Death

Chapter 1

Tears started flowing in her eyes as she watched the latest news for the evening. She can’t believe what she is seeing. It can’t be right; her father got into an accident. They’re supposed to have dinner once he gets home, but this happened.

Her phone rang. “Hello,” she answered.

“Miss Selene, this is from the hospital. You are the emergency contact of your father, I’m so sorry to say this, but you need to go here to the hospital as soon as possible.”

She didn’t get to answer it anymore. She immediately went to her car and drove to the hospital. She didn’t even ask her stepmom to go with her, who was crying in front of the television. They were never close in the first place. That woman loathed her like how she also hated her. Lalaine, that woman, only wants her father's money.

A few minutes later, she arrived at the hospital and ran into the emergency room. She went to the nurse's station.

"Hello, I'm Selene. I am here for Mr. Brown," she said. She intertwined her fingers as they started to shake due to nervousness. The nurse looked at her after typing something on the computer.

"Let's go, ma'am." She followed the nurse to the emergency room, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her father is lying in the bed, full of blood. Tears flowed down her cheeks again, and she covered her mouth with her hands so that no one could hear her sobs.

She was about to go to her father's side, but sudden noise filled the emergency room.

Code blue! Code blue! Code blue!

It was her father's monitor. A flat line was seen on it. Doctors started doing CPR on him, and a nurse held her and guided her to be on the side so that she won't be in the way where they run and do something for her father to be revived.

Half an hour passed by, and the doctors did everything they could, but her father didn't manage to survive. She falls to the floor while crying, looking at her father's lifeless body.

"We are so sorry, Miss Selene. We did everything we could," the doctor said to her, looking at her with those eyes, asking for forgiveness. She nodded. She knew they did their best. She just can't imagine that everything happens so fast. She's just to him earlier this morning.

Earlier

“Hello,” Selene answered her phone. She was in the middle of her sleep when her phone rang. She sat down and listened to the person talking from the other line.

Her face lightened up when she realized that it was her father’s voice.

“Dad,” she mumbled. A wide smile plastered on her face. She nodded.

“I’m on my way home. Let’s have dinner outside once I get home, okay?”

“Yes, daddy. I’ll wait for you,” she answered. Selene stood up and looked at the window. She didn’t realize that it was afternoon already.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Daddy, see you,” she whispered to her phone and ended the call.

Present

The nurses moved her dad to a different room, he was supposed to be transferred to the morgue, but she didn't allow it. She's already fixing everything. Her mind can't absorb everything yet, but she needs to give a beautiful funeral for her dad. He is one of the most influential people in the City of Bloom. Many people will come to his funeral.

She was talking with one of her father's doctors, asking what caused her father's death, when someone entered the room crying loudly. The woman immediately hugged her father's corpse, while the nurses immediately went to the woman, asking her to get out. She signed them to let the woman.

A few minutes later, while she’s on her phone reading the text messages she’s receiving, the woman shouts, and when she looks at her, it’s coming on her way already. Her eyes widened.

“You! How dare you not call me when your father is still alive?” she shouted at her.

“Why should I?” she calmly said.

“I am your mother!”

“You are just my stepmom, my father’s mistress. You do not have any right to be informed about my father!”

“How dare you?!” her stepmom is fuming mad at her. If looks can kill, she is already dead.

A nurse entered, “Ma’am, please no shouting inside the hospital; also Miss Selene, the transfer has been processed already,” she nodded at the nurse and started walking out of the door, leaving her stepmom behind.

Her father will be cremated and will be having his wake for a day only; she doesn’t want to entertain many people for a lot of days so she will have his wake for one day. She went to her car and drove home. She needs to freshen up a bit before going to the cremation center and watching her father’s corpse being burned to ashes. How can time fly so fast so easily? One day she’s having the best time of the day with her father, then now she’s going to send him off to paradise.

As she parked in the driveway, her stepmom was at the back, following her. She was immediately pulled from her back and was slapped in the face. She held her face and looked at her stepmom with those burning angry eyes.

“How dare you! You’ll only give one day for the people to see your father?! Do you even know how much people love your father? Are you even thinking Selene?!” she shouted on her face. She just looked at her, composing herself.

“You, you do not have any right to say anything about my decision, so if you want to be there, mourn for my father’s death, mourn quietly,” she said with gritted teeth, controlling herself not to shout back at her stepmom.

She turned her back and walked inside their house, going straight to her room and entering the restroom.

She couldn’t control it anymore; she burst out into tears and sat down on the shower room floor; the shower opened, and water started flowing on her; how can someone like her go through something like this. Two years ago, her mother died, and two years after, her father died. She cried and cried; no one could see her anyway.

A few moments later, while fixing herself after that long shower and crying, she heard voices downstairs, shouting. She immediately set herself and went out of her room. From the stairs, she saw her father’s lawyer and her stepmom shouting at him.

“What is happening?” she asked as she went down the stairs. Her father’s lawyer bowed his head a little as a sign of respect for her; she nodded back at him.

“It looks like your father didn't leave you anything, so I will be the one to manage the company and the shares of your father,” her stepmother said while smiling like a wicked woman. Her forehead creased; in her mind, she couldn’t sink into what she just heard; her father didn't leave anything for her? That’s absurd!

“What?” she asked.

Her stepmom laughed and walked around her, “Little Selene, maybe you should leave the house already. Everything will be mine, so I do not believe that you should step foot in this mansion, hmm.”

She looked at her father’s lawyer, “What is she talking about, attorney?” she asked.

Her father’s lawyer looked like she was about to faint and did not know what to say, “I-i can-can’t,” he stuttered.

“What is it?!” she said in a loud voice, commanding.

“I can’t find your father’s last will, and according to the law that your stepmom who is married to your father, without that will, she has all the right,” he finally said.

Her eyes widened at what she heard. That's something she can’t accept. What the hell is happening? That woman will just make her father’s business go down.

She looked at her stepmom. The woman stepped back because of the looks she gave.

"I'll let you win this time, but I'll make sure I'll make you suffer soon, and I won't leave the house, you filthy dirty woman!" she angrily said and walked out of the house. She entered her car and drove to the cremation center.

As she parked her car, presses were already in front of the center, capturing news. What did she expect? Her father is very well known in the City. Their company also belongs in the top world ranking. She wore her shades and got out of the car already. The press saw her and immediately went to her. She stopped.

"Hello everyone, I am Selene Brown, daughter of the CEO of Brown Group of Companies. I would like to confirm the death of my father and that his remains will be cremated today, after the cremation, his wake will be held in one of our hotels, it will be open starting one in the afternoon today until tomorrow at eleven am," she said in the camera. It was being shown on a live broadcast.

"Will your father, only have a one-day funeral?" one of the reporters asked.

She nodded. "Yes, tomorrow afternoon, we will be sending him to his final place where my late mother is."

She then left the reporters outside and went into the cremation center. Her father's secretary was already there, Jasper.

"Hello, Selene," Jasper mumbled. She nodded at him.

"We can now start that you are here. You can see him for the last time," he added.

She followed him into a room. Her father was there. He looked okay now. His face was fixed, and he looked like he was sleeping soundly. There are no signs of pain on his face. She took a deep breath. Is this the end, daddy? Will you be really leaving me in this way? Can I face the challenges of this world without you? she asked in her mind.

She held her father's for the last time, "It's okay, daddy, I can. I will do my best to survive. You can now go to paradise with mom. Say hi to her for me, okay? Hug her, tell her that I really miss her and now I will be missing both of you for the rest of my life, don't worry about me. I love you both," she mumbled to him.

A few minutes passed by, and Jasper went to her. "Miss Selene, it's time already," he said.

She nodded and stood up, stepping back away from her father's corpse.

Her father was put in the metal and pushed inside the big oven, the fire was all over it, it was closed, and she could hear the loud sound of the machine, she couldn't control her tears, her sobs were heard inside the room. Luckily, she and Jasper are the only ones in there. Jasper is like her older brother already. He embraced her in a tight hug comforting her.

“Be brave, Selene,” Jasper whispered to her. She just hugged Jasper back and cried until the machine was turned off; after an hour, the one operating the machine went to them, already holding the jar where her father's ashes are.

“Thank you,” she murmured

They were about to go out of the center when her stepmom entered, looking at her. Her stepmom went to her, ready to slap and pull her hair, but Jasper went in front of her and received the slap.

“You have no respect, Selene!” her stepmom pointed at her while shouting.

“You didn’t even let me see your father, and now he is already cremated. Who do you think you are, huh?!”

She didn’t even look at her stepmom to answer her. She went out of the center already with Jasper. Jasper escorted her to her car.

“Let me drive you to the hotel,” Jasper said. She looked at him. Jasper understood what she was about to say.

“I had your father’s driver drive me here. He is in the hotel already fixing what you wished for,” he answered.

She then just nodded and entered the passenger seat, she even saw her stepmom running at them, but Jasper started the car and drove away already.

The hotel was packed with people already. When she entered, the employees bowed their heads as a sign of respect; she was also holding her father's urn. Jasper escorted her to the room where her father’s funeral would be held. It was full of flowers and lights. There is also a picture of her mother beside her father’s portrait. She walked in front and slowly put the urn of her father.

The room was already packed with people as she placed her father’s urn. She picked a flower, put it in the vase, lit a candle, and offered a short prayer. Jasper didn’t leave her side until she settled down. She looked at him and nodded. Telling him that it’s ok to go now and do his work. She then looked at the people waiting to give their respect to her father.

She took a deep breath before talking.

“It was nice to see you all here. My father would be so happy that even on his final days here with us—the people he cherished and loved being here. You can now pay your respects to him, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here with me,” she loudly said so that even the people at the back could hear her.

People started going in front, and she talked with them once they had already paid their respects. Jasper was one call away whenever she needed anything. Her stepmom was nowhere to be seen, so she was tired of talking to everyone. She doesn’t even know who the other people are, luckily Jasper knows all of them and told her who they are.

Eight in the evening, more people came, and she didn’t even have time to eat because she needed to be there with her dad. And people should see her once they are done.

“Selene, drink this first,” Jasper gave her juice in a bottle. She didn’t hesitate any more and drank all of it. Jasper then gave her some pieces of bread. She smiled at him.

“Thank you, I don’t know how to survive this day without you,” she sincerely said. Jasper just messed her hair and smiled a little.

Jasper is just five years older than her, they used to be so close back then but then he had a wife and she became distant with people when her mother died. Jasper is like her father's son already, in fact, he can already build his own company because her dad gave him a million dollars at his wedding but he said that he wants to work under him and he stayed in the company.

The night passed by, and her stepmom didn't even come. Jasper bought her black dress for the event later, she can't believe she will send her father off at this age. Alone. Many people are still coming, yesterday night Jasper was the one who welcomed the other visitors because she needs to sleep. She got to sleep for at least three hours. People even at midnight came by, because of the limited time she gave.

She doesn't want to have long funeral days, it will just make her sad. It's already ten in the morning and the room will be closed at eleven am. Only the close ones will be left inside, it will be the time for them to be with her father for the last time. People started murmuring, she looked at what they were looking at.

"It's your stepmom," Jasper whispered.

He didn't like her stepmom either because they know what she only wants from her father. She even heard people complaining about why she is here now. A lot of people didn't like her when dad married her, but they respected dad's decision.

"You came," she mumbled. As her stepmom stood in front of her, wearing big shades, with a black dress full of jewelry.

"Of course, I am your father's wife, remember?" her stepmom loudly said.

She smirked, "Correction, my father's second wife only," she said, emphasizing 'second'. She heard a lot of people talking at the back, talking about her stepmom. Her stepmom didn't even manage to answer and went in front of her dad.

"Why is there a picture of this woman here?" her stepmom said while pointing to the picture of her mother. But before she can even answer one of the visitors answered.

"Because that's his wife and now they can be with each other again in paradise."

She laughed silently, her stepmom was taken back by what the visitor said and didn't answer anymore. Jasper asked permission to leave for a moment to fix the cemetery where her father will be resting.

Time passes by and they are now going to the cemetery to take her father's remains to his final resting place. His funeral was a live broadcast, reporters were all around when they were on the way to the cemetery. Jasper was the one who gave the final speech as she can't find herself to talk anymore. It was so much for her to sink in.

People started leaving as it ended, she was left with Jasper. Her stepmom already left, didn't even mind staying. Jasper was holding her because her tears were flowing down.

"Selene, you know I am here for you, okay?" he whispered and embraced her.

"I know, thank you, Jasper," she mumbled. They stayed there for an hour and Jasper drove her home. Before going down Jasper held her hand.

"Call me if you need me okay? Even if it's in the middle of the night," he said and kissed her on her forehead. She nodded and went out of his car already. Her car was already there, their driver drove it home.

A few days later

She went out of the coffee shop, where she spent most of her days. Reading and unwinding. Letting all the happenings sink in. Her phone rang. She opened her bag to get her phone.

It was Jasper. She almost forgot that they will be having dinner today, it was already six in the evening.

"Hello," she answered.

"Where are you already?"

"I'm on my way now, I'll take a taxi. I didn't bring my car."

"Okay, keep safe. I'll wait for your call."

She ended the call and walked in the streets already. It was already dark so she walked a little faster, the coffee shop was a little far on the highways and located near the forest of the City. She felt someone was following her, she looked back and saw no one.

She then walked again, faster this time. When she looked in front, a group of men was in her way.

"Hello, beautiful," one of the men said.

She looked at them with mad eyes, "What do you want?" she asked.

"You," he answered her.

"I can give you money, here you can take it all," she bravely said.

The men laughed at her like she was joking.

"We do not need that, woman. We have a lot of that," the other one said.

"We want you, your body. Dead," the man who talked first slowly said. She felt cold shivers in her body, what the hell. Her father just died and now she will be killed?

She was about to run when one of the men pulled her.

"No running, baby girl," he whispered in her ears.

He then grabs her in her neck, she holds the hand of the man grabbing her neck, she's losing her breath.

But the man grabbed her tightly like he wanted her to lose her breath and be dead already. She got a chance, she kicked him in the middle. The man groaned in pain and was able to let go of her. But they were too many, another was able to grab her again and punched her in her stomach.

They were able to put her on the ground, and when they knew she couldn't escape they started beating her with a baseball bat. Her phone was in her pocket and started ringing, it must be Jasper calling. One of the men got it and just tossed it somewhere.

They stopped beating, she can't even get up anymore but she tried her best to get up when they stopped and started to call someone. She managed to run to the forest when one of the men saw her and started chasing her, she ran and ran until she reached the forest.

She continued running until she couldn't run anymore, the men were able to follow her but when they saw where they were they got scared.

"Let's go! Let's leave her there, she will be eaten by the animals," one man said.

She was lying on the ground and felt so weak already. Her body is full of bruises and any moment later she will lose her consciousness already.

Tears flow down, she doesn't know why this is happening to her. She started to lose consciousness when she heard someone talk.

"Hello?"