“Help me pack a few things,” I told Mrs. Anderson. “I’m going with Sophie.”Although I was incredibly pregnant, everyone knew that anything involving Sophie also involved me. No one could stop me.So, Mrs. Anderson went to gather my things in tears. I grabbed a small suitcase, and Oliver took it from me. “The rest of you should go to the hospital. I’ll head straight to Sophie’s place,” I told him.“Alright.”“Cassia.” My mom held my hand. “Be careful and look out for Sophie. I know you’re pregnant, and I’m worried about you, but…”“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll be fine, and I’ll make sure that we bring Bryce’s body home.”My mom started crying, but I did not. The bigger the crisis, the less I felt like crying. I had too much to focus on, and there was no time to cry.When I got to Sophie’s place, she had just finished packing a big suitcase. She had her back to me, and I saw her struggling to lift it.“Sophie,” I called out to her.She dragged the suitcase to me and took my hand.
Just then, Austin called, so I went back inside to pick up the phone.He asked, “Have you guys reached Malaysia?”“Yes, we have.”“I’ll come over later.”“It’s okay. Zach came with us. You can handle things at Sophie’s place.”Austin hesitated and asked, “Sophie… How is she?”I looked out through the glass door at the harbor lights. I could only see Sophie’s silhouette. She was sitting in a wicker chair and eating the bread slowly.“She’s okay for now.” That was all I could say.“She’ll be fine until Bryce’s funeral is over.”We both knew Sophie. It was not time for her to break down yet.“Do you want to talk to her?”“No, it’s okay.” Austin hung up.I went over to the glass door and observed Sophie from a distance.Right then, I saw the reflection of another person in the glass. It was Zach.He was standing and smoking on his room’s terrace.It was strange. My vision suddenly seemed clearer, and I could see the smoke from his cigarette.I wondered what he was thinking.
I stayed on the terrace until it was late at night. As the wind blew, Zach draped a shawl over my shoulders. He then stood to the side to watch me. I could tell that he was looking, but what for? In the past, he never paid attention to me, even when I looked my best.By the time I returned to the room, Sophie was asleep. The towel was still on her eyes, so I took it off.The front of the towel was dry from the air conditioning, but the side on her eyes was still wet.I lay down beside Sophie and held her arm as I rested my head on her shoulder.The next morning, Zach knocked on the door and woke me up. Sophie was still asleep when I opened it.Zach looked at me. “Why are your eyes swollen?”I touched my eyes, and they were indeed swollen. “It’s nothing,” I said. “Is the boat here?”“Yeah. We’re leaving at 9:30 a.m.”“I’ll wake Sophie up.”I closed the door softly and tapped Sophie gently to wake her up.She had never taken sleeping pills, so they worked well for her. It t
There was a large beach behind the tourist center. Many of the victims’ families were kneeling on the rocks. They were calling out to the sea and hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately, miracles did not always happen. No one on the ferry survived, not even the captain.Sophie leaned on me, and I held her trembling hand.We waited from day to night, and eventually, Bryce’s body was recovered.This time, I was the one who had to identify the body. Sophie had already used all her courage when she identified Luna’s body.Zach helped me slowly walk on the sand. It was very dark, and there was no power on the beach, only a few temporary shelters with lights and cooling from generators. The bodies could not be handled until the families identified them. The temperature in Melaka was very high.Inside the identification shelter, it was freezing cold, like being in a completely different world from the warm beach.The bodies were laid on mats, surrounded by large blocks of ice. Two powerfu
Zach came back and told me, “It won’t be possible with commercial flights. We’ll need to use a private plane to bring the bodies back.”“Whose plane?”“Mine.”I did not know Zach had a private plane. It must belong to the Gordon family, but was he not on bad terms with them?Never mind. This was not the time to think about that.“I’ve booked our flight. We’ll still take a commercial flight home.”Zach took care of the paperwork and claimed the bodies.The private plane landed in the early morning, and by then, all the bodies that could be recovered had been. The beach was mostly empty, with just a few families of the victims. The atmosphere was filled with quiet, painful cries, which made the whole scene feel eerie.They brought metal boxes to put the bodies in. The bodies had to be placed inside for transportation.The boxes were filled with ice. I helped Sophie stand on a rock, and we watched from a distance.I could see from far away that they were putting Bryce and Luna’s
By the time we returned, Sophie had seemingly left her sadness back in Malaysia. She was acting normal and even talking to us like before. Bryce and Luna’s bodies had also been brought back to a local funeral home. Aunt Lauren and her husband went to see Bryce one last time.I did not go with them. I watched as my mom helped Aunt Lauren out of the funeral home. She was sobbing uncontrollably.The funeral was scheduled for the next day, and Sophie’s house set up a funeral parlor. You could feel the grief pouring out the moment you stepped in. Austin had been helping with arrangements, and he asked, “How’s Sophie doing?”I glanced at Sophie, who was busy greeting guests who came to pay their respects. “It’s just like what you see.”“She looks composed. She’s strong.”I paused and then looked at him. “Her fragile moments are already over.”“Let’s hope she can get through this soon,” Austin murmured.“She probably really needs your support right now.”“Other people’s support ca
I had not noticed when Zach arrived, but he must have overheard Cecilia just now.At this moment, he should see her true colors, right? Would he feel ashamed for ever loving someone like her? Or… did he still love her? I did not know and did not want to know.I walked past Cecilia without a word, and Zach did not talk to her either. He held my arm as we made our way through the crowd. After the funeral, everyone was drained.My aunt got sick and could not attend the funeral. My mom planned to take her abroad for some time once she was discharged. My uncle seemed to age overnight. He had even more gray hair than my dad. A guest’s child even thought my uncle was my dad’s dad.As the guests left, Sophie suddenly said, “Cassia, my childhood is officially over.” She often jokes about being a big kid—carefree and clueless about life’s troubles. Losing a loved one made a person grow up fast.She told me she was going to help at Freeman Corporation’s branch. Freeman Corpor
Some time later, my aunt was finally discharged. My mom took her to Tibet for some peace and healing. But true healing was something you had to do for yourself. A beautiful place could not be a permanent escape. Eventually, you had to come back to reality.Sophie started working at the branch office as the deputy manager. It was the highest position she could get given her lack of experience. Bryce had been the general manager, and his position was still open.She left her coffee shop with the manager and her entertainment company with a friend. On her first day at the branch, I went with her to drop her off.I went to Sophie’s place. When I saw her come downstairs in a formal business suit, she looked almost like a stranger. She had always been a bit wild, and her style showed it. Even in the middle of winter, she would wear shorts and leather boots. My aunt used to say she dressed like a little rebel.But today, this “rebel” looked like a real businesswoman. We wished this toug
Sophie knocked on my door the next day around 7 a.m.I only managed to fall asleep at about 2 a.m., so I had a bad headache. I sat on the bed as she ran over excitedly and asked, “Are you busy this morning?” “Go away.” I lay down again. “Come to the city hall with me. I’m getting married!”“Why do you need me there? Am I going to breastfeed you?”“You don’t have milk right now.” I was disgusted by our conversation. Rachel sat up from the bed and asked, “Why are you going to the city hall?”“To get married.”“Shouldn’t you be going to a church for that? There’s supposed to be a priest with a bible that asks if you’re willing to marry this person next to you regardless of… something?”“That’s a religious wedding. Besides, it has to be lawful. What we’re doing today is the legal side of things.” Sophie carried Rachel up from the bed. “Do you want to be a witness to our marriage?” “Yay, sure!” Rachel immediately beamed and agreed. “I want to be the priest who holds the bibl
Cecilia had no shame at all. I would be speechless if this worked on Zach. After a while, she walked out dejectedly with her flowers. It seemed like she did not even manage to enter his office. She stood there in annoyance for a while before she suddenly looked over in my direction. I could see her, but she might not be able to see me. I was on a high floor, and the sun was blinding. Right then, Hailey gave me a call. I knew that she wanted to rant about Cecilia. Sure enough, Hailey started to complain, “Ms. Freeman, Cecilia is really shameless. I’ve never seen such a shameless woman. When Mr. Gordon was cut off from Gordon Corporation, she abandoned him immediately. Now that she knows he’s going to be Gordon Corporation’s acting CEO, she instantly starts visiting him again. I really can’t stand her.” “Hasn’t she always been like this?” I was unfazed. “Fortunately, Mr. Gordon is not willing to see her.” Hailey sounded relieved. “Do you really think he won’t see her fo
I looked at Austin’s pale face, and I was at a loss for words. His argument was reasonable, and I had no way to refute it. I was upset, but I could not cry. I felt a heavy feeling in my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. He looked at me and suddenly smiled. “Look at your face. Have I ever said that I liked Sophie? I don’t like girls like her. I prefer girls like you who are smart, beautiful, and decisive. Why don’t you marry me after you give birth to your babies?”I did not want to joke around with him. It was not funny.After that, Lucy exited the bridal shop and got into the backseat of the car. I stood in front of the bridal shop and watched as his car disappeared into the corner. “Cassia,” Sophie called out to me. I turned around. “What?”“Whose side are you on? I realize you’ve been extra nice to Austin recently. Have you forgotten that he’s a jerk?”“Watch your mouth.”I got into my car unhappily. “I’ll make a move first.”“Aren’t we having dinner together to
I knew that he was looking at the photos of him and Sophie in her wedding gown. Perhaps this would be the only time in his entire life that he could stand next to Sophie while she was dressed in a wedding gown. I felt the waterworks coming. When I tried to look for tissue papers in my bag, Zach called me. He sounded a bit excited. “Cassia, there’s this person overseas who has the same blood type as Austin. He has ALS, which is a fatal motor neuron disease. His family has already signed an organ donation form for him, and his condition recently worsened. He may pass in a month’s time, so I got in contact with them. His family has agreed to donate his heart to Austin.” “Really?” It was good news, and I almost leaped in joy. I glanced at Austin excitedly. He was staring intently at his phone, so he did not notice me. “Does Austin have to leave immediately?”“It’s still early. We can leave when the donor’s condition worsens.” I estimated the time. Zach said that it would ta
Sophie could easily start a fight wherever she went. I immediately went over and saw that Austin’s forehead had turned red. It seemed to be getting swollen. I kicked Sophie in anger. “Is there something wrong with you? What are you doing?” “Why did you kick me? Didn’t you hear what he just said?”Austin bent down and picked up Sophie’s phone for her. “Luckily, your phone screen isn’t cracked. It’s fine if my skull is cracked; it can heal.” Sophie took her phone, and it immediately unlocked due to face ID. Her wallpaper was a photo of Kingston and her. She had just changed the wallpaper yesterday. It used to be a photo of me and her. Austin was the one who had taken that photo. Even though Austin was not directly in the photo, it felt like it was a photo of the three of us. He must have noticed it. He smiled and said, “I’ll make a move. Tell Lucy I’ll be waiting for her in the car.” Austin walked out of the bridal shop, and Sophie looked dispirited. “I was quite happy, bu
“You’re getting married too?”“I’ll be your best man or maid of honor. What? You’re too cheap to pay for the outfits?”“You, my best man?”“Look around you. Are there any single people left?”Sophie rolled her eyes. “Hah, I wasn’t planning on inviting you.”Kingston tried to shake Austin’s hand, but Austin ignored him. Sophie got mad and pulled Kingston away. “Don’t pay attention to him. He thinks he’s too good for anyone. He’s crazy.”“Sophie,” I warned.“What? He’s always acting crazy!” she yelled.I was not sure if Austin really wanted to be Sophie’s best man, or if it was just an excuse to come here.Anyway, Austin went to change too. I could not tell the difference between the best man’s and groom’s outfits. However, the difference between the bridesmaid and bride was clear.While Sophie was posing in front of the mirror in her wedding dress, Austin came out of the fitting room.Austin was very thin, and the suit hung loosely on him, but it still looked good.He had a
Sophie’s wedding preparations were progressing quickly. She limped to work in the mornings and dragged me along in the afternoons to buy wedding stuff.I felt like the wedding was just an excuse for her to go shopping.“This afternoon, Kingston and I are trying on our wedding outfits. You should come too.”“It’s your wedding. Why should I come?”“To help me choose! I look good in everything, so it’s hard to pick.”“If it’s that hard, just buy them all. Aren’t you rich?”“Why are you so grouchy?” She leaned closer and observed me. “Cassia, are your hormones off balance?”“I’m pregnant, so everything’s a mess right now.”After some thought, I called Austin and told him, “Sophie’s trying on wedding dresses this afternoon.”“Okay,” he replied in his usual lifeless tone.“Aren’t you going to say anything to her?”“Don’t eat too much. The wedding dress will be a pain to alter.”I was so angry that I hung up. He was so stubborn. I was sure that he would regret it and cry later.M
Austin was the weakest among us when we were kids. He could not climb trees, run, or do anything physically demanding. Instead, he would play board games and puzzles with us.Sophie always thought that he was smart, and she admired him.I never imagined that someone I grew up with might die so soon.“You should leave,” he said weakly. “She should be done by now.”“Austin.” I wanted to say something more, but he turned his back to me.He did not want to listen, so I had no choice but to leave.As I reached the door, I heard him say, “Actually, this is a good thing.”Was he saying that Sophie marrying Kingston was a good thing?What was good about it?I felt like grabbing Sophie over. I wanted to point at the dying man in bed and say, “This guy loves you more than you know. He helped you test Kingston’s character. He thinks about you all the time. He comes to see you every night using his half-sister as an excuse, but he’s dying. He doesn’t want you to be sad, so he plans to die
“I just went for a checkup.” Austin walked over to me. “Why are you sweating so much?”He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me. Honestly, only Austin would still carry a handkerchief in his condition.I wiped my sweat. “I came with Sophie to get her cast off, and I thought I’d stop by to see you.”“Get her cast off? I thought that wasn’t until next month?”“She insisted on getting it off today. The doctor checked, and her bone is healing well, so it’s fine for her to take it off.”“When did she start caring so much about her looks?” Austin walked back to his room, and I followed him.He sat down and seemed a little out of breath. I had already asked the doctor about him. Austin could not engage in any physical activity; he could not even walk fast.I was about to pour him some water, but he waved me off. “Don’t bother. I’m not thirsty. How could I let you take care of me? I might be a patient, but you’re pregnant.”At least, he could still joke. If I were him