No More Waiting, She Chooses Love



"Life is fleeting; cherish the here and now."

I got the message loud and clear, and it only deepened my unease.

This meant that the investigation into my parents' car crash might implicate someone who was still alive.

He was telling me not to harbor resentment for the living because of the dead, especially not those who've been kind to me.

"Detective Sampson, I understand what you're saying, and I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few days," I conveyed my stance.

I wasn't trying to deceive him, nor was I rushing to get the results. Ever since I stumbled upon the contract in my dad's old journal, I've been lost in a sea of speculation and struggle, but I've come to terms with a lot.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"It seems the wait wasn't for nothing," he said, making me realize why he'd been feeding me tidbits of information without ever revealing the whole picture.

After he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

He didn't hand it over right away but continued, "You know a guy named Ernest, right?"

Instantly, I remembered Ernest was also digging into his father's death, and I blurted out, "He came to you too?"

"Yeah, he did. Looking for the same thing," Detective Sampson's words made me catch my breath.

"So, does he... know yet?"

Detective Sampson shook his head slightly, sending a shiver down my spine as I eyed the envelope in his hand. "Are you suggesting we get together for this?"

As soon as I finished speaking, footsteps echoed from the staircase behind me.

Turning around, I saw Ernest climbing the steps with an umbrella in hand. My heart was engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions.

It was the tangled past between us, but also the impending revelation about our parents' deaths.

Maybe it was just an unfortunate accident, or maybe it was something more.

Finally, Ernest reached us, standing two steps below, his gaze briefly meeting mine before shifting to Detective Sampson. "Hello," he greeted.

Detective Sampson nodded, and Ernest stepped up to stand by our side, bowing in front of our parents' gravestone.

The three of us stood in silence amid the sound of rain, facing the names engraved on the stone.

After a while, Detective Sampson

spoke, as if to my parents, "Mr. and Mrs.

aven I'm sorry. It took me

ten years to step forward and give you justice."

His words made my heart sink, clearly indicating that the car crash wasn't a simple accident.

In that moment, I felt an urge to stop him from revealing more.

A gust of wind blew, causing my umbrella to bump into Ernest's.

Looking up, our eyes met, and I could see the turmoil in his, darker than the endless rain.

"Ernest, Felicia," Detective Sampson called us.

We both adjusted our umbrellas to face him.

He extended the aged envelope towards us, "Here are the answers you've been seeking."

Neither of us reached out.

Detective Sampson didn't withdraw his hand, just held it there, "I'll give you a minute to decide. If you don't wantto pursue the truth any further, I'll burn this right in front of you."

My chest tightened, torn between the desire to know the truth and the fear of it. If I chose to walk away, my parents' death would remainca secret forever.

I was at a loss, the tension making me tremble.

Ernest remained silent too.

Detective Sampson promised us a minute, but it felt excruciatingly long.

Just as I was about to crumble under the weight of my indecision, Ernest's hand reached out beside me―