His frail and weak body trembled uncontrollably, as if struck by thunder, the pain spreading from within, permeating every inch of him. Even the tips of his fingers throbbed with an unbearable ache.
His body was too weak to stand, so he had to crawl on his palms to reach Stella. He was almost afraid to touch her, but couldnât help but raise his hand and gently brush her faceâ¦
The icy coldness he felt confirmed what Henry, a doctor himself, quickly realized: Stella was truly gone, the woman he loved most was goneâ¦
Henryâs face turned paler by the second, and tears poured down like raindrops on a window, uncontrollable and endlessâ¦
Not wanting anyone to see his despair, he kept his head lowered and silently, without a word, took Stella from Ameliaâs hands. As he cradled her in his arms, his fingers tightened slowly, as if holding a priceless treasure, using every ounce of strength.
With his cheek pressed against Stellaâs lifeless face, he softly caressed it twice, reluctantly pulling away as if afraid to apply too much pressureâ¦
When he lowered his gaze, tears fell onto her face, right into Stellaâs empty eye sockets. The glistening tear drops remained motionless, seemingly melding with her skin, as if to say, Henry, donât cryâ¦
But Henry couldnât help but cry uncontrollably, the pain in his heart causing his tear ducts to flow freelyâ¦
After confirming that Henry, the man silently shedding tears, was indeed Stellaâs lawyer, someone approached him and handed him a handwritten letterâ¦
âThis was written by Stella herself, asking me to personally deliver it to you.â
Henry lifted his tear-filled eyes and glanced at the envelope. Slowly, he extended his hand and touched the smooth surface of the paper with his fingertips, feeling as if he had touched a heavy mountain that took his breath awayâ¦
He held the letter in his hand without immediately opening it, holding it tightly along with his emotions, as if it were his last chance, refusing to let goâ¦
But he couldnât hold on any longer. The body needed to be taken away, and the police had given James enough face by not moving the body without proper procedures. However, any further delay would be against the rules.
Normally, as a doctor, Henry should remain calm, but this time he was even more crazed than Amelia and Eva. He refused to let go of Stella, holding on tightly.
As a group of police officers desperately tried to drag him away, he remained unmoving like a statue, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, lifeless, silently watching the person in his armsâ¦
In the end, it was James who approached, kneeling in front of Henry and patting his shoulder, saying, âStella is going to find Erin. Donât let her wait too long.â
It was this sentence that made Henry let go. It was a cruel sentence, enough to make him collapse, but it was also the truth. Stella had to wait for her ashes to be scattered into the sea, drifting along with the waves, to coincidentally meet Erin, who was also drifting. Everyone understood this symbolic meaning.
Stella had been sent for cremation, but Henry didnât go. He sat there, leaning against the spot, and opened the envelope in his hand. As he read the first few words, tears streamed down his face once againâ¦
âHenry, I want to apologize to you countless times.
I promised to marry you, but I didnât fulfill that promise.
I also promised to send Erin to jail, but I failed to do that too.
It seems that since I met you, I havenât followed through with anything I said or promised.
I feel so sorry that being with me only brought you temporary happiness, without any real rewards. I truly apologize.
I also admit that Iâm a failure. I said I hated Erin, but it seems that after he died, my hatred disappeared, leaving me empty inside, only wanting to find himâ¦
Even though I know heâs dead and I can never find him again, I still want to find him in my own way.
I know the person I hurt the most is you, Henry. But I donât want to deceive you anymore, and I donât want to deceive myself either. So, I can only apologize countless times.
However, when I promised to marry you, I was sincere. Except⦠except for falling in love with youâ¦
If nothing unexpected happened, I would have already married you. But life is unpredictable, full of unexpected eventsâ¦
I hope you can forget about me and meet your true love on your next journey, while I am destined to fade away in this world. Please donât miss me. Stella.â
After reading it, Henry pressed the letter against his chest. Tears quickly soaked the back of his hand, his eyes redâ¦
âStella, from the moment I saw you at that lecture, my heart was already captivated. You said not to miss you, but how can I possibly do that?
And, Stella, you said that after Erin died, your heart became empty and you only wanted to find him.
But have you ever considered that I only wanted to find youâ¦
But now, Stella, you couldnât respond to Henryâs words anymore. She had been sent to the crematorium, and the moment the button was pressed, it meant that the once vibrant, generous Stella had left forever and would never return to this worldâ¦