Chapter 16
The
The first snowfall in Ashedge didn’t come until early January.
Nathen walked out of the airport and stared at the sparkling white ground for a long time.
This was his third time coming to this country. It was also the last time.
After receiving Melanie’s ashes, he would leave immediately and never set foot in this place again.
Nathen walked into the snow after standing in the cold wind for a long time.
He hailed a car and gave the address.
The front seat driver was a very simple–minded foreigner. When he heard that I wanted to go to the Dignitas Organization, a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.
“Is that the place for euthanasia? Are you sure? You’re still so young, why would you have thoughts of ending your life?”
Nathen’s throat twitched a few times, and he did not answer the driver’s question.
He knew the driver meant well, but he had no strength to reply.
He could only lower his head and pretend not to understand.
The driver glanced back at him again, sighed, and then started driving.
The distance on the navigation gradually shortened.
Nathen’s heart, however, twisted tighter and tighter, like a sponge being squeezed and rubbed,
until it eventually turned into a fine powder, scattered all over the ground.
He felt as if it had also started snowing in his heart, gloomy and desolate, with a bone–chilling
coldness.
After the car stopped, he handed over a stack of banknotes, waved his hand, refused the driver‘ attempt to give him change, and opened the car door.
The front desk staff approached him proactively and asked if he had made any appointments for any
projects.
He looked at the bright lobby and the advertisements placed around, suddenly experiencing a
severe dizziness.
Seeing that he was about to faint, the staff quickly reached out and supported him, asking if he needed any help.
He bent his body, panting heavily, and tremblingly took out a candy from his pocket and fed it into
his mouth.
1/4
This was what the flight attendant put into his pocket when he fainted at the airport, instructing
him to eat on time.
But he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t eat anything at all. As soon as the food entered his mouth, he could
only taste the rottenness.
And this candy, in fact, could only be tasted as bitter.
It took a while, and the darkness in front of him slowly dissipated before he hoarsely spoke.
“I came to find someone, my wife.”
He slowly uttered these words, then took out his phone and showed a photo.
The girl in the photo looked at the camera and smiled sweetly.
The staff stared for a long time before finally remembering that it was the girl who came on
Christmas.
She had a sudden realization on her face, but a few seconds later, it was replaced by confusion.
“Wife? But I remember she wrote ‘single‘ on the application form, are you sure?”
Nathen remained silent for a long time and took out the marriage certificate from his bag.
The staff couldn’t understand that, so they used a translator to search for a long time before finally
confirming his identity.
She supported Nathen, who was walking slowly due to lack of strength, and went upstairs, asking
some questions.
“From what I know, your wife passed away on Christmas Day. She came alone that day, why didn’t you accompany her?”
This sentence, like a knife, stopped Nathen’s bleeding wound, and stabbed it again, causing blood
to flow.
He didn’t know how to answer the question. Should he tell her the truth, that her husband was completely unaware?
Still, at the place where Melanie passed away, lie again?
Nathen couldn’t answer and could only remain silent.
The staff seemed to have guessed something and did not ask further.
When they reached the sixteenth floor, she helped him sit on the sofa, and then she went into the archive room alone.
Nathen lifted his exhausted face and stared blankly upwards.
2/4
He was not sure if there was a soul after death.
So he also didn’t know what expression Melanie’s soul would show if it hadn’t dissipated yet and saw him appearing here.
Is it irony or mockery? Is it silence or unwillingness?
Maybe, everyone has it.
After all, they did not dissolve their marriage until she passed away.
He was the last thing she left in this world.
Melanie was constantly reminded by the stamp of the widow’s identity on him.
The fact that she has already passed away.
