Gone For Good

When I finally dragged my body, still wracked with lingering pain, out of the hospital, a torrential downpour suddenly began outside.

Through the curtain of rain, I saw Susie holding tight to Mark’s waist.

Mark’s face was red as he said awkwardly, “Susie, don’t be like this… I just had surgery and haven’t even showered yet. I’m a mess. What if—”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Susie’s voice was full of tenderness. “You’re different from Jason. You’ll always be the exception.”

“But… Jason suffered so much pain for me…”

Mark’s voice drifted faintly from inside the car. “What if he holds a grudge and, in a fit of anger, wants to break off the engagement with you? Then what?”

“Hmph. Would he dare?” Susie laughed mockingly. “As an orphan with no parents, where could he go if he left the Chances?”

The engine roared, and the black sedan sped away, splashing water as it disappeared into the rain.

Cold rain soaked my entire body, yet I was already numb.

For seven years, I had stayed by Susie’s side, helping her endure every hardship step by step.

Now that she was successful and famous, she turned me into the most disgraceful joke of all.

Trembling, I borrowed a power bank from a passerby.

Once my phone powered on, the first call I made was to my superior.

“Mr. Solace, about the overseas branch transfer you mentioned before… I’ve thought it through.”

There was a brief pause on the other end before he said, “Jason, this transfer means you won’t be able to return for at least five years. Are you sure?”

I looked toward the silhouette that had vanished into the rain and let out a soft laugh.

“I’m sure.”

Only this time, it wouldn’t be five years.

It would be a lifetime.

…

By the time I got home, it was already late at night.

I had planned to light some candles by my parents’ urns.

However, the moment I pushed open the door, my entire body stiffened, frozen in place.

The small bedroom that was supposed to house my parents’ memorial had been completely renovated.

“Susie!” I called her immediately, grinding my teeth as I demanded sharply, “You… Where did you put my parents’ ashes? Didn’t I tell you this room was not to be touched?!”

“Oh, I threw them into the storage room.”

On the phone, Susie’s tone was casual.

I gripped my phone tightly, the anger in my chest surging.

“You promised to leave me a room dedicated to my parents. Why are you going back on your word now?!”

“Stop with the bullsh*t!” Susie suddenly roared in the next second.

“This is my house, and I’ll arrange it however I want! It’s not your place to say anything! It’s been seven years. You still refuse to move on. Do you think my home is a funeral parlor?”

I stood dazed in the doorway, my fingers digging deeply into my palm.

On the other end of the line, Susie continued explaining impatiently.

“Since this room has the best lighting, I plan to let Mark live here in the future. It’ll be better for his recovery after surgery. Besides…

“I even cleared out an extra room for you to place the urns. You’ve occupied it for seven years. Is that still not enough? I’ve already done more than enough!”

“You’re shameless!” I forced the words out through clenched teeth.

However, Susie didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed and threatened me.

“Jason, if you keep pushing me, I’ll dump your parents’ ashes into the sea. If you want to cry, you can go cry by the ocean for the rest of your life…”

With that, the call ended.

I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

Suddenly, I remembered that rainy night twenty years ago.

Susie, abandoned by her parents, had been curled up at my doorstep, soaked through like an abandoned puppy.

It was my parents who brought her in and gave her a home.

She had once sworn to me with absolute certainty that when she grew up, she would make sure we all moved into a big house and lived the most prosperous life.