" you don't know what you've got until it's gone."
Chapter # 02
After a while, he stood in front of a two-story house. Zhang Wei's friend lived on the second floor. He gazed up at the iron stairs that led into the house, but he didn't want to go to her house at this late hour.
He thought to himself, "I intended to give it to her in the morning, but now that I'm here, it makes more sense to give it to her now rather than leaving without doing so." He pulled out the paper from his pocket, on which Zhang Wei had written her friend's address and phone number. Then, he took out his phone from his other pocket and dialed the number.
In her room, the teenage girl with short hair was sleeping on her bed, with a younger girl lying beside her. Another girl was sleeping on a separate bed near the door. It was 3 am when the phone rang, shattering the silence. The younger girl and the girl on the separate bed remained oblivious, but the short-haired girl suddenly sat up with a start. The room lights were on, and she scanned the room with her big eyes before getting up and heading out into the lounge. The lounge was small, and the phone on the small table against the wall was ringing. She rushed to the phone without making a sound and picked up the receiver, holding it to her ear.
" Hello !!" The voice was of an unknown man .
" I had picked up the phone with so much excitement, thinking it was Zhang Wei's call but " Hearing his voice she said to herself and a shadow of disappointment fell across her beautiful face.
" HELLO!!" That man again said.
"Who are you and why are you calling at this time?" she asked in a soft voice.
"Everyone at home is asleep, and I've picked up a call from some unknown man... If Auntie finds out, she'll tell Dad, and Dad will get angry with me again," she thought to herself and pouted .
"I am Zhang Wei's father, Zhang Shen. Are you Adeline, Zhang Wei's friend?" As soon as she heard his words, a smile spread across her face, and she exclaimed with joy."Yes, Uncle, I'm Adeline Stewart, Zhang Wei's friend. Do you want to talk to me about something? Is Zhang Wei with you right now? Can I talk to her? Why isn't she coming to school? She didn't even write me any letters. When will she come back to school? Is she still angry with me? Tell her I miss her a lot." She asked all these questions in one breath.
Zhang Shen cleared his throat " No, She isn't with me right now but she asked me to give you something...."
"Then give it to me quickly..... " Adeline interrupted, not letting him finish his sentence.
" Yes, I have come to give it to you but...." He paused and a wrinkle appeared on her forehead. She quickly asked, " But what, uncle ?"
"Child, it's already midnight, and I cannot give it to you now. So, I will leave it at your doorstep. You can either pick it up in the morning or now, whichever you prefer. Alright?"
"Yes, Uncle, please leave it at the doorstep, I'll pick it up." She said happily and put the receiver back. She jumped in joy. Her dear friend had sent her something.
"She must have known I'm upset with her, so she's trying to butter me up by sending a gift through her dad." Adeline thought to herself then suddenly she paused and a wrinkle appeared on her forehead, her eyes widening in surprise" it's weird that her dad would come all the way here at midnight to give me something just because Zhang Wei asked him to . Since when did her father start to listen to her ??"
Her sixth sense had given her a signal, and a warning bell rang in her mind. Something was wrong, and she could feel that.
She crept silently towards her house door and slowly opened it without making a sound. There was no one outside. She grasped the railing of the stairs and looked down, but there was no one around. She sighed and turned back, and on the first step, she saw a wooden box. She narrowed her eyes and slowly sat down, gazing at the box. Her eyes widened in surprise, she looked down the stairs again, but there was no one. She picked up the box and rushed back to her room.
"This box is the treasure of my life, and after I leave this world, you will be the only one worthy of it..." Zhang Wei's words rang in her mind.
Everything around her had become hazy, her mind was getting numb.
Adeline took out her overcoat from the closet and placed the box in it. Tears were flowing from her eyes, she wore the overcoat and picked up her glasses from the study table, and rushed out of the room. "Where are you going, elder sister?" The little girl who was sleeping with her on the bed woke up and asked.
But she didn't answer and hastily ran towards the door, quickly descending the stairs.
Adeline had to go where her friend was. If she didn't, she would be gone forever... to a place from which there was no return.
Zhang Shen was walking towards his home with his hands in his pockets. The distance between Zhang Shen's and Adeline's homes could be covered on foot. He had already completed half the journey and was about to reach his home.
He was feeling some strange emotions within himself. Today, for the first time, he had done something on Zhang Wei's request, fulfilling one of her wishes. He was feeling the same joy and satisfaction that a father feels after fulfilling his child's desires.
But why now?!!!!! When everything is already over!!!!! Zhang wei will leave him in the morning and his wife will never see his face again, and this thought was tearing his heart apart. Can't he stop all this?????? A voice echoed again from the corner of his heart, but this time it was louder.
"What's wrong with you,Zhang Shen !!!! Why are you being so feeble... This is what you wanted, to get rid of that girl who is cursed for you and your entire family. Your family always looks down on you because of her. Now that she's leaving, you should be happy, not sad....."
He said to himself in a loud voice, trying to silence the whispers echoing in the corner of his heart, but the voices only grew louder. As he approached his house, his steps became heavier, yet he continued walking with determination. Zhang Shen finally reached his house, and before him stood a tall building, the ninth apartment of the building was his .
He lifted his gaze to look at the balcony of his room, then at the balcony of his daughter's room. His eyes were tearful, and everything seemed blurry to him. As he looked at the balcony of his daughter's room, he felt as if someone was standing there. Zhang Shen blinked, trying to clear his vision, and looked again. Though his eyes were still blurred with tears, but he could see that someone was not standing in the balcony but on the railing of the balcony.
He blinked again, and the tears that were gathered in his eyes spilled down his cheeks. Now he could see, now he could see clearly - the girl who was standing on the railing was none other than his daughter, Zhang Wei. Zhang Shen became still, his world slowing down as he started at her in horror . He kept looking at her, his eyes saw Zhang Wei smiling, then jumping off the railing.
Zhang Shen was staring at the balcony without blinking, but his daughter was no longer there. His gaze dropped from the balcony to the ground below, and that's where he saw her, lying there, bathed in her own blood , her eyes were wide open, and her lips were trembling. She was trying to say something...
Zhang Shen's body had become numb, and his mind was in shock . His eyes were frozen, he hadn't even blinked. it felt as if his soul had been ripped from his body.
But the very next moment, he heard the girl scream and he felt his senses snap back into place, as if someone had put his soul back in.
Adeline ran towards Zhang Wei's movement-less body. She sat beside his daughter's blood-soaked body, but she didn't touch her. Her hand reached out, only to pull back, as if trying to figure out if it is real or a terrible dream.
Adeline's body was trembling with fear, she gently touched her hair and her fear turned into horrible certainty.
Adeline was crying and screaming. Zhang Shen walked towards Zhang Wei in a daze, as if in a dream, and sat down beside his daughter's body. He was still reeling from the shock and uncertainty of the situation.
Zhang Wei's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to whisper something, perhaps a final 'Goodbye'. But then her lips froze, and she fell silent. Zhang Shen's world was shattered, leaving him in terrible, aching emptiness.
On his way to Adeline's house, he thought he had nothing to lose, but now he realized he had everything, and it was all gone, now.
His trembling hand reached out to touch Zhang Wei's face, but it faltered and fell to his side. What he wanted had happened, she had left, but why did she have to leave like this? He had always wished for her to leave his life forever, but not like this, not in this heartbreaking way.
He never thought what he wanted would happen like this.
Some people's presence in our lives is like a pinch of salt in flour. But in reality, those people play the most important role in our lives. And when they are gone from our lives, a void is created in our life that cannot be filled, no matter how hard we try. We only realize the value of such people when we lose them.
But why? But why only after we lose them? Why does it take their absence to make us understand their worth?"