Semua Bab Goodbye and See You Never: Bab 1 - Bab 9

At the morgue, I stood over my mother's still face, tears pouring down like rain.She raised me on her own, never once demanding anything of me, yet I could not even fulfill her dying wish.When I found out my mother was terminally ill, I begged Monica Teller, the woman I had dated for six years, to get married so my mother could pass on knowing that I would not be alone.I begged her for 27 days, but Monica always had an excuse.The first day, her childhood friend's car broke down, and she rushed out to pick him up. The second day, she was busy helping him move.On the 26th day, his stomach condition flared up, and she went to take care of him.If it were not for Gurney Barnes posting that photo of their marriage certificate that day, I would still be living in the dark.I had thought of ten thousand reasons why she would be stalling, but it never once crossed my mind that she was already married.I knelt at my mother's hospital bed until evening. Then, Monica finally called.

Monica's brows furrowed slightly. It was as if something suddenly dawned on her.Her voice carried a hint of awkwardness as she said, "It's already past midnight. Just one more day, and I can finally divorce Gurney. Don't worry, Lincoln. I never forgot my promise to you. Tomorrow, we'll put on our rings and go get married."Her sweet words did not move me. I only replied calmly, "Alright. I'm tired. I'm going to rest."The smile on her face froze, and for the first time, she realized I was brushing her off.A flicker of panic passed through her eyes as she reached for my hand.Just then, Gurney came out of the bedroom wearing my pajamas.His eyes were still half-closed from sleep. He glanced at me, then slipped an arm around Monica's shoulders and whined playfully, "Monica, Lincoln's back already. Come on, let's get some sleep."Monica quickly looked at me, scrambling to explain, "Gurney had a fight with his family, so I let him stay in the guest room for the night."She star

"Just drop the act, you piece of trash," Monica blurted."What did you just say?" Gurney's pupils shrank.Monica suddenly laughed, the sharp edge of the divorce certificate slicing into her palm."Twenty-seven times! Over the twenty-seven days Lincoln begged me to see him, you got an upset stomach twelve times, your car broke down seven times, you fought with your family four times, and even your Chihuahua had two cases of acute gastroenteritis. Gurney, do you really take me for a fool?"A few young couples waiting to get married in the hall quietly lifted their phones to record the pair.Gurney's face drained of color, his carefully styled hair plastered to his temples with cold sweat."You were the one who agreed to help me deal with my family! Now, you're suddenly acting like you cared all along? Where was this when Lincoln...""Shut up!" Monica screamed, cutting him off. "You knew his mother..."In that instant, all the memories she buried clawed their way back.Me crouche

Out of nowhere, an entire bucket of slop dumped over Gurney's head.Louis Clayton from the administration department was shaking as he held the empty bucket."Mr. Barnes, I've been dying to do this ever since you trashed Lincoln's cactus."...The sea breeze slipped through the half-open window, salty and damp. I finished the last stroke of my sketch and when I looked up, I looked right into Lilian's gaze as she leaned against the doorframe.She was holding two cups of coffee, squinting at my sketch behind those black-rimmed glasses."The wings on the final draft of 'Caged' have three more fractures than the first version."My fingers froze. On the page, the bird's shattered feathers still reached stubbornly upward, exactly like my own heart the night I huddled in the supply room drawing this series.I drank the coffee, its bitter warmth spreading across my tongue."Fractures are the price of breaking free from the cage, and the cracks let the light in."Lilian bent closer, h

Three days later, news broke from a small Southeast Balira country that a yacht had exploded offshore.Among the wreckage, one charred passport was recovered, one that belonged to Gurney Barnes.The rainy season hit Preuton without warning.I was clutching a stack of design drafts as I dashed into the studio, only to find Lilian waiting at the door with an umbrella."Mr. Holmes' punctuality leaves something to be desired."She shook the raindrops from the canopy, a thin mist fogging her glasses.Then, from beyond the downpour, a raw, hoarse voice cut through."Lincoln..."Monica stood at the street corner, drenched to the skin. Her once-luxurious gown clung like a wrinkled rag, and in her hand she clutched a faded velvet box."I came to keep my promise…"Her hands trembled as she opened it. Inside lay a pair of dull wedding bands, dim in the stormy night."You said..."I laughed softly, cutting her off, fingers brushing the scarred line of my feather brooch."That promise