her up on the 15th.
“I have a bad feeling…”
Thinking of the way Maureen had acted these days, Gareth threw on his coat at once.
“Calm down, Zoe. I’ll go find her right now.”
Fortunately, his place was only minutes away from Maureen’s.
Ten minutes later, he pushed open the apartment door, only to be met with ceric silence,
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Chapter 18
The bedroom door was open, and there was nothing inside.
Maureen wasn’t here.
At this time of night, where could she be?
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Spotting two envelopes by the pillow, he picked them up and opened them. It was actually two suicide notes inside.
One was for him.
“Gareth, I’ve already transferred the rent to your card. Thank you for looking out for me these days.
“You may not know this, but I haven’t made a single friend since I came to Karaville. Before running into you again, I thought I was such a terrible person that no one would ever want to be my friend.
“I’m so grateful that we met again. Because of you, I realize I’m not so bad after all. Thank you so much… Please, promise me you won’t be sad. I’m with my dad now. He’ll take care of me.”
The other was for Zoe.
He opened it and saw the address on the last line.
Immediately, he rushed out.
It was only a twenty–minute drive to the Western Suburbs.
But to him, it felt like an eternity.
He didn’t get it. Why would the person–the very one who had guided him back from going astray–choose to go down such a path?
Meanwhile, Noelle was also heading to the Western Suburbs.
But she was only there to take Maureen to the wedding for the 50 million dollars.
At Zephyr Cemetery.
The rain was torrential.
Maureen collapsed in front of the gravestone. Her entire body had already been drenched by the rain, and her soaked dress clung to her frail frame. It seemed she might vanish into thin air at any moment.
Gareth ran through the rain toward her.
“Maureen!”
What responded to him was only the howl of the wind and the drumming of the relentless rain. He knelt beside her and saw the empty pill bottle.
His hands trembled as he scooped her up.
How could she be so light?
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Chapter 18
“Maureen! Wake up!
“Don’t fall asleep!”
While urging, he ran down the mountain.
***
“We’re here, Mrs. Ramirez,” the driver said.
Noelle looked out the window and saw a man she had never met with Maureen in his arms.
“Unbelievable!”
She frowned and stepped out of the car with an umbrella.
Today, she had specifically chosen an elegant long dress for the wedding.
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