Chapter 1 I Am His Lover

• Chauncey Lathrop had passed away.
• This was the conclusion the doctor had reached ten minutes ago.
• At that moment, he was in the ward, his spirit seemingly hovering as he watched his own body being covered with a white sheet. He listened as the doctor and police officer made their final summary of his life.
• “Chauncey Lathrop, thirty-seven, died from sudden cardiac arrest following an unexpected traffic accident. He had no family, and his friends couldn't be reached. His assets were donated to charity as per his will. As for his funeral... let's leave it to the charity organization.”
• Chauncey watched it all unfold, his heart filled with boundless sorrow.
• Ever since he was eighteen, he hadn't been in a relationship. Roxanne Clouden, the girl he had adored for six years, had rejected him.
• Later on, after his father, Colin Lathrop, passed away, Chauncey was left without any family.
• After much struggle, he had finally made significant strides in his career, becoming one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Jexburgh. Unexpectedly, he met his end in a car accident after a night of heavy drinking.
• Now, there wasn't even a single person who could come to help him arrange the funeral.
• What a messed up life...
• “Chauncey!”
• Suddenly, the door to the ward swung open. Chauncey turned his head, only to see a woman stumbling in.
• The woman was very beautiful.
• Perhaps it was due to her haste, her hair was a disheveled mess, and she had lost one of her shoes, leaving her foot bleeding.
• Yet, it seemed as though she was impervious to pain. Clenching her fists, her body trembling, she took one step at a time, moving toward Chauncey's lifeless body.
• “Chauncey...” she called out softly again, and her tears silently streamed down her cheeks.
• The woman kept her eyes wide open, allowing her tears to flow freely, her gaze never strayed from the sick bed.
• She reached the bedside and lifted the white sheet with trembling hands.
• Her body, which was already somewhat uncontrollable, suddenly fell to the ground as if it had lost all support.
• At that moment, Chauncey felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow emanating from her.
• Turns out people are silent when they're sad.
• But who is she?
• Chauncey couldn't recall ever meeting her.
• The police officer, finally catching on, asked, “Who are you?”
• The woman slowly turned her head, wiping away her tears. She forced herself to stand and revealed a faint smile.
• “I'm his... lover?”
• Lover?
• Chauncey was taken aback once again.
• I've never been married in my entire life, so when did I ever have a lover?
• The woman didn't seem to plan on explaining much. Her voice carried a plea as she asked, “May I assist with the funeral arrangements?”
• Perhaps moved by her sincerity, the police officer nodded in agreement after careful consideration.
• “All right, but our people have to come along too.”
• The woman covered her lips, tears streaming down her face once again.
• Chauncey, suspended in mid-air, wore an expression of utter shock. She's planning a funeral for me?
• For the following two days, Chauncey followed the woman closely.
• He watched as she groomed him at the funeral home, dressed him in burial clothes, and had him cremated.
• She stood in front of his grave, silent for the entire day.
• On the night following the funeral, she was alone in the rental house. Embracing her frail body, she spent the entire night crying her heart out in despair.
• Once dawn broke, he watched her calmly leave the rental house with a wishing bottle in her hand.
• Then, she arrived at a sparsely populated riverside and uncorked the bottle.
• Chauncey saw that inside the bottle were milk candy wrappers.
• Why do these candy wrappers look so familiar?
• The woman couldn't hear his question.
• She gently touched the candy wrappers she treasured like a precious gem. Then, having made up her mind, she stood up.
• She raised her hand, letting them fall into the water with the wind, all the while wearing a poignant smile.
• She tiptoed, closing her eyes.
• “Chauncey, have you already forgotten me... I'm Natalie Xantus...”
• Chauncey jolted. It's her?
• It wasn't that he had forgotten Natalie; rather, the Natalie he remembered seemed entirely different from the woman standing before him now. Despite the passage of time, her beauty remained undiminished.
• During their senior year of high school, Natalie transferred to First High School and became his seatmate.