Chapter 14
As Murphy opened the envelope, Gemma’s delicate handwriting appeared before him once more: [Uncle Murphy, you must be the one reading this letter, right? Because I can’t imagine anyone else coming to look for me.
[It’s a bit sad, isn’t it? Even after all these years, you’re the only person I can think of who might come looking for me if I were to disappear. And what’s even sadder is that I’m not entirely sure you’ll come. After all, you have Evangeline now…
[I’m sorry. I’ve said something you don’t want to hear again. Please don’t be upset. I’m not blaming you. In fact, I’m happy for you. It’s lonely being alone in this world. To find someone you love and share your life with is a kind of blessing.
[Uncle Murphy, I don’t know why, but whenever I wish you happiness, you don’t seem to believe me. You always think I still have lingering feelings for you and that my blessings are insincere, deceitful, or have ulterior motives.
[But that’s not true. I admit that I still like you–a lot. This feeling might not change even in a thousand or ten thousand years. But my feelings are real, and so are my blessings for you.
[By the time you read this letter, I’ll probably already be lying in the cryo–casket, right? At this moment, I have no reason to lie. So, Uncle Murphy, can you believe me now?
[I truly, from the bottom of my heart, wish you happiness. I hope you and the person you love grow old together and have a family filled with children and grandchildren.
[I want you to experience all the beauty the world has to offer, even if the person sharing it with you isn’t me.
[Uncle Murphy, please don’t feel sad about my departure, and don’t blame yourself. My decision has nothing to do with you.
[When I was little, every time my parents fought, I would hide in the wardrobe. It was dark and cold in there, but only in that small space did I feel safe. Back then, that tiny wardrobe was my entire world. Later, Uncle Murphy, you carried me out of that wardrobe.
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Chapter 14
+25 Bonus
[The world outside was vast and empty. It wasn’t dark anymore, but somehow, my heart felt lost, like it had nowhere to belong. I think I overestimated myself. Having spent so long in small, confined spaces, I wasn’t equipped to handle such a big world.
[Thankfully, I had you, Uncle Murphy. As long as you were by my side, I wasn’t afraid of anything.
[So, I quietly placed my heart in your hands. Over the changing seasons, my feelings for you grew silently.
[I never thought it was sinful. On the contrary, I thought it was sacred.
[One of my favorite teachers once told me that no one lives in this world completely alone. There are so many people in this world, and each person is connected to others in some way. These tiny threads of connection form the web of relationships that tie us to the world.
[She gave an example, saying everyone has parents, and the bond of familial love between us and our parents is our connection to the world. Unfortunately, I don’t have parents. I only have you, Uncle Murphy.
[I don’t have a lover either. I only have you. I don’t even have many friends. I only have you. Uncle Murphy, you are my only connection to this world.
[I once stood at a crossroads, watching the crowds rush by. This city was filled with people, yet to me, they were all strangers. Only you were different, Uncle Murphy. You held me when I was cold, comforted me when I was scared, bought me cake and gifts on my birthday, and sat beside me to make wishes and blow out candles.
[Uncle Murphy, you always said my feelings for you were distorted, that they were unnatural. Evangeline even called me mentally unstable. But how could I not love you?
[When my mother could no longer endure my father’s relentless control, when she raised the knife against him, when she smiled as she hung herself from the beam, when my world began to crumble inch by inch–it was you, Uncle
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.
