Ferris Wheel

After Henry dropped off the frightened Sophie at her home, he finally remembered to return to our house.

"Isabella, pour me a glass of water!"

That was his habit. He always needed a warm glass of water the moment he got home. He once told me that the temperature inside the funeral home was so low that only the warmth of water made him feel the comfort of home again.

However, the only response he received this time was silence.

We had argued earlier that morning because of Sophie.

"Isabella, Sophie's in the hospital with a fever. She's all alone, and as her teacher, I have to check on her."

Watching him at the entrance, already slipping on his shoes, I was gripped by a terrible feeling that if he left, he might never come back.

"The hospital has plenty of doctors and nurses. What can you do for her? And besides, it's Valentine's Day... you're really going to leave me home alone today?" I asked.

Henry froze mid-step, looking at me like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Isabella's, someone's sick, and you're worried about Valentine's Day? How can you be so heartless? Sophie told me she really likes you. If she knew how cold you're being, she'd be so disappointed!"

I wanted to scream, 'But you know she's not me, right? Why is she calling you on a day like this? Why is she ruining our time together just because she's sick?'

For a moment, I even considered backing down, telling him I'd go with him to help take care of her. Before I could get the chance to say those words, the slam of the door had cut off all the words stuck in my throat.

Not long after, I got a message from Henry. 'Meet me at the Ferris wheel.'

I had just found out I was pregnant, and for a fleeting moment, I thought maybe the fight had been a setup for a surprise. Yet, the surprise I got was something else entirely.

Life wasn't like those romance novels. Not every man was some devoted, lovesick hero.

I saw them, hand in hand, walking toward cabin No. 6 of the Ferris wheel. It was the same cabin where Henry and I once embraced, kissed, and made promises of forever.

I couldn't understand it. How could they be here when they were supposed to be in the hospital?

Like a thief, I quietly slipped into cabin No.8 and spied on them.

When they reached the highest point of the Ferris wheel, they started to embrace and kiss. Were they making the same promises we once made? Promises of staying together forever?

"Isabella, we'll be together forever," he had said. "I would never betray you. If I do, may I lose my love in every lifetime and live out my days in loneliness."

Henry and I had sat in that same cabin, leaning against each other and swearing to each other we would never part.

Those memories hit me like a tidal wave, and the Ferris wheel's movements made me feel nauseous.

I got off. My thoughts were so chaotic that I couldn't even see where I was going.

That was when I heard a sharp crack, and everything went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I saw that my head had been crushed by a Ferris wheel cabin.

No Longer the Man I Know

Henry didn't even notice I was gone. He finished washing up and went straight to bed without so much as a phone call or a message asking where I had been.

'I guess it's true. Once you have seen how much someone loves you, it's painfully obvious when they stop. You can sense it in a heartbeat,' I thought.

Back then, if I didn't respond to his messages right away because I was swamped at work, he would blow up my phone with call after call. If I didn't answer, he would even drop everything to come to my office just to make sure I was safe.

…

"Isabella, no matter how busy you are, remember to text back."

"I just need to know you're okay. You don't think I'm being annoying, right?"

"Next time, just send me a smiley face so I know you're safe. That's all I need."

…

But now? He couldn't even be bothered to send a message.

The way we met was strange, too. It was because of my mother, a woman who had endured decades of domestic abuse before finally jumping off a high building, leaving nothing behind but scattered remains. Henry was the mortician tasked with preparing her body.

I watched him, hands gloved, carefully piecing her body back together. The deference and sadness in his eyes struck me.

At that moment, I thought to myself, 'Well, at least the money is well spent. Consider it a final repayment of the debt I owe her for giving birth to me.'

"There are tissues over there. Clean ones for you to wipe your tears," he said softly. "She wouldn't want you to cry."

I thought my heart had turned to stone long ago, but the tears kept falling until his quiet words snapped me back to reality. Embarrassed, I quickly wiped my face and sneaked a glance at him.

He was handsome, striking even, with sharp, refined features. I couldn't understand why someone like him would choose this line of work.

"Why did you become a mortician?" I was usually so reserved, but I couldn't help asking.

He answered, "Because of my dad. He died in an accident, and no one could restore his face. My mom was devastated that he left this world in pieces. That's when I swore I'd become the best mortician I could, to make sure every person I prepare leaves this world whole."

I thought I wouldn't get an answer, but unexpectedly, he opened up. He even shared some touching stories about his parents and how much they loved each other.

Alas, the same Henry, who was so warm and possessed such professional ethics, broke all his own rules for Sophie.