Death Contract (PUBLISHED)

Molly's Secret Part 1

Chapter 57

Mr. Perelman’s death marked the beginning of my sad life with the family that built me up for a month. I never thought the day would come when I would wake up without Mr. Perelman. It was like a nightmare. I still can’t accept it, or better to say, I don't want to accept it.

After the funeral, I never saw Hazel at home again, as if she was burying herself at work to forget her father’s death. While Mrs. Perelman never left her room, it seemed like the only way she could forget the loss of her husband.

A week passed, and during that week I couldn't help but feel indifferent that I was alone again. But, it was fun to remember that I was alone from the start.

At that point, I realized something, and that is, sometimes in our lives when we learn to be with someone, we also learn how to be sad when we're alone. That's because we no longer know how it feels to be alone and without a partner. We are used to it. At that time, I realized that the silence of loneliness was sad and suffocating.

On the other hand, I can’t help but blame myself for what happened. However, I know more than anyone else that if I don’t fetch his soul, someone else will do it. Death is not something that a person or anyone in the world has control over, especially if a person’s death is predestined and written.

I learned CSA killed Mr. Perelman, or Central Sleep Apnea, a condition wherein a person pauses breathing due to a lack of respiratory effort during sleep. That’s the thing Hazel explained to us when we last got together after the funeral.

"It's just around the corner," I told the Perelman family car driver. Today, I decided not to go home to the mansion first because I felt I was not needed there. I am so thankful that some relatives of the Perelman family were there to guide Mom.

This is the first time after my long, month-long stay with them as Hailey. Now, I feel that I am not part of their family.

The family driver quickly followed and stopped the car on the side of my previous residence, Mary. Now it is abandoned, dark, and its door is dilapidated and has moss. Also, the surroundings were silent, a scene that had never entered my mind to witness.

With my eye, I hit the gate of the house that is now dilapidated too. I could no longer stop looking back to recall the memories of my father, Arman, and me. At that point, I couldn’t stop my tears again.

"Miss Hailey, what are we doing here? Do you miss your friend? You know, you've always visited here before. It's amazing that now you just thought of coming back even though your friend had reportedly passed away almost a year ago. " That's when I turned my gaze to Driver Arjo. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was saying. So I frowned and asked him.

"What do you mean? Do I always come here? Why? " I thought maybe I just misheard. Why would Hailey come to my house? Why did Arjo know we knew each other? And what? Hailey and I are friends? We were never friends and can never be called friends. She was a bully, and I was the one who she bullied.

"Have you forgotten Miss Hailey? You've been here before, right? You even told me you just wanted to visit the friend who forgot about you. " There, I was stunned. Friend? Wait, Hailey and I are friends? How come? Why can't I remember?

Because of that, I frowned and turned to the driver, Arjo. What is he saying?

"Oh, it looks like you don't remember. Isn't your house on the other side of the road before? " At that moment, I finally thought. Do I still have memories I don’t remember? Does he say Hailey and I have known each other before? "When you were young, I was already serving your family. I could see that you were playing with the child who you always visit at this house. I even remember that you called her Mary. Don't you remember? "

"Wait, on the other side? Did we live here before? Why? I thought I grew up in a village. I can't remember everything. Maybe it's because of the accident that happened to me. " I just made it so that he wouldn't realize that I didn't know what he was saying. Driver Arjo is an old man. I can say that he is in his mid 50's, and he has also been the driver for the Perelman family for a long time. That's all I know. So it is not surprising that he knew a lot about that family, but he was a quiet person. Maybe the reason why he's talking now is because he feels my sadness. He wasn't taciturn; he just talked to me when needed. Something I don’t know if I’ll be grateful for. 

"Yes ma'am, your house used to be on the other side of the street. Your parents weren't that rich back then. Your father is just starting and is still studying medicine. Unfortunately, he died so early, I couldn't have imagined it any earlier than me. "

There again, I realized something. Something I hadn't thought of since the beginning. I realize that maybe the reason Hailey’s body is the one I’ve possessed in the crowd of people in the world is that we’ve been friends ever since. Something I don't even remember and I don't know if I'll ever remember.

I can’t help but be surprised at the revelation that has gathered. Not even in a dream did I think of the possibility that Hailey Perelman and I would have met before, but why? If she knew me, then why did she bully me? If we were friends back then, why didn't she introduce herself?

"Did I tell you anything about my female friend who used to live here in this house?"

"You told me a lot of stories back then, Miss Hailey. You even said that your friend doesn't remember you, so you always bully her. I tell you to stop, but you don't listen. You are closer to me than your father, but recently we haven't talked because you're often away from the mansion. " With Driver Arjo's answer, I tightened my grip on the shoulder bag I was carrying. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Maybe Hailey was one of the people I forgot, or maybe because I was too young then.

What I went to this place for was the memory between me and Dad Arman, but I didn't think I would discover anything else.

I sigh.

If what he is saying is true, that also seems to be the reason why of all the people, Hailey was the one I chose. She was the one my soul chose to enter.

"I remember back then, you used to complain to me. You were sad because your friend didn't remember you. One time you cried, which was funny but also sad. Your friend didn't even remember you before she passed away. "

It was there that my muscles trembled, my skin hair rose, and I froze. If what he’s saying is true, it’s annoying to think that I don’t even remember Hailey in my memory. It's sad to think that we didn't even talk before she passed away, and it's disappointing to think that I was also the cause of the trouble in her family.

Molly is a child who does not know how to lie. His aunt raised him to be an honest, kind child. Although an orphan, he grew up faithfully being cared for by his aunt. One day, Molly accidentally broke her aunt's most precious plate. That was broken and no matter what repairs Molly did, she could never get back to normal. Fearing resentment, Molly threw the plate away and did not tell her aunt.

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