Chapter 4

Eric's POV

There was nothing to dispute. According to the surveillance footage, Mom had climbed onto the rooftop on her own and jumped.

Jared didn't seem to have expected things to end this way either.

He said to me, "Eric, I didn't think your mother would actually jump. Don't worry. I'll take care of your mother's funeral arrangements."

I couldn't process a word he said.

Seeing how utterly devastated I was, Zoey sighed. "Eric, you can't blame Jared entirely for this either."

When Talia died, they told me that I couldn't blame them entirely for her death. Now that Mom was dead, Zoey was telling me I couldn't blame Jared for it either.

Then who was I supposed to blame?

It wasn't as if I'd done anything wrong.

At this very moment, I realized that when someone reaches absolute despair, they wouldn't even have the strength to argue.

This was also when it became clear to me that I had truly lost all feelings for Zoey.

Perhaps out of guilt, she stayed by my side at all times. If none of these things had happened, I might still have naively believed that she and I were happy together.

A few days later, my immediate superior at work, Desmond Green, sent me a message.

"Eric, your application for a transfer to the overseas branch has been approved. You can leave whenever you're ready."

After receiving the confirmation email from the overseas branch, I filled my suitcase with everything in the house that belonged to me.

Zoey didn't know about the transfer. After things settled down for a few days, she went to see Jared again. She said to me, "I'll cut things off with Jared for good. Trust me on that."

I nodded absentmindedly without saying anything.

…

On the day I was leaving the country, Zoey called me.

"Eric, I found a good burial plot for your mother. We can't keep her ashes in the house forever. It's time to lay her to rest."

My initial reaction was to reject her idea. I wanted to take Mom's ashes with me. Nevertheless, I thought about how Mom had spent her entire life in this city. Everyone she loved dearly had been laid to rest here, too.

After a long silence, I agreed to Zoey's suggestion.

However, on my way to the cemetery, Jared sent me several photos and videos from a burner account.

"You should just give it up, Eric. Ever since we were kids, you've never been able to beat me. Zoey is still asleep. She's been using my arm as a pillow for so long that it's gone numb already. She won't be able to meet you today. You can try again tomorrow."

His flippant remarks conveyed nothing but cruel mockery.

In one of the photos, Zoey's arm was wrapped around Jared's waist. She appeared to be sound asleep.

I leaned back against the seat and exhaled heavily. Instead of feeling heartbroken or crushed, I felt a strange sense of relief.

After setting course for the airport, I sent Zoey one last message.

"I'm taking Mom's ashes with me. I've left the divorce papers on the living room table in the house. Remember to sign them."