Chapter 16

The doorway was just ahead. In the faint light, it seemed as if Ophelia was standing there. She wore a pristine white dress and was smiling as she waved at me. The smile was just as I remembered, and so was she. But I hadn't seen that smile in such a long time. I clutched my stomach and reached out, but the blurry figure suddenly vanished. A wave of discomfort surged through me again and jolted me awake. So, it was all just an illusion. The Ophelia in my memories was standing right in front of me, and yet I couldn't reach out to her. Sweat beaded on my forehead from pain. I gritted my teeth and staggered toward the doorway. I threw myself at the trash can by the road and vomited until the sharp acrid smell burned my throat. My eyes were red and teary. The gut-wrenching pain persisted. I forced myself to finish throwing up before stumbling to the edge of a flowerbed and collapsing against it. I knew I was drunk and completely out of it. My body felt like it was on the verge of