Chapter 24
Knox remained standing where he was, stiffly nodding his head.
Soon, the young woman opened her phone’s recording app. After some static, a familiar voice he’d longed to hear came through the speaker.
“Knox, when you hea these words, I suppose I’ve already left this world. I know you’ve been reborn, but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t acknowledge me, even hurting me repeatedly. Sometimes I wonder was that version of you who loved me in our previous life even real? But none of that matters now, since I’m about to die.”
Celia’s soft laughter carried notes of resignation and relief.
“What happened in our previous life was my fault first. I was too willful then, and I didn’t love you, causing you great pain. So ending up that way was what I deserved. This time I wanted to make it up to you, to love you properly, but clearly you don’t accept my compensation. I don’t mind. Consider ali the hurt you’ve caused me as my payment to you. Knox, we’re even now,”
“From now on, live well and don’t stay stuck in the past because of me. If there’s a next life, let’s never meet again. We’re just not meant to be.”
The recording ended after what felt like an eternity—maybe even a century.
Knox finally spoke slowly: “Could you please send me a copy of this recording?”
Cordelia looked startled, then nodded. “Of course.”
Before Cordelia left, Knox used her phone to record a message back to Celia–his reply to Celia in heaven.
After Cordelia left, Knox curled up on the floor, playing that brief recording over and over.
“Live well and don’t stay stuck in the past because of me…”
“We’re just not meant to be…”
Not meant to be? They’d loved each other so much, yet kept missing each other again and again.
Maybe they really weren’t meant to be together.
With that thought, Knox’s right knuckles throbbed with pain. Looking down, he saw his nails had dug into his palm, bright red blood drops following his palm lines to drip onto the tiles, blooming into a string of dark roses.
The rain outside suddenly became deafening, cold dampness seeping through the incompletely sealed window cracks like a hand from hell, slowly wrapping around him, crushing him piece by piece. Each fragment reflected different versions of Celia across time and space-
her walking past the high school basketball court with female classmates,
her slowly approaching him in a wedding dress at their college graduation,
her throwing herself crying into his arms after rebirth,
and finally her walking away from him toward the airport with empty, hollow eyes…
“Celia, I can’t do it…” he whispered to the void.
Knox closed his eyes and saw only Celia’s image. How could he continue living without her?
He slowly put down his phone and buried his head in his arms.
As lightning split the night sky outside, Knox finally heard the whimpering escape his throat–like a trapped beast with iron chains around its ne
The heavy rain lasted all night. When dawn broke through the clouds, the rain stopped, and withered leaves on the plane trees dripped water, one drop falling into his dry eyes.
When Knox’s plane crossed the clouds again, Celia finally heard Knox’s message through a text from Cordelia.
His words were full of sorrow.
20:55
Two Rebirths Same Tragedy – Are We Cursed or Just Stupid
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Chapter 24
“Celia, I don’t know if you in heaven can hear this, but I still need to apologize to you. I was reborn, and I do still love you, I was just reluctant–Id loved you for so long, why couldn’t you look back at me? Initially, on my friends‘ advice, I used cold treatment to make you realize how important my Live was to you, to make you come to me first. But later, when you were also reborn and swore to treat me well and love me, I thought, well then, let me see just how deep your love for me really is. So I couldn’t help hurting you again and again. Vivian wasn’t my mistress–she was just an actress I hired. I never expected her to treat you that way, so I sent her to prison. Without my permission, she’ll spend her whole life there. You said in your message to forget you and live well, but I can’t forget you. I once considered dying with you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t accept me. So I thought I’d live well, atone for my sins, take care of your parents, your friends, and your beloved roses in the garden, as well as your most respected grandfather. When I’ve handled all these things, I’ll come find you. I hope then you’ll give me a chance to make amends. Celia, I love you very much. I’m sorry. If there’s a next life, please don’t meet me again…”
“Click“– a soft sound as Celia turned off her phone screen.
Her heart was filled with incredibly complex emotions, and her nose began to sting. She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She told herself over and over: this is good, this is good. Their meeting had been a mistake from the beginning. Now that they could each live well, this was the best ending for them.
Knox, I’ll grant your wish. From now on, we’ll never meet again.
We’ll each live well this way.
And we’ll never see each other again.
