Chapter 2
The next day, she received a message from Kenna.
“Melanie, I heard Nathen say that your leg never got better in your whole life? Since you have known each other for so many years, can you please forgive him?”
“You don’t know, but because of you, he lived every day in great pain, wishing to die. But he couldn’t die, because he still had to put on a forced smile and take care of you. What a tragic life.”
“If it wasn’t for me, he might have gone crazy at any time. Don’t you feel any guilt? I really feel sorry for him. Now he likes me. I beg you, please stop bothering him. Let’s get a divorce and let us be together, okay?”
Then, she sent over a dozen intimate photos one after another.
The cameras were all focused on Nathen.
He smiled as he was making coffee, and when he saw Kenna taking a selfie, he affectionately leaned
in for a pose.
He peeled a large plate of shrimp and placed it in front of Kenna, wiping off the soup stains from her
fingers.
He walked along the beach, stepping on Kenna’s footprints, and cheerfully brought a handful of
seashells.
As she looked at each one, Melanie’s heart ached so much that she could hardly breathe. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it felt like a thousand knives stabbing her.
But her eyes could no longer shed tears, only emptiness remained.
She did not reply to these messages, but Kenna did not let her off either.
Every day afterwards, she would send many new daily updates, with each photo bearing a
watermark indicating the time.
On November 21st, they strolled in the park, enjoying the sunset glow.
On November 26th, they went to a pottery museum together and collaborated to make a vase.
On December 1st, they went to a concert and talked a lot about music and the future.
***
The time corresponding to each photo coincided with the time when Nathen called to say he was working overtime.
ven on her birthday yesterday, she waited for him at home for a whole day and night, but he didn’t
come back.
1/4
The reason for the absence was to accompany Kenna to watch fireworks.
Looking at the photos Kenna sent, in that moment, she smiled and smiled, laughing until tears
came out.
Seventeen–year–old Nathen was so passionately in love with seventeen–year–old Melanie.
But Nathen, who was twenty–five years old, did not love Melanie, who was also twenty–five years old.
That night, she sat by the window all night. The next day, she submitted a lot of documents to the Dignitas Organization abroad and applied to end her own life.
Nathen, I had nothing left, only you.
But you regarded me as a ferocious beast.
Since that’s the case, I choose to let you go.
And, I let myself go.
Melanie sat alone in the living room for a long time. It was not until it got dark that she wheeled
herself to the study and knocked on the door a few times.
Nathen hurriedly hung up the phone and walked out.
“Melanie, I remembered your birthday wrong, and it happens to be our three–year anniversary soon. Shall we celebrate it together? Where would you like to go? I’ll accompany you wherever.”
Melanie glanced at him and spoke softly, “Let’s go to Ashedge, I want to see the first snowfall.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Nathen’s eyes.
“First snow? Let’s wait for another month. Shadowgrass should be snowing by then. We can celebrate at home. Your legs are not convenient, so don’t run so far, okay?”
Melanie shook her head and rarely declined his proposal.
Her life was only left with fifteen days, she couldn’t wait for another month.
Seeing her determination, Nathen didn’t say anything else and booked a flight to Ashedge for
Christmas.
Melanie knew he would definitely agree.
There was nothing else, just that she had seen it in his diary. Every time he came home after a date with Kenna, the guilt in his heart would grow stronger, and he would think of ways to make it up to
her.
She took out her phone, opened the clock, set a countdown, and named it
2/4
Countdown to Death.
After buying the plane ticket, Nathen looked at me with a gentle face and his tone was full of indulgence.
“I booked the flight to Ashedge for Christmas.”
Melanie watched as his gaze slid away from her hand and then moved on, nodding gently.
Seeing that she agreed, he also felt relieved and turned around to enter the bathroom.
Watching his departing figure, Melanie smiled.
No matter what she was doing before, he would always come close to her, poking his head and asking non–stop, capturing her attention.
On her phone now, there were several big Countdown to Death written, he scanned his eyes over
them, but did not find it.
Indeed, I didn’t like it anymore.
We were tired of each other’s company, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Just bear with it a little longer, as long as you can bear it for another fifteen days.
All the pain has ended.
