My parents died early.

Every birthday, only Jaylen was sure to be there with me.

I remember once, he was late because of filming and nearly missed midnight.

When he entered, I was crying.

Seeing my red eyes, he was so distressed; he held me, kissed away my tears, and promised me.

No matter how busy he was, he would never miss any important occasion in my life.

He once said:

“Even if the whole world doesn’t show up, I will.”

But he broke his promise.

He didn’t come to my funeral.

He didn’t even want to see me one last time.

At my funeral, only Kathrine was there.

Usually fond of vibrant colors, she wore black for the first time.

Her usually cheerful face was now utterly desolate.

She was my only friend, and likewise, I was hers.

We were like two lonely souls redeeming each other.

But I left the world first, leaving Kate alone; what now?

She chose a gravesite for me, not far from my parents.

She said this way I could be reunited with them.

At the wake, she called Jaylen one last time.

“Are you coming back or not? If you don’t come now, you’ll never see Rachel again!”

Jaylen was driving.

Hearing Kathrine’s urging, he clicked his tongue in irritation.

“Alright, alright, tell her to cut it out. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

After hanging up, he turned on the navigation.

Then, Allison, sitting in the passenger seat, grabbed his hand.

“Jaylen, my stomach’s hurting; probably because I skipped breakfast and my stomach issue is acting up again. Can you drop me off at the hospital first?”

Kathrine was devastated, and she was speaking so loudly that Allison, who was sitting close by, could hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

Allison was deliberately stirring up trouble, wanting to make it clear that a man as outstanding as Jay wouldn’t end up with someone like me.

Jaylen’s hand was held by her.

Whatever he thought in his mind, he eventually agreed to Allison’s request.

“Okay, I’ll take you to the hospital first. She’s probably just throwing a little tantrum, nothing serious. Your health is more important.”

Little did he know this detour would take a long time.

After the hospital visit, Allison asked Jaylen to take her home to rest.

Jaylen’s phone was left untouched on the side.

The route to Allison’s home was all too familiar; he didn’t need any navigation for that.

Time passed by relentlessly.

The clock on the wall made a ticking sound as Kathrine stared out the window, her eyes filled with sadness.

She felt her friend deserved better.

Seeing no sign of Jaylen, she sighed.

She didn’t wait any longer and directed the staff to take my body for cremation.

She said she couldn’t wait anymore.

At this point, what was there not to understand?

She would never forgive Jaylen, not ever.

After dropping Allison off at her home, Jaylen hurried to the chapel.

“What are you all doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” he exclaimed.

“I’ve been on a shooting spree for days, just wrapped up. Are you trying to kill me or what?”

He tugged at his tie as he pushed the door open.

Inside, everything had been cleared away except for my portrait hanging in the center. Seeing the large photo, Jaylen froze. “Where is Rachel?”