Chapter 8
James stood inside the funeral home and frowned as he scolded me.
“He was a patient. How could you let him go out alone?”
“He collapsed on the side of the road. A passerby found him and called an ambulance. He was already dying by the time he reached the hospital.”
“That’s why we contacted the funeral home directly to bring him here. That’s why we notified you.”
“If he hadn’t gone out to buy you a cake, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“When he died, he was still holding the cake he bought for you in his hand.”
My mind felt numb. I could only ask one thing.
“Can I see him one last time?”
“According to his instructions before he passed, he was cremated immediately. So you
won’t be able to see him.”
James handed me a small cake box.
“Here. This is the cake he bought for you. You can keep it as a memento.”
It was a four–inch cupcake made with animal–based buttercream. Because of the heat, the frosting had melted. The little cat pattern on top had blurred beyond recognition.
I paused, but still took the cake.
It hit me, suddenly, that now that his fake death had actually arrived, my heart couldn’t stir up any more emotion.
Logan had been in such a rush to vanish that he couldn’t even end things properly. He just disappeared through this grand lie.
He had been so desperate to get away from me. So eager to get engaged to Grace.
“He will be kept here at the funeral home. The burial is in seven days. You can come then to say goodbye.”
James spoke with finality.
I nodded, holding the cake as I turned and walked away from the funeral home.
Behind me, James let out a quiet scoff and turned to the figure standing in the corner.
“Logan always had a good eye. She really is stupid and easy to fool. She hasn’t figured out a thing.”
Logan vanished from my world.
I gave up the apartment and arrived at a small funeral shop with only a few clean clothes and a stack of thick diaries.
The owner, Mr. Hudson, gave me a quiet room at the back of the courtyard.
I gave him a few hundred extra.
During the days I stayed there, I wrote page after page in the back of my journal.
Give Him All My Love. He Tortured Me With Lies
1/2 57.7%
06:52 Tue, 17
The painkillers had stopped working entirely.
Then my phone rang from an unknown number.
I answered. On the other end, a formal voice introduced themselves.
“May I speak with Ms. Emily?”
“Speaking.”
60%
“We’re calling from the insurance office. Mr. Logan Walker purchased a high–value life insurance policy with us before his passing. The beneficiary is you. You’re eligible to receive up to fifty million. Would you be able to visit our office soon to sign the paperwork?”
I remembered his conversation with James.
That was his final form of compensation.
“Ms. Emily, are you still on the line?”
I came back to myself and answered with a hollow voice.
“I am. I’m just… not available lately. I’ll come in a few days to sign.”
“Alright. Feel free to reach out anytime.”
The call ended.
I curled up on the straw mat, looking out the window toward the sunlight.
“Big news today. The richest man is getting engaged.”
Mr. Hudson still brought lunch like he always did, talking casually.
I froze.
“Are you talking about… the richest man in the city?”
“Yeah, from Walker Enterprises. He’s getting engaged to Grace. It’s all over the financial headlines. They’re announcing it in a few days.”
Mr. Hudson held his phone out.
“Want to see? They look like a perfect match.”
I shut my eyes.
“No. I don’t want to see.”
The old wooden door closed in front of me.
I changed into my cleanest, neatest clothes and lay back quietly on the straw mat.
My stomach didn’t hurt anymore.
I closed my eyes, feeling at peace.
Chapter A
