All Chapters of The One Before Everyone Else: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

At first, when Camelia Frost’s first love, Grayson Pearce, texted me saying he was moving back to the country to settle down, I felt nothing. I knew exactly what it meant when an ex reached out, but I did not care.After all, since I started dating Camelia, she had been attentive and accommodating in every way. She was a girlfriend anyone would praise.She accepted my proposal just a month ago. I had never doubted her feelings for me.However, gradually, something felt off.After Grayson returned, Camelia started coming home late and leaving early, always claiming that she was busy with work. Sometimes, when I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, I would catch her hurriedly slipping her glowing phone screen under the covers.She became increasingly inattentive toward me. She even forgot my birthday.I grew more and more uneasy.Whenever I confronted her, she would always brush it off, saying I was overthinking. That was until I logged into my long-neglected

The next day, a colleague handed me two movie tickets. I was told that a new movie was released recently and that it was worth watching.“You and Camelia should go. It’s a sweet romance, perfect for you two!”The colleague winked at me, then turned back to their work.I thanked them and hesitated for a moment before deciding to call Camelia. The phone rang for a long time before the call was connected.“Waylon, what’s the matter?” Camelia’s gentle voice came through.I glanced at the movie tickets in my hand. The couple in the movie poster was all wrapped up in each other. “There’s a new movie out. Do you want to watch it together sometime?”“Things are busy at the office right now. I can’t get away,” Camelia refused. Her voice was calm but distant.I was about to respond when a man’s voice cut through the line.“Camelia, I…”Before I could hear more, the call abruptly ended.I was a little confused. Why was Grayson with Camelia?The next moment, my breath caught, and a sudd

Sure enough…I let out a soft chuckle. “You two look quite in love. In that case, I’ll step aside and make room for him.”Before she could respond, I hung up the phone. I pulled out my suitcase and began packing. Soon, the phone rang again and again as though it would not stop until I answered.I switched it to airplane mode, coldly and decisively, and continued packing in silence. Yet, a sense of emptiness crept into my heart.If I died, what would Camelia feel when she thought of me? Would she suffer the way I did? Or would she breathe a sigh of relief because she could at last be with Grayson openly? The thought shattered what little composure I had left.I slammed my fist down onto the suitcase. In no time, dark bruises bloomed across my hand.I tore the diagnosis report into pieces. White scraps of paper fluttered down from the air as though they were mocking my loneliness and disgrace.It felt as though an invisible hand had wrapped tightly around my heart, squeezing it un

Stan agreed almost immediately. It was not for my savings but because he genuinely felt sorry for me.“What do you need me to do?” Stan asked.“Just help with my burial. Bury me next to my mom.”I handed him a slip of paper. Written on it was an address: [46 Heaven’s Path.]That was the cemetery where my mother rested.Grayson came to see me later. He stared down at me, frail and barely clinging to life in the hospital bed. Triumph was written all over his face.“So, you’re really about to die? I was even thinking of inviting you to Camelia's and my wedding.”I quietly stared at him like I was watching a clown make a fool of himself.Sure enough, my gaze irritated him.“You think Camelia’s going to stay faithful to you after you die? Dream on! Look at you. You’re pathetic. You were never worthy of her!”I smiled after he finished saying those words.Camelia was standing at the doorway, and she heard every word Grayson said. She had gone to get me some water. Clearly, she had

When Stan saw Camelia again, she had grown painfully thin. In such a short time, it was as though she had become a different person entirely. She became silent and withdrawn. Her eyes were empty, and her hands and movements were dull.She told him she had moved to another city. She had only returned this time to sort through Waylon’s belongings.Stan looked at her. In her eyes lay a cold stillness.He asked why she moved to another city, and she told him that every single moment in this city reminded her of Waylon.Stan heaved a sigh. “What about Grayson? Are you two together?”He used to live in the same neighborhood as Waylon and Camelia. After Waylon’s burial, Stan ran into Grayson a few times. He came looking for Camelia, but each time, he left in a fury.Camelia was silent for a moment. “He’s dead.”Stan was surprised when he heard that. “He's dead? How did he die?”She shook her head. “He died in a drunk-driving accident.”Then, she said no more. She clutched Waylon’s