Marcus felt a heavy weight on his heart, "That's just life, innit? No one can stick with us forever, we meet different people at every stage of life."
"I don't give a damn what others do." Cornelia replied, "You told me we'd grow old together, so you gotta stick with me, can't abandon me. If you do, I'll hate you forever, and never forgive you."
Yeah, Marcus had made such a promise. But back then, he had no clue about his health condition. Now, he knew his health was going downhill, and he wasn't sure how long he could be with her. So, he dared not make any promises to Cornelia anymore.
Marcus tried to change the subject, "Cornelia, I'm parched, can I get a drink of water?"
Cornelia immediately let go of him, "Get yourself hydrated and grab a bite. You've been fighting the fire for hours, must be dead on your feet. I reckon I should postpone this morning's meeting, you should head back and rest."
Marcus replied, "No need, I can hang on."
Cornelia insisted, "Nothing's more important than your health. I'll sort it out, you have to go home and get some shut-eye."
Faced with Cornelia's firm stand, Marcus had to comply, "Alright then."
Cornelia looked up at the ruins, the spot where Skyler had been, the origin of the fire, also the most devastated area, "Is Skyler...?"
Marcus answered, "Burnt to a crisp, not even bones left. We can't tell which are her ashes and which are the wood's."
Cornelia felt a pang in her heart, "How did the fire start? Did Skyler have to be turned to ashes to finally escape from Zavier?"
Tears fell from her eyes, "I've been orphaned since childhood, cursed by neighbors for bringing bad luck, later framed and couldn't return home. So I always thought I was the most miserable person in the world. But compared to Skyler, at least I've got Granny Rebecca who loves me, Abby and Zack who stay by my side, and now you. But Skyler, she's always been alone, doesn't even have a friend to confide in. She wanted to escape Zavier, but people around her always advised her to bear with it, never to divorce. Nobody knew Skyler's inner pain, so she couldn't escape the man she feared the most and had to resort to such an extreme way to end her life."
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