12
561 Words
When I left the police station, my parents were already waiting.
Dad tried to ask questions, but Mom stopped him and quietly brought me home.
Once in my room, I turned on my phone.
Videos of Charlotte falling had gone viral locally.
There were clips from multiple angles—some even showing my face clearly.
I turned off the screen immediately.
Soon, all the videos were gone.
Only the official police statement remained.
The day had fried my brain like an overworked CPU.
I said goodnight and went to bed.
When I woke up again, I was in a hospital bed.
Dad was asleep beside me.
The moment I moved, he woke up in tears.
“Nannan, don’t scare me like that. From now on, just be the company mascot. Leave the hard stuff to us old folks.”
I blinked.
Apparently, I had been unconscious for three days due to shock.
I asked about Tom.
Dad looked at me and sighed.
“Intentional homicide. Death penalty.”
My eyes widened.
Then, I nodded.
While in prison, Tom asked to see me through his lawyer.
I hesitated—but agreed.
Behind the glass, he looked worn out, a shell of the man I once knew.
His eyes lit up when he saw me—then dimmed.
“I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t cherish you—or us.”
“I was arrogant. I thought you’d never leave. I thought I had everything under control.”
“In the end, I destroyed everything. This isn’t about forgiveness—I just want peace.”
“I’ve destroyed all our videos, and had the unfinished sculptures removed. The ones you didn’t like, they’re gone.”
“Sophia... I hope you’ll be happy.”
I looked at him for a long time, then said softly,
“I will. And I hope you will too... wherever you are.”
His eyes turned red.
He wiped them quietly and left the room without looking back.
After he died, I visited his grave.
I left a bunch of white flowers—and placed the broken-heart Cupid sculpture beside him.
It was the only piece of me he ever made that I chose to keep.
My parents bought back the rest and had them destroyed.
Along with them, I buried the last of my memories.
Worried I might spiral, Dad handed over the company to me and took Mom traveling around the world.
Life slowly returned to normal.
With an endless stream of emails and meetings, I occasionally wondered why I had such “ambition.”
At the perfect time, Dad FaceTimed me.
Aside from his giant face filling the screen, everything behind him was lush and green.
I asked him to flip the camera.
He did—and I saw Mom staring intently at a groundhog hole on an endless grassland.
Jealousy welled up.
I sighed dramatically.
“I’m a cow now, Dad.”
“Huh?”
“Only cows and horses long for the grassland.”
He laughed like a fool. I hung up.
Seeing my parents enjoying retirement gave me energy.
I threw myself into work again.
As time passed, Tom and Charlotte became names from a bygone era.
Now, my parents are busy trying to set me up again.
I just smile and tell them—
“As long as it makes you happy.”
- Writer
