Echoes of an Unsettled Heart

Jodie gently patted Carter and Michael on the shoulders. "Let's not be too quick to judge. Maybe something came up that made Regina late."

As she spoke, she handed me a lit candle. "Don't mind them, Regina. They're just joking."

With the way Jodie carried herself, I almost believed she was Carter's wife.

I looked up at her, fighting the urge to explain myself. Sometimes, leaving a misunderstanding unspoken was its own kind of goodbye.

Just as I reached for the candle, Michael stepped in front of Jodie. "Jodie, you'd better stay away from her. I'm afraid she might hurt you."

When Carter first got involved with Jodie, I couldn't stand it. I did everything I could to tear them apart. But to my dismay, Carter said it was impossible.

The day after, I even staged a kidnapping.

That night, Carter pressed a knife to my neck, demanding to know where Jodie was. "You've been depressed and suicidal, haven't you? If you don't tell me where Jodie is, I'll make sure you die right now."

As the thought crossed my mind, my fingers unconsciously traced the scar on my neck.

With a smile, I said, "Relax. I wouldn't hurt you. After all, I know what it's like to have a blade graze my throat."

A flicker of guilt crossed Carter's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly.

He looked at Michael and the others. "Enough talking. Light the candles!"

With that, I knelt before Irwin's grave, silently whispering in my heart, "I didn't mean to be late, Irwin. Every cab I tried to catch today refused once they saw where I was going.

"I had no choice but to face my fear and drive here myself. That was why I was late.

"I'm also divorcing Carter. I'm sorry for letting you down."

With that, I opened my eyes and bowed deeply before the gravestone.

Rising to my feet, a cold wind swept by, and the candle's hot wax fell onto my hand.

The sharp sting startled me. It felt like a silent warning from Irwin. Did I just make a grave mistake?

"What happened to your hand? Why is it wrapped in bandages? And where's the ring on your finger?" Carter asked.

He moved closer, his hand reaching for mine. But before he could make contact, I quickly hid my hand behind my back, stepping away from him.

I forced a faint smile and said, "It's nothing. I just got a tiny cut while cutting up some fruit. As for the ring, I took it off while I was in the shower. I must have forgotten to put it back on today."

Carter didn't seem to suspect anything and nodded without a word.

Suddenly, a cold breeze cut through, followed by a harsh cough from behind.

I turned to see Jodie, her hand over her mouth. It almost looked like she was trying to cough up her lungs.

Carter quickly stepped forward, draping his jacket over her shoulders. "What's going on? Is it the burn from yesterday flaring up, or have you caught a cold?"

Jodie shot me a smug look. But just as quickly, she bowed her head and hacked out a few more coughs. "Maybe it's the strong winds from the recent typhoon. I think I've caught a cold..."

Carter nodded, gently taking her hand and leading her toward the cemetery exit. "It's my fault. I knew you weren't feeling well, but I still dragged you out here in this cold wind."

I hung back, watching as everyone gathered around Jodie. The sight of her being smothered with concern hit me like a tidal wave, and a deep sadness overtook me.

Suddenly, a sharp, brittle snap echoed from the tree nearby.

Before I could even react, the massive trunk cracked in two and came crashing down.

"Watch out!"

Just before I lost consciousness, I saw Carter and the others rushing to protect Jodie. Without a moment's hesitation, they pulled her away from the falling tree, never once glancing back.

…

When I woke up again, I found myself staring at the dark sky. For a moment, I couldn't tell if I was still dreaming or if this was real.

Nonetheless, the sharp pain shooting through my body swiftly brought me back to the present.

Despite the ache, I forced myself to stand. As I looked around, I realized everyone had already left. A few security guards were busy clearing the wreckage of the fallen tree.

"All the rescue teams have gone downtown for disaster relief. No one wants to come here. They think this place is cursed."

"If I were ten years younger, I'd take care of this myself. Who needs them, anyway?"

"Mr. Hernandez, it looks like there's someone—"

Before he could finish, a beam of light suddenly hit my face, forcing me to shield my eyes.

The moment the light fell on me, the men exchanged nervous looks. Screaming in panic, they scrambled down the mountain, leaving their flashlights scattered in the dirt.

I picked up one of the flashlights and shone it on my white dress. The bloodstains were unmistakable. It was indeed a chilling sight.

After stumbling through the dark for what felt like an eternity, I finally reached my car.

As I drove away from the cemetery, the image of Carter shielding Jodie kept replaying in my mind. I had reached out to them, but none of them even spared a glance in my direction.

A sudden wave of tiredness took over. I let go of the steering wheel, loosening my grip bit by bit.

With a loud crash, the car broke through the guardrail and plummeted downward at full speed.

As the wind howled past my ears, I closed my eyes in resignation.