He asked the nanny as soon as he entered:
“Where’s my wife? Get her out here, I bought her favorite mousse.”
“And bring out the child, let her continue raising her, she’ll be so happy.”
The nanny was stunned and said:
“Sir, since Madam went out the day before yesterday, she hasn’t returned, haven’t you seen her?”
Lachlan looked doubtful and incredulous:
“Not returned? She just gave birth, doesn’t work, where could she have gone?” He said as he opened the basement where I’d been staying these past few days.
But as soon as he pushed the door open, he froze.
The room was full of dust, without even a bed, just some bedding on the floor, very simple.
And the wall beside the pillow was covered in bloodstains.
It was easy to imagine the agony endured by the person living there.
Even bashing their head against the wall until blood splattered everywhere.
Lachlan suddenly erupted in anger:
“Is this how you neglected her! Did you forget she’s the lady of the house?”
The nannies all hung their heads in silence, only the oldest, Mrs. Chen, hesitantly spoke up:
“Sir, you said Madam needed to reflect, so we took away all her things and made her live by the simplest standards, we were just following your orders.”
Lachlan’s face froze, his whole body trembling, pointing at the bloodstains on the wall:
“Then what about the blood on the wall?”
Mrs. Chen sighed:
“Sir, I told you Madam kept hitting her head against the wall, and you said to ignore it.”
Lachlan clutched the door frame, trembling, shaking his head, his eyes filled with panic.
I stood apart from the crowd, watching his feigned remorse, my eyes already cold.
Silence fell, a long moment passed without anyone speaking.
Suddenly, the ringing of a phone broke the quiet, Lachlan answered.
“Are you the family of Ms. Nora, Mr. Lachlan?” someone asked,
“What is it?” Lachlan’s tone was not good.
It’s like this, Ms. Nora passed away from brain cancer on April 21, 2025, at 9:17 PM. Her body is now in our hospital morgue, and we hope the family will come to receive and handle it soon.”
The voice on the phone was businesslike, as if used to such news.
But for Lachlan, it was like a buzzing in his head, blocking out everything else.
I sat floating on the staircase, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold.
12:09 PM
<
My death notice had arrived.
I wonder, having learned of my death, what expression will Lachlan have?
Will he shed tears for me?
The voice on the phone kept asking, but Lachlan didn’t respond.
“Hello? Can you hear me? Your wife’s body has been here for a day and a night, what kind of husband are you?”
“Say something, do you want the body or not? If not, our hospital will send it to the crematorium.”
Hearing no reply, the voice on the phone grew impatient.
Unexpectedly, Lachlan replied:
“No, who are you trying to fool? Scam calls have gotten this sick now?”
The person on the other end sounded stunned, continuing to ask:
“Aren’t you Ms. Nora’s husband? This is the hospital, not a scam.”
Lachlan laughed in anger, questioning deeply:
“Still acting? How much are you trying to scam me for cremation?”
“You’ve misunderstood, sir, we are the Metro City General Hospital morgue…”
Lachian didn’t bother listening to the explanation, confidently telling them:
“Who are you kidding? My wife is perfectly healthy, how could she suddenly die? I just saw her the day before yesterday…”
While rebutting the scam call, Lachlan was suddenly jolted, as if realizing something.
He glanced at the nannies present, then turned to look at the wall of the nanny’s room, his mouth suddenly stuffed with cotton.
Seemingly unable to speak, he shook his head muttering:
“Impossible, it can’t be, what am I thinking…”
“She’s fine, she couldn’t possibly…”
“Another disgusting relative, unbelievable, doesn’t even know his wife is dead.”
The voice on the phone, completely out of patience, hung up.
Seeing Lachlan’s complete disregard for me, my spirit floating in the air, I had completely given up.
After a long while, Mrs. Chen cautiously spoke:
“Sir, maybe you should go to the hospital to check, maybe…”
She didn’t dare finish her sentence.
Maybe what, maybe I was already dead?
But I really am dead.
