Chapter 4 The Next Life

"I advise you to leave me alone if you want to live a few more days," Linda dismissed him bluntly, but Kevin acted as if he hadn't heard a word. Suddenly, overcome with emotion, he grabbed a water glass from the table and violently hurled it at Linda's head. Kevin's aim was off, but since Linda didn't dodge, a long gash opened up on her forehead. Linda calmly raised her hand to wipe the blood from her wound, while her hawk-like eyes pierced straight through Kevin. "I heard you went to Lisa's funeral the other day. How was it? As a murderer, nobody probably wanted to be around you, did they?" Linda knew Kevin well, so every word she said struck deep into his pain. "Linda, I really regret not running you over that day. Maybe I wouldn't have lost Lisa then," Kevin's expression turned somewhat nonchalant, and he chuckled after hearing Linda's words. "Kevin, you're only pretending to be sentimental now that she's gone. Who are you trying to fool? If I were Lisa, I would never have saved a ingrate like you," Linda said, her eyes glancing in my direction. "Too bad you're not her, and in my heart, you'll never compare to her. I believe even if given another chance, Lisa would still choose to save me," Kevin said, somehow mustering confidence. I didn't know where Kevin got his audacity, but I knew that if there really was a chance to do it all over again, I would choose to ignore it. Because Kevin's love was too precious, requiring a life in exchange, and I couldn't afford it. Half a month after my funeral, Logan suddenly asked to meet Kevin, and his intuition told him something foolish was about to happen. But now I'm just an insubstantial thing, unable to save myself, let alone him. These days, Kevin has been babbling in my ear, muttering that he actually fell in love with me a long time ago but was too stubborn to admit it before. I chuckled several times. Although I didn't know how much of Kevin's love for me was genuine, one thing was certain: he was never a stubborn person. At least, his dislike and resentment were sincere. I was glad I had already come to my senses, so hearing those heartfelt but sour words from the man didn't stir any emotions in me. "Shut up, jerk. Lisa's favorite person in this life is clearly me. Wait until the next life if you want her to love you," Kevin said to Logan with a hint of satisfaction. He should be grateful he can't hear my response; otherwise, he really might be incensed. My painful experiences in this life have made me never want to see this man named Kevin again in the next. As for Logan, perhaps I realized it too late. From our first meeting, I was attracted to his genuine and kind aura. But at the time, I was stubbornly convinced that such a wonderful person deserved the best in the world and shouldn't waste their time on someone like me, who had been carelessly discarded. "Mr. Kevin, I don't think so. I believe if Lisa had another chance, she would definitely choose me," said Logan, who rarely showed such a poised and mature side. In my memory, he had always been the image of a college guy. Maybe... My mind wandered back to my funeral half a month ago. They say people grow up in an instant, but if I could choose, I would hope he never goes through such darkness in his entire life. "That's nonsense. Lisa would never choose you. Believe me or not, if you say one more word, I'll rip your mouth apart," Kevin suddenly became extremely agitated, picking up a knife and fork from the table and menacingly provoking Logan. But Logan wasn't the least bit afraid; there was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Could it be that... Before I could react, Kevin, who had lost control, was already wrestling with Logan. This was an upscale restaurant on the 18th floor. Besides its rich cuisine, its rooftop terrace was also noteworthy, said to offer a breathtaking view of the city's nighttime scenery. Grabbing Logan, Kevin headed straight for the rooftop terrace, shouting and cursing all the way. Logan, after initially taunting him a few times, fell silent afterward. Logan knew it would be extremely difficult to kill Kevin in a short time, so he thought of the stupidest method: trading lives. Fool, didn't you promise me you'd protect yourself? Why, why be so foolish? Logan was pinned against the precarious railing on the rooftop by Kevin. At that moment, my heart leapt into my throat. Straining with all my might in Logan's direction, I screamed until my throat was hoarse, but the man didn't respond. His eyes were tightly closed, as if embracing death. Then, in the second before they both plummeted, I suddenly heard Logan say something. He said, "Lisa, since we didn't have a chance to be together properly in this life, let's make a pact for the next. But the wait from now until then is too long. I can't bear it, so I'm coming to find you." Although I was just a soul, my sensation of pain was many times stronger than that of the flesh. My heart felt like it was being torn in half, causing me excruciating pain. Logan, why, why be so foolish? Hesitant to approach the railing for a long time, I was forced to return to Kevin's side. Looking at the two of them collapsed on the air cushion, I felt a sense of satisfaction akin to surviving a disaster. But this harmonious scene didn't last long. Logan was taken away by his parents to the hospital, while Kevin, whose parents weren't around, had the police contact his fiancee, Linda. When Linda arrived at the scene, her eyes were as cold as if they wanted to tear Kevin apart alive. In a place out of everyone's sight, Linda approached Kevin and whispered intimately to him. "How dare you mess with me again? Haven't you learned your lesson after two years, or do you want me to bring up what happened back then..." Linda's words were cut short as blood began to seep from the corners of her mouth. Looking down, Kevin's small knife was stuck straight into the woman's heart. Kevin seemed to have wanted to die anyway. Before the police arrived, he used another knife to stab himself in the heart. On his deathbed, Kevin suddenly looked straight ahead and spoke a few words. "Lisa, I owe you so much in this life... I'm giving you my life as compensation. Can you forgive me?" I looked at the dying man and shook my head. Perhaps forgiveness no longer mattered to him. I thought I would disappear when Kevin died, but I didn't. Before I completely dissipated, I drifted to a cemetery. Logan slowly confided his thoughts to me. "Lisa, it was almost within reach... Promise me that in the next life, you won't choose anyone else. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?" Looking at Logan, who was crying his heart out, I instinctively reached out, then pulled my hand back. "...In the next life, I'll only wait for you, only for you, okay?"