Farewell, My Beloved

I wasn’t paranoid – I was dead. I couldn’t answer the phone if I wanted to.

Was that also my fault?

Hovering nearby, I watched it all unfold, my heart heavy with a bitterness I couldn’t express.

Soon, my body was brought to the lab, where Madeline began her autopsy.

I floated there, observing her as she examined me with her characteristic focus, emotions tangled inside me.

The initial report came out quickly, though the DNA test would take a bit longer. Marcus stood in front of the report, his eyes locking onto the word “cancer,” a flash of confusion and disbelief crossing his face.

He moved to a quiet corner, pulling out his phone and scrolling through our old messages.

The last one from me was from years ago. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Ever since Madeline had returned to his life, we barely messaged.

Marcus typed a message but hesitated before deleting it and putting his phone away. Instead, he called my best friend, Audrey.

“Is Caroline with you? If she’s done sulking, tell her to come home,” he said, his impatience clear in his tone.

Audrey, having heard his words, didn’t hold back. “I was going to ask you! I haven’t been able to reach her for three days!”

“Three days?” Marcus’s eyes widened slightly as he hung up the phone.

He stared at my contact info on his phone for a moment before finally dialing my number, only to be met with the same disconnection tone.

At that moment, Madeline approached him. “Marcus, let’s go grab something to eat. I’m starving.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, but Marcus shook his head. “I’ve got something to take care of. Next time, okay?”

I floated beside him, watching him speak to her with such gentle affection, feeling a sharp pang in my chest.

I followed him back to our home, watching as he started rummaging through the house as if looking for something. What was he searching for?

Suddenly, he pulled out a stash of pills from my bedside drawer. I remembered when I hid those from him, telling him they were just vitamins.

He didn’t know that those pills were actually my cancer medication. Perhaps it was my fault – my lies had been so convincing that even when I told him I had cancer, he refused to believe me.

I’ll never forget the way he scoffed that night when I told him the truth. “You have cancer too? Why do you always have to copy Madeline?”

That moment shattered me. I didn’t even have the right to be sick in his eyes.

Marcus’s face grew darker as he examined the labels on the bottles. His expression became more and more troubled.

Just then, his phone rang again. “Captain Parker, Madeline fainted again. She’s been sent to the hospital.”

He froze for a moment, then shoved the pill bottles into his pocket and rushed out the door.

As I floated there, watching him run to her, my heart felt heavier than ever before.