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“You're the original owner? What's your name?” the agent promptly asked.
“Turner. Brodie Turner.”
“...Don't scare me like that, man. Aren't you supposed to be dead?” the agent stuttered.
“Screw you!” cussed Brodie once more. It was the second time this day that he had been at the receiving end of
such a curse. “How could I be dead, being as alive as I am?”
“You can't be serious. I've seen your death certificate for myself,” the agent said.
“Why don't you try cursing me like that one more time? Who's the damned deadbeat who went and got me
certified dead?”
“It's your wife, Lily Hinton. She's the one who handled the paperwork.”
Brodie's heart stopped. “Stuff and nonsense. We sat down and had breakfast at the same table just this morning.
Chatted and had a jolly good time together, we did. How could she have gone and had me registered as dead?
Besides, what would she do that for?”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Theoretically speaking, if you were dead, that would make your wife the legal executor of your estate. Everything
you own, including your car, house, and everything inside, would come into your wife Lily's possession. Lily Hinton
had already sold everything here!”
Impossible. Impossible!
Brodie was overcome by shortness of breath and was left overwhelmed by an ominous feeling that came over him.
Could my wife Lily's disappearance mean that she's betrayed me? The agent must be lying. Yes! He must be the
one lying to me!
Brodie rummaged for his phone and called Lily's number.
“We're sorry. The number that you've just dialed is currently not in service. Please try again later.”
Thump! Thump!
Brodie could distinctively feel his own heart pounding against his chest.
He made another attempt but as before, the phone was shown to be off.
What day and date is this that anyone's phone would be switched off on a flat battery? It's entirely possible that Lily
might have blacklisted me.
“No. No way.” Brodie's voice was close to breaking up. “Lily made breakfast for me this morning and told me jokes.
She'd never betray me. Her phone must be spoiled... Yes. That must be it. She told me that the phone she has been
using is spoiled and has been badgering me to get her a new one these past couple of days.”
Framing it that way raised a sliver of hope within him, even though he understood as well as anyone that he might,
in all probability, be deceiving himself.
After further deliberation, he made a call out to the Civil Affairs Bureau. “Hello, I would like to check on the status of
a Brodie Turner... Yes. His address is... What? He's already dead? I'd mourn for your uncle instead. I'm Brodie
Turner, and I'm alive and well!”
As a result of being overly forceful and emotionally aggravated, something went off inside of Brodie's head.
His vision blacked out and he fell slump upon the floor.
It's over. It's all over.
With his company insolvent, conned of his office building, and now, even deserted by his own wife, he felt that he
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmhad no more reason to carry on living.
All that occupied his mind were thoughts about death, but even on the cusp, he still longed for his wife, Lily.
Brodie could not allow himself to be convinced unless he heard Lily admit to her betrayal herself and so, he
mustered up the remainder of his strength to send Lily a message.
Messages should still be able to get through even when I've been blocked.
“Why has your phone run out of juice, Dear? I was unable to reach you. Come home earlier today. I've prepared
your favorite dishes. Love you.”
It did not take long after the message was sent before Lily replied, and that instantly helped to reinvigorate Brodie.
His hands shook in anticipation when he opened up the message.
“We have a twenty years gap in our age, Brodie, so you should know why I chose to be with you back then. It's my
misfortune that you've gone bankrupt not long after we just got married, and I ended up having to endure two
years of hardship alongside you. I'm leaving because I'm still young and don't want to continue living out the rest of
my life that way. Having been by your side for so long, surely a car, a house, and a few bits of trinkets from you
wouldn't be too much to ask. Don't bother trying to find me as I've already given my heart to another. We'll be
relocating overseas soon so do not come and bother me anymore.”
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