"Ms. Vance, this is the Swiss Assisted Dying Organization. We are calling to confirm: did you personally apply for euthanasia on December 25th?"

Eleanor Vance's eyelashes fluttered, but her voice was calm. "Yes."

"Very well. Your application has been approved. You have half a month to arrange your affairs."

Just as she hung up, the bedroom door was shoved open.

Daniel Carter walked in, bringing a chill with him. The moment he saw her, he smiled and held up a beautifully wrapped gift box. "Eleanor, happy birthday."

Eleanor smiled. "My birthday was yesterday."

Daniel froze for a moment, a flicker of panic and embarrassment crossing his face.

"I'm sorry, work has been so busy lately."

He then knelt, gently placing his hands on her calves and beginning to massage them, smoothly changing the subject. "How are you feeling today? Are your legs bothering you?"

From the force he was using, his slender hands reddened, the veins on the back standing out starkly.

His technique and the pressure were professional, but Eleanor felt utterly nothing.

When no answer came, Daniel looked up, about to ask again, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and unlocked it. The moment he saw the sender’s name, a delighted smile spread across his face.

Whatever he was about to say was forgotten. He stood up abruptly, tossing a single sentence over his shoulder as he headed for the study.

"Eleanor, something’s come up with work. I'll come back and finish your massage later."

Eleanor still said nothing, just watched him leave in silence.

Long after his figure had vanished from the doorway, the image of his unrestrained smile replayed clearly in her mind.

Would he smile like that if it was just work?

That kind of genuine, heartfelt joy... it's the kind of expression you only have for someone you love.

After all, she had seen that smile so many times before.

Every morning in high school, she would rush to finish her milk and hurry downstairs, only to look up and see Daniel, smiling that same smile. He would walk over, a grin on his face, take her heavy backpack, and give her a ride to school.

They were both eighteen then, still green behind the ears, bursting with life, and only had eyes for each other.

Having grown up as childhood sweethearts, their story was straight out of a novel: their young hearts fluttered, and they fell head over heels.

They started secretly dating, hiding their relationship from their parents and the entire school, and vowed to study hard together to get into the same university, where they could finally go public.

They pushed each other to excel, and in the end, both were accepted into an Ivy League school with near-perfect scores.

Everything should have come to a perfect conclusion right there.

But fate intervened.

The day before university was set to begin, they were in a car accident. In that split second of danger, Eleanor's first instinct was to shove Daniel out of the way.

That day, Daniel walked away unharmed. But she lost both of her legs.

As if that weren't enough, her parents died in a plane crash that same year. Unable to cope with the series of tragedies, she fell into a deep depression.

Heartbroken for her, Daniel proposed the moment he graduated from university.

He swore an oath, promising he would never fail her as long as he lived.

For three years of their marriage, he kept that vow perfectly.

Until half a month ago, when she discovered his diary.

The man who told her he loved her every day, it turned out, was constantly venting his agony within those pages.

He wrote that he had only proposed out of moral obligation; if he didn't, he felt everyone would condemn him.

He said that every time he came home, a suffocating, confining pressure would leave him breathless, and that every second by her side was an agony.

He wrote that if he could do it all over again, he wished she hadn't saved him—that he would have been fine spending his life in a wheelchair, at least he wouldn't feel this crushing guilt.

He said he had secretly fallen for a girl named Chloe Miller, who was passionate, bright, and full of sunshine, just like Eleanor had been before the accident.

The next day, she received a message from Chloe.

"Eleanor, I heard from Daniel that your legs will never get better?

Since you've known each other for so many years, can't you just let him go?"

"You don't know, do you? Because of you, he's in misery every day, wishing he were dead.

But he can't die, because he has to force a smile and take care of you. What a pathetic life."

"If he hadn't met me, he might have gone crazy by now. Don't you feel any guilt at all?

I really feel for him. He loves me now. I'm begging you, stop clinging to him. Divorce him, let us be together, won't you?"

Right after, she sent more than ten intimate photos in a row.

The camera was focused on Daniel in all of them.

He was smiling as he made coffee, and when he saw Chloe taking a selfie, he leaned in affectionately and flashed a peace sign.

He peeled a large plate of shrimp for Chloe, wiping the sauce from her fingers.

At the beach, he followed in Chloe's footprints, grinning as he presented her with a large handful of seashells.

Looking through them one by one, Eleanor's heart ached so much she could hardly breathe; it was no exaggeration to say it felt like being sliced by a thousand knives.

But her eyes could no longer shed tears, leaving only a hollow emptiness.

She didn't reply to these messages, but Chloe didn't leave her alone.

Every day after that, she would receive many new photos of their daily lives, each time-stamped.

November 21st: They were strolling in a park, bathed in the sunset's glow.

November 26th: They went to a pottery studio together and jointly threw a vase.

December 1st: They went to a concert and talked extensively about music and the future.

...

The time on every photo matched the times Daniel had called to say he was working overtime.

Even yesterday, on her birthday, she waited for him at home for a whole day and night, but he never returned.

And the reason for his absence was that he was watching fireworks with Chloe.

Looking at the photo sent by Chloe, in that moment, she laughed until she cried.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel had been so passionately in love with seventeen-year-old Eleanor.

But twenty-five-year-old Daniel no longer loved twenty-five-year-old Eleanor.

That night, she sat by the window the entire night. The next day, she began submitting documents to an overseas organization, applying to end her life.

Daniel, I had nothing left but you.

Yet, you treat me like a monster..

Since it has come to this, I choose to let you go,

and finally set myself free.

Chapter 2

Eleanor sat alone in the living room for a long time. Once it grew dark, she wheeled herself to the study and knocked a few times on the door.

Daniel hastily hung up the phone and came out.

"Eleanor, I got your birthday wrong. Our third anniversary is coming up, so can we just celebrate them together? I'll go with you wherever you want."

Eleanor glanced at him and spoke softly.

"Let's go to Switzerland. I want to see the first snow."

At her words, a flicker of surprise crossed Daniel's eyes.

"The first snow? It should snow in New York in about a month. Let's just celebrate at home. It's not easy for you to get around, so let's not go so far, okay?"

Eleanor shook her head, a rare refusal of his suggestion.

She only had fifteen days left to live. She couldn't wait another month.

Seeing her so insistent, Daniel said no more and immediately booked flights to Switzerland for Christmas.

Eleanor knew he would agree.

It was simply because of what she had read in his diary: every time he came home after a date with Chloe, his guilt would deepen, and he would look for ways to make it up to her.

She took out her phone, opened the clock app, and set a countdown timer, naming it—

"Death Countdown"

After booking the tickets, Daniel looked over, his face gentle and his tone indulgent.

"I've booked the flights to Switzerland for Christmas."

Eleanor watched his gaze slide past her hands and then away. She nodded lightly.

Seeing she had agreed, he seemed to relax and turned into the bathroom.

Watching his retreating back, Eleanor gave a small smile.

Before, no matter what she was doing, he would lean in close, crane his neck, and ask endless questions just to get her attention.

Now, the words "Death Countdown" were displayed so largely on her phone, yet his eyes scanned right over them without a hint of recognition.

So, it was true. He didn't love her anymore.

Being sick of the sight of each other... there was nothing wrong with that.

Just endure a little longer. Just fifteen more days.

And all the pain would be over.

The next day, Eleanor woke up very early.

Daniel didn't wake up until ten. Coming out of the bedroom, he saw her sitting at the desk writing something. Rubbing his eyes, he walked over.

The notebook was filled with scribbled notes. Glancing through the lines, he realized it was a list of things to do.

First: Visit the old mansion and meet up with friends.

Second: Go to the lake and feed the pigeons.

Third: Spend a night getting drunk at a bar…

"Eleanor, why are you writing these things down?"

Eleanor's hand, holding the pen, paused. She looked up at him.

"A wish list."

Hearing this, Daniel seemed to remember something, a smile touching his eyes. "When you were 17, you also wrote a wish list..."

He trailed off halfway through, a look of regret on his face.

Eleanor knew he thought he'd said the wrong thing, bringing up the past would upset her.

But she had come to terms with it now and didn't mind, even picking up where he left off.

"Yes, back then I wrote 100 things to do before I turned 18. Bungee jumping, skiing, rafting, surfing... every single one was crazy.

But you were even crazier than me. You not only documented the whole process for me, but you also experienced it all with me."

Her voice was brimming with nostalgia. Daniel's mind flooded with faded memories, and he smiled.

"What can I say? I loved you that much.

No matter what you wanted to do, I wanted to be right there with you.

With you by my side back then, I wasn't afraid of anything. I just closed my eyes and jumped off that hundred-meter cliff…"

Eleanor watched him quietly, his face lighting up as he talked.

When his gaze finally drifted down to her, she blurted out something out of the blue.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you smile so happily."

The smile on Daniel's face froze.

The atmosphere in the air froze for a few seconds, and quickly changed the subject.

"Then how about I help you fulfill these wishes this time, too?"

Eleanor shook her head, her tone full of stubbornness. "These are my wishes—none of your business. You're so busy with work, don't bother."

For some reason, looking at her calm expression, Daniel's heart skipped a beat.

He wanted to try and persuade her further, but his phone suddenly rang.

He answered it, and the smile that had just vanished reappeared.

After saying it was for work, he turned and left the room without looking at her expression.

Watching his retreating back, Eleanor froze for a moment.

In the past, she had also refused him, saying she wanted to complete the challenges alone.

But he would never agree, pestering and shamelessly following her until she gave in.

Now, everything had changed.

He didn't even try to persuade her anymore, not even offering empty pleasantries like "I'm worried about you."

People say marriage is the tomb of love. She hadn't believed it at first.

Now, every word felt true.

Their love never got the chance to last a lifetime—it fizzled out halfway.

Bit by bit, it was worn away completely, leaving only endless exhaustion.

Eleanor silently finished the list by herself.

Finally, in the space she had left blank for the title, she neatly wrote the words "Bucket List."

After she put down her pen, the phone beside her lit up.

It was from Chloe. This time, it was a photo of her in Daniel's passenger seat.

Previously, seeing these messages had been excruciating for Eleanor.

But after seeing so many, she felt nothing at all. She just picked up the laptop beside her and imported the message.

Then she printed it out, put it together with that wish list, and placed them in the drawer.

The drawer was already full of such provocative records, which she had been collecting over the past few days.

To her, death was a release.

But that didn't mean she was willing to let Daniel and Chloe be together.

Even if Daniel didn't love her anymore, he should have been honest with her, not had an emotional affair.

And Chloe shouldn't have provoked her time and time again.

Everything she was doing was a far cry from the wonderful girl described in the diary.

Eleanor would be more than happy to let Daniel see her true colors.

Chapter 3

For the next few days, Daniel didn't come back, only sending a message saying he was on a business trip.

But Chloe revealed all his whereabouts.

Eleanor still didn't reply to these messages, just printed them out as usual and saved each one carefully.

In her spare time, she went about fulfilling the wishes on her list, one by one.

When she got to the tenth item, she saw the words "flower viewing," searched on her phone, and finally decided to go to a popular park to see the newly bloomed plum blossoms.

It was a weekday, so the park wasn't crowded. She slowly moved along the path in her wheelchair.

Around three or four o'clock, many buskers appeared in the square, playing their instruments and singing gentle love songs.

Eleanor looked toward the sound and immediately saw Daniel not far away, with Chloe by his side.

They were holding a bowl of snacks, eating and chatting about something.

Chloe picked up a piece of food with her own chopsticks and fed it to him, and he ate it without hesitation.

Seeing the smile that lit up his eyes, Eleanor froze.

She hadn't expected to run into them here.

She watched them silently for a long moment, then saw Daniel suddenly get up, walk over to a nearby singer, and lean down to say a few words. The singer then gave him his spot.

He adjusted the microphone and, under the curious gazes of the crowd, began to strum the guitar.

"This song is for Chloe, the girl I love the most."

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear and gentle singing voice rose, accompanied by the melodious sound of the guitar.

Everyone around fell silent, listening quietly to the love song filled with tender affection.

A few girls nearby had stars in their eyes, whispering their praises.

"He's so handsome. I'm so jealous of that girl. My boyfriend would never do something so romantic."

"This song is so moving. I've never heard it before. Is it an original?"

"It is."

Eleanor answered subconsciously, not knowing if it was to reply to the girl or to reminisce about something.

She had heard this song when she was sixteen, at the Christmas's Gala.

Daniel had written the music and lyrics himself, taking the stage for the final performance. Facing the entire school, he had smiled and said those same words.

Except back then, the star of the show was her.

The entire venue had erupted. The high school students whistled and screamed endlessly.

A few days later, he even signed up for the school's radio station.

Every day after that, during the lunch break, Eleanor would hear this song.

Everything was so beautiful back then.

But things were different now. The song was no longer exclusively hers.

The person in his heart was no longer her.

The girls heard her voice and looked down, surprise in their eyes. They quickly offered her some tissues: "Miss, why are you crying?

Is the song that moving?"

Only then did Eleanor realize that, at some point, tears had started streaming down her face.

She took the tissues, wiped her tears, slowly shook her head, and wheeled herself away.

The nineteenth item was to visit her alma mater.

Eleanor, holding her old student ID, entered the familiar campus.

The 800-meter track where Daniel had pulled her along, the library where they had studied together, the academic building he had climbed while carrying her on his back when she sprained her ankle...

Every place held traces of them walking side by side, but now that her legs couldn't support her, she could only look on from a distance.

Finally, she pushed her wheelchair to a corner of the garden, staring blankly at the Flowering Dogwood Tree that was about her height.

This tree was planted by Daniel himself during a class tree-planting event on Arbor Day.

The other trees planted by her classmates had all died later on. The area around it was empty, leaving only this single survivor.

It wasn't that it was particularly resilient, but that Daniel would come to see it every day, watering and fertilizing it from time to time.

Seasons changed, but he never stopped.

After she found out, she asked him why he cared so much about a tree.

He led her to the tree, cleared away the surrounding weeds, and as she looked closely, she finally noticed a line of words carved into its base.

Eight years passed. The tree had grown to her waist, just level with her in the wheelchair.

She took out the small knife she had brought with her and, bit by bit, scraped away the entire inscription.

"Daniel will love Eleanor forever."

Eleanor stared at the exposed bark for a long time, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

Oh, Daniel. Daniel.

You couldn't do forever.

And you couldn't do love.

If that's the case, why did you have to tell two lies at once?

After a long while, she finally pushed her wheelchair away from the school, hailed a cab, and went to the Civil Registry Office.

She wanted to handle the canceling of her household registration. The staff member frowned: "Only the deceased are eligible for this service."

Eleanor took out a euthanasia certificate and a medical record for severe depression from her bag and handed them over, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

"My family has all passed away, and I'm about to get a divorce.

There will be no one to take care of these things for me after I die, so I thought I'd handle it myself to avoid troubling others."

After listening, the staff member reviewed the documents, went to consult their superior, and finally made an exception to accept her application, on the condition that she have the hospital send over a death certificate after everything was settled.

She made a note of it, thanked the staff member, and then left.

As soon as she was out the main door and about to hail a cab, she heard a familiar voice.

Daniel got out of a car, a look of astonishment on his face.

"Eleanor, what are you doing here?!"

Chapter 4

Eleanor hadn't expected to run into him here either.

She didn't answer him, asking instead, "Are you here for something?"

Daniel's expression shifted, a flash of panic in his eyes.

"I was having dinner with a friend nearby and happened to see you, so I got out to check."

The words had barely left his mouth when the car door opened, and Chloe stepped out, smiling as she walked between them.

"Daniel, this must be your wife, right?"

Daniel hadn't expected her to get out. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to stay calm and make the introduction.

"Eleanor, this is... my friend, Chloe."

Chloe politely extended her hand in greeting. "Hi, Eleanor. To go through all this trouble to come out, is it for something important?"

Eleanor pretended not to see the hand, lowered her head, and said softly, "Fulfilling a birthday wish. I'm going to get some photos taken."

Hearing this, Chloe's eyes lit up.

"Photos?

Can I come with you?

I have great taste, I can help you pick things out."

Eleanor glanced up at Daniel. Seeing he said nothing, she didn't refuse.

The three of them got in the car, with Eleanor sitting alone in the back, watching the scenery outside the window.

At first, the car was quiet. Daniel held back, not daring to say much.

After a moment, Chloe started a conversation, talking about a recently released movie.

He replied a few times out of politeness, but she happened to be talking about topics that interested him.

Gradually, he got carried away, momentarily forgetting there was someone else in the back seat.

When they reached their destination, he got out of the car and walked off with Chloe right away.

Watching their figures recede into the distance, Eleanor, all alone, got the wheelchair out of the car, struggled to get into it, and pushed herself to follow.

The three of them had just reached the entrance, one after another, when a greeter walked up to Daniel and Chloe with a smile.

"Sir and ma'am, are you here for wedding photos? You two look like such a perfect match, very suited..."

Hearing the word "wedding," Daniel frowned instinctively.

"What nonsense are you talking about? My wife is back there."

An embarrassed expression appeared on the greeter's face, and they quickly apologized.

"You two just really look like a couple, and you were chatting the whole time, that's why I made a mistake. My apologies, my apologies."

Hearing this, Daniel finally realized and hurried to Eleanor's side, his face full of guilt.

Chloe also turned back with an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, sister-in-law. We just got so caught up in our conversation that we forgot about you. Why didn't you say something to remind us?"

Eleanor quietly watched them play off each other, feeling only a sense of weariness, and said nothing.

When they were young, hadn't she and Daniel been able to talk about anything and everything?

Back then, they talked about the future, about their dreams...

But now, there was only a silent stillness between them.

The atmosphere suddenly became a little strange.

The greeter was perceptive and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

"So, what theme are you folks looking to shoot?"

Daniel's and Chloe's gazes both fell on Eleanor.

After hearing her say "lifestyle photos" with a placid expression, Chloe's eyes darted around, and she had another idea.

"Why don't you go pick out your clothes first, Eleanor? Since it's hard for you to move around, Daniel and I will take a few shots to figure out the poses. It'll be much easier for you to just copy them later."

Without waiting for Eleanor to agree, she pulled him to the photo studio.

Daniel was reluctant at first, but as Chloe kept guiding his positioning, he slowly got caught up in the mood and started to cooperate.

The two of them took a few photos for the camera, still eager for more.

Chloe stood on her tiptoes, pinched his cheek, and playfully told him to smile.

He looked at the liveliness in her eyes and gave an indulgent smile.

Eleanor watched the intimate scene between the two from the outside, not saying a word.

Seeing they had no intention of stopping, she called over a nearby photographer.

"Could you please take a portrait of me? I'd like it in black and white."

The photographer pushed her into another studio, trying to persuade her that black and white photos weren't flattering.

But Eleanor didn't budge.

Because what she wanted was, in fact, a funeral portrait.

The photographer had no choice but to do as she asked and took the picture.

After the photo was developed, the commotion next door had also died down.

Chloe walked over with the photos she had just received, her face full of apology.

"Sorry about that, sister-in-law. Daniel and I got a bit carried away and forgot about you. Why don't you two take some now to make up for it?"

Eleanor looked at Daniel, who was avoiding her gaze behind Chloe, smiled, and gently shook her head.

"That won't be necessary."

Daniel also realized his recent behavior was inappropriate.

His guilt grew heavier, and he quickly went forward to push her wheelchair, saying he would buy her a necklace to make it up to her.

Chloe wanted to tag along, saying she wanted to buy a pair of earrings and could help her pick something out.

The three of them wandered around the mall for a bit. Daniel suddenly got a call from work, and since it was too noisy, he went back to the parking garage first.

Eleanor had no interest in looking at anything and said she wanted to go back, so Chloe pushed her toward the elevators.

They hadn't gone far when the fire alarm suddenly blared, and a huge, chaotic crowd surged toward them.

The surging tide of people knocked the wheelchair over directly. Eleanor fell heavily to the ground and was trampled countless times by the passing crowd.

She managed to grab a nearby railing, struggling to lift her head, and immediately saw Daniel rushing in against the flow of the crowd.

He frantically pushed through the crowd and threw his arms around Chloe, his voice choked with sobs.

"Chloe, thank God you're okay! You scared me to death!"

Chloe glanced at Eleanor on the floor. Seeing that Eleanor had witnessed it, she then put on an awkward expression.

"Daniel, the crowd was too much. Sister-in-law fell."

Daniel followed her gaze and saw Eleanor, covered in purple and blue bruises. He froze on the spot.

He quickly let go of the person in his arms, bent down to help her up, his eyes filled with self-reproach.

"There were too many people, I didn't see you. I'm sorry, Eleanor."

Eleanor said nothing, her face calm, as if nothing had just happened.

The three of them walked out in silence.

As they passed a couple, Eleanor overheard the girl complaining softly.

"It was so dangerous just now, everyone was running out, but one guy rushed back in. I heard it was because the person he loves was inside. When are you going to learn from him and risk your life for me like that?"

Recalling the scene she had just witnessed, Eleanor's hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled. Suddenly, she remembered something from the past.

In high school, she had been cornered in an alley by a few thugs with iron bars. It was Daniel who had rushed in recklessly with a knife to save her.

Times had changed, but he still possessed that same reckless, fearless courage.

Only now, the person he was desperate to save was no longer her.

Chapter 5

Back home, Daniel carefully cleaned and bandaged Eleanor's wounds, his heart filled with regret and pain.

For the next few days, he didn't go out again, staying by her side every moment.

Eleanor showed no reaction to the guilt he displayed.

Late at night, when all was quiet, she wheeled herself into the study and found the diary he thought he had hidden so well.

Opening it, she saw the self-deprecating words that filled an entire page, "Daniel, you're a real piece of work," and closed the diary again.

Just as she left the study, the bedroom door was thrown open, and Daniel rushed out, disheveled and barefoot.

Seeing her unharmed, he let out a long sigh of relief: "Eleanor, what are you doing out here alone so late?"

Eleanor averted her eyes and lied without a change in expression: "I was thirsty. Came to get a glass of water."

Daniel hurried to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to her, his voice still shaky with panic.

"For little things like this, just call me next time. If anything else happens to you, I'll be scared to death."

Hearing this, Eleanor looked up and stared at him intently.

"Daniel, is there anything you've been wanting to tell me lately?"

Daniel froze for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

In truth, if he had just told her the truth, Eleanor would have let him go without a fight.

But even now, in this situation, he still refused to be honest.

She closed her eyes and smiled, hiding the disappointment within them.

The next day, Eleanor took out the photo albums and, without hiding it, cut up all the pictures.

Staring at the scattered fragments on the floor, Daniel was stunned, his voice filled with shock: "These were perfectly good photos, why did you cut them all up?"

Eleanor couldn't be bothered to find an excuse, simply saying they were distorted from the humidity and useless to keep, and that they could retake them later.

Watching her say this with such a calm expression, Daniel suddenly felt a sense of panic, not knowing whether to believe her or not.

On the third day, she called the housekeeper and had her gather all the matching couple's mugs, scarves, clothes, and keychains from the closet and throw them all downstairs.

When Daniel found out, he went to ask her again, and she just fobbed him off with the excuse that they had gotten moldy.

A few days later, she donated all the gifts he had given her to a charity, saying the styles were too old and that he should get her new ones in the future.

As the days went by, more and more things were cleared out.

The things belonging to Eleanor went from filling the room to being few and far between, until finally, there was nothing left.

And Daniel remained completely oblivious.

On the memorial day for the deceased for Eleanor's parents, Daniel went with her to the cemetery.

But as he listened to the words she spoke before the gravestone, a sense of panic suddenly rose in his heart.

"Dad, Mom, are you doing okay up in heaven?

Don't worry about me. We should be able to see each other again soon..."

Daniel remembered that on previous visits, she had always spoken of how much she missed them.

But the more he listened now, the more he felt something was wrong. Just as he was about to ask her about it, a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Daniel, sister-in-law, what a coincidence."

Interrupted like that, he instantly forgot what he was about to say and turned his head, his eyes wide with surprise.

Chloe stood a few steps away, looking as if she were hurt, her face pale.

Seeing her favoring her left foot, a flicker of concern and worry crossed Daniel's face.

"What are you doing here?

Are you hurt?"

"I came to see my grandmother. It's slippery with the rain, and I just twisted my ankle."

Hearing the plaintive tone in her voice, Daniel instinctively stepped forward to steady her.

Chloe looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes: "Daniel, could you take me to the hospital?"

His heart ached for her even more, and he agreed without a second thought, leaving Eleanor with just a single sentence.

"Eleanor, you spend some more time with Mom and Dad. I'm just taking a trip to the hospital, I'll be right back."

From start to finish, neither of them had asked what Eleanor wanted, simply abandoning her in the cemetery.

Chapter 6

Eleanor waited for a full three hours, but he never came back.

In the afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall. Her patience worn thin, she started to wheel herself down the mountain.

Although the cemetery had an accessible path, the slope was steep and slanted. She lost control, and the wheelchair crashed into the railing and tipped over.

She tumbled all the way to the bottom of the path, getting cuts and scrapes of all sizes on her hands and face. A small gash was torn open on her forehead, blood seeping out only to be washed away by the raindrops.

She lay alone on the ground, unnoticed, able to do nothing but watch the scattered raindrops fall.

The chill from the cold rain made her tremble uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain that coursed through her body.

But time was so hard to endure.

After what felt like an eternity, just as she thought she would freeze to death right there, Daniel finally came running in a panic, holding an umbrella. He scooped her up, apologizing with deep remorse.

Eleanor stared at him blankly, her eyes holding nothing but a numb emptiness.

"If I had my legs, I would have been able to leave this place today, wouldn't I?"

The bright and cheerful Eleanor had truly died at eighteen.

Daniel's heart jolted. Guilt and shame washed over him like a tide, leaving him without the courage to look at the person in his arms.

He raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor. I promise this is the last time. It will never happen again."

For the next few days, Daniel's guilt flared up again, and he stayed by her side at all times.

Whether she was sunbathing or just staring into space, he never left her side, attending to her every need. Whatever she casually remarked on, he responded to every word.

Their dynamic seemed to have returned to how it was seven years ago, before the accident.

But Eleanor knew that life offers no second chances.

And everything he was doing was just a fleeting illusion, something that wouldn't last.

So she just watched silently, counting down, waiting for the final day to arrive.

On Christmas Eve, their plane landed in Switzerland.

As soon as they arrived at the hotel, Daniel received a phone call.

After talking for half an hour, he came out, grabbed his luggage, and turned to leave, saying only that there was a company emergency.

Watching his hurried departure, Eleanor asked softly, "Do you really have to go?"

Daniel didn't hesitate for a second, his tone resolute. "It's urgent. Eleanor, you can watch the snow on your own for now. I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

Eleanor didn't try to stop him.

Nor did she tell Daniel that tomorrow, he would never be able to pick her up again.

She sat alone by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling window all night, but the predicted first snow never came.

At dawn, she received a message from Chloe. It was a photo taken at a hospital.

Daniel was sitting by her side, dotingly peeling an orange for her, his eyes filled with a smile.

Eleanor stared at the photo for a long time.

As the sun rose, she wheeled herself out of the hotel and made her way to the euthanasia clinic.

Before entering, she glanced at the sky one last time. The long-awaited first snow still hadn't come.

So it wasn't just Daniel; even the weather forecast had to lie to her?

So, on the last day of her life, she still hadn't seen it—that first snow.

A faint smile touched Eleanor's lips. She turned her head one last time, and pushing her wheelchair, slowly headed down the path to her death.

Soon, the staff wheeled her into the euthanasia room.

They helped her lie down and, as was procedure, asked her a few questions.

"Miss Vance, is there anyone you wish to see?"

"No."

"Do you have any last words you'd like us to pass on?"

"No."

"Then do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"

"No."

She answered every question calmly. For Daniel, she had not a single word to leave behind.

As she watched the staff prepare the injection, she said softly, "After I die, please have me cremated immediately. There's no need to bury the ashes. Just wait for the first snow to fall, find a place, and scatter them. Thank you."

The staff agreed.

The room fell silent.

A slight sting pricked her hand, then quickly faded.

Eleanor's once-clear consciousness slowly began to cloud over.

Images flashed through her mind: a running boy, childhood games, the scorching afternoon sun, a classroom filled with endless noise...

Slowly, all the sounds and images dissolved into a vast, hazy mist, enveloping her.

She sank into the illusory, damp atmosphere.

Finally, she slowly closed her eyes, and then there was silence.