she’ll be with me, even in death.”
I lowered my eyes, suppressing the bitterness.
It didn’t matter. I was dead anyway.
Whether Ben believed the truth or not didn’t
matter.
He couldn’t hurt me anymore.
I went with Ben as he left Frank’s house.
Join the bookshelf
<
As we left, I felt a gaze looking at me.
I turned to face it, and saw Frank’s eyes.
His eyes teared up, and he whispered.
“Ashley.”
I paused, and my eyes teared up.
Frank, he could see me.
I smiled, and nodded.
The glass bottle fell to the ground. The drink
splashed on Frank’s leg.
Join the bookshelf
<
He cried and opened his arms, but he could
only hug the air.
He was stunned, and worried.
“Ashley, why? Why can’t I feel you? Ashley.”
I smiled, and he understood.
“Right, you’re dead.”
I followed Frank back to his house.
His study had files about the truth about me
and Ben’s mom’s death.
I found out that Frank had been investigating
Join the bookshelf
<
I found out that Frank had been investigating
the car accident since I died.
And the one behind the car accident was
Chloe.
And the news of Chloe and Ben’s marriage
had been everywhere.
“If I knew Ben was a jerk, I wouldn’t have let
you go.”
“Alright, I’ll give the happy couple a gift at
their wedding.”
The people with some sort of name were at
Ben’s wedding.
Join the bookshelf
<
Frank had no invitation, so the workers.
stopped him.
Ben was wearing a black suit, and a flower.
He glanced at him.
“Let him in.”
Frank stared. He found a corner and sat
down.
The wedding was wasteful, and smelled of
money.
The screen showed photos of the bride and
groom.
Join the bookshelf
<
They looked good together.
Frank stood in front of me.
“The happy couple isn’t worth seeing. Don’t
dirty your eyes.”
I nodded, and looked away from the screen.
Soon, the wedding began.
Ben was standing on the stage, staring at the
entrance.
His bride would come in from there.
This scene that I had been waiting for, finally
Join the bookshelf
appeared.
But it wasn’t me.
The wedding started, and Chloe walked
toward Ben, as everyone watched.
The speaker said the wedding vows.
I looked at the one who said he’d marry me.
Now, his eyes were on another woman.
My eyes started to tear up.
I wanted to leave.
“Ashley, soon, it’ll all be over.”
Join the bookshelf
<
Frank said softly, and then, the groom didn’t
say I do.
Chloe urged him, and Ben looked at him.
“Ben, say I do.”
Ben smiled, and said, “I don’t.”
Everyone was shocked.
I looked at the stage.
The door was pushed open, and a few cops
rushed in.
Frank smiled. “Someone hasn’t lost all of their
Join the bookshelf
<
conscience. The show’s about to start.”
I watched Frank push the button.
The screen now showed a video.
One, of the car accident.
One, of Chloe running away from Ben’s
house.
I found out what Frank’s gift was.
He’d expose Chloe’s true self today.
The wedding was a mess. Everyone was
whispering.
Join the bookshelf
<
Chloe was panicked, asking Ben for help.
Ben pushed her away, and looked at her like
she was trash.
“Chloe, did you think you could hide what you
did?”
“You killed my mother, and Ashley.”
“You should die.”
Chloe screamed, and Ben watched her get
taken away by the cops.
The wedding had become a joke.
Join the bookshelf
<
Frank watched the mess, and started to leave.
As he left, a voice shouted.
“Frank, give me back Ashley’s ashes!”
We both stopped.
Ben ran to Frank, and said, “I found the
crematorium’s security footage. You took
Ashley’s ashes, Frank. Give me Ashley back.”
Frank laughed. “You stepped on her ashes.
How can you say ‘give her back‘?”
“Frank!”
Join the bookshelf
<
“Ben, Ashley’s ashes, I found them piece by
piece. She was pure, but you dirtied her. You
can’t have her, and I won’t give her to you.”
The car was silent. I looked at Frank, and he
looked at me.
He smiled. “You don’t mind that I hid your
ashes, right?”
I shook my head. I was thankful for him.
He said, “Where do you want to be buried?
Your hometown, or a graveyard?”
He looked grey.
Join the bookshelf
My hometown, was also Frank’s.
I didn’t want to go back.
I pointed to the water bottle.
Frank frowned. “You want me to pour your
ashes into the ocean?”
I nodded.
Frank smiled, and his eyes teared up.
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll bury you in the ocean,
so Ben can’t go to pay respects.”
We smiled at each other.
Join the bookshelf
<
Frank took me to the court on the day of
Chloe’s sentencing.
He said that I should watch her fall, and feel safe.
She looked terrible.
She looked like she had been tortured. When asked questions, she looked scared, as if she would get hit if she didn’t answer quickly.
I watched the whole thing.
From admitting the crime, to getting the death sentence, everything went smoothly.
Join the bookshelf
<
When the trial ended, Chloe yelled.
She wanted to run to that person.
She kept saying, “Ben, save me. I don’t want to die. I just love you too much.”
“Ben, please!”
