Chapter 4

I struggled on the floor in agony for a long time. Blood repeatedly gushed up my throat.

At first, I could still cover my mouth.

Later, I couldn't even lift my hands.

Blood trickled from the corner of my lips onto the floor before slowly spreading into a small pool of crimson liquid.

The photograph slipped from my pocket.

In the picture, the three of us were all smiling.

But when I looked closely, I saw that Duncan and Katie were secretly holding hands behind my back.

It was just like how Duncan had held my hand years ago.

I coughed up another mouthful of blood.

This time, even my breathing turned weak.

It felt like it could stop completely at any moment.

Memories of the happiest moments of my life flashed through my mind.

Back then, the three of us were still at the orphanage, and the summer heat was so unbearable that we couldn't even sleep.

Katie would fan me with a piece of cardboard.

As she fanned me, she would complain.

"Wendy, why are you so weak?

"When I make lots of money someday, I'll buy you ten air conditioners."

Duncan would sit by the window while he practiced the piano.

There wasn't actually a piano, so he'd just draw black and white keys on a piece of paper.

His fingers would land on them over and over.

He said, "When I perform in one of the biggest concert halls someday, the front row will be reserved for Wendy."

Katie immediately kicked him.

"What about me?"

Duncan replied coldly, "You can sell tickets at the entrance."

We burst into laughter.

Back then, I truly believed that our challenging days would eventually end, and that the three of us would never fall apart.

But later, in order to pay their tuition, I took a job at a factory contaminated by radiation.

The night-shift pay was high. It was high enough for me to pay both of their tuition fees in one lump sum.

I was happy to do it because ever since we were kids, Duncan and Katie had always been much smarter than me.

I willingly supported them and helped them acquire better lives.

But then one medical report shattered everything.

They dropped out of school and started working desperately to make money.

Our love and dreams were worn down into something unrecognizable by one medical bill after another.

Suddenly, my body felt very light.

It was so light that the pain, needle marks, and guilt that had weighed on me all these years seemed to be slowly leaving me.

My life had actually been very short.

I never even got to put on a wedding dress, see Duncan perform in a concert hall, and wait for Katie to actually buy those ten air conditioners.

Yet it had also been very long.

It was long enough for the pain after every treatment to feel endless, and it was long enough for me to watch the two people who loved me most get weighed down in life because of me.

They had both been good people.

They were truly wonderful people.

Fate had simply been too cruel.

It had forced all of us to become people we no longer recognized.

Back when the three of us went to get our first government-issued IDs, I was supposed to be named Winnie because that's what they'd called me since we were kids.

The clerk made a mistake and wrote down Wendy instead.

Katie thought it was a bad omen and nearly got into a huge argument with the clerk.

Back then, Duncan laughed and ruffled my hair. "In that case, I'll change my name to Duncan too. That'll even out the bad luck for Wendy."

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. He couldn't even out the bad luck for me. He couldn't even help himself.

Looking back now, my whole life was like a mist drifting over a river.

I was never wanted by anyone and eventually destined to disappear as quickly as possible.

It was very fitting.

With the last of my strength gone, I slowly closed my eyes.

-

Duncan carried Katie home.

Once they entered the house, Katie finally burst into tears.

"I'll get an abortion tomorrow.

"From now on, we'll both stay by Wendy's side. We can't keep–"

Duncan's eyes were bloodshot. It was as if he couldn't bear to listen anymore.

He suddenly lowered his head and kissed Katie fiercely.

He silenced all her apologies and guilt with that kiss.

Tears were still streaming down Katie's face, but the hands that had pushed him away eventually wrapped around him.

The sounds of their breathing and kisses drowned out the notification sound from one of their phones.

Neither of them saw the messages.

[Are you Wendy's family?]

[Please come to First City Hospital as soon as possible to claim her remains.]