This is Farewell

Winston didn't even bother to come back today.

As the night settled in, he called Kayla to say there was an issue at a branch in another city and that he had to hurry off. His tone was earnest, and every word seemed to carry an apology.

"Sorry, Kay. It all happened too quickly, and I didn't get to talk to you in person. Once I'm back, I'll take two weeks off to be with you, okay? I'll bring you a little something soon. Stay home and wait for me. Love you."

Kayla listened to his sweet, affectionate words while reading Tiffany's messages, and a wry smile crossed her face.

Tiffany shared pictures of herself and Winston at a resort in the nearby city. He held her in his arms, his hand resting on her thigh, covered in stockings. He seemed like he couldn't wait a second longer.

"Kayla, it must be hard waiting alone at home. Look at your husband—he got all the moves," Tiffany texted.

Winston grew impatient on the other end of the line when Kayla stayed silent. "Kay?"

Kayla wondered if he was in a hurry to get off the phone so he could jump into bed with Tiffany.

"I hear you," she said quietly before hanging up.

Her heart had been broken too many times to care now, and she thought maybe this was for the best.

She looked around the room, then placed the diagnosis report into the gift box she'd gotten ready. By the time Winston got home, she'd be gone without a trace.

"Mrs. Atwood, are you really sure you want to burn all of this?" The butler and housekeepers stared at her, shocked.

"Yes, everything," Kayla said, tossing a photo album into the fire.

The flames flicked at the glossy prints, and before long, the photos were reduced to ash, drifting weightlessly into the air.

Kayla and Winston had gotten that photo album when they were dating. It held all their memories, from their dating days to their life after marriage.

Every photo they'd taken and kept in it was a treasured memory for them.

The two of them used to go through the pages, saying that someday, when they were older, they'd show their grandkids the album and tell them about their love story.

Nobody knew exactly when, but it had been long since the album got any new photos.

Kayla watched everything turn to ash and smoke, feeling the part of her heart that held everything related to Winston fade, leaving nothing but an empty void.

But it barely mattered since she didn't need it anymore.

Kayla went to the hospital on the last day. She finished all the medication the doctor gave her and was too weak to stand on her own.

As soon as she entered the ward, her body gave out, and she passed out. She stirred awake at some point, but only for a short while.

Only a nurse stayed by her bedside. When she saw Kayla wake up, she quickly asked if Kayla had anything she wanted to say to her loved ones.

Kayla gathered all her strength to grab her phone and unlock it.

Winston hadn't bothered to message her in days. The only one who had reached out was Tiffany.

She kept filling Kayla in every day on all the details of her time with Winston. She bombarded Kayla with photos of her and Winston swimming, shopping, watching movies, visiting amusement parks, and more.

Kayla checked out each picture before handing over her phone and everything else to the nurse. "I-I've got nothing more to say. Please, burn these for me."

"Sure." The nurse nodded, her eyes reddening.

After taking care of everything, Kayla closed her eyes, feeling a sense of peace.

The snow kept falling outside the window, and it would cover all traces with a peaceful white blanket by morning. It was like the love between her and Winston, swept away by the wind without a trace.

"Winston, let's not meet again in the afterlife," Kayla thought.

She never opened her eyes after that.