Not Again!!!

Finale

A woman stood in front of a grave on a chilly winter day, hugging her coat tightly against the biting wind. Her breath formed small clouds in the crisp air as she stared at the picture on the tombstone. His cold, lifeless gaze seemed to pierce her heart, but she clung to the memory of how warmly he used to look at her, no matter the situation. Whether he was angry, tired, or stressed, there was always warmth in his eyes for her. She should have asked him what had happened that day.

The day he bid her goodbye in front of the hotel gateway was the first time he looked at her with such a strange expression. She should have asked him then, she should have, she should have—all these thoughts echoed through her mind as her legs finally gave way beneath her, unable to bear her weight any longer.

"Why? What happened? How could you leave me alone? Why did you leave me alone?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, their warmth a stark contrast to the chilly winter morning. Her legs were numb as she collapsed to the ground, her eyes fixated on the man's picture.

"How could you?"

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows, and it was already evening when her father found her.

"Child, get up! You have just recovered; you can't harm yourself like this."

Her father scolded her for her carelessness, his voice filled with concern. But her eyes and soul only demanded answers. What had been happening all these years? How could all this have come to be?

"Papa... I am not okay, but if you want me to be, tell me... tell me everything that has happened," Rachel pleaded as she wiped her tears and stared resolutely into her father's eyes.

She needed to know; she really needed to. When they had told her about Daniel's death, she couldn't believe it and had rushed to see him. But the tombstone confirmed the truth. As she stood there, she felt the ground disappear beneath her feet, and time seemed to stop. She had just left the hotel after taking her revenge, only to wake up to the news that he was no more. Her husband was no more.

"Just how could it happen? Why did you die again?"

"Why... why... why did you..."

"Child... I will tell you, don't cry... don't cry... Daniel, he truly loved you, dear... that day you had the accident... he came running to the accident site, his tears never stopping even when he knew you'd open your eyes in the future, from where you had traveled back."

"Papa... you knew?"

"No, dear... I did not know before and was angry with Daniel for letting you leave for home alone that day... Daniel, that boy, listened to all our ranting and complaints without any refutation. Later, he couldn't see our pain and told us everything about it... and we were so angry and told him to go away... but he always visited us, especially you. While you were away, he took care of us, he used to take care of you, and like this, a few years passed."

"That night, I remember he came to you with a bouquet and a cake. He spent the night talking to you, and in the morning, he just went away—no words... he just left and never came back... a few days later, we received the news of his death... I am indebted... he protected you and took care of you. I don't know what problem he was going through, but he had no one to talk to. So that you could live longer, he sent you back even if it meant facing the whole world alone... we can never get out of his debt... we can never..."

Mr. Denis's eyes filled with tears as he recollected the past events. Daniel had become more than just a son-in-law; he had become a son. He had protected his daughter and taken care of their family while Rachel was away, but he himself had no one... no one...

Rachel sat there on the ground, listening to her father as she stared at the person in the picture. Why... just why... she took her revenge and saved her family but lost the most precious thing along the way...

"Daniel... why... how did he die...?" Rachel asked as her father helped her up, his hands freezing on her shoulder.

"Child... forget him..."

Papa... did I, in this quest for revenge, forget to cherish what I was blessed with...

"Get up, daughter... you still have your whole life to live."

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"But child, there's one thing... his body was never found..."

Rachel's eyes widened with a spark of determination. "Then I will find him... I am not going to lose again."