Little did he know, he was the cause of everything that happened.Keith sat through the night beside my coffin, keeping watch over my lifeless body, his eyes fixed on my slightly swollen belly. Though it wasn’t prominent yet, it was enough to notice the change in my form. He held my cold hand, his eyes red with grief.“I’m sorry, Astrid,” he whispered. “I was negligent. But I swear I checked the parachute. I never meant to hurt you or our baby.” His voice trembled. “When Chelle returned to the country, I admit I wavered. But I realized I don’t have romantic feelings for her anymore. I was serious about marrying you, about spending the rest of my life with you.”He stared at me desperately. “Please, wake up. No one will ever love me the way you did,” he pleaded.What a pathetic confession. Of course, I know how much I loved him. But in a love triangle? It was suffocating. If I had another chance, I would have walked away from them. Love is meant to be exclusive. I want
I knew the turmoil raging inside him. He feared that my death would be tied to him, and he dreaded the possibility that the woman he had trusted so deeply—Michelle—might truly be a murderer.The officer patted him on the shoulder and spoke bluntly, "Murders caused by jealousy happen every year. “The root cause is always the same—someone fails to make a firm choice, wavering between two people. In the end, that indecision destroys everyone."The forest fire had amplified the news of my death, drawing public attention to the unfolding murder investigation. Michelle was arrested at the airport and taken into custody. At first, she denied everything, but the evidence against her was irrefutable. Her fingerprints were all over it. She had slashed the parachute, causing the helium to leak, which later triggered the fire.She had deliberately chosen Zone A, ensuring I had no escape. To make matters worse, she had invited a group of her friends to crowd the scenic area, booking
Keith Odell and Michelle Lavigne strapped themselves into the tandem parachute, bound together as tightly as conjoined twins. The secure hold must have provided Michelle with a deep sense of safety as he guided her through the sky.Meanwhile, I stood frozen, a wave of panic crashing over me as I stared at the remaining parachute. A gaping hole marred its surface, the culprit had been brazen enough to leave behind the needle that had caused the damage, as if daring me to defy fate—“You might as well just die!”The hot air balloon drifted past the edge of the cliff, and I glanced down into the abyss, the depths stretching endlessly below me. I closed my eyes and leaped, my unborn child with me.The intense sensation of freefall gripped me as if my soul was being wrenched from my body. I could see myself from above, my body plunging through the thick fog like a discarded rag doll, hurtling toward death at terrifying speed.Memories of the past surged into my mind. I had ju
Once I land? I let out a wry laugh, uncertain whether I would even make it home alive. Before I could say another word, he hung up.My relationship with Keith had always been one-sided. I was the only one who made any effort in the relationship. He had always remained stationary, almost indifferent. We had been neighbors since childhood, and I had harbored a crush on him for a full decade.In the tenth year, tragedy struck when he was involved in a car accident that nearly left him confined to a wheelchair for life. His ex-girlfriend, Michelle, used studying abroad as an excuse to abandon him, running off to another country.It was I who stayed by his bedside, nursing him back to health, and accompanying him on countless trips to seek medical help and undergo rehabilitation. I kept vigil by his side day and night. Perhaps out of gratitude, Keith finally accepted my affection. Those days, although challenging, brought me a deep sense of happiness. It was obvious I loved
“Are you freaking kidding me? Don’t shout at me when I’m trying to sleep! I’m not so stupid that I don’t know when it’s time to eat. Get out!” I hadn’t dodged in time and ended up with a gash on my forehead, bleeding profusely. Now, only a scar served as a reminder. Keith never apologized.“Don’t disturb me when I’m sleeping,” was all he said. At the time, I naively believed it was my fault. I had learned too late that there was either love or indifference. I had already lost completely. ---A loud boom interrupted my thoughts.I screamed, my heart racing as I looked up in terror. For reasons unknown, the hot air balloon had suddenly caught fire, the flames spreading rapidly. At the same time, the balloon began to descend quickly. I immediately pulled out my phone, frantically dialing Keith. “Help me! It’s on fire!” “If your house is on fire, call 911. Is it really worth making such a fuss over such a thing?” Keith asked casually. “No! I—” “Enough! I have t
Keith hesitated, ashamed to admit the truth. After much internal struggle, he finally pulled out his phone. “Look, Astrid just sent me this text. She’s upset because I left her behind to skydive and is throwing a tantrum. She even threatened to break up with me.”The supervisor didn’t want to meddle in our personal matters. “Regardless of who it is, you shouldn’t be flying in Zone A. If anything happens, the entire park will be in trouble.” Keith offered a sheepish smile and apologized. Still, the supervisor couldn’t shake his unease. “I get that you’re trying to please your girlfriend, but that’s no excuse for breaking the rules or abusing your position.” It had been Michelle’s sweet pleading that convinced Keith to take her on that dangerous route. She had insisted. “Our bond is unique, unlike anyone else’s. Naturally, we have to take the road less traveled.”After a stern lecture that lasted over half an hour, the supervisor suspended Keith for three days and docke
Keith hadn’t noticed Michelle’s guilt, but I could see it clearly.Michelle was trembling, terrified that the police might discover any trace of her wrongdoing. Yet Keith still tried to comfort her. “It’s no big deal,” he reassured her. “This is all Astrid’s fault anyway. Just tell the truth, and it’ll be fine.”He was so certain that nothing had happened to me, that even Michelle began to question whether her plan had succeeded.“Is Astrid… also coming to give a statement?” she asked nervously.“Of course,” he replied. “She’s the one who caused all this. She’s the one who should be taking responsibility. Why are you sweating, Michelle?”I let out a cold laugh.The murderer was panicking, her legs trembling beneath her but Keith, naive as ever, simply thought—“Is your heart acting up again? Do you need to go to the hospital?”Michelle forced a weak smile. “It’s just the heat. The heater’s on too high.”Whatever her complaint, Keith showed boundless concern for her. Yet my
If it hadn't been for my newfound freedom after death, I would never have known that Keith could serve tea, and show such patience and thoughtfulness. He didn’t even wake up irritated when his sleep was interrupted. My heart, already shattered, sank further into cold despair. Yet that night was destined to be anything but peaceful. The burning hot air balloon crashed into a tree, starting a forest fire. Firefighters sprang into action, and in the course of extinguishing the flames, they discovered my lifeless body.The police promptly contacted my mother and Keith’s sister, Wanda Odell. They had tried Keith first, but as he was immersed in his duties to Michelle, he kept his phone on silent.Wanda accompanied my mother, fearing that she would not be able to withstand the shock. No parent ever wants to live long enough to bury their child, and initially, my mother struggled to accept the truth. It wasn’t until she recognized the necklace around my neck—custom-made for