When Love Turns the Knife by Miley Chapter 08

When Love Turns the Knife by Miley Chapter 08

Chapter 8 Ashes and Aftermath

Chaos erupted not long after Winston left. The hallway exploded with a cacophony of noise. It sounded as if something catastrophic had happened.

Several nurses rushed in and placed me in a wheelchair without even a word of explanation.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“Mr. Holt is dying,” one of them replied urgently. “He wants to see you one last time. Mrs. Holt, please just see him one final

time.”

“That’s impossible.” My instincts screamed that they were lying.

He had been fine just moments ago. How could he suddenly be at death’s door?

The nurse spoke rapidly, her words tumbling out like a freight train, “Madeline just passed away. Grace lost it. She grabbed a knife and stabbed Mr. Holt several times.”

Winston was in the emergency room, drenched in blood. It poured endlessly from his lower abdomen; the red liquid gushing out of him seemed endless.

The moment I walked in, he stared straight at me and reached out to me with his blood-soaked hand.

I froze for a few seconds before silently taking it.

Blood kept spilling from his mouth as he struggled to speak, choking out, “Will I be able to atone for my sins if I die?”

I nodded.

“I want to donate all my organs,” he said with great effort. “If I do that… could you visit my grave once a year? Just once a year.”

Inodded again.

Only then did he smile in satisfaction. His grip loosened, and his hand fell still.

Two months later, Victor and I went to Winston’s grave.

Winston’s heart had ultimately been transplanted into Victor. I didn’t know whether it was a coincidence or a donation Winston had personally made happen.

Victor placed a bouquet of flowers before the headstone before turning to me with a smile.

“My heart starts fluttering whenever I see you. I don’t know if it’s because of this guy or because of me. He’s pretty sly, isn’t he?

“He’s just made sure you’d never forget him for the rest of your life.”

I looked at the black-and-white photo on the headstone. The past few months felt as long as half a lifetime.

All the love and hatred of the past were now completely scattered into the wind.

As time passed, Victor and I became lifelong friends. Neither of us ever married. Instead, we spent our lives supporting each other, growing old and gray right next to each other.