Chapter 56

He looked down at the flowers, milkshakes, toys, and cupcakes scattered before the tombstone. Before I passed away, I often visited, clinging to the belief that our child deserved everything other children had, even without ever fully forming.

It had been so long since I was gone that the flowers had withered and faded, leaving only dried leaves clinging desperately to the gravestone. Those I had placed long ago had lost all color, completely dried out, and blew away in the slightest breeze.

As Chase looked at the varying degrees of wilted bouquets, he couldn't hold back his tears. Was it too late to cry? Maybe our child had already moved on, entered a new cycle of life. Hopefully, our child wouldn't have parents like us in the next life and could truly experience a peaceful existence.

He picked up a rattle, wiping the dust off with his fingers before gently shaking it. “Dong, dong, dong,” it sounded softly. “Hope, daddy’s here to see you. Can you hear me?”

A gust of wind swept by, lifting the petals of nearby, semi-dried flowers into the air. Those petals seemed to mirror the long-faded love between him and me. Even if I hadn't passed, our love would have withered, eventually scattering with the slightest breeze. Chase seemed to realize this, too. He reached out desperately to catch them. He managed to grasp a petal, but his forceful motion caused it to shatter in his palm. He opened his hand; only fragments remained. Another breeze went by, and even the fragments were gone.

“No!” he cried, stumbling forward, trying to catch them, only to fall before the grave, his expensive suit now caked with mud.

I didn’t glance back at him. I gently touched the gravestone. “Hope, I’m so sorry I’m late. I can’t visit you anymore. If there’s another life, I want you to be born into a loving family.”

Despite being in a cemetery full of souls, I felt utterly alone. A deep loneliness enveloped me.

It wasn’t until the sun dipped below the horizon that Chase finally made his way back to the car. His assistant, noticing the mud, looked worried. “Mr. Reyes, are you alright?”

Chase, drained of energy, sat silently before speaking in a raspy voice, “Did you manage to get the footage from the café?” He immediately began to doubt Nicole.

“The owner said the cameras were down during that time.”

“Down…” Chase let out a bitter laugh. “What a coincidence.”

Without evidence, I wondered if he'd still trust Nicole as he always had.

“Mr. Reyes, something doesn’t add up about that day. Even if Mrs. Reyes didn’t like Ms. Nicole, why would she choose a busy café to push someone?”

Mark had always believed in me, earning a grateful glance. It was a shame such simple logic escaped Chase, as if his mind were clouded.

Chase rubbed his temples. “Find people who were there that day. Someone must have seen something. With so many witnesses, one of them knows the truth.”

“Yes, sir!” Mark perked up. “By the way, Mr. Reyes, have you gotten in touch with your wife?”

Chase sighed heavily. “This time, I’ve really hurt her.”

As he spoke, Nicole’s call came through. “Hey, where are you? It’s looking stormy tonight, and I’m scared. Can you come over?”

Chase’s usual warmth was absent; his voice was cold. “That’s perfect. I want to talk to you, too.”

Chapter 57