Chapter 17
330words
She held no ceremony. On a misty, rain-speckled morning, she visited her father's grave alone, carrying only a sealed wooden box.
She found her father's favorite oak tree overlooking the valley and dug a small hole beneath it. Inside the box she placed Liam's bent press credential, his dog tag, and the shattered remains of the Hasselblad.
In this way, she "buried" her father and the most important man in her life together.
"Now you can get to know each other," she whispered to the soil. "You'll have plenty to talk about."
With this ritual complete, an unprecedented calm settled over her, as if her soul's eternal wound had finally begun to heal.
As she turned to leave, a familiar figure appeared on the cemetery path. Alex.
He'd grown so thin he was barely recognizable, his former vigor completely vanished, leaving only an empty shell.
"I thought you might be here," he said hoarsely.
He told her he'd resigned—after trashing his office and tanking a multi-million dollar deal, the company had "graciously" asked him to leave. Chloe had abandoned him at his lowest point. His entire life had unraveled in mere months.
"I saw your posts. Had someone dig up the reports from back then," he said, eyes filled with belated remorse. "He was a hero. And I... I was an ass."
He asked, bewildered: "What do I do now? Should I go to Africa and try to do something 'meaningful' too?"
Lena studied him quietly. This man who had once pulled her into his sterile world now evoked only detachment and weariness.
"Liam once told me about a family member like you—trapped in another world," Lena said softly. "He hoped they'd find their own meaning rather than imitate someone else's life, even someone they admired."
"Stop living for others, Alex. For once, live for yourself."
This was her final gift to him—her last, most honest advice. She turned and walked away without looking back.
