Coming out of Aoife’s room, Finn seemed like a lost soul, no one knew what had happened inside, and no one dared to ask.
During dinner time, as the chef finished preparing the meal, Linda went to call Aoife. Seeing Aoife sleeping, she didn’t disturb her and quietly brought the dinner upstairs.
The butler went to call Finn, standing at the door and knocking three times. With no response, he grew worried and cautiously pushed open the door, immediately sensing a strong smell of tobacco and alcohol.
Finn sat at the computer desk, surrounded by bottles of alcohol, using it to keep his spirits up. Perhaps only Finn would do such a thing.
The butler had completely misunderstood.
Finn wasn’t trying to stay sober; he was trying to get drunk. But the more he tried, the more sober he felt.
Finn checked the videos on the computer himself and found out that videos about Aoife had spread throughout Jackson University at a rapid pace. If it weren’t for the principal’s strict control, they would have already made it to the trending news on Chiwood.
Aoife’s number was written in public restrooms, and someone even made flyers with her photo, scattering them in the park and hotel.
To stop the situation from escalating further, Finn had to spend money to clean up, and he needed to seek help from higher-ups.
After making a call, Finn arranged things in an orderly manner, and when it was all done, he let out a long sigh.
The words Aoife had spoken kept echoing in his ears, haunting him with aches in his very core.
He laughed at his own foolishness.
He had once called Hamish a fool, but in the end, the real fool was himself.
He had advised others not to regret, but had he ever thought that one day he would regret so much that he wanted to cry?
The next morning, Aoife woke up before five o’clock.
Unable to fall back asleep, she stared out the window until Linda came in to wake her up, and she got up to freshen up.
Breakfast was made as usual with flavors that Aoife loved, mild and nutritious meals specially prepared by the doctor.
Aoife had eaten half of it when she noticed Finn sluggishly descending from upstairs, his eyes swollen and tinged with blue, clearly having spent the night sleepless.
Seeing him, Aoife immediately set down her chopsticks.
Her obvious action did not escape Finn’s eyes, who wore a bitter expression. Had he made her lose her appetite?
“Miss Powell, are you not eating?” Finn asked.
“I have no appetite, I can’t eat,” Aoife replied.
Linda advised, “You will be traveling far today. Please try to eat a little more, as you might feel uncomfortable on the road if you don’t. Is it because the food doesn’t suit your taste? Should I ask the chef to make another dish or pack it in a thermal lunchbox for you to take later?”
“No need for the trouble, I suddenly feel nauseous and can’t eat,” Aoife said, casting a deliberate glance at Finn when she mentioned “nauseous.”
Finn stiffened, turned and walked out; he dared not ask for more now. The fact that Aoife was alive was good enough for him.
He had already taken Hamish’s old path, and he couldn’t force himself to push someone to death before regretting it.
Aoife’s hometown was Evergreen Village, a well-named place, but seemingly not a place of longevity, with an average age of 68-70.
Raised in Evergreen Village, others often felt nostalgic about the place they grew up, but not Aoife. She wanted to escape this place as far as possible, having had no childhood or happiness here, with her grandmother being the only worth-remembering aspect.
Aoife watched the familiar scenery outside the car as they drove. Over the years, things remained the same here as before.
Finn and Aoife sat together, with Finn attempting to start a conversation, but Aoife ignored him and held the urn, gently stroking it, as if cradling a child in her arms rather than an urn.
In reality, it was indeed their first child.
Aoife now always made Finn feel fearful. Even though she was right in front of him, within reach, there seemed to be an insurmountable gap between them, as if he could never hold her hand again in this lifetime.
As the car swayed along the road, Finn felt drowsy and drifted off into a dream. He dreamed of Aoife turning on the gas, cutting her wrist, and dying… She lay quietly on the bed in a white dress, the blood from her wrist dyeing her white gown red.
He wanted to go over and stop the bleeding, but there seemed to be a barrier of time and space between them. He couldn’t reach her and only watched her silently lying on the bed, peacefully passing away.
After closing her eyes, she never opened them again.
Her final words were, “Finn, Aoife is dead.”
Finn’s eyes widened suddenly, his body lunging forward from its reclined position, gasping for air with a pale complexion.
His sudden movement startled the driver in the front.
“Mr. Snearl, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Finn held his forehead, feeling cold sweat in his hand. He was awake now, but his mind had yet to fully shake off the dream, still lingering in a daze as if deeply immersed in it.
Finn felt terrified at the thought of the Aoife in his dream, with a sense of horror in his heart. Though it was just a regular nightmare, it felt eerily real to him.
This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened. Two years ago, when he let Aoife accompany Hamish to the hotel, he often had strange dreams like that, unfounded but impossible to ignore.
Initially intending to leave Aoife alone, he brought her back because of those inexplicable dreams, feeling that only by keeping her by his side would she not “disappear.”
Aoife hugged the urn tightly, falling asleep with her head tilted.
“The air conditioning is too cold. Adjust it,” Finn said, worried about Aoife getting a cold at such a temperature.
He opened the car window to let fresh air in, feeling less cold as the sunlight shone on him.
From disembarking the plane to driving all the way into the village, it took five hours. Upon arrival, without resting or eating, Aoife got out of the car with the urn, ready to climb up the mountain.
It was rainy in autumn, and the ground was still damp from the rain the night before, making the path up the mountain a bit slippery.
The village was small, and any little commotion in any household could spread through the entire village, let alone a sudden appearance of a luxury car.
The villagers knew Aoife, watching her grow up. Their deepest impression of her was her good looks, hardworking nature, and a tough life at home.
Her parents were neglectful, and at one point, they had pressured Aoife to marry a middle-aged man for a dowry.
The incident had caused quite a stir, spreading not only to this village but also to neighboring ones, embarrassing the family.
The villagers had led simple lives and were curious about why such a car had arrived in their village.
Finn got out of the car first, and before the onlookers could express their admiration for his appearance and demeanor, another figure stepped out of the car.
“Isn’t this Aoife?”
Over the years, Aoife’s appearance had changed significantly, coupled with her attire and overall demeanor, she was almost unrecognizable from the shy, rural girl she once was. Yet, when she appeared, almost everyone recognized her, some even calling out her name.
The reason for this, of course…