Chapter 6
By the time I was rushed to the hospital, I had already stopped breathing.
The doctors tried everything, but they only managed to keep me alive in the ICU for ten more days.
On the seventh day, my best friend, Alice Quinlan, who had been abroad for five years, rushed back after failing to reach me.
When Alice saw me lying on the hospital bed, pale and weak with wires and tubes everywhere, she burst into tears.
I felt so heartbroken. I wished I could wipe away her tears.
But my hand went straight through her.
That was when it hit me.
I was just a wandering soul now.
Three days later, the monitors started beeping loudly again, and the doctors rushed in to try to save me.
But this time, I didn’t want to return.
Alice held my body tightly and passed out several times.
“Eloise, you always cared so much about your looks. How did you end up like this?
“I knew it! Jaxon is a jerk!”
She sobbed and shouted in anger.
I felt more uncomfortable listening to it.
Chapter 6
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Alice had warned me more than once to stay away from Jaxon.
But I didn’t listen. I was so caught up in love that I ignored everything she said.
Back then, I even got annoyed when she spoke badly about him.
Now, in hindsight, I wished I could go back and shake some sense into myself.
Two days later, a lawyer came and handed my will to Alice.
She had just managed to calm down. But when she saw it, she broke down again.
Her hands were trembling.
After reading the letter, she turned toward a small box I’d left.
Inside were some things I had always treasured.
She had never seen them either.
“I’m sorry, Eloise. I don’t want to burn them…” she whispered through her tears as she broke open the box.
Inside were every gift Jaxon had given me, and a diary where I had written all my happiness and pain.
Alice kept the diary and burned each gift one by one.
“Your birthday is next month,” she said. “I already, bought you a present. Can I burn it with the rest?
“You love the ocean. Maybe I can take you there that day? I just want to see you again…”
She stared at my still body in the morgue, her eyes red.
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When she noticed the cut marks on my thighs, she broke down again.
“He should pay for it!”
***
288 (Vouchers
Fifteen days later, Alice received a call from Jaxon.
“Eloise, come apologize to Helen.”
“She can’t.”
“Alice? Why are you answering? Put Eloise on!” Jaxon paused for a second, then grew more irritated.
“She’s gone! Don’t you get it? Eloise is dead! What more do you want?” she snapped, her voice rising.
“You’re insane! I’m done talking to you. Just tell her to stop with these dumb tricks. I’m not falling for it!”
He ended the call right after. When Alice called back, it went straight to
voicemail–he’d blocked her.
“Eloise, how could you ever love someone like that?” she whispered, staring at her blank phone screen. “He’s disgusting…”
I wondered the same thing. Why did I love someone like him for so long?
Maybe it was the sweet memories from when we were little.
Meanwhile, after hanging up, Jaxon felt a strange sense of unease.
“Find out where Eloise is.”
“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Mitchell’s phone is still showing movement.”
“Hmph, I knew she was faking it.”
