Counterfeit Affection

Henry's expression was one of genuine bewilderment. He smiled and affectionately squeezed my cheek, saying, "I'm happy as long as you're by my side. Is there a reason why you're acting so strange today, Claire?"I'll talk to you later since I need to go make that chicken noodle soup of yours; otherwise, you'll genuinely catch a bad cold."I watched him walk away, and the desperate smile I had managed to construct instantly crumbled. I lowered my head in desolate silence, thinking that despite the shocking discovery, I was utterly incapable of hating Henry. He didn't love me, but he had, in every other way, been truly good to me.I inhabited this physical body, which was only eight years old, when the system transferred me here. Henry and I could be considered childhood friends, having grown up together. I was 16 years old when a group of street ruffians cornered and harassed me in a passageway, and he had rushed in fearlessly to shield me, sustaining an injury to his arm as a resu

Henry felt an enormous crash resonate in his mind, and for a moment, everything before him dissolved into nothing. He could vaguely sense Renee and William calling his name behind him, but he registered nothing except the direction of the emergency room, toward which his body unconsciously raced.He spotted that the door to the emergency room was ajar and lunged forward in a single stride, using both hands to shove it violently and causing it to open with a loud bang."Hold on! You can't go in there, Mr. Stone!"There were a handful of nurses who quickly surrounded him, attempting to hold him back. Henry, however, was too distraught to notice any obstruction. He easily pushed them aside with both his hands and continued to rush in.He lurched and staggered to the edge of the bed. His hands were shaking violently as he slowly drew back the white cloth covering the person's face. He instantly froze for a moment. "I-It's not Claire?"It was then that Renee rushed in, panting heavily

In the end, my hands were trembling uncontrollably, and it took all the strength I had to etch an unassuming wish onto the surface of the plaque. "If there is a next life, I wish to learn to cherish myself and live wholeheartedly for myself just once."I had been far too cowardly in this life. I spent my brief 20-odd years desperately and relentlessly pursuing love due to a childhood starved of affection.I resolved that in my next life, I would not repeat these mistakes; I would live with reckless freedom, expressing myself fully, and let my own unique brilliance shine.In the very last minute before my demise, I finished engraving the plaque, took a steadying breath, and carefully hung it on the branch. I had no strength left, and the moment the plaque was hung, my vision went black, and I stumbled, falling down the hill.I thought I heard Henry's voice, but I concluded it must be a mere auditory hallucination triggered by the approach of death.I resolved that in the life to co

I fully intended to cut Henry out of my life forever after I had said my piece last time. I just hadn't foreseen such relentless tenacity on Henry's part.Henry sat across the table from me. His fingers were anxiously stroking the cup before him as his gaze darted nervously around the room. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked incredibly pale. He was the picture of complete, crushing exhaustion.He kept probing me with disconnected questions, jumping from inquiries about my current residence to details concerning my job.I couldn't take it anymore, so I cut straight to the point, saying, "You should just get to the point."Henry took out a delicate, exquisite box from his coat pocket and carefully opened it, revealing a diamond necklace inside that sparkled brilliantly under the restaurant lights and exuded an undeniable value. "I knew it was meant for you the moment I first laid eyes on this necklace, so I bid for it without a second thought at the auction."I possesse