All Chapters of Love Me After I’m Gone: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"He just slinked off the stage like that?""What else was he supposed to do? He was always just Charles's stand-in. Things are finally back where they belong.""Look at them. They're perfect together."Following the direction of the guests' gazes, I looked toward the stage.Zara Moody and Charles Tingey walked side by side, their fingers tightly intertwined. They looked like something out of a fairytale. They were both stunning, a perfect match.The ceremony hadn't started yet.Staff members kept walking onto the stage, replacing the signs and decorations around the hall. They even handed out brand new invitations to everyone.I got one, too.When I opened it, the bride's name was still Zara.But the groom's name had changed to Charles.Zara noticed everything.She knew perfectly well that Charles's earlier suicide attempt had just been a jealous stunt to get her attention. Still, she shot him an indulgent look."Charles, you're way too reckless," she said, half scolding. "

I knew the day I would leave was coming soon.I went back to my room and packed a few personal documents and IDs.Everything Zara had ever given me stayed where it was. I didn't want any of it.There was only one thing I wanted to take with me, the only thing my grandmother had left behind.Even though I had moved into Zara's family estate, my grandmother was still worried Zara might feel slighted.Without telling me, she melted the old gold bracelet passed down through our family and had it made into a pair of earrings and two wedding rings.The earrings and Zara's ring had both been gifts from my grandmother.All I wanted was the ring that belonged to me.A few days ago, Zara suddenly asked to borrow it. She probably forgot to give it back and tossed it somewhere in her jewelry cabinet.But after searching through the entire thing, I still couldn't find it.The cabinet was filled with sparkling pieces of jewelry, but the small ring I was looking for was nowhere in sight.I

Only then did Zara notice Charles coughing up blood.Panic flashed across her face."Joseph's already won so many championships," she said hurriedly. "He's accomplished everything he could in this life. Even if his hand is ruined, it doesn't matter. Your life is what matters most."After saying that, she looked at me apologetically."Charles once saved my life. I can't just leave him."Charles's little tricks were obvious. If Zara had taken a closer look, she would've seen right through them.But she chose to believe every lie he told.I understood that these were just excuses for her favoritism.So I didn't bother listening anymore."Zara," I said quietly, "this is the last time."She froze when she saw the empty look in my eyes.For a moment, a strange panic gripped her, as if she were about to lose something important.She opened her mouth to ask something.But suddenly, Charles coughed up another mouthful of blood and collapsed to his knees, crying out in pain.Zara b

Zara kept dialing Joseph's number again and again, but all she got in return was the endless ringing.The housemaids watching nearby couldn't hold back their tears."Ms. Moody, please don't panic," one of them said gently. "Mr. Houle might just need some time alone. Maybe if you give him space, he'll come back on his own."Zara suddenly remembered the look in Joseph's eyes yesterday, the emptiness in them, and the words he had said."This is the last time."Only now did she finally understand what he meant.Her knees gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, crying."I'm sorry, Joseph. If I had taken you to the hospital first, would your hand still be okay? I shouldn't have stayed with Charles. I should've arranged for someone to pick you up. I could've done that…"Sending a car would've been nothing for her.But at the time, Charles's condition looked critical. Her mind had gone completely blank. She couldn't think of anything else.Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed behin

When Zara finished opening every last slip of paper, she collapsed onto the floor.Her hand clutched her chest as the pain inside refused to ease.Joseph's wishes, year after year, had all been the same. He wanted to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her.And yet, she had ruined the wedding he had waited so long for, all because of Charles's jealous stunt. She had even forced him to stand there as the best man.The thought of how desperate Joseph must have felt made Zara's heart twist painfully.Only now did she realize how deeply she had hurt him. And most of the time, she hadn't even noticed.But once, they really had been happy together.She curled up on the floor, overwhelmed by the weight of it all. No matter who tried to comfort her, nothing helped.Eventually, the family doctor gave her medication, as usual.Zara drifted into a hazy sleep. In her dream, she seemed to return to the past."Thank you for saving my grandma," Joseph was saying. "How can I repay