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Chapter 4

Penulis: Mimi Winterrest
On the afternoon of the seventh day, Casey came to find me, asking me to meet her at a members-only cafe.

In the VIP room, she sat on the leather couch across from me, her eyes filled with disbelief when she saw how pale I was.

She parted her lips, seemingly wanting to say something. "Zach…"

I ignored her, flipping through the menu. When I reached the last page, I scoffed.

"Ms. Hill, a cup of coffee here costs 100 dollars. Seven years ago, you would have had to hand out flyers for seven days just to afford that."

The blood drained from Casey's face.

She looked at me with pain and struggle in her eyes. She grabbed my hand abruptly and said, "Zach, don't talk to me like that. I know you hate me. I was cold to you that day at the alley. But I had my reasons! Just hear me out, okay?"

I stared at her silently, waiting for an answer.

She dared not look me in the eye. Averting her gaze, she spun a ridiculous tale.

She said she was the only daughter of the Hill family and that she had pretended to be ordinary to prevent anyone from coveting her inheritance.

The past five years had been a test for me. She would marry me if I cleared her debts.

And that man, Micah York, was only her childhood friend, with nothing more to their relationship. He was a divorcee, and she was only helping him.

The more I listened, the more ridiculous I found it. I burst out laughing, doubling over.

"Zach? Why are you laughing? Don't scare me!" Casey panicked, standing to pull me up.

I was still laughing when I felt a sharp cramp in my stomach. The familiar, excruciating pain washed all over me again, harsher than before.

I covered my mouth but couldn't stop the torrent of blood from gushing out through my fingers. It splattered across the white table cloth and stained her expensive designer clothes.

Finally, I stopped laughing.

Casey stood rooted in her spot. She looked at the blood on her clothes, then at me, a look of horror in her eyes. My mouth was full of blood, and I was on the verge of collapsing.

"Zach! Zach, what's wrong? Why are you coughing blood?" She rushed over to hold me, her voice trembling.

Just then, her phone on the table rang. Upon glancing at the caller ID, she immediately picked it up.

Micah's frantic voice rang out. "Casey! Where are you? Jenna's missing! She said she was going to buy ice cream, and then she just disappeared! I'm scared. Come back and help me find her, please…"

Casey stiffened. She looked at me, bleeding out in her arms, while listening to Micah's heartbroken cries over the phone.

Slowly, she let go of her arms around me and dialed 911 in a matter-of-fact manner.

Avoiding my gaze, she stammered, "Zach, wait here for the ambulance. The doctors will be here soon. Jenna's missing. Micah can't handle it alone. I have to go… I swear, I'll be with you at the hospital once I find her. Just wait for me!"

Having said that, she didn't stay for a second longer and frantically ran out of the room as if I were some kind of monster.

I no longer had any strength to call out to her.

My vision darkened, and the voices around me were getting fainter.

I slowly closed my eyes, allowing the endless darkness to consume me.

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  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 10

    When the first snow of winter fell upon the mountain peaks, I was finally set free.That night, I swallowed the last of my painkillers.For the first time in a long while, my body felt light. The excruciating pain that had tormented me for half a year had miraculously vanished.I changed into a clean white T-shirt, cradled Pudding's urn in my arms, and lay on the bed peacefully.I knew my time had come.My breathing grew weaker and weaker, and my consciousness became hazy.The moment darkness engulfed me, I felt myself grow light as a feather as I slowly drifted out of my broken shell.I hovered in the air, watching everything happening below coldly.The next morning, Casey spoke outside my door as usual. When she didn't hear me cough in response, panic gripped her. She kicked open the wooden door and rushed into my bedroom.Seeing me lying on the bed—my body cold, stiff and devoid of any breath—she let out the most piercing and despairing scream of her life.She clutched my

  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 9

    I found Casey's timid and agonized expression amusing.Slowly, using both hands to push myself up, I struggled to my feet. Instead of picking up the wig, I merely dusted off my clothes and lifted my head.The woman who once meant the world to me was a distraught wreck.I straightened my collar and stood tall. Then, bending slightly at the waist, I greeted her in a detached but respectful manner. "Ms. Hill, to what do I owe the honor?"My voice was soft but sharper than any blade, cutting through her heart. I supposed that was how the debt collectors and the wealthy spoke to her.I had finally learned the rules.Casey's eyes widened. She clutched her chest, feeling as though all the strength had been drained from her, and got to her knees."Zach… don't call me that, please… Don't speak to me like that…" she cried, crawling on her knees to grab the hem of my shirt. "I was wrong… I know that. Zach, hit me. Kill me if you must! Just come with me to the hospital. I'll get the best

  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 8

    Seeing my indifference, Micah could no longer maintain his composure. He lunged forward, grabbed my collar, and shouted, "You're tough, aren't you? If you had died in that crash or in the hands of the loan sharks, I would have been Casey's real husband!"Since you already left, why did you have to come back? Why did you have to let her see you looking half-dead? And now she can't stop thinking about you!"His grip was strong, and he was shaking me so much that my stomach churned with excruciating pain.I looked at him coldly and flashed a mocking smile. "You're pathetic, Micah. After what you've done, all you get is a woman who doesn't love you.""You son of a bitch! How dare you mock me!" Enraged by my words, he raised his hand and slapped me across the cheek.I was already feeling very weak, so that slap knocked me down. As I fell, he grabbed my hair in a death grip, pulling off my wig.The air became eerily still at that moment.Micah's hand was frozen mid-air as he stared at

  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 7

    But in the end, Casey was still a step too late.Micah had found me first.I had rented a small house with a yard in a remote town near Jovia, Morina.The sunlight was perfect, enveloping me in warmth.I bought an easel, and every day, I would carry a small stool to the yard to paint Pudding from my memory while facing the shimmering waters of the lake.But my hands were starting to tremble more and more.The pain in my stomach had intensified from a dull ache to what felt like thousands of insects gnawing at me.Sleep eluded me night after night. I took painkillers as if they were candy, yet the pain was so unbearable that my bedsheets would be covered in cold sweat.I could neither eat nor drink. Even a single sip of water would make me throw up a mouthful of blood. I could feel clearly that my life was slipping away at a horrifying speed.The most humiliating part was that my hair had started to fall out in chunks.Every day when I woke up, my pillow would be covered in ha

  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 6

    What I didn't know was that two hours after my flight to Morina, Casey had burst into the hospital like a whirlwind.She was drenched in sweat. Her designer coat was no longer on her, and her hair was in disarray.She had barely managed to calm Jenna, who had gone missing while playing. But she couldn't go away either, with Micah pestering her. When she finally got an excuse to return to the hospital, all that greeted her was an empty bed and the bloodstain on the bedsheets."Where is he? What happened to the patient here?" Casey grabbed a nurse by her collar, her eyes bloodshot.Alex hurried over, pushed her away, and said irritably, "You're Ms. Hill? Who are you to the patient? You call yourself his family? He pulled out his IV and insisted on being discharged. We couldn't stop him!""Discharged? He threw up so much blood. How could you discharge him?" Casey was so worried that she was about to lose her mind. "His stomach has always been giving him trouble. Did you prescribe a

  • Dead Wife, Lost Dog, and Her Return   Chapter 5

    I had no idea how much time had passed when I woke up to the smell of disinfectant.Slowly, I opened my eyes to the ceiling of the hospital. An IV needle was inserted into the back of my hand, the cold fluid dripping drop by drop into my weakened veins.I turned my stiff neck. The ward was empty. Only the beeping sound of the machines could be heard.Casey was nowhere to be seen.I didn't hesitate, nor did I press the call button. I simply yanked off the needle from the back of my hand.A sharp pain shot through me at once. Blood began to flow from my hand, dripping onto the bedsheets like red blooms.I pressed my thumb against the wound, lifted the blanket, and stepped onto the cold floor with my bare feet."Hey, sir! What are you doing? You can't get up!"A nurse had just entered with a tray. With her face pale from fright, she quickly rushed over to help me.Soon after, the attending doctor, Alex Peterson, hurried in. He blocked my escape with a frown."Mr. Dawson, your co

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