Wiping Away Traces of You

December was just around the corner, leaving Edgar with little time. There were still so many things he needed to do, and he didn't want to waste all of it locked in his room. Therefore, he swallowed his pride and went to Jessica to apologize.

"Jess, I've thought it through. It was all my fault. I'm sorry."

But Jessica's face remained impassive, and her gaze was devoid of the tenderness and indulgence that once directed at him. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. It's Cooper."

Edgar realized with deep sadness that her tenderness and care had already been given to another man.

"Fine! I'll apologize to him!" Edgar's entire body shook with emotion as he blurted, "Cooper, you're my brother-in-law. I'm sorry for what I did! "

The title stunned Jessica momentarily. She couldn't quite believe what she had just heard.

"Is this enough, Jess?" Edgar asked with a mocking smile. But as the smile lingered, his eyes began to redden. "Are you satisfied now?"

Jessica should have felt satisfied. But for reasons she couldn't explain, hearing him admit fault and call Cooper his brother-in-law left her feeling unsettled.

She averted her gaze, unable to look at Edgar any longer, and said, "From today onward, you'll move to a room downstairs."

Edgar froze for a moment before the realization sank in. Jessica believed Cooper.

He wondered in despair, "Jess, do you really think I'm the kind of person who would lurk outside your bedroom door, listening to what you do with another man? Is this what you think of me?"

The icy feeling returned, and Edgar felt the world spin around him, nearly making him collapse. But he didn't fall. Instead, he steadied himself against the wall, gritting his teeth to stay upright.

"Fine."

If Jessica wanted him to move downstairs, he would. Anyway, he didn't have long to live.

That evening, Edgar visited the cryonics lab again. He needed to discuss with Harry where his body would be stored after the procedure.

"I read in the documents that you also have cryostorage facilities underwater. Is that true?" Edgar asked.

"Of course," Harry replied. "Actually, most of our storage units are located under the sea. Maintaining the cryonic capsules on land at temperatures below minus several hundred degrees requires enormous energy. But underwater, the naturally low temperatures drastically reduce energy consumption."

"Perfect," Edgar said with a smile. "I'd like my capsule to be stored underwater."

"May I ask why?"

"Because that's a place where the star can't find me."

The star had been a gift from Jessica. She once told him that no matter where he went, the star would follow and always watch over him for her.

But now, Jessica didn't love him anymore.

And soon, he would die.

It would be too depressing for the star to guard a corpse that no one cared about. So, Edgar decided to set it free by disappearing into the depths where even starlight couldn't reach.

He would go away quietly.

To avoid seeing Cooper, Edgar deliberately stayed out late. Nonetheless, when he finally returned home, the villa was still brightly lit. Jessica sat in the living room, her face clouded with anger.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Edgar asked dumbfoundedly. He couldn't think of what he might have done wrong since he'd spent the whole day away from home.

Jessica threw a stack of papers at him, barely containing her fury as she demanded, "Explain yourself!"

Looking down, Edgar saw the scattered documents on the floor. Among them was his cancer diagnosis.