At this moment, Elisa realized that Hamish was really dying of cancer.
He lay in bed, coughing, his white sheets stained with blood. He looked like a fish pulled out of water, struggling in the face of death, gasping for his last breath.
Elisa leaned against the wall, standing there for a while, not knowing how long. Her feet felt numb by the time the doctor came out.
One of the doctors kindly reminded her, “You can go in and see him now, but please be quiet. He needs rest.”
Elisa went in and stood quietly by Hamish’s bed.
What is there to see in winter?
– Elisa, when you get better, I will take you to see snow.
There is no snow in Bankshire.
– Then we’ll wait, we’ll go see flowers in the north, eat street food in the south, wander around the ancient city in the east, and see the sea in the south, where seagulls spread their wings and fly freely.
Hamish’s face looked terrible, as pale as paper. It was not an exaggeration. He had no color in his face, and the bright indoor lights gave him a translucent fragility. He looked like he was about to disappear, his lips were pale, and the drip was being injected into his arm. Elisa looked at his hand and knew it was cold without even touching it.
Hamish was awake, “Today, I still want to eat the food you cook.”
“You still want to eat, aren’t you afraid of death?”
“I’m afraid…” Hamish chuckled softly, not opening his eyes. He was afraid of seeing Elisa’s cold and heartless gaze.
He closed his eyes gently, his eyelashes trembling, with a hint of moisture in the gaps. “But I’m dying, right? Since I’m dying, I should eat more before I die so I can remember the taste.”
Elisa looked up at the window.
Suddenly, Hamish asked, “What is it like to die? Does it hurt a lot?” What he actually wanted to ask was how much pain Elisa felt at that time. But in a moment of thought, asking was meaningless. Besides humiliating himself, he couldn’t feel the pain Elisa endured at that time.
And… he was actually afraid of the answer in his heart.
Elisa didn’t think much about it. She answered whatever Hamish asked, “It’s painful before death, but the sensation quickly disappears. The last sense to disappear is hearing. When you die, you’re like a wisp of smoke that disperses with the wind. There is no resentment, no hatred, and no sadness. It’s as calm as a gentle breeze.”
Hamish pursed his lips and didn’t say anything.
Elisa lowered her head again and saw his bare fingers without nails on his left hand, and the burns on his chest.
Elisa changed the subject, “I know that after I die, you tried to experience the pains I felt, but it’s really meaningless. It may be a way for you to repay, but true repayment requires the other person to receive it sincerely.”
Hamish didn’t want to listen to these things.
He said, “I had a dream after you died. I dreamt that you disappeared in a big fire and said to me, ‘I exist in this world, so you don’t need to come.'”
“I had that thought, but think about it, if you missed out on a Louis because of me, it would be a greater regret in my life. I would be even more unwilling. It’s not worth the cost.”
Hamish opened his eyes and stiffened for a moment.
“I’m thirsty.”
Elisa saw that he was a patient and didn’t argue with him. She turned around and fetched a glass of water to feed him.
At noon, Elisa made some porridge. There was just enough for two people. The taste was bland, and the medicine made it difficult to taste. It was impossible to taste anything.
There were also workers outside, setting up. This time, there were many roses, and even a red carpet was laid out. Elisa wondered if Hamish had predicted his time of death and was preparing for his departure.
But shouldn’t funerals be white? Why is there a red carpet? Even the flowers prepared were red roses.
For some reason, Elisa suddenly thought of a video that had become popular recently.
– Black men lifting coffins.
Elisa asked, “Have you ever thought about how to arrange your funeral?”
Hamish replied tiredly, “I’m already dead. How can I have the mind to know about things after death?”
“What about Tobias? I haven’t seen Tobias with you.” In Elisa’s memory, Tobias had always been with Hamish.
Tobias spent the most time with Hamish among the members of the group.
But during the time Elisa had been here for so long, she had never seen him once. Could something have happened? Elisa couldn’t think of anything.
Hamish answered, “I dismissed him.”
Elisa laughed when she heard that, but it was unclear whether it was sarcastic or something else. “You can even dismiss Tobias. Don’t you have anyone left to sweep your grave and trim the grass on the tombstone?”
Elisa had little contact with Tobias. The only impression she had of him, besides his ability to work, was his sincerity towards Hamish. He supported Hamish in everything, regardless of their differences.
But she didn’t blame him. People have different perspectives depending on their circumstances, but they are all trying to survive.
Elisa couldn’t be bothered to think about these things. She had obviously become accustomed to Hamish’s various operations.
Looking at the people still busy outside, Elisa asked, “What have you been doing these days? Why did you hire so many workers? And what’s with the red carpet outside?”
Hamish said, “Elisa, as long as you know I won’t harm you, that’s enough.”
Unable to hold back, Elisa sneered, “It’s not like you’re not harming me now.”
Once the words were spoken, both of them fell silent.
After a while, nearing five o’clock in the afternoon, a camper van arrived and delivered a wedding dress for Elisa to change into.
The wedding dress had been designed by Hamish before. Elisa understood immediately upon seeing it. It irritated her to the point of itching her scalp.
Although she had seen it on Hamish’s list of last wishes, it wasn’t until it was actually delivered to her that she deeply felt the physical discomfort.
She also understood the purpose of the outdoor setup. Hamish had turned this place into a wedding scene.
“Hamish, is this your idea of fun?” Elisa stormed in, only to see Hamish propping himself up against the head of the bed, looking at her with calm eyes, like two still pools of water, not like the eyes of a living person.
“Cooking is fine, but I can’t wear the wedding dress or the ring you gave me! Louis and I are legally married, we have the certificate and the wedding ring. The only thing missing is the final step of the wedding banquet. You come barging in like this, and I haven’t even divorced him yet. Do you really enjoy being the third party?”
Hamish had been operating on the fringes of the law for a long time, and he probably wouldn’t even listen if you talked about the illegality of a second marriage.
All of Elisa’s exasperation was directed at Hamish, but Hamish only slightly flicked his eyelashes and didn’t acknowledge her angry outburst.
But in the next second, when he saw tears welling up in the corners of Elisa’s eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
He had sworn to himself that he would never let Elisa shed tears in front of him again, but what made her cry had become himself.
“Hamish, can’t you stop being so complicated? Can’t you let me go?”
She was really tired. Before this, Elisa hadn’t thought so much. At most, she thought she would just accompany Hamish until his death, but she never expected Hamish to be so extreme. When the doctors said he didn’t have much time left, he still had the energy to prepare the wedding dress and set up the wedding scene.
He wanted to die, but he wanted to tie her down.
What’s the difference with a ghost marriage?
In her previous life, she missed the person who truly loved her, ruined her own life, and ended up in a miserable situation. It was not easy for Heaven to give her a chance to stand beside Louis with a clean slate. She didn’t want anything to do with Hamish anymore.
After seeing Elisa’s tear-stained eyes, Hamish turned his head to look out the window, “Elisa, this is the last thing. If you satisfy me, I promise to let you go. You can keep the ring, you can try on the wedding dress, just wear one outfit, it won’t kill anyone.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Just five words, but they had a devastating impact, no less than a curse. This was the lesson Elisa had learned, and it was also something that Hamish could never erase in a lifetime.
“Remarrying is illegal anyway. I can’t force you to get married. Besides, you know my physical condition. I really have let go.”
Hamish said the words “let go,” but his eyes didn’t convey the same meaning.
Elisa didn’t know whether to believe him or not. Hamish had never kept his promises.
Hamish coughed a few times, “There are confidential files from the Burns Group in the study. The password is 0521. There are also some documents in the safe. Take these things, and I won’t have the ability to do anything to you anymore.” He handed over the Burns Group’s vulnerabilities, just to make Elisa believe him.
At that moment, Elisa calmed down. She went into the study and found the computer. As expected, she found many confidential files inside, which Hamish had kept together without fear of being stolen. If these files were obtained and sold to the enemy, the losses for the Burns Group would be tremendous. Taking into account the current situation of the White family and Elisa’s AW Group, their cooperation would be enough to bring down this mountain.
Elisa looked at the files dumbfoundedly. She really didn’t expect Hamish to entrust her with such secrets.
With these files, it was already enough. As for the contents of the safe, Elisa didn’t check.
Elisa could easily copy these files and take them away, but she wasn’t sure if Hamish had any contingency plans, such as hiding black hands around Louis and his family.
Apart from worrying about Louis, Elisa was most concerned about Mrs. White and Brittany, two women who were defenseless. If she really wanted to be ruthless, there was the possibility of kidnapping them.
Elisa walked out and asked, “If I put on that wedding dress, will you really let me go?”
“Yes.”
“I want an exact time.”
“Before tomorrow.”
Hamish’s gaze didn’t seem to be lying. Elisa walked out and gently closed the door to the room. Hamish knew that she had agreed.
The makeup artist saw Elisa and came over, “Miss Powell, Mr. Burns wants us to do your makeup and take a few photos. Do you have any ideas?”
“Just do whatever.”