j
Chapter 14
What about the aftermath?
What happened afterwards?
Severe depression?
Half a year ago, the doctor issued a certificate stating that her depression had already recovered, right?
A series of words that Nathen couldn’t understand kept playing in his mind on repeat.
He was still trying to understand the meaning of these words, but the staff didn’t give him a chance to think and kept on talking.
“We received the death certificate materials sent by Ashedge Dignitas Organization yesterday, and
then confirmed with the embassy that the contents in the materials are true. As the only relative of
Ms. Perez, please cooperate with us in our work.”
As soon as the death certificate was mentioned, Nathen felt a loud bang in his head, as if his whole
body was about to explode.
“Dead, death?”
The staff heard the shock in his tone and looked up at him with a surprised expression on their
faces.
“Yeah, your wife Melanie submitted a request to close the account at the police station half a month ago. Yesterday, we confirmed that she had undergone euthanasia and passed away. That’s why we contacted you to close the account. Were you not aware of this?”
Nathen understood every single word.
He could combine them together, but he just couldn’t understand the meaning behind it.
Melanie, died?
Didn’t she run away and disappear because she was angry with him?
How did she die?
Nathen couldn’t accept this absurd news and shook his head vigorously in denial.
“How is it possible? She had just celebrated her 24th birthday and had so many wishes to fulfill. How could she have died?”
She had promised her parents that she would definitely live well, how could she break her promise? ◄
“She even said she wanted to go see the first snow, but Ashedge–didn’t have any snow. How could
1/4
she bear to leave…”
He pulled his hair forcefully, the muscles on his face trembling incessantly due to the pain, while still striving to find various pieces of evidence, attempting to overturn the conclusion of death imposed by the police.
As he spoke, his voice became increasingly hoarse and deep. Gradually, only a mournful echo
remained.
Until the end, Nathen ultimately couldn’t say a word.
Because he also realized that everything he said could not serve as evidence that Melanie was still
alive.
Instead, it extinguished the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
He remembered the list of 20 wishes.
Just an ordinary 24th birthday, why bother making so many wishes? Can’t they be fulfilled in the future when there is still plenty of time?
He remembered the words she had said in the cemetery.
Every sentence, spoken in a completely different way from the past, transformed from an endless
longing into a relieving and liberating reunion.
He remembered the first snowfall that she insisted on going to see.
She mentioned that she wanted to go to Ashedge, not the further north Wellviolet or the perpetually snowy Valhaven, but Ashedge, a country that supports euthanasia.
In order to complete this death ritual, Melanie had already started preparing.
Right before his eyes.
But he not only failed to notice, but also repeatedly trampled on her long withered heart time and time again.
Those not–so–distant memories once again burst through the barriers, occupying Nathen’s mind.
And this time, all the laughter and tears, love and pain, care and neglect, turned into shining double–edged swords, piercing straight into his chest.
Desperate and suppressed cries burst out from the throat.
He was in so much pain that he had no strength left. He trembled and collapsed on the ground, convulsing all over.
ears escaped from the bloodshot eyes and dripped onto his palm, which had been torn apart from
excessive force, staining it a dark shade of red.
2/4
It looked piercing and cruel.
