《When You're Gone (Colette)》


 Chapter 1

    Colette sat on the couch alone in the empty vi. She waited and waited until the vi doors finally flung open.


    James Zeller marched in. He visibly paused when he noticed her presence. His expression immediately fell.


    "Sophie is running a fever today. Why did you keep spamming me with calls?"


    Colette rose from the couch, still keeping her head low without a word. James stood there in silence. Momentster, Colette finally whispered, "I needed to reach you."


    "What was the matter? You look fine and dandy. What could have happened to you?"


    James refused to ept her exnation. Instead, his demeanor grew colder. "Didn''t I tell you Sophie was unwell? I had to spend all day by her side. Why did you have to do this to me on purpose? Colette Anderson, I warned you not to have romantic feelings for me. I''m like an uncle to you; we can never be together!


    "You need to move out if you keep doing this to me!"


    After dressing her down, James stormed into his bedroom and mmed the door shut.


    Colette stood in the same spot, watching as he made his way upstairs. She whispered, "Uncle James, I''m sorry. But there won''t be a next time because I''m dead."


    James missed her whisper, but she did not mind. She settled down on the couch and couldn''t help thinking of the past.


    James was not her uncle; he was a friend of her dad. She loved hanging around James from a young age, and she treated him like an older brother. Every time, he had to patiently correct her, "Hey, I''m more like an uncle than a brother to you!"


    When Colette was eight years old, she lost her parents in a car ident. It was at that time she finally regarded James as her uncle. James took her in to live with him. He raised her with utmost care like growing a delicate rose, and he poured all his love into her.


    At first, when Colette felt anxious and lost sleep over her new living arrangements, James would patiently put her to sleep while workingte into the night. As she was weak and frail, she had to take a lot of medicine.


    The Zellers were unhappy at James'' decision to raise the sickly Colette, and they requested that he send her away.


    Refusing to send Colette away, James decided to leave his family and start a business of his own. His tense rtionship with his family finally rxed after the SQ Group that he founded rivaled the scale of Zeller Group''s operations.


    When Colette was 15, she nearly lost her life in andslide during a school trip. It was James who went deep into the dangerous mountains and rescued her.


    James would give her what she wanted without hesitation ever since she was a kid.


    A particr incident left a strong impression on Colette. The year her parents passed away, she was exceptionally weak and sick. Once, she ran a high fever and had to be hospitalized. It took her three days to regain consciousness.


    When she woke up, she hugged James in tears. Sobbing fearfully, she asked him, "Uncle James, am I dying?"


    He said to her, "Lettie, no one can take you away from me without my consent. Even if the Grim Reaper takes you, I''ll fight him to get you back."


    James kept his word, as he protected Colette for ten long years until she turned legal at 18. He had never abandoned her no matter how tough his circumstances were.


    However, on this day when Colette was stabbed in a home robbery, she called James repeatedly for help, only to be hung up on. He was busy taking care of a feverish Sophie Egan.


    Sophie showed up in their lives three months ago. On one fateful day, Colette quietly kissed James in his sleep, waking him up in the process. He stirred awake and confronted her about it.


    Since James had found out about her feelings, she openly confessed her love to him.


    Bewildered, James sternly rejected her confession. He even went on multiple blind dates to force her into giving up. Finally, he brought Sophie Egan home and acted lovey-dovey with her in front of Colette


    When Colette was dying, she


    recalled Sophie picking up one of her many calls to James. Before Colette could ask for help, Sophie cooed,


    "Hey, Colette. What''s the matter?


    James is too busy making soup for


    me to take your calls."


    Without wasting time, Sophie ended the call. Colette took herst breath when Sophie hung up on her.


    After Colette passed, her soul was saddled with resentment. Sensing her aggrievement, the Grim Reaper approached her, and she struck a deal with him.


    In exchange for seven more days in the mortal realm to take care of funeral matters, she gave up on a chance to be reborn.


    Colette walked up to the calendar. If James had paid any attention to the calendar, he would find that there were only seven days printed on it.


    She tore a page off the calendar before whispering, "Uncle James, this is the first day of my farewell."

 Chapter 2

    Colette woke up early the next day and left the house to close all her ounts. She looked into these mattersst night; her sudden death left behind a lot of paperwork. Now that James wanted to start a family with another woman, Colette refused to be a burden to him and add to his troubles.


    Once she arrived at the office, the staff member looked at her in disbelief when she announced she was there to close her ounts. He had to double-confirm with her. "Young woman, most of our clients only get their ounts closed if they pass away. Are you sure about this?"


    Smiling bitterly, Colette nodded at him. "I only have six days to live."


    The staff member cast her a sympathetic look, thinking she must have suffered from some terminal illness like cancer. His sympathy deepened when he saw her record-she was only 18!


    The staff member proceeded to close her ounts without any more questions.


    Once Colette got that task out of her way, she went to get an official portrait for her funeral. She even bought herself an urn and linen shroud for her funeral. Every ce she visited, she garnered sympathy from people there, but she wasn''t bothered by it.


    Her only goal was to get her funeral matters settled so that James did not have to worry for her.


    She arrived homete after she ran the errands. At home, she saw Sophie in an apron, cooking in the kitchen.


    Sophie approached and greeted her with enthusiasm. "Colette, you''re home! I''m cooking dinner tonight. We''re waiting for you."


    Noticing the bags in Colette''s hand, she asked curiously, "What did you buy?"


    Colette shook her head without answering. She proceeded to ce her purchases upstairs in her room before joining Sophie in the kitchen. "Let me help you out."


    James finally arrived after the twodies cooked in the kitchen. He was surprised to see the harmonious scene-the women did not fight or give each other the cold shoulder. In the past, Colette never got along well with Sophie due to her jealousy. Young and naive, Colette wasn''t good at hiding her emotions.


    The three of them sat down and dug in when dinner was ready. Sophie''s enthusiasm extended to the dining table, where she kept piling food onto Colette''s te. "Colette, try the prawns. They''re so fresh! I cooked these just for you."


    Colette hesitated to eat the food that almost spilled out of her te. She might bejn human form, but she was at the core a corpse. When she struck the deal with the Grim


    Reaper, he reminded her not to take any human food in the mortal realm, hence her hesitation in eating the food offered by Sophie.


    James noticed Sophie''s awkwardness when Colette refused to eat the food. He shot Colette a warning look. "You will eat the food that Sophie served you."


    Colette remained silent when she heard James'' orders. Nevertheless, she finally finished the food on her te. When the food slid down her throat, she felt a pang of pain. Her stomach seemed to be on fire.


    She could stand it no more. Rushing into the washroom, she vomited everything she had taken in for relief.


    The sudden change made Sophie tear up. She turned to James and asked pitifully, "Does Colette hate me?"


    James'' expression fell when he heard the question. Patting Sophie''s hand tofort her, he exined, "No, that''s not the case. I''ll check on her."


    He made his way to the washroom. At that time, Colette felt much morefortable after vomiting. Staring at her pattid face in the mirror, she let out a soft sigh, thinking, "Looks like can''t force it. I should make up an excuse to leave the houseter."


    With that in mind, she opened the washroom door, only to run into James. He had


    been waiting by the door with a brooding expression.


    Momentarily taken aback, she thought he was at the washroom out of concern. After some deliberation, she said to him, "Uncle James, I feel unwell. You and Sophie should continue eating. I''ll rest in my room."


    At first, she thought James would head back to dine with Colette. But his expression turned sour, and he said something that stunned her." thought you were finally starting to behave when I saw you getting along with Sophie. But you''re still as stubborn as before. You tried to make a scene to embarrass and upset her."


    "Uncle James, I didn''t-" Colette''s face paled, her heart shattering. She forced a


    smile and tried to exin herself, but he cut her off coldly.


    "I don''t care about your reasons. You need to finish your dinner."

 Chapter 3

    James dragged Colette to the dining table and forced her to take a seat before returning to Sophie''s side.


    Colette looked up. She watched himforting Sophie. When he sensed her gaze, he shot her a warning nce.


    Colette tried to ignore the bitterness rising within her as she forced herself to finish dinner through the pain. Tears dropped onto her te. Every time she took a bite, she felt a burning sensation spreading through her esophagus. Her food tasted salty from the tears. For a moment, she struggled to tell if her heart or her stomach was in more pain.


    She finally finished dinner in silence as she watched James and Sophie being lovebirds. She heard the sound of car engines on the porch just when she put down her utensils.


    Sophie chuckled when she heard the sounds outside. "Oh, my stuff has arrived."


    After Sophie jogged to the door, James turned to Colette. "Sophie will move in with us starting today."


    He fixed his eyes on Colette as though he wanted to detect any hint of opposition. He seemed to be anticipating her throwing a tantrum to stop Sophie from moving in.


    After crying in the washroom just now, Colette had gathered herself. She nodded calmly. "Got it."


    James was taken aback at Colette''s calm demeanor. Something felt off.


    Sophie came up to him and took his arms at that moment. "James, where''s my room?"


    James shook off the weird feeling and shed Sophie a doting smile. "I''ll give you a tour. You can have your pick."


    The three of them went to the second floor for Sophie to pick a room. After she confirmed the location of James'' bedroom, she immediately made her way to the adjoining bedroom.


    Colette had a bad feeling when she saw Sophie wandering in that direction. She ran after Sophie and found thetter approaching the closet after scanning the


    room.


    Sophie announced, "James, this room is fine. I''ll pick this one."


    Colette rushed over to stop Sophie, who had ced her hands on the closet handles by now.


    She said to Sophie, "Stop! This is my room. You can''t have it."


    James'' brows furrowed at Colette''s huge reaction. He scolded her, "Just look at you! Get a grip! If Sophie likes this room, it won''t hurt to let her have it. The maid will get another bedroom ready for you."


    Even after he dressed down Colette, she pressed her back hard against the closet doors and refused to cave in.


    He tried to control his temper in the face of her stubbornness. "You''re getting ridiculous because I doted on you!"


    Finally, Sophie stepped in to end the stalemate. "James, that''s enough. I''ll choose another room if Colette doesn''t want to give up hers."


    Jamesughed in anger when he saw Colette standing defiantly before the closet. He said on purpose, "Fine. Since she isn''t backing down, you shall share a room with me."


    Sophie shyly buried her face in his chest. He led her out of Colette''s room after that. When they exited, Colette saw Sophie checking her own hand.


    Sophie asked curiously, "This is weird. Why do I have blood on my hand? I wasn''t injured..."


    After the couple left Colette''s room, James instructed the maids to move Sophie''s belongings into his room. The maids busied themselves with moving the luggage.


    Colette couldn''t care less about the


    move. With trembling fingers, she


    shut the closet doors tightly right


    away. Only she knew the source of


    the blood on Sophie''s


    fingers-Sophie had touched the closet, in which Colette''s body was hidden.


    Colette made sure the closet doors were closed before she taped the doors up. ording to the Grim Reaper, she would vanish from the world if someone discovered her body.


    Once she was done, she went to the


    living room for a ss of water.


    Feeling relieved, she walked past


    James'' room, only to see him and


    Sophie making out through the


    slightly ajar door.


    She closed her eyes and looked away. Then, she walked over to the calendar and


    tore another page off.

 Chapter 4

    Colette woke up early the next morning. Someone was busy in the kitchen when she entered the dining room.


    James was making breakfast in an apron. Sophie spooned him from behind. Not only did he not flinch, but he would asionally sh her a doting smile.


    Their intimacy brought Colette back to a point in time. In the past, they had a lot of maids at home. James was often busy at work and wouldn''t be back the entire night. The maids, cking off, would bully her and not give her enough to eat.


    After James found out about that, he fired all the maids and learned to cook all three meals for Colette.


    s, Colette could love him no more. If being with Sophie brought him happiness, Colette would give them her blessings.


    She quietly looked away and wandered over to the calendar. Sophie, who showed up without warning, noticed the calendar and blurted out, "What''s the countdown calendar for? And why are there only seven pages?"


    James turned around and saw the calendar. Colette, rather fazed by their attention, made up an excuse, "I found this calendar when I was hanging out with my friends that day. I got it because it looked quite interesting."


    James did not question the poorly made excuse. Instead, he brought up another topic. "I''m going on a date with Sophie today."


    He described it as it was and anticipated protests from Colette, but she only nodded at him. "Have fun, then."


    He felt oddly frustrated when she did not react the way he expected to when he should have felt happy for her agreeable attitude.


    The mood instantly tanked. Sophie spoke at that time, "Colette, since you''re free, why don''t you join us?"


    Colette was surprised at the invitation. It took her a while to wrap her head around it, but she finally shook her head. "I have something going on today. I will meet with my friends as a farewell, so I''ll have to pass."


    Weeks before college started, Colette''s friends expressed their anticipation of college life during their gathering. She was the only one who silently sat in the corner. After all, she only had five days left before her soul departed. She had no future.


    Someone inched closer to Colette upon noticing her silence. "Hey, Lettie, I thought you had a crush on your ''Uncle James''? Why don''t you make him your boyfriend before the school holiday ends?"


    "Right, Lettie! A girl who shoots her shot stands a better chance than guys who do the same! Don''t be shy; it''s not like you''re rted to him in any way. Just go for it!"


    The girls stirred in excitement at the mention of Colette''s crush. They wouldn''t stop giving her ideas, with some as bold as to suggest that she sleep with James.


    Colette shook her head. "No. I will not have a crush on him anymore. I can''t."


    The gathering was a short one. She formally said her farewells to each of the girls when it was time to leave. "Candace, congrats for getting into your dream college. I''m sufe


    you will have a bright future ahead


    of you."


    s?novel


    "Sylvie, you get sick easily, and you always forget to take your breakfast. You


    should remember to take care of yourself."


    "Emma, Susie, I''ll miss you all."


    She hugged everyone with a serious look that tickled them.


    "Lettie, you''re being too serious like this is thest time we''ll meet! Don''t worry.


    We won''t forget you, even if we attend other schools."


    After the farewell, the other girls left one after another. Colette was thest to leave. Watching her friends leave made her sad, as she knew they would never meet again.


    "Goodbye, my dear friends."


    ...


    James was already home when Colette got back from the gathering. She found


    him seated on the couch with a long face.


    She looked around but did not see Sophie. "Where''s Sophie?"


    "She''s on a business trip."


    Colette did not give his answer much thought. Nodding, she was about to leave


    when he stopped her with a bunch of stuff in his arms.


    "Hey, stand there! What''s up with this urn and the linen shroud?"

 Chapter 5

    Colette''s heart sank when she saw the stuff on the floor. How did James get his hands on them? She thought she had hidden them well.


    After panicking for a moment, she had an idea. She stammered, "Tomorrow is my parents'' death anniversary. I was making some preparations."


    James'' feelings of doubt vanished after hearing the exnation. After a pause, he volunteered, "I''ll visit them with you tomorrow."


    "Uncle James, it''s fine. Just spend your time with Sophie and on your work. I was a burden to you in the past, but I will no longer trouble you anymore."


    James was shocked by her rejection, as he had thought she would be happy about it. She left before he could react.


    Colette quietly tore off another page from the calendar and tossed the shreds into the waste bin. She only had four days left.


    James recounted her words when he watched her leave. He blurted out softly, "You''re never a burden to me."


    Colette did not hear him, as she had made her way back to her room.


    With four days left in this world, Colette visited her parents at the cemetery alone. She ced the flowers in front of their tombstones and stared at their photos. Their warm smiles still felt like yesterday.


    Sitting between the two graves felt like sitting between her parents. "Dad, Mom, I wonder if you are enjoying your next life. Please do not me me for my stubbornness in giving up reincarnation for seven more days on earth.


    "I used to be jealous of those kids loved by their parents, but that feeling went away because I have my Uncle James. He''s good to me and showers me with love. That''s why I fell for him, which I know is unforgivable.


    "Now, I realize that my existence is just a burden to him. He will start a family sooner orter. I was destined to be alone from the very start.


    "Life sucks. I don''t think I want a next life. I don''t regret my decision, but I feel sad that I have not received any proper love before I die."


    She had a long chat with her parents in the cemetery, but she did not leave right after that. She met with the cemetery caretaker. After some discussion with the caretaker, She bought the grave plot beside her parents so she could rest in peace by their side.


    After the cemetery visit, she sold off the assets she inherited from her


    parents and the gifts from Ja obi


    She nned to return the money stored in a debit


    ount-to James to makeup for his hard work of raising her in thest decade.


    It waste when she got home. James wasn''t home yet, which worked out for her.


    She tiptoed into his study with the debit card and quietly ced it in his desk drawer.


    leave when she


    She was about to caught sight of his messy study that he had no time to tidy up due to his busy work. Sighing, she nced at his documents before carefully tidying up the study, during which she identally opened a drawer with contents that stunned her.


    She had discovered a stack of love letters!


    She held her breath and shockingly picked up the love letters. Did James write them? She never knew he''d write love letters, but to whom?


    Riddled by questions, her mind was a mess. James entered the study when she was deep in thought. His face fell when he spotted the love letters in her grasp.


    He addressed her in a stern and nervous tone, "Why did you go through my stuff without my permission?"

 Chapter 6

    Colette snapped back to reality when James confronted her. She hurriedly shoved the love letters into the drawer. Then, she stammered, "I-I''m just trying to tidy the study for you..."


    James did not appreciate it at all. In an icy tone, he demanded to know. "Did you read the contents?"


    She was taken aback. He seemed to care more about her reading the love letters.


    His face progressively soured. She hurriedly shook her head. "No, I did not."


    He rxed after hearing her answer. Still, his voice was filled with rage. "Get out now. Do not touch my stuff without my permission."


    "Sorry. I won''t do that again." Bowing her head, she left his study without retorting.


    She went back to her room. Lying in her bed, she thought of the love letters she found in the study. She hadn''t heard of James having a crush on anyone. Ever since she was a kid, she never saw him with another woman, except for herself


    and Sophie.


    Who did he write the love letters to? Were they for her?


    Messy thoughts filled her head. She fell asleep slowly and woke up after midnight.


    Colette heard some noises from the room next door. Sophie was back. She immediately perked up as she made her way to the bedroom door.


    Colette''s room was close to James and Sophie''s. Since they did not shut their door, she could hear the sounds from their room.


    She heard Sophie squeal in joy and surprise. "Wow, did you write all these love letters for me when I was away for two days?"


    James'' voice, filled with joy and tenderness, followed. It reminded Colette of the way he spoke to her before she confessed her love to him.


    James asked Sophie, "Do you not like them?"


    Sophie kissed him with unbridled joy. "I love them! Write one every day for me."


    After that, Colette overheard the sounds of the couple making out When their door mmed shut, Colette hurried back to her bed with a pale face. She closed her eyes, feeling pathetic for a moment.


    "Gosh, Colette Anderson, what exactly were you thinking?"


    At first, the panic on James'' face when she found the love letters introduced a ridiculous idea; she thought he wrote them for her.


    It wasn''t until she overheard James and Sophie''s conversation that she realized how outrageous her idea was.


    Sophie''s birthday fell on the date three days from Colette''s deadline. James splurged on a grand birthday party and invited many guests, as it wasn''t just a birthday party. At the event, he publicly announced his engagement with Sophie.


    As the guests congratted the couple, Colette stood there in shock. She hadn''t expected James to love Sophie to such an extent. He had decided to get engaged to Sophie in three months'' time.


    Smiling wryly, she stared at the gift in her hands. She couldn''t believe that her farewell gift turned into a congrattory gift for his engagement.


    Once the quests dispersed, she approached James with the gift. Although she had made the decision to give him her blessing, no matter who he ended up with, she struggled to utter words of congrattions.


    "Uncle James, I wish you a happy engagement in advance. May you live happily forever after."

 Chapter 7

    James epted Colette''s gift with a dubious look on his face. "You can save the congrattions message for the engagement party."


    Too bad she would not make it to his engagement party. Head hung low, she neither exined nor retorted. She left after handing James the gift and sat in a


    corner.


    James did not pay her much attention. He continued parading Sophie through the crowds with a soft smile, patiently introducing to her all the guests who came forth to congratte them.


    Soon after, the couple disappeared into the crowds after greeting all the guests. Colette stayed around alone for a while before leaving the hall.


    As expected, Colette still could not adjust to social events. She had hated crowded events from a young age. James would often leave events halfway with her, and that habit still stuck, except that he left with Sophie instead of Colette.


    The event hall opened up to a huge space outside. Colette recalled there was a greenhouse nearby, and she made her way there. Before she could step inside, she saw two figures in the greenhouse-James and Sophie.


    "James, I want a greenhouse of my own after we''re married. Is that okay?" Sophie cooed.


    James replied dotingly, "If you want it, you don''t have to wait until we''re married. I can make that happen now."


    "Is that for real?" Her eyes sparkled with surprise. Blushing, she nted a kiss on his cheek. He turned his face awayst minute, and her kissnded right on his lips.


    Her blush deepened after his unexpected action. As she frantically tried to pull away, he pulled her closer and kissed her deeper.


    Colette watched the scene unfold before her eyes, but she felt peace instead of heartbroken, perhaps because she was essentially a dead person, or maybe because she had decided to give them her blessing.


    She quietly walked away from the greenhouse to avoid disturbing the couple. Then, she wandered aimlessly until she reached the pool, where she stared at the clear water and spaced out.


    After what felt like forever, she heard a familiar voice speaking to her.


    "That must have hurt."


    Colette turned around and saw Sophie standing beside her. She was a little confused by Sophie''s random remark.


    "James told me about your feelings


    for him. To be fair, it was only normal that a teen like you would fall for a perfect man like James." Even though Sophie expressed her understanding, the hatred in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. "But it doesn''t feel normal. Nonormal girl would fall for her uncle."


    Colette was shocked and


    embarrassed to learn that James had revealed her budding feelings for him to Sophie. It was one thing for James to turn down her


    ver


    affection. It didn''t matter since she


    was dead anyway, and she''d


    decided to give the couple her blessings.


    But why did he have to humiliate her?


    Colette perched by the poolside in silence, but Sophie wasn''t about to stop. She continued, "James does not like you, and I''m not bothered to act like I do. I will marry into the Zeller family soon, and I would hate to share a kid with him. I can pay you to move out. You''re an adult; it''s about time you live independently."


    All the color drained from Colette''s face. After a prolonged silence, she finally


    rasped out, "Don''t worry. I''ll be gone in three days."


    She gave in, but her action only fueled Sophie''s hostility. Sophie demanded. "Why


    is it three days? Why can''t you leave right now?"


    Colette struggled to exin to Sophie that she would leave not just the Zeller family but the world in three days.

 Chapter 8

    Colette was about to speak when the ident urred.


    Two kids on skateboards dashed in the direction of the pool. They noticed the two women toote and failed to slow down, hence crashing into Sophie and pushing her into the pool.


    Colette heard a ssh, followed by water sshing around. It took her a second before gathering herself. Ignoring the two kids, she prepared to dive into the pool to save Sophie when a figure appeared out of nowhere.


    She felt a huge force hitting her. Stumbling backward, she steadied herself and saw James to the rescue. He took off his jacket without hesitation and jumped into the pool to save Sophie.


    Once they were back to safety, he frowned at Colette. "What happened?"


    Sophie spoke up before Colette had a chance to exin herself. "It''s all my fault for angering Colette. That must be why she pushed me into the pool. I''m fine, though. Please don''t me it on her..."


    Trembling all over, Sophie put on a soft and pitiful behavior in front of everyone. Her attempt to speak up for me was in fact usatory. James shot me a reproachful look.


    "I did not shove her! I didn''t do it. It was-" Colette shook her head and tried to clear things up. She turned around to look for the two kids who crashed into Sophie, but they were long gone.


    Colette sank into silence, which robbed her of any chance to ever exin herself.


    "Who else could it have been? Are you saying I shoved her, or did she fall into the pool herself? Colette Anderson, I thought you were just stubborn, but I can''t believe you''re ill-mannered too!"


    His remarks dropped a bomb. Did he seriously describe her as ill-mannered? He knew that criticism was her sore spot ever since she lost her parents. Her bullies in school always scolded her for being an ill-mannered bastard. He stood up for her back in the day, but now, he weaponized the same criticism against her.


    She mumbled, trying to fight for herself, but James had scooped Sophie into his arms and left the pool.


    The party ended abruptly in the absence of the two main characters. The crowds dispersed, and Colette retired to her room destely.


    She tossed and turned in bed. She called and texted James to exin herself, but he ignored her the whole night. It wasn''t until dawn the next day that he returned to the vi with Sophie.


    "Uncle James+didn''t push Sophie into the pool. Two kids were fooling around, and they shoved her into the pool!" Colette rushed over to exin herself to James when they came home, but he remained silent He walked past her without taking a look while holding Sophie''s hand.


    She briskly walked to the front and stopped him. She teared up when she pleaded, "Can you please trust me one more time? You used to... trust me unconditionally."


    Colette''s teary voice stopped him in his tracks. He was her only remaining rtive in this world, and he provided her with everything When something happened, he would believe in her words without a doubt.


    s?ne


    She once asked him about it. Why did he trust her unconditionally, even when the whole world used her of lying? He exined, "Lettie, I


    raised you. I can''t vouch for people''s character, but I have confidence in you."


    BUMS


    Now, James stood before her in silence. Finally, he pushed her away. "Get away!" Although he did not shove her very hard, she stumbled onto the floor. Panic was written across his face as he helped her up. Her skin felt unusually cold to the touch.


    "Why does your skin feel so cold?" He sounded worried, especially when Colette failed to give an answer. He took her hand and realized she had no pulse.


    James was about to interrogate Colette in detail when Sophie cut him off. She said to Colette, "Colette, you shouldn''t fake having an illness even if you''re jealous of James spending time with me."


    James'' worry turned into anger. "Not only did you push Sophie into the pool, you''re faking illness to get my sympathy! I''ll only forgive you if you apologize to Sophie!"


    The clock ticked away as sadness filled Colette''s chest. She didn''t want to waste her limited time on arguments. Looking pallid, she relented, "Fine. I''ll apologize." Rising from her seat, she mumbled an apology to Sophie in tears. She looked up at James again in despair. "Uncle James, can you forgive me now?"


    Her forgiveness did not make him feel better, as she seemed to be on the verge of tears as if someone had bullied her.


    He stood in front of her with a scowl. Momentster, he hissed, "This had better not happen again!"

 Chapter 9

    On Colette''sst day on earth, she woke up and saw James and Sophie ready to leave home. Colette called out to James when he and Sophie were at the door, "Uncle James, I know you''re busy, but could youe home for dinner with me? Let''s have dinner; just the two of us."


    Colette wanted to bid farewell to James. Her eyes were filled with hope and longing. However, James mistook her request as another love confession. He nearly turned her down when Sophie patted him on the hand and generously said, "Well, I''ll meet up with my friends today, then. It''s been a while since we met anyway. You''re much older than Colette, and you shouldn''t hold a grudge against her."


    Under Sophie''s persuasion, James agreed to dinner with Colette. Colette got what she wanted, yet she felt bitter.


    She watched as the couple entered the car and left. Then, she entered the vi, feeling bitter.


    Sometimes, people would burn the belongings of the dead. On herst day, she gathered her belongings and set fire to them, so that James did not have to worry about how to dispose of them.


    James left a trace everywhere in her room. He bought all her daily essentials and her clothes for her.


    He wasn''t always a caring and thoughtful man. Most of the time, he left Colette''s daily activities in the care of the nanny and his assistant. It all changed when he noticed the nanny ignored Colette''s dietary needs, and his assistant was too busy juggling both demands at thepany and back home.


    As a result, no one noticed Colette developed a fever from the cold. If James hadn''te home that day and found her in a feverish state, she might have suffered permanent damage, like what the doctor suggested.


    Ever since that incident, James had taken Colette''s matters into his hands.


    Colette snapped out of her reverie. She stared wistfully at her belongings, now reduced to ashes. From now on, she would no longer exist in this world.


    She cleaned up the vi, only leaving that sealed closet in her bedroom untouched. She wondered if James would feel sad if he found her body in the closet.


    Without her around, no one would criticize James again. She bet he would be d.


    After Colette tidied up the vi, she put all her effort into herst dinner with James. She rarely cooked. In the past, James always brought her out for dinner or made dinner for her.


    She volunteered to learn cooking so she could make meals for him, but he


    banned her from trying after she got scalded by hot oil.


    Still, she secretly learned cooking, hoping to give him a surprise one day, but the


    robbery happened before she could put her skills to use.


    Thankfully, the hot oil could no longer injure her skin.


    It took her about five hours to prepare a feast. She waited by the dining table for a long time and reheated the dishes a few times, but James did note home. He did not respond to her texts and calls as well.


    After one of the calls got cut off, Colette stared nkly at her phone. Suddenly, she received a push notification on Instagram. Sophie had posted a photo.


    That gave Colette a sense of foreboding She couldn''t help but tap into the notification and saw the photo of two ne tickets. Sophie wrote in the caption, "Perhaps this is love, a man dropping everything and flying with you to Sunderton to enjoy the winter after you casually mentioned it."


    Colette paled after reading the caption. Fingers shaking, she scrolled to James'' contact and called him. This time, he finally picked up. She confronted him, "Are you at Sunderton with Sophie? But you promised to-"


    She was cut off by Sophie. Sophie taunted, "Colette Anderson, did you really think James would go home to dinner with you? Stop being delusional. You need to pack your bags and leave his vi right now!"


    Then, Sophie hung up without waiting for Colette''s reply. Colette sat in silence while listening to the disconnected tone. When the clock struck midnight, she tossed all the food into the waste bin.


    The Grim Reaper''s voice boomed from above. "Colette Anderson, the seven days are up. Did you regret striking this deal with me?"


    His eerie voice reverberated through the vi. When all was silent, she shed a bitter smile and replied in a despairing tone, "It''s not perfect, but I don''t regret my decision."


    She wandered to the calendar and tore away thest page. "Take me now."


    Right after that, she watched as her body grew transparent. She extended her hands and watched her as her soul dissipated from her fingers, followed by her hands, legs, and body.


    Finally, she became thin air. Before she vanished, she smiled into the distance and muttered, "Goodbye, Uncle James."


    They would never meet again.

 Chapter 10

    Five dayster, James returned from Sunderton. He immediately noticed something off with the vi. Gone was Colette, who''d always run up to wee him home.


    He changed into his home slippers and walked into the living room. It was too quiet.


    Suddenly, he recalled how silent Colette had been in the past five days. She did not call or provide any updates.


    Sophie muttered, "Where''s Colette? Is she still angry at your no-show that night? Well, it''s not like you did it on purpose; you had work! She''s acting like a child. You need to talk to herter."


    Her words stoked his anger. He growled, "Colette is no kid. She''s almost a college student. Why is she making a scene? I will ignore her this time. No one shall entertain her. Let''s see how long it takes for her to leave her bedroom!"


    Sophie hid her smugness when she heard his angry remark. Sheforted him disingenuously before returning to their bedroom. The longer James and Colette fought, the better.


    James did not immediately head to the bedroom or the study. Instead, he checked out the dining room. He was appalled at the stench when he stepped into the space.


    Frowning, he scanned his surroundings. His gaze fell on the waste bin. Flies crowded around it.


    It didn''t take him long to connect the dots. He was enraged. Did Colette really have to throw such a tantrum at him over this? What was she trying to achieve by leaving the trash around?


    He immediately thought of confronting Colette in her room, but his wandering gaze noticed the phone she left on the dining chair. He picked it up and saw the photo she used as her screensaver.


    Colette was smiling brightly in the photo. James worked in the background. It was a photo she stealthily took of him; a photo he saw on the day she took it.


    He didn''t know she had used it as a screensaver all along.


    Feeling conflicted, he turned off Colette''s phone instead of unlocking it. He called someone to get rid of the rotting trash before heading upstairs.


    Colette did not lock her bedroom not to door. James gave it a slight push, and it creaked open. He walked into the room and saw nothing but the sealed closet. The gifts he bought her were gone. She had once excitedly announced that she would disy them in the most prominent area within her room.


    He felt a hollow emptiness inside. Soon, he realized something was wrong. Colette had gone missing. Her belongings had disappeared, yet she hadn''t taken her phone. She vanished before college orientation, which was something


    AQUM


    unprecedented.


    James grabbed his phone and called his assistant. "Please look into Colette''s whereabouts."


    After the call, he turned his anxious attention to the odd-looking, sealed closet. He peeled off the tape. Just as he was about to open it, his phone rang, shattering the silence.


    His assistant was frantic. "Mr. Zeller,


    I have bad news. Ms. Anderson has closed alther ounts and deleted her personal information. The staff member who assisted her


    mentioned something about her disappearing in six days!"


    The phone slipped from James'' grasp, hitting the floor. His heart skipped a beat, and his ears rang. He was in disbelief. Was this a prank? How could Colette, an 18-year-old with a bright future, disappear from this world?

 Chapter 11

    James'' head snapped up. He stared at the closet before him, but he could not summon the courage to open it.


    The closer he got to the closet, the more his heart raced. He had a feeling that the closet contained an earth-shattering secret.


    He raised his trembling hands but struggled to open the closet doors. Sophie wandered into the room at that moment. She looked confused as to why he froze in front of the closet.


    "What''s wrong, James? I came to check on you because I heard a noise." She scanned the empty bedroom. Colette was unexpectedly gone.


    A thought struck Sophie. Could Colette have willingly moved out?


    James remained standing in front of the closet wordlessly. That prompted Sophie to look at the closet too.


    Without thinking, she opened the closet, only to scream her lungs out at the sight that greeted her.


    Her scream pulled James back to reality. His heart dropped when he saw what was in the closet-Colette''s blood-stained body.


    Colette''s eyes were tightly shut. Her body, slightly preserved in the tightly sealed closet, rapidly dposed when exposed to the air. Her skin was already discolored. The rotten smell of the corpse filled the air.


    James teared up immediately when he saw Colette''s lifeless body. He cried out in a shaking voice, "Lettie!"


    He had never openly cried, but he could no longer hold back his tears. "How did this happen?"


    He carefully moved Colette''s body out of the closet. Sophie instantly fled the room on wobbly legs out of fear when she saw him doing that. The first thing she did was to call the police.


    The police and the coroner showed up at the vi in no time. By the time they arrived, Sophie had calmed down. She quickly answered the door when they pressed on the doorbell and led everyone into the vi.  ?wnovel


    She brought them to Colette''s bedroom but refused to step into the space. The police and the coroner entered the room, where they found James hugging the dposing corpse tightly.


    The group had to persuade him to let go of the body and cooperate with the investigation. They hauled the body awayter.


    Before the authorities left the vi, an older policeman sighed after seeing the unconsble James. Patting James on the shoulder, the policemanforted him, "My condolences. I''m sure your family member does not want you to be sad. She''s gone. What matters is that you move on with your life."


    After that, he jogged away and caught up with the police force, leaving behind James, who looked lost.


    How could he ever move on with his life? He deliberately gave Colette the cold shoulder just to put a stop to her romantic crush on him. He was gone for only five days, but he didn''t expect it to be farewell.


    Drowning in his sorrows, he covered his face and sobbed. After a while, he finally said to Sophie in a hoarse voice, "You can leave now."


    Stunned, Sophie realized he wasn''t joking around. She frantically went up to him. "James, I''m not responsible for Colette''s death! I am really in love with you. How could you kick me out?"


    Tears drenched her cheeks. She grabbed his thigh and refused to let go, but he did not help her up, unlike before. He pried her fingers away from her. "Sophie Egan, you knew this from the start. I paid you to be my fake fianc¨¦e. Well, I don''t need one now."


    Sounding exhausted, he let out a sad chuckle and distanced himself from Sophie.


    "I will pay you ording to what we agreed on. Take the money and leave."

 Chapter 12

    Sophie was reluctant to leave, but she could not convince James to let her stay. She finally epted hispensation and bought a flight ticket abroad.


    Meanwhile, James was shocked by the time of death printed on Colette''s death certificate, which stated she had died 16 days ago. But he saw her a week ago!


    He vocalized his questions. The stunned staff member at the morgue quickly exined, "Mr. Zeller, the report is created by the most authoritative coroner in our department. His reports are never wrong."


    When James finally left the police department, each step he took felt hollow. In disbelief, he thought it was impossible to live with a dead person for a whole week.


    However, he thought of the unusual rate at which the corpse dposed on the day he found it. That gave him a new idea. Perhaps, that body was not Colette''s. Or maybe she was dead, but for some reason, she was stuck in this world for a little bit longer.


    The idea reminded him of the odd urrences over the past two weeks. 16 days ago, Colette spammed him with calls, iming an emergency. But he came home to see Colette seated on the couch, looking fine.


    He recalled the calendar on the wall with only seven pages. He stopped receiving messages from Colette since thest day on the calendar.


    Besides, he recounted the day he identally shoved her onto the ground. When he frantically pulled her up from the floor, her skin felt cold to the touch. She had no pulse.


    All the clues pointed to the second possibility.


    Something struck him. As he frantically gathered evidence for the incident, he realized that everyone''s memories of Colette from the past week seemed to have been mysteriously erased.


    Before Sophie boarded her flight, James approached her to ask about Colette. She responded, "Colette? I only met her once. The second time was the day we found her body."


    Then Sophie added, "James, I love you. Can''t you give me another chance?"


    James continued to question the guests at Sophie''s birthday party, assuming they would remember Colette from the pool incident.


    s, those he approached asked


    him about his engagement to Sophie. At the mention of Colette, they said was, "Oh, that girl from your house? I haven''t heard of her in a long time. She wasn''t at the birthday party either."


    nov.


    Even the staff member who assisted Colette in closing her ounts-the one whom James had tasked his assistant to interrogate-stated that he had met Colette in person 22 days ago.


    James'' efforts went to waste, and he dragged himself home. As he stared at the familiar surroundings, he wondered about the discrepancy between his memories and everyone''s memories of Colette.


    Why was he the only one who remembered seeing Colette in the past seven days?


    He grabbed his phone and was reminded that Colette''s phone was still in his possession. The discovery cheered him up immensely. What if her phone held clues?


    He hurried into the study and retrieved her phone from the drawer. The screen lit up with a screensaver of her smiling face. It felt like ages ago.


    Her passcode remained the same¡ªhis birthday. He unlocked the phone with ease and tapped into the call and text history. He saw nothing but his number.


    Thetest conversation was from nine days ago¡ªthe day he promised to have dinner with her. He regretted standing her up due to work. He never thought the day would be farewell.


    He remembered that he had not picked up any of her calls. Yet, he saw that he picked up her calls twice¡ª16 days ago and nine days ago.


    Sophie was the only person who had ess to his phone in the past two days.

 Chapter 13

    James tapped into the messaging app on Colette''s phone and stumbled on some surprising evidence.


    He discovered the call history between Sophie and Colette, as well as Sophie''s Instagram post that was set to private except for Colette.


    He grew angry after reading Sophie''s provocative caption, as he had never instructed Sophie to do that to Colette.


    Screenshotting the evidence, he texted them to Sophie and questioned her, "I thought you only met Colette twice. Exin this, then."


    Sophie did not reply. She was probably still on the ne.


    Her reply came after a long wait. She sent James a video clip of herself tapping into his screenshots, and they were all nk.


    "There''s nothing."


    James was taken aback by his nk screenshots. He tried sending out the screenshots once more, but they became nk on Sophie''s end.


    After many attempts, he finally arrived at a conclusion. He was the only person who could see Colette in those seven days.


    Feeling helpless, he thought, "How did this happen? I can''t be the only person who remembered her."


    The incident drove him mad. It was public knowledge that he attempted to prove that Colette was alive in the seven days.


    James experienced momentary rity after the police arrested Colette''s killer. He hired the best attorney to fight for the most severe punishment for the killer before he rpsed into insanity.


    His parents, Bill Zeller and Mnia Coolidge, worried incessantly about him. Finally, theypletely gave up on him and picked another heir for the Zeller Group.


    One day, James'' parents dropped by


    his vi to visit him out of concern. They searched the entire ce for him and finally found him in a


    bathtub filled with water.


    Eyes closed, James rested in the bathtub with a smile. Blood continued dripping


    from the deep wound on his wrist, coloring the bathwater red.


    Upon witnessing the scene, Mnia screamed and fainted. Bill panted heavily. He dialed 911 with trembling hands and cautiously ced a finger under James'' nose.


    Bill teared up when he realized James had stopped breathing. Tears finally rolled down his cheeks when the ambnce arrived and took everyone to the hospital.


    They couldn''t save James'' life. The doctor who arrived with the ambnce confirmed his death the moment his body was lifted out of the bathtub.


    Mnia, who had regained consciousness, started sobbing when she received the bad news.


    At the same time, James had traveled to a faraway ce. His eyes fluttered open. It was dark around him.


    He thought he was in a dream until he noticed his translucent hands. "Am I dead?"


    The Grim Reaper appeared, stirring emotions within James. Instead of fear, James felt joy and eximed, "I knew it! I knew it!"


    The Grim Reaper was momentarily speechless at James'' unusual reaction. He raised a hand to stop James from stumbling forward.


    "James Zeller, you were not destined to die young. You weren''t supposed to be here."


    Typically, souls who died by their own hands were out of the Grim Reaper''s purview, but James was an exceptional case. His life was


    shortened due to the Grim Reaper''s interference with Colette''s fate, leading to this moment.


    The Grim Reaper should have erased James'' memories of Colette''s final seven days, but he failed. This failure drove James to madness and ultimately to suicide.

 Chapter 14

    "Sir, I am looking for someone!" Frozen on the spot, James blurted out his thoughts as if he did not listen to what the Grim Reaper just said to him.


    A long pauseter, the Grim Reaper let out a sigh. "Colette Anderson is gone. You need to move on with your destiny."


    The revtion struck James like lightning. Stunned, he wracked his brain to process the Grim Reaper''s words.


    "She''s gone? What does that even mean, and why is she gone?" James stubbornly stood in front of the Grim Reaper, despite his vulnerability against the powerful being.


    Finally, the Grim Reaper''s chilling voice echoed in the space. "Colette Anderson struck a deal with me. She gave up her chance at reincarnation in exchange for seven more days with you to make up for her regrets. The seven days are up, and her soul is gone."


    James'' heart sank further with every word that came out of the Grim Reaper''s mouth. He was devastated. Did Colette willingly allow her soul to vanish in exchange for seven more days with him?


    The Grim Reaper watched as James paled. Suddenly, he waved and conjured a misty mirror out of thin air. Scenes from Colette''s death yed in the mirror.


    When Colette was drawing herst breaths after getting stabbed, James, unaware of the emergency, hung up on her calls multiple times because he was taking care of a feverish Sophie.


    Finally, it was Sophie who picked up the call when he wasn''t looking, but she did not do that to help. She wanted to cut off Colette''sst hope.


    "Hey, Colette. What''s the matter? James is too busy making soup for me to take your calls."


    Colette took herst breath in despair. Her soul was stuck in the mortal realm due to the resentment she carried. The Grim Reaper finally took notice of her situation and made a deal with her a deal that was not worth it at all.


    Colette agreed to disappear in exchange for seven more days by James'' side, but James had pushed her away like a coward.


    He watched as Colette sold off her parents'' inheritance and gifts from him. Then, she transferred all the money into a debit ount. When she ced the debit card in his study, she tidied up the space, only to stumble upon the stack of love letters he wrote.


    He watched himself kicking Colette out of the study. She cried under the covers in her room when she overheard him giving the love letters to Sophie, and she


    called herself an idiot for thinking those were for her.


    But Colette wasn''t wrong. The love letters were for her.


    James had ridiculously refused to admit to his feelings for Colette, as he feared societal judgment against him and Colette. So, he tried to push Colette away, even inviting Sophie to y the role of a fake girlfriend. They acted like lovebirds to break Colette''s heart.


    On the day of Sophie''s birthday, she had been pushed into the pool by two rambunctious kids. He sided with Sophie, though she had always been mean to Colette. He believed in her words and used Colette of lying and shunning her


    responsibilities.


    Even when he discovered Colette''s low body temperature and nonexistent pulse,


    he immediately changed his mind when Sophie used Colette of faking an illness. He noticed the utter disappointment in Colette''s eyes when she apologized.


    On Colette''sst day, he agreed to have dinner with her, but he stood her up.


    At first, he believed that everything could start anew if Colette gave up loving him. Now, he realized he was an idiot for letting his loved one vanish from the earth with regrets.


    Colette must have been terrified when she took herst breath. He hung up on her when she asked for help. Despite his behavior, she still made a huge sacrifice just to be with him a little longer.

 Chapter 15

    "Sir, I would like to make a deal with you too." After what seemed like an eternity, James finally spoke. His suggestion startled the Grim Reaper. "What deal do you want to strike?"


    The Grim Reaper had an amused twinkle in his eyes. He wanted to learn more about this deal.


    James, meanwhile, was d that the Grim Reaper did not turn him down, which meant there was a possibility after all. He told the Grim Reaper everything on his mind.


    "I would like to give up all the life I have left in exchange for a chance to be reborn with her." This was the only idea he came up with after he heard about Colette''s deal with the Grim Reaper.


    His speech was met with a snicker from the Grim Reaper.


    "Colette Anderson gave up reincarnation for a mere seven days with you. What makes you think you could give up the rest of your life in exchange for a next life with her?"


    The Grim Reaper shook his head, mocking James'' arrogance and naivete. Changing one''s destiny wasn''t something that could be easily done, and it certainly wasn''t within James'' power. Besides, they were talking about a woman whose soul was already gone.


    Embarrassed by the Grim Reaper''s words, James quicklyposed himself. He decided to raise the stakes if his initial offer wasn''t enough. "I can give up anything for another life with Colette."


    The sincerity in his voice caught the Grim Reaper''s attention, but he still shook his head. "Even so, you can only have one life with her. I can''t guarantee your rtionship in that life."


    James fell silent, feeling hopeless. Even if he sacrificed everything, there was no certainty he could return to the way things were with Colette. The thought made him chuckle sadly.


    Losing patience, the Grim Reaper cut him off. "Deal or no deal?"


    Initially, the Grim Reaper thought James would back off, given his silence. He was about to instruct his assistant to take James away when James stared at him and said, "Deal."


    James wanted to make it up to Colette for what he had done to her. Even if they might not cross paths in the next life, all he wanted was for her to have a good life.


    Peering down arrogantly, the Grim Reaper asked coldly, "Is that your final decision?"


    James nodded decisively. "Yes."


    "I shall grant your wish. In your next life, you will not carry memories from the past. Whatever happens is out of your control."


    After the Grim Reaper made the announcement, a wintry breeze swept through the space, sending chills down James'' spine.


    In the next second, James lost consciousness.


    A long timeter, James woke up in an entirely different environment. The only source of light poured in from a crack in the ceiling of a dim and dingy attic. He squinted under the blinding light and raised his hand to block it out.


    A thin rag covered him. He flipped it and prepared to stand up when he choked and sneezed hard from the falling dust.


    James Vanderbilt tried to stand up straight, only to hit his head on the ceiling. He caressed his head and scammed his surroundings to realize attic was barely his height.


    that e


    He went down the wooden stairs and frowned at the poverty-stricken house. Somehow, he had a feeling


    an


    that he shouldn''t be living in sught,


    environment, but on second thought, he could not have envisioned a different lifestyle.


    After some thinking, James concluded that his illusions must havee from a


    dream in that long nap he took.

 Chapter 16

    It was Sunday, and James was home from the nearby college he attended.


    He grew up in a poor household. His parents fell sick from overworking and lost their ability to work when he was in high school.


    Although his family had no savings, he worked hard to win schrships and stipends throughout his studies. He decided to attend the best college in the city to stay close to his parents. The proximity allowed him to visit them over the weekends.


    James checked the time. It was 4:00 pm. When he got down from the attic, he saw his parents stuffing some fruits into his backpack. They hurried up when they heard his footsteps.


    James ran over and stopped them. He took out the fruits from his backpack with a helpless expression. "Dad, Mom, I brought home the fruits for you. I''m on schrship, and I can have these fruits on campus anytime I want. You need to take care of your health. Please don''t save everything for me."


    His dad, Will Vanderbilt, stuffed the fruits back into the backpack and shook his head in protest. "We know everything. Even with the sponsorship, you only get a set portion of fruit every time. Giving it to us means you won''t have any to eat. Fruits are expensive. You need to take care of yourself; you''re still a student who has to take care of his parents!"


    "Dad, stop arguing. If you keep up this tug-o-war, I''ll just drop the stuff at home the next time! I won''t bother to spend time with you!" James shoved the fruits into his parents'' hands and grabbed his backpack, pretending that he would storm out in anger.


    That finally forced his parents to ept the fruits.


    When it was time to say goodbye, the couple reluctantly saw their son to the door. They hoped he would visit often, but at the same time, they did not want to put him through the trouble.


    As the only child, James received all the love and attention from Will and his wife, Maureen Green. Will and Maureen felt guilty for burdening James.


    But James was a thoughtful child. Apart from studying diligently, he started working part-time in high school. He dismissed their guilt by saying, "Dad, Mom, how can you describe yourself as a burden to me, after all you''ve done to raise a fine young man? You''re the best parents. You should happily ept what I do for you."


    Although James was in college, he''d given up admissions to better colleges in favor of the college in the city. As parents, Will and Maureen wished to spend more time with their son, but they felt sorry when they saw how much he struggled for his family. They wished he could put himself before anyone else.


    James stepped out of the house. After some deliberation, he turned around and reminded them, "Dad, Mom, eat the fruits while they''re fresh! Don''t keep them around until they rot!"


    "Got it." Will and Maureen waved at him, telling him to get back to campus soon.


    James did not look back again. He walked in the direction of the bus stop.


    The Vanderbilts lived in the suburbs,


    met


    in the same area as the Avery University campus but in the opposite direction. It took James two hours to get back to campus each time he visited home. Not only that, but he had to make a transit on the journey.


    Thankfully, he could always find a seat on the bus as the bus route was not popr.


    The rickety bus took off. James, perhaps too exhausted or rocked to sleep by the bus, fell into deep slumber right after he sat down, despite just waking up from a nap in the attic.


    In his dream, he saw apany leader in a suit, who was the object of the desires of many women. A young girl who tagged along with the important man left a strong impression on James.


    James could not see her face clearly, but something told him she was an important presence.


    The young girl was 10 years younger than the man. Every time she saw the man, she''d call him "uncle" in a sweet voice.


    As an orphan, the young girl was emotionally dependent on the man. Over time, her feelings slowly grew into romantic love.

 Chapter 17

    The girl confessed her feelings to the grown man. The man''s eyes betrayed his feelings, yet he surprised James by coldly pushing the girl away.


    The man warned her, "I''m like an uncle to you. I only see you as a kid."


    James burst outughing. He silently muttered, "Ah, you''re being hypocritical, you liar."


    The bus passed through a bumpy road. All the shaking woke James up. He checked his surroundings and realized he had missed his stop.


    Shocked, he quickly embarked on the next stop. There was quite a distance between the two stops. It would take him some time to get back to the bus stop near the campus.


    He walked on the side of the road while recounting the dream. Somehow, he couldn''t remember many details.


    Thinking hard, he still failed to recall any details except for the sentence he had muttered-"Ah, you''re being hypocritical, you liar."


    He wasted a lot of time getting back to campus, all because he missed his stop.


    Sharing a room with seven other guys meant little to no privacy. In the middle of summer, the nights remained hot. Cicadas croaked outside the windows as the hot air filled the room.


    Each dorm room came with AC, but no one turned it on to save on electricity. Only the old fan creaked as it worked hard.


    James went to bed after reading. He wondered if he''d resume the dream from the bus. He was so curious about what happened next, as well as the identity of that girl.


    This might sound rather ridiculous and delusional, but he had a feeling he would see her again.


    Meanwhile, his roommates were puzzled when he went to sleep early. He had always been the most hardworking guy in the room.


    The dorm lights would not turn off on a set time. At first, James was oblivious to his roommates'' need to rest. He kept the lights on to read, but he quickly rectified his behavior after his roommates pointed it out.


    He continued readingte into the night, but at a different ce.


    When his roommates fell asleep, he would leave the room to read. Therefore, they were baffled to see him sleeping early.


    However, he felt no need to exin himself for going to bed early. Since he looked drowsy, no one asked any questions about the change in his behavior. They merely carried on their activities softly to avoid disturbing him.


    James had a good night''s sleep. Regretfully, the man and the young girl did not show up in his dreams.


    It was the tradition of Avery University to host a weekly town hall for freshmen on Mondays.


    At the end of the semester, the town halls had been reduced to a monthly exercise. James, a freshman, had to rush to the field at 6:30 am on the day of the town hall after washing up.


    Students had started gathering around the tform. He casually nced around. A young woman in the crowd caught his attention.


    É«


    Exuding a vibrant and youthful aura, she rubbed her eyes sleepily while chatting with the people around her.


    James'' heart started to pound. He came to a halt, unable to walk any further.


    Although he didn''t see the face of the girl in the dream he barely remembered, a voice wouldn''t stop ringing in his head.


    "That''s her! That''s her!"


    James'' roommates looked in the same direction. They chuckled and draped an arm on his shoulder when they realized he was swooning over a female student.


    "Looks like our star student has fallen in love!"

 Chapter 18

    The voice of James'' roommates felt like a light year away. The world faded away as he focused on the young woman.


    It wasn''t until his roommates pped him on the back that snapped him back to reality. Speechless, they reminded him, "Hey, that''s enough. The town hall is about to start. Don''t stare at her. If you like her, you should get to know her, not stand here and stare."


    They dragged him away, pulling him back to reality. He finally looked away and moved on.


    Meanwhile, Colette Evans sensed a pair of eyes on her. She looked in James'' direction, but he had already vanished into the crowds.


    She looked away, puzzled. Her friend, noticing that she was looking around, stole a nce at the university president who was about to walk onto the tform.


    Then, the friend whispered to Colette, "What''s wrong?"


    No longer feeling James'' eyes on her, Colette brushed off the feeling as an illusion. She shook her head. "Nothing. I guess I''m just sleepy."


    "You should have gone to bed earlierst night since we have an event today." Janelle Windsor tousled Colette''s hair. After a pause, she made Colette rest her head on her shoulder. "Since you don''t have sses this morning, why don''t you catch some sleep after the town hall? Rest on my shoulder for now."


    "Janelle, you''re the best." Colette rested her head on Janelle''s shoulder. After finding afortable position to rest in, she drifted to sleep, much to Janelle''s surprise.


    Listening to Colette''s soft and steady breathing, Janelle wondered how tired was Colette to have fallen asleep under such circumstances.


    Sighing, she shifted in her seat to hide Colette behind her.


    ...


    The deans and professors rambled on during the town hall. It was already 7:30 am when they wrapped up the town hall.


    More and more students filed onto campus. After catching some shut-eye, Colette was fully awake and discussing what was for breakfast with Janelle.


    "I shouldn''t have joined the student union if I had known the sophomore members had to attend town halls," Colette made the remark, which she had made multiple times, with a wide yawn.


    "You''ve said that every time during town hall from freshman to sophomore year. Spare me. You''ll


    put this behind you when you gene


    your credits from your student union activities." Janelle looked rather exasperated. Unlike Colette, she had listened to the deans'' and


    professors'' speeches.


    Thankfully, that was their final town hall of the semester. They would join the town


    hall as juniors next time, with fewer responsibilities.


    "What do you want for breakfast?" Colette changed the topic with a grin.


    Hand-in-hand, the girls wandered to the cafeteria. They did not notice James silently following behind them.


    The cafeteria was not packed, which gave them a chance to choose their food carefully. They made one round before deciding to get a bowl of soup each.


    The cafeteriady had given them huge portions, perhaps because of their thin figures. The girls carried the hot soup and searched for a table with much difficulty


    Colette carefully held the bowl in case of spige. She looked for a seat, but when


    she turned around, she bumped into a guy who walked past.

 Chapter 19

    Half of Colette''s soup spilled to the other side, while some of it spilled on the guy when they collided.


    Fortunately, Colette wasn''t scalded. However, James inhaled sharply when he felt the scorching pain from the hot soup.


    Colette jumped in shock. Concerned, she inquired, "Hey, are you okay?"


    James pulled himself together after taking a few deep breaths. Waving, he assured her, "I''m okay. Sorry, I made you spill your soup. I''ll get you a new bowl!"


    His highly logical apology took her by surprise. She''d nevere across a victim who offered an apology andpensation. This wasn''t his fault at all.


    "It''s fine. I''ll get a new bowl of soup myself." She looked at the spilled soup on the floor with pity. Shaking her head, she handed him some napkins and pointed at the soup that stained his shirt.


    Looking worried, she asked, "The soup doesn''t cost much anyway. How about you? Are you sure you''re not hurt?"


    He epted the napkin and carefully dabbed the skin under his shirt. Then, he shed her a bashful grin.


    Janelle had found a table and ced her soup by then. She went back for Colette and was shocked to see the scene.


    Colette summarized the incident for Janelle. Janelle, after scanning the almost empty cafeteria, turned her attention back to the young man who refused to budge. Something clicked in her mind, but she did not vocalize her thoughts.


    Instead, she chuckled. "Well, you''ve met each other, one way or another. You did not get into a fight, but you got to know each other." Then, she whispered into Colette''s ears, "He''s quite hot. Do you want to get his number?"


    Before Colette could respond, Janelle reached out to James fora handshake. "She''s Colette Evans. I''m Janelle Windsor. We''re both O sophomores. What''s your name?"


    James was slightly taken aback when he learned they were sophomores. He gathered himself and replied, "Hi, I''m James Vanderbilt. I''m a freshman."


    Janelle arched her eyebrow with amusement. With a twinkle in her eyes, she teased Colette, "Ooh, he''s younger than you."


    The three of them exchanged numbers. Only when the girls were back at the dorm did Colette notice something amiss.


    "Janelle, did you hide something from me?"


    Janelle turned around and shot her a puzzled look. "Really? What did I hide from you?"


    Momentster, Janelle widened her eyes and raised her voice. "Wait! Did you not notice that he was into you?"


    Their roommates had been hanging out at the dorm. Since they did not have to attend the town hall, no one woke up before noon unless they had morning ss.


    They stirred in surprise when they


    heard Janelle''s voice. Colette


    blushed deeply. She hurriedly


    vel


    covered Janelle''s mouth to stop the


    She chided Janelle, "Quit the nonsense! I''ve only met him once, and here you are,


    making up stories. Are you trying to wake everyone up?"


    Janelle tugged at Colette''s arm in protest. Just as she was about to argue with Colette, one of their roommates asked with a curious glint in her eyes, "What''s going on? Who''s into who?"

 Chapter 20

    It took Colette a while to calm down their roommates. She was about to take a rest when she received a text on her phone.


    James had texted her, "Colette, I''m sorry for what happened today. Can I treat you to dinner someday?"


    Janelle poked her head over and read the text on Colette''s phone. "Woah, he''s offering to buy you dinner! I heard he''s from a poor family. This shows he''s into you!"


    Colette frowned when she learned that James came from a poor family. Her roommates were discussing his background, and for some reason, she''d always assumed he was from wealth.


    The memory clicked only when Janelle mentioned his family more openly, and Colette remembered seeing James'' name in the news. He''d made headlines by choosing Avery University to stay close to his parents, despite being the top SAT schr who could have attended any prestigious school.


    The decision sparked a lot of debate-some praised his loyalty, while others thought he was limiting his future for his parents'' sake. Yet, James had remained unfazed, confident he''d excel wherever he went.


    Rumors about his family only added to his intrigue. Allegedly, he had supported them financially since high school.


    With this in mind, Colette pushed past her gossiping roommates, sat on her bed, and replied to James seriously, "It''s fine. Focus on your studies; finals areing up, and I''m sure you''ll earn a schrship with those grades!"


    She had tactfully turned down his invitation. The thought of him treating her to dinner when he was already juggling schrships and odd jobs didn''t sit right with her.


    Still, she couldn''t bring herself to delete his contact, feeling it would be rude when he hadn''t even confessed his feelings.


    From that day on, they started to talk more frequently, and she gradually got to know him better. Initially, he woulde up with reasons to seek her help, and as a member of the student union she never declined.


    Eventually, she noticed he''d sometimes ask for help with things he could handle on his own. She could have refused, but somehow, saying no to him was never easy.


    Time flew by, and on the 500th day of their friendship, James decided it was time to confess his feelings to Colette. By then, Colette was a senior in her final year.


    On the day of the season''s first snow, Avery University was nketed in white. Snowkes.


    drifted like delicate cotton, glowing


    under the streetmps and casting a


    magical scene across campus.


    Bundled in a warm down jacket and a snug beanie, Colette walked alongside James. Ayer of frost had formed on her bangs as they strolled around the field, watching couples pelting each other with snowballs on the track.


    As they walked, a couple suddenly sprinted past, nearly knocking Colette off bnce.


    James instinctively pulled her into a protective embrace, steadying her. Once the couple passed, he released her, slightly flustered, as she wriggled free from his


    arms.

 Chapter 21

    "Why did you want to meet me today?" Colette tried her best to suppress the odd feeling and asked in a normal tone.


    James'' face flushed even deeper when he heard her question. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag, leaning closer to whisper, "Colette, this is


    for you."


    Realizing it was a gift, Colette tried to hand it back immediately. But James seemed prepared for this, pulling a white knitted scarf out of the bag. The stitching was uneven; it was unmistakably handmade.


    "It''s homemade," he admitted, his cheeks still red. "I don''t have much, so I wanted to make something for you. This is my first time knitting, so it''s not perfect, but I hope you don''t mind."


    His thoughtful gesture,bined with his shy smile, was enough to melt anyone''s heart. Caught off guard, Colette hesitated as she looked at the scarf, then quickly waved her hands, her face warm with embarrassment. "I... I''m sorry, but I can''t ept it. A handmade scarf feels like... more than just a thank-you gift."


    Her refusal didn''t faze him¡ªinstead, he jumped on the chance to open his heart further. He blurted out, "Then, Colette, can you give me a chance? Let me be your boyfriend."


    In the year and a half of their friendship, James had always been kind to her, and she''d be lying if she said she''d never felt anything for him. But his sudden confession left her flustered, unsure how to respond.


    Seeing her cheeks turn pink, James took a step closer, his gaze softening. "Colette," he murmured, "can I put the scarf on you?"


    Still blushing, she did not reply. He took it as a silent agreement. A look of pleasant surprise shed across his eyes, and his smile deepened.


    He carefully wrapped the scarf around her neck. The length was perfect.


    His eyes brightened, and his smile widened as he gently wrapped the scarf around her neck, finding it the perfect length.


    Standing close, she could feel his warm breath against her ear, making her blush deepen. The white scarf suited her beautifully, blending into the winterndscape, while her rosy cheeks-whether from


    embarrassment or the cold-added a touch of liveliness.


    "So, Colette, are you willing to give me a chance?" James asked softly.


    His sudden question made her heart skip a beat.


    "A-A chance?" she stammered, immediately realizing how silly she sounded.


    Chuckling, he gently looked at Colette¡ªshe was like a deer in the headlights. He addressed her softly, as if she might run away in shock at any moment.


    He patiently professed his feelings again, "Give me a chance, Colette. Let me be your boyfriend. I love you. I love you more than anything.


    "I may not have much, but if you trust me and give me time, I promise I''ll give you the best life I can."


    As the word''s left him, James


    exhaled deeply, feeling as if a weight


    had lifted from his chest. The determination in his eyes softened as he watched her reaction, hoping she''d say yes.


    Judging from Colette''s response, he had a good feeling that she would agree to date him.


    This time, she was ready to speak. She looked up at him¡ªthis young man, one year her junior but taller than her by a head.


    Just as she was about to say yes, she felt an excruciating pain


    erupting in her head. Her face to


    pale and her lips trembled so


    violently that she couldn''t speak.


    Thest thing she saw before everything went dark was James'' face, his eyes


    wide with panic as he reached out to catch her.

 Chapter 22

    Trapped in a long dream, Colette could not see the faces of the people in the dream, but somehow, she had a feeling that it was a dream about her and James.


    The man in her dream was named James, but he was James Zeller, the heir of the Zeller Group. James Zeller had abandoned his family''s wealth and his right to inherit the business, all to care for a young, frail girl who had no rtion to him.


    To the girl, he was a beloved uncle. He doted on her and raised her to be a lovely youngdy. He was by her side for ten years. When she reached 18, she unapologetically fell in love with him.


    No one, including James, showed any understanding toward her feelings. He withdrew his affection and began a relentless series of blind dates, ultimately finding the "perfect" fianc¨¦e to bring home.


    He believed that finding a fianc¨¦e would put an end to Colette Anderson''s feelings for him.


    Yet when Colette was viciously stabbed during a robbery, James was the only person she thought to call. But he didn''t answer-he was spending the entire day by his fianc¨¦e''s side, caring for her through a mild fever.


    James'' attitude changed the day Colette gathered the courage to confess her love for him; from that moment on, he grew increasingly distant and indifferent.


    When the killer took her life and hid her body in a closet, Colette didn''t even get a final glimpse of him. Bound to her body, her soul couldn''t move on. Though a soul was supposed tock emotions, Colette Evans could feel the sorrow of the girl who had been abandoned by "Uncle James".


    She watched as the girl struck a tragic deal with the Grim Reaper, agreeing to vanish forever in exchange for just seven more days with James. Brought back to life, the girl''s first encounter with him was met with cruelty: he used her of spamming him with calls on the very day she had died.


    Colette witnessed the girl''s painful struggle with human food, yet James forced her to eat his fianc¨¦e''s cooking. When the girl couldn''t keep it down, he used her of being difficult and upsetting his fianc¨¦e.


    Later, Colette Evans read the love letters that Colette Anderson never had the chance to see. Once Colette Anderson left his study, James Zeller opened each letter-all addressed to Colette.


    Though Colette Evans had seen Colette Anderson vanish from the world after making her pact with the Grim Reaper, an unsettling idea took root in her mind¡ª she was Colette Anderson.


    The final scenes of the dream confirmed it. She watched events unfold after Colette Anderson disappeared for good.


    When James Zeller learned of Colette''s death, he was devastated. Abandoned by his family, he attempted to end his own life. She witnessed him in his final moments, lying in a blood-filled bathtub hisst breath slipping away.


    Upon his death, James found himself in hell, where he met the Grim Reaper and made another desperate bargain.


    Because of James Zeller''s sacrifice,


    Colette Evans was granted a new


    life-one surrounded by wealth and loving parents. But James was absent from this life, having relinquished everything¡ªhis future lives, his fortune-for her second chance.


    Now, Colette Evans encountered the Grim Reaper once more. This time, he wasn''t there to im her life but to reveal the truth and offer her a choice.


    Armed with full knowledge of her past, Colette had to decide: forgiveness or final separation.


    She understood that James


    Vanderbilt, the James she knew now, was worlds apart from the James Zeller she once knew. Yet even with the truthid bare, Colette realized she still couldn''t ept either version of him-neither "Uncle James" nor James Vanderbilt.

 Chapter 23

    It wasn''t that Colette regretted her past life choices. She still stood by her final words before disappearing.


    "It''s not perfect, but I don''t regret my decision."


    There was one more thing she hadn''t voiced-if given another life, she would choose never to fall in love with James Zeller.


    Back then, Colette believed she would vanish forever.


    Knowing that James had sacrificed everything for her to have a new life, she resolved to leave him behindpletely. She wanted this life to be hers alone, a life lived to the fullest for herself.


    Colette stirred awake the next day in the afternoon. She immediately knew her location when she picked up on the pungent disinfectant smell, saw the white ceilings above her, and felt the pain on the back of her hand from being hooked up to the IV solution.


    She turned around and found James by her side. Hey t by the bed while sleeping ufortably. She bet he had a rough night sleeping there, judging from the stubble on his chin.


    Once, she might have felt sympathy for him-or even been charmed-but now, her feelings wereplicated.


    The Grim Reaper had shared something else during their encounter: when James Zeller made his bargain, giving up all his future lives and wealth to share another life with her, both of them were supposed to lose their memories.


    Yet James had circumvented this, keeping his memories and even crafting a love stone with both of their names, which exined their unexinable pull toward each other, despite theirck of memories.


    It was this interference that prompted the Grim Reaper to reveal the truth and return Colette''s memories.


    Coming back to the present, Colette looked at James, realizing that, in both lives, he always imposed his will on their rtionship. He had rejected her love in their past life only to pursue her now, after she had moved on. He gave up everything to remain by her side.


    She raised her hand and gently brushed his cheek. "Uncle James," she thought, "it wasn''t our age difference that kept us apart-it was you."


    Her touch stirred him awake, and he opened his eyes, surprised to see her awake. Concern flickered across his face, and he reached for the call button, but she stopped him.


    "I''m fine. You don''t have to ask for the doctor." She paused, her tone polite but distant, just like the first time they met, "I''ll pay you back the hospital feester. Thanks for getting me to the hospital


    The look of heartbreak in his eyes stung her, but she steeled herself, unwilling to offer him any hope. "James Vanderbilt, I won''t love you back. We''re ipatible."


    He looked stunned. "Ipatible? Colette, we''ve always gotten along well. Why don''t you like me?"


    "Besides," he thought, "you were so close to saying yes before you fainted." But he kept this to himself, afraid to face the truth of his unrequited love.


    Seemingly oblivious to his anxiety and confusion, Colette addressed him harshly, "We get along well, but I still see you as a friend. I prefer older guys."


    Her gaze shifted to the IV bottle. It would still be a while before it was empty.


    After a long pause, she turned to James and smiled at him.


    Inwardly, she thought, "James Zeller, you denied your feelings for me because you said I was too young for you. You and your fianc¨¦e hurt my feelings. And I shall do the same toyou."


    "James Vanderbilt, please leave," she said to him.


    She thought, "I did not make the deal with the Grim Reaper hoping you''d


    e after me. If you couldn''t love


    the past life, I don''t need your attention in any future ones."

 Chapter 24

    James finally left the hospital after Colette discharged herself. He reluctantly epted her payment for the hospital fees, though he had initially refused.


    It was only after Colette''s biting words that he gave in.


    "James, please don''t force yourself," she said coldly. "You don''te from a well- off family, do you? I can afford the fees. I''d feel guilty if you had to work part-time just to pay for my hospital bills."


    Flustered, he lowered his head.


    Lately, his dreams had been full of visions of himself as someone else¡ªJames Zeller of the Zeller Group, a sessful entrepreneur capable of thriving even if he lost everything.


    But James Zeller was a far cry from James Vanderbilt, a penniless student who hadn''t even graduated yet.


    Demoralized, hey on his bed in the dorm, unable to understand how everything had gone wrong just when he thought things were starting to improve.


    Suddenly, a noise outside his dorm room caught his attention. He checked the time-it was after ss.


    Students walked in groups past the dorm, their chatter and youthful exuberance a stark contrast to the emptiness and bleakness of the dorm room.


    The door to James'' room flung open without warning. Light flooded in, and illuminated the space except for a corner of the room.


    James'' roommates barged in, talking amongst themselves. None of them noticed him lying on the bed.


    As night fell, they turned on the lights. Noticing his absence, one of the guys muttered, "I thought James was the most serious of us all. He skipped all his sses today and was outte."


    Anotherughed. "Did you know he''s been knitting a scarf? Finished it two days ago. I bet he was out on a date."


    "With whom? Was it the girl from the student union?"


    "Yup. That''s the one."


    ...


    James, the subject of the gossip, simply rolled over in bed with a frown, his eyes shut as if he were asleep.


    His movements caught the attention of his roommates. Startled, they fell silent, quickly realizing he was merely sleeping.


    They exchanged nces, on the verge of saying something, but ultimately kept quiet and shook their heads.


    James didn''t hear their


    conversation. In the quiet of his dreams, be found himself


    encountering two familiar figures. This time, he saw their faces clearly and was taken aback to realize it was himself and Colette.


    He watched from a third-person perspective as James Zeller and Colette Anderson moved toward their tragic fate. He longed to intervene to speak to James Zeller.


    Perhaps it was because of his


    strong will that he somehow found himself inside James'' body, able to control it. He answered Colette''s call on the day of the house robbery, pushed Sophie Egan away, and did everything he could to make things right with Colette.


    Finally, he managed to get Colette to ept him again.


    To his despair, on the seventh day, he witnessed Colette die before his eyes, vanishing into thin air. In herst moments, shey in his


    and gently caressed his cheeton


    "Uncle James, I never regretted fatting in love with you. But James Vanderbilt, I''ve fallen out of love with you."


    His dreams crumbled away, plunging him into a dark abyss. He stumbled forward


    in the darkness, feeling his memories fading rapidly.


    Lost in a void of confusion, he couldn''t grasp where he was, why he was there, or even who he was anymore.


    He carried a vacant look. Suddenly, a massive and monstrous face appeared before him.


    He blurted out, "Who are you? Who am I? Why am I here?"


    The face''s voice was cold and unyielding. "The answers you seek aren''t yours to know. What matters is that you failed to honor our deal. Now, I''m here to im the time you''ve left."


    The next morning, James Vanderbilt''s roommates discovered his lifeless body when they tried to wake him up for ss. The news spread quickly, reaching Colette, and she fell into a long, stunned silence.


    Finally, a softugh escaped her lips.


    "James Zeller," she thought. "What was it all for? I never wanted you toe back."


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