A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

"Strawberry candy is your favorite, isn't it? I brought you a lot," Emily said. She opened one and put it in her mouth. The candy tasted sweet, but she could not help but feel bitter.

For a maiden to die at such a young age is like a flower that wilts before it blooms. Life was so unfair.

Victor took the bag of candy and opened each one. He stuffed all of the candies into his mouth. His handsome face formed bulges because of the candies stuffed in his mouth. He looked strange and funny at the same time.

Emily was taken by surprise. If she didn't know any better, she would think that he was like a masochist. "Victor, what are you doing? You could choke," Emily said worriedly.

Victor managed to mumble "I'm okay," despite his stuffed mouth. Emily continued to look at him curiously as he continued, "This is her favorite. I will eat it for her."

In his mind, doing this was like being with her and seeing her. He would do what the things she used to do until they become his ingrained habits.

She's gone but he isn't, and he has to live day by day. All he could do was to try to live her life for her.

He looked up, barely able to speak, as he tried to eat the candy. "Anne, did you lie to me?" he called out. "You told me to have candy whenever I feel bitter. You told me that candy can cure all the bitterness in one's heart. If that's true, then why do I still feel bitter? Why do I still hurt?"

Days without her were so bitter. Even the candies he was eating tasted like bitter herb.

Emily couldn't help but pity him and cry for him. This wasn't Victor the man anymore; he was Victor the corpse. He was a dead and hollow soul trapped in a gorgeous man's body.

Anne's death made him this way.

"What if I was dead, just like Anne? What will happen to Jacob?" Emily thought.

For the first time, she truly understood how Jacob felt. She finally understood Jacob's concern that she might died giving birth to this baby.

If she did die, would he be as heartbroken as Victor?

Emily didn't even want to think about it.

After staying at the cemetery for a while, they left in silence. They went home, both lost in their own thoughts.

Sean walked over to her hurriedly as soon as she stepped

Emily anxiously. "Why didn't

at him curiously and took out her phone. She let out a soft gasp seeing so many missed calls from Sean. "I'm so sorry. I must not have noticed it. Victor and I

of the car, but dropped the topic. "Since you're back,

and it stroke Victor as uncanny. But looking at Sean's stoic face, it gave nothing away. "I won't drop by again," Victor said. "If you need

way again. He had already lost Anne. It would devastate him to lose Emily, too.

He needed to.

...

everything that happened during the day, the emotional turmoil and everything else, that night, Emily dreamed

were all bloodied. His voice

down her temples and her heart pounded so

pain. She missed him terribly, and much more now because of the dream.

she called out.

miss you so much. I'm so sorry." In the silence,

to go back to sleep, she looked for her phone in

wanted to know how he has been. But for now, she'd settle even with

that he was wise enough to guess that it would be her

Emily," she told herself. "If you do this, there would

coming from her phone. She had dialled Jacob's number! Cursing her reflexes for doing what was only in

she ever memorize his number?

end the call, it was picked up from the other

hoarse in exhaustion. Gone was his

fall. She knew that she should hang up but she couldn't do it. She stayed

Jacob repeated. "If this is

Instinctively, she covered her mouth with her hands, not wanting

wanted to hang up, she didn't want

of silence, Jacob spoke