YOU SWAN , HE FROG !

13

After receiving my urn, James locked himself in his room. 

I could feel my soul growing weaker, exhausted as I curled up on the floor, drifting in and out of sleep. 

In my haze, I heard Emma pounding on the door, her voice desperate and choked with sobs. 

"James, it's been three days. Please, just eat something, okay?" 

"Even if she's gone, you can't keep doing this to yourself." 

"If she knew, she'd be heartbroken too." 

I blinked awake, rubbing my eyes as I glanced at the closed door. 

Had three days passed already? 

An hour later, Jack arrived. 

He kicked the door open, and a wave of smoke and alcohol fumes poured out from inside. 

The harsh light flooded the room, illuminating the man on the floor. 

There were cigarette butts scattered around him, empty bottles lying in disarray, and my urn sitting there among them. 

James was quietly piecing together the unfinished LEGO set we had worked on before. 

Even though it had only been a few days, James looked like he had wasted away—he had lost so much weight, his chin covered in stubble, his eyes sunken deep into his face. 

"James..." Emma's voice was hoarse. 

He slowly lifted his gaze, moving like a rusty, broken machine. His eyes, bloodshot and hollow, met hers. "Why are you still here?" 

He seemed to zone out for a moment, then spoke softly, "Annie will be upset when she comes back and sees you." 

Emma's face paled. 

As he stared into space, a flash of panic crossed his face, and his voice turned cold and merciless when he spoke to her again. 

"This is Annie and my home. You have no right to be here." 

Emma stared at him, tears rolling down her cheeks as if she couldn't believe he would say such a thing. Her tears fell faster, but James, frowning, only grew more impatient. 

"Get out." 

When he didn't move, a flash of humiliation appeared in Emma's eyes, and she ran out sobbing. 

James, however, didn't seem to care. He continued assembling the LEGO pieces, his face emotionless. 

"If you had done this sooner..." Jack suddenly spoke. 

James' face went deathly pale, his hands trembling as the pieces slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the floor. 

He stared at the fallen piece, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. 

"I fought with her that day. I told her I was bringing Emma back to live with us." 

"If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have gone on that business trip. She wouldn't have..." 

"The day she had the accident, she took the shortcut home. She was rushing back... rushing to..." His voice cracked. 

"She was rushing to celebrate my birthday." 

"She wanted to tell me about the pregnancy. That was her birthday gift for me." 

"And what was I doing then?" 

James pressed a hand to his chest, his face contorted in agony as he closed his eyes. "I was at home with Emma, while she was dying." 

He took a deep breath and tried to continue assembling the LEGO pieces, but his hands were shaking so much that every piece he tried to fit in would fall out. 

"Jack... I regret it. I really regret it." 

Jack stood there, straight and silent, watching him. His voice was soft but firm. 

"They say that people who break hearts will eventually face their reckoning." 

"But for her to die because of it, isn't that too cruel?" 

James' eyes were red, wide open in a daze. He couldn't say a word. 

Jack sighed deeply. 

"Acting like this won't bring her any happiness, James. No matter what, you have to keep living."