My Pretty Sweetheart (Arianna)

In the end, we couldn't bring Irvin back.

The funeral was arranged three days later. Shirley locked herself at home and did not attend the funeral while we dealt with Irvin's post- death matters.

After that, I personally sent Daniel home.

The door was not completely shut. I pushed the door open and led the child in. The house was empty with no one in sight.

When the owner was gone, it was not home. It was just a house.

Dust layered the floor. With every step we took, it left a trail. It seemed that the servants had been dismissed for some time.

We found Shirley in the master bedroom. She was still in the wedding dress she had on the other day. Her eyes were blank, staring out the window, holding Irvin's favorite suit close to her body. "Mom..." Daniel's small eyebrows wrinkled together, and his eyes were filled with pain and surprise.

I let go of his hand, and he trotted over to her. He tried to nudge her arm with his little hand. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Shirley had no response at all. It was as if we weren't in the room with her.

was puzzled and looked

walked into the room, raised my voice, and said, "Shirley? Can you hear me? I've brought Daniel to you." Nothing changed; she did not move at all. She

"Who is it?"

a sound came from behind me. I thought I was

staring at us in confusion. She felt like a kind person. I figured she

With that, I assumed she was not any ordinary person; perhaps she was one

Shirley had

were not a registered couple. They did not have a wedding either. Without credentials, the Ministry of Public Security would naturally contact

were clear. Her presence and the way she carried herself indicated that she was a capable woman. She introduced herself

"Im Janet, Shirley's mother."

towards Shirley. She lifted her arm and tried to pull her up, but because she was feeble, she had a very hard time doing

out to help. It took

you." Janet thanked me softly and focused on dressing her daughter's

mess, but probably felt a bit of tenderness and warmth in the presence of her mother. She must have missed the feeling of

didn't want to