It was their wedding day and supposed to be their honeymoon night. It became a nightmare for Ely. Every time, she would remember that day as the worst day in her life. The dreams she built with Adam had crumbled down. She thought that what they built together was a brick house, but in reality, it was a sandcastle, vulnerable to the sea waves.
Three days had passed, and Ely's overall condition wasn't getting any better. Through the help of Ace, Adam's funeral was properly organized. He had no known nearby relatives to help at the funeral.
In those three days, Ely became emotionally unstable. Although her aunt visited her regularly, all she thought of was her dear husband. She was barely eating, just crying all day while remembering him.
Although she had gone back to her condominium unit in Skyscraper City, she wasn't in any condition to work. Ace had prepared everything for her long vacation so she wouldn't have to report in Studio Alpha. He had canceled concerts and fan meetings, hoping this could help Ely in any way. He also tried to feed Ely with porridge to get her appetite back, but it was futile. She was too hurt to comprehend what had happened.
"Was everything a nightmare? Can I still wake up from this mess?" - was what she was thinking all along while staring blankly at the window.
Ace was about to leave Ely's condo. To help Ely with her recovery, it was Ace who had been cleaning the couple's condo in Craig street.
"I placed some salad in the fridge. See you tomorrow." Ace said.
"Mmm. Thanks." Ely answered, with tears in her eyes.
Ace left the condo, and Ely was left all alone. She would always end her day sleeping in the empty bathtub. But for some reason, the night was too gloomy that even the fresh salad looked rotten. Again, she had no appetite.
She decided to end her day in the bathtub. But at that time, she wanted to fill it with water.
Ely had decided to follow Adam in the afterlife. She thought that if the afterlife really existed, it would be lucky, but if not, it's okay because she thought she would be miserably living each day without her husband. Either way, she thought that her death would stop all her pain.
After filling up the tub, she slowly lowered her body. Still wearing her white nightdress, she entered the tub. When the water reached her nose, she hesitated a little, but as she remembered her dear Adam, she had the courage to continue. In her mind, it was a gust of emotions confusing her.
As she slid down the filled tub, her mind wandered on its own. Slowly, she closed her eyes. She remembered the living days of her deceased husband. She remembered his smile and his kindness. She was crying, but all her tears had diffused with the water surrounding her.
She felt that she was diving in the ocean without oxygen. But even if she couldn't breathe, her body felt so free. It felt like she was separating from her soul.
She thought, "So this is how it's like to die... I feel refreshed and free."
When she thought she could really continue dying, her instinct and consciousness woke her up. She struggled to move her body, then raised her head to breathe again.
She suddenly felt the terror of death, then found herself sitting up, and the water was just above her waist. Her long, platinum blonde hair was all over her face. She breathed heavily, gasping for air.
"What are you doing in my bath?"
A naked stranger suddenly spoke behind Ely.