drove like a madman the whole way.]]
Memories of Vivienne flooded his mind–every detail from these past months.[]
How her eyes no longer held any love when she looked at him. How she’d grown numb to the hell he and Cameron put her through How she’d cough up blood at the hospital–even from the smallest bump.[]
The painkillers she kept everywhere, in her bag, at home.[]
And that sentence the doctor said at the hospital–the one they hadn’t bothered to listen to–suddenly became crystal clear.[]
When all these details replayed in his mind, Dominic finally realized the signs had been there all along.]
The car stopped in front of the police station.[]
Staring at those doors, Dominic couldn’t find the courage to open them.[]
He stood outside until his legs went numb, finally forcing himself to push inside.[]
An officer approached and led him to an office.]]
The policeman handed him a small bag.
“These are Miss Vivienne’s belongings.“]]
Inside was a medical report and a USB drive.[]
Dominic opened the report, his eyes falling on the results at the bottom.]
TERMINAL STOMACH CANCER]
Those three words pierced his heart like a blade. Unable to handle the shock, he swayed unsteadily, the thin paper trembling uncontrollably in his hands.[]
Not knowing what the USB contained, Dominic slipped it into his pocket.]
“Where… where is Vivienne?“]
After a long moment, he managed to croak out the words.[]
The officer led him to the medical examiner’s room.[]
“She was already gone when we arrived. According to surveillance, Miss Vivienne jumped around 8 PM. Her body was found by a fisherman around 11.“]
Looking at Vivienne lying on the cold examination table, covered by a white sheet, Dominic felt like someone was yanking and slicing at his nerves, making his head throb in agony.[]
He stood before the table but couldn’t find the courage to lift the sheet.[]
Please let this be some sick joke. Please let them have the wrong person.[]
They All Died for Her? With Terminal Cancer. I’m Done Playing their Games
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Chapter 16
But the dress peeking out from under the white cloth told him the cruel truth.[]
It was Vivienne.
She’d jumped in the dress they’d picked out, without looking back even once.]]
After what felt like forever, Dominic finally pulled back the sheet.
Vivienne’s skin was gray as ash, her body waterlogged and lifeless.[]
The last sliver of hope in Dominic’s heart shattered completely.[]
Vivienne was really gone. This wasn’t a trick or some cruel joke.[]
The girl who’d been his childhood sweetheart, who he’d watched grow from a toddling child into a graceful young woman, who he’d always held precious–she was truly gone.[]
Dominic crumpled. He grabbed her ice–cold hands and broke down completely.[]
“God, Viv, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.“]
4
“Just wake up, okay? Please. I’ll fix this. I’ll get you the best treatment money can buy.“[]
“We’ll get married as soon as you’re better. I promise. Just… please.“[]
Cameron also dropped to his knees, his eyes filled with disbelief and grief.[]
“Viv, I was wrong…”
These were the words Vivienne had been dying to hear. But now she lay there silent and still, beyond anyone’s reach.[]
The staff had seen this scene many times. When his sobs finally quieted, they pushed tissues toward him.[]
“Did she leave any message for me?“]
“Sorry, we didn’t find anything else at the scene. Though…” The officer paused. “Though her last phone call was to you. She didn’t say anything when you spoke?“[]
Nothing.
Dominic clutched his head in anguish.]
She’d left him nothing. Said nothing to him.]
Did she hate him that much?
Hate him enough to leave no words. Just her cold, broken body as a final “fuck you” to everything they’d once been.[]
Hate him enough to throw away all those years together.[]
Hate him enough to cut all ties completely.[]
Dominic didn’t know how he got through the paperwork at the station, or how he brought her ashes home.[]
He sat slumped on the couch, staring at that urn.[]
Chapter 10
His phone buzzed, jolting him back to reality.[]
“Mr. Ashford? This is Peaceful Gardens Cemetery. Miss Vivienne reserved a plot with us and listed you as the contact. She asked me to call you today about… placing her ashes in the plot she selected.“]]
Even in death, she’d planned everything without him.[]
Dominic hung up but didn’t move.[]
Looking around the room that had once been theirs.]
Every trace of Vivienne was gone–photos, decorations, the throw pillows she’d insisted they needed. Like she’d been systematically erased.
He pulled out his phone, desperate to see her face one more time. But scrolling through thousands of photos, he found nothing. Somewhere along the way, his camera roll had become a shrine to Leona instead.]
The only photo left was from five years ago–one he’d taken of her during a hospital visit while she was in the coma.[]
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Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.