After Being Cheating

Roma helped Janet get off the car as they arrived at the old house. There were already several cars parked in front of the gate. Puzzled, Janet accidentally caught a glimpse of Sven's car as she walked into the old house.

Was there a party today? Why was Sven here?

Jerry was smoking in front of the door. Janet looked at Sally in surprise. His brother was rarely seen smoking.

He would only have a cigarette or two when he was frustrated or depressed about something.

It seemed like Jerry and Sally had a fight.

Sally's red teary eyes met those of Jerry's. He put out the cigarette, came over to the living room, and placed his arm around his wife who held his sister's hand.

There was no one else in the living room but them. "Where's Dad?" Janet asked.

Jerry looked at his sister, "Upstairs, Jane..."

He bit his lip before he said anything else. Janet looked at his brother in wonder, "Bro, what is it with you and Sally? Why did you make her cry? Apologize to her." Jerry was smart enough to know what she meant. Janet misunderstood the situation. She thought that Sally's eyes were red because the two of them fought.

Jerry took them upstairs, without saying a word. An atmosphere of gloom surrounded the whole second floor.

Then... she heard sobs.

Janet grew increasingly anxious. Who else was crying?

She was afraid to ask Jerry who it was.

As they approached Melody's room, Janet could feel her hands shaking because the one who was crying seemed to be... her mom.

The three of them stood by Melody's room's door. Inside were many people.

Ella and Samuel, Viola and Vincent, Sven, and a middle-aged man that Janet had never seen before were there.

Melody was in her bed, her eyes closed.

Viola and Ella were crying, while everyone else wore a melancholic look. Janet tried her best to stop herself from trembling. She moved closer to the bed and uttered, "Grandpa, Grandma... Mom, Dad... Sven.. Is Great-grandma sick?"

Melody's eyes were closed. She seemed to be calm and at peace. Her pale, frail face looked content.

Janet felt somewhat relieved because her great-grandma looked like she was sound asleep.

But... Samuel broke the silence, "Jane, your great-grandma... is gone."

Gone?

Janet smiled, "Dad, you can't joke about that. Great-grandma is here, isn't she? What do you mean she's gone?"

Ever since she was born, Janet had never experienced the loss of a family member, not until now. She had wanted to argue with Samuel more on what "gone" meant, But Ella held her daughter tightly, trying to hold back tears, "Jane... Your grandma is not around anymore!"

No matter how hard Janet sought to contend, she could not escape the facts before her eyes.

She sat down by the bed, weak and limp, and took hold of Melody's hand.

It wasn't until then that she realized how... icy cold her hand was.

"Great-grandma... Great-grandma... It's me, Jane... I am here for you." Tears streaming down her face, she tried to wake her great-grandma up, whom she naively believed was sleeping. "Great-grandma, if you... don't open your eyes... Jane will get so mad. Great-grandma..." Janet's heart completely crumbled. However hard she yelled, her great-grandma did not respond.

Sven went over, touching Janet's hair, and said, "Jane, Great-grandma passed away peacefully and painlessly in her sleep. We don't have to be aggrieved."

"That's right, Jane. You are pregnant now. Please don't stress yourself out emotionally, " Ella tried to comfort her daughter.

Janet removed Sven's hand from

her head and glared at him, "Am I

supposed to laugh about it? My great-grandma... My

great-grandma... She... She's gone! I can't see her, nor talk to her anymore. How would I not be

aggrieved? I..."

Janet almost fainted due to the emotions that overwhelmed her.

The crowd stepped forward to comfort her, "Jane, don't be. You're pregnant. This is not good for the baby."

"Sven is right. Your great-grandma

had passed away without pain.

Many suffer before death, but your great-grandma did not. Death is a reality of life. We should not be so aggrieved." Vincent comforted his granddaughter.

Sven knew how she felt. He rested his hands on her trembling shoulders, "Jane, I've seen worse illnesses that claim the lives of

his hands on her we seen

seniors. They look like nothing more than a bag of bones when they die... or they scream and shout in pain when they pass. You see, Great-grandma took her last breath

wn

in her sleep. She was luckier than

others."

Janet did not know what to say. All she knew was that she felt pain in her heart. It was too much that she could not even breathe properly.

The kindest and most understanding person in her life... Her great-grandma was taken away from her...

She knew the day would come, but she thought her great-grandma would have at least a dozen more years. But she passed so suddenly and unexpectedly...

"I don't want her gone. I want her back..." She was crying hard in the arms of Ella. She did not know what else she could do other than cry in hopes of bringing her back to life. Her devastating sobs echoed throughout the room...

On the second day of the lunar month of June, Melody, the Senior Lady of the Shaos died in her sleep at the age of 108.

As Melody's son, Vincent took charge of the funeral, with the help of Samuel and Jerry.

The absent-minded Janet was accompanied by Sally. Felix was under the care of Ella. The twins and Lola stayed in Leroy Manor. After the seventh day following the death, a gathering was held in the old house. A lot of people came. Samuel thought it over and allowed an online news platform to break the news of Melody's passing.

Anyone with a high social standing in C Country came. There were even those who flew from abroad.

There were also some who were there to simply pay respects and show support, despite them not personally knowing Melody.

Melody's students came, too.

She had been a teacher her whole life, making an impact in numerous students' lives.

A myriad of students were there to see off their well-respected teacher...

Janet knelt on a soft cushion prepared by Ella. She took no notice of people who paid their condolences. She only bothered about burning the paper money.

Some would approach her to try to comfort her, but Janet would either shake her head or simply nod.

After the funeral, people started talking. Everyone who was related to the Shaos was there, except Daniel, the great-grandson-in-law.

Lola and Harry greeted and received guests the whole day, but they couldn't answer to the fact that Daniel was not there. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐