Chapter 5 Death

"Isn't she with you?" He stared at the side of John and said, "She married you, her heart went to your lover Emily, and finally, you even took her ashes. John, aren't you ridiculous? What are you asking me for?" John lightly tapped his fingers on the sofa cushion and then leaned forward, crossing his arms and resting them under his lower lip. "The Browns don't want to keep it anymore?" His eyes were filled with sarcasm. William furrowed his brow. "I recently found out some things and discovered that the Browns have a dirty past and so do its members." John took out his phone and accessed the call log. "You must be familiar with this number, right? The Browns' dog has decided not to be a dog anymore." "John!" William gritted his teeth. John's patience ran out, and he personally opened every door in William's house. William couldn't see what John was looking at, but he could tell by the sound. He laughed loudly, "Didn't you look forward to her death day and night? Now that she's dead, you must be the happiest person, right?" William was aggressive, "You know in your heart that Sophia is really dead, but you don't want to believe it, right? You think Sophia and I colluded to fake our deaths to escape you. You think Sophia just didn't want to see you anymore, John. You're wrong." "All she thought about before she died was you. Don't you love Emily? She matched with that woman early on just to let Emily live and be with you." A hint of satisfaction appeared on William's face, and he coughed heavily twice. Suddenly, his neck was choked by a hand, and William gasped for breath. John tightened his grip, and William's face turned purple with veins popping out. "Shut up," John wasn't much better off. William struggled to laugh, somewhat oblivious to his impending doom. "You...can always...go to the hospital to check her...hospital records. The hospital...wouldn't fake it." Did John not know this? William thought he surely did, but going to the hospital would make John fully realize he had lost Sophia. John was choosing to escape. "She's fulfilled your wishes. Why don't you... just happily... be with your lover?" William couldn't speak anymore. His vision blurred, and snowflakes seemed to be flying around. John loosened his fingers and pushed him away. William fell to the ground, clutching his chest and coughing louder and louder. ... "Next," the attending doctor clipped the registration form onto a small clip and twisted open his water bottle, ready to take a sip. The door opened, and he instinctively glanced over, then put down the water bottle again. "Mr. John, why are you here?" "Who donated the heart to Emily?" The doctor hesitated, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Mr. John. The donor specified beforehand that they didn't want others to know it was them who donated the heart, so..." "Is her name Sophia?" The doctor was surprised. How did John know? His expression told John enough that it was indeed Sophia. John lowered his eyelids, "Can I see the donation agreement? She..." John's tone was obscure, "Is my wife." At the end of the donation agreement, Sophia's name was signed. "Mr. John, this is Mrs. Jones's phone. I called her mother before, but she didn't answer. Since you're here, you can take it back with you." In the evening. John had a dream. He and Sophia were entangled together. When she was aroused, he said to her, "Why wasn't it you who got sick?" "Why wasn't it you who died?" John suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath. He stared at the dark hair, then covered his face with his palm. He was in pain, every time he thought of Sophia, he felt it again. He got up and took the urn on the nightstand, hugging it tightly to his chest. He buried his face in the bed, and the veins on the back of his hand, which was clasping the urn, stood out. "John, will you marry me when I'm twenty?" "When I'm thirty, I want to go to the Alps." "We'll have children when we're thirty-two, preferably two, so that if we're not around, they can support each other." "After retirement, I want to live in the countryside and create my own lavender kingdom." "John, will you love me forever?" "John, I love you." "John, let's break up." "Let's get a divorce." "I'm sick." ... "Ah!" John curled up his legs and clutched his head with both hands. Tears rushed out, his temples and neck veins bulged, and his face turned even redder due to emotional distress. Sophia's smile, her words, her disappointed expression, and their last phone call kept rotating in his mind. All his senses and emotions collapsed at this moment. How could he get her back! The maid heard the noise and rushed up, knocking on the door continuously. "Sir, Mr. John, what's wrong with you? Please open the door." Bang! Something hit the door, accompanied by a hoarse scream, "Get out!" The maid was anxious, but she dared not open the door now. Mr. John's temper was terrifying when he was angry. She also dared not stay near the door. She was afraid that if Mr. John suddenly came out and saw her, she... The maid shuddered. ... The next day, the maid prepared breakfast at the usual time. John came down the stairs. The maid glanced at him and then looked away, "Mr. John, breakfast is ready." John walked to the table and sat down. He didn't say anything and didn't pick up his fork. The maid stood quietly on the side and glanced at him. "I'll give you two months' leave with full pay," John turned his head, and the maid nodded after meeting his gaze. "Sir, I'll clean up after you finish eating..." John closed his eyes, "Go." Five minutes later, John was alone in the villa. He finally picked up his fork, clamping eggs and milk, but he couldn't eat a single bite. He slowly stood up and walked upstairs, pushing open the door to the bedroom where Sophia lived. John stood at the doorway for a moment before going to the bathroom. His gaze fell on her toothbrush in the toothbrush holder, paused for a few seconds, and then returned to the bedroom. He picked up Sophia's pillow and brought it to his own bedroom, moving his pillow aside and placing Sophia's next to it. Charles stood beside the car, looking at the villa in front of him, with his ear pressed to the phone as he paced back and forth. A few seconds later, the other party picked up. "Mr. John, I've arrived." The man's low voice came from the other end, "I know." Charles hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Soon, John appeared in sight. He was wearing a black suit. Charles noticed that John wore the same tie before he returned to the country and today. Seeing him approaching, Charles quickly opened the car door and asked after he got in, "Mr. John, today's Zephyr Chamber of Commerce meeting will be held at SR Tower. Mr. Charles hopes to meet with you after the meeting." Charles glanced at John's face in the rearview mirror, who looked indifferent and expressionless. After a moment, he replied, "Okay, you arrange it." Charles unconsciously relaxed and focused on the road ahead. ... The Zephyr Chamber of Commerce meeting was held once every three years, attracting many influential figures. John sat in the front row, his long legs crossed, and his hands clasped together. The host was speaking on the stage, and he watched silently. The people next to him whispered to each other, and the lively scene formed a sharp contrast with him, as if he was separated from the world. "Mr. John." Joshua sat down in the empty seat next to him. He couldn't resist coming to see John now. His company had recently planned a project and wanted to seek investment from John. However... Why was John alone? "Mr. John, where's your wife?" Everyone who came to the chamber of commerce today brought their female companions. John stiffened. Joshua didn't notice. "Last time, my wife saw your wife picking out a tie for you at Mallar Shopping Center." Joshua's wife told him about it when she got home. She said it seemed that Mr. John and Mrs. Jones had a good relationship, and Mrs. Jones was smiling while picking out the tie." Joshua: "I heard from my wife that your wife took a long time to choose." He failed to notice the latter's tense expression as he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to John, saying, "This is a gold card for the entire district at Mallar Shopping Center. It's a token of appreciation from my wife to your wife." Joshua was well aware that John could easily obtain such a thing, but by offering it, he could cater to John's tastes and pave the way for future collaborations. However, John was known in the business world for his decisive and swift actions, and many seasoned professionals feared him. He was a tough cookie, and Joshua wasn't sure if John would accept the gift. Finally, John spoke, "Thank Mrs. Simon on behalf of Sophia." Joshua beamed with delight and said, "You're too kind, Mr. John." John then inquired, "I heard that your company is preparing a proposal for the South Valley Manor construction. Do you still need investment?" Having powerful connections certainly made things easier. This was Joshua's first encounter with John, and he found him refreshingly straightforward. Joshua responded, "To be honest, I came to the Chamber of Commerce today specifically to meet with you and discuss this project. With the support of the Jones family, I believe this project will have a successful conclusion." Unbeknownst to Joshua, John hadn't heard a word of his subsequent words; his fingers, distinct and articulate, rubbed the small card. Knowing Sophia's personality, she would have happily accepted the card and smiled brightly. After the meeting at the Zephyr Chamber of Commerce, Joshua got into his car. He tapped on the car window, humming a tune while gazing at the street scenery outside. He had been in the entrepreneurial world for two decades, and today was the smoothest day he had ever had. Soon, he was pulled back to reality by the ringing of his phone. He answered it, and his wife's voice, which sounded unusual, came through. "Joshua, can you come home early today and spend some time with me?" Her voice was low, and Joshua's heart tightened. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Baby, I'll be right back." "Not really, but I just heard some bad news." Joshua's wife continued, "Mrs. Sophia of the Jones family has passed away." "What?!" Joshua gripped the back of his seat, his eyes filled with horror.