Clara finally got the answer she wanted, but as she watched them stand side by side, a perfect picture of harmony, an unbearable sadness welled up inside her.
She watched their figures disappear through the doorway before taking a deep breath and turning back to her room.
There wasn't much time left for her.
Ian and Rea had just gotten engaged. Having a dead person's things in the house would bring bad luck.
She didn’t want to trouble anyone, so she needed to gather her belongings now and burn them before she was gone.
However, when she looked around the room, she hesitated. Everything in it, from her clothes to her toiletries, even her schoolbag, had been personally chosen by Ian. He actually was not someone who was particularly attentive.
However back when she first arrived at the Cumberland Family’s home, she hadn’t known she was allergic to milk. She had unknowingly drunk what the servants gave her. As a result, she broke out in hives and developed a high fever in the middle of the night.
If Ian hadn’t checked in on her and brought medicine … she didn’t know how much worse it would have gotten.
Since that night, Ian arranged everything concerning Clara’s daily life. Well ... he did those until he met Rea.
Now, Clara cleaned the attic from top to bottom to remove every trace of herself. She burned all her belongings, every insignificant item, every lingering memory.
Except for the body under the bed. The corpse just lay there, covered by a white sheet and it remained untouched.
She couldn't help but wonder, how Ian would react when he saw her lifeless body. Would he grieve? Or would he feel relieved because he was finally able to get rid of this burden?
Probably the latter. After all, he loved Rea so much and Rea could not wait to see her go.
Three hours later, Clara finished burning the last of her possessions. Without resting, she headed to the kitchen. She wanted to give him this one last surprise.
Once upon a time, he had spoiled her like a princess and never allowed her to step into the kitchen. However, after Mrs. Cumberland died from cancer, things changed.
To make sure Ian could still taste the flavors of home, Clara had painstakingly learned to cook his favorite dishes.
Her fingers burned and blistered as she worked, but finally, she placed four dishes and a soup on the dining table.