Seven Days to Goodbye (Irene and Stellan) novel Chapter 13

a moment when he saw the recorder fall out.

He glanced at the back of the picture frame and only then noticed a groove around the edge; the recorder seemed to have been wedged into the groove and had just been knocked loose.

He realized that this, too, had been placed there by Irene.

Remembering Raphael’s words, Stellan felt as if an invisible hand was twisting his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

“Rene, is this also a gift you left for me…

With trembling hands, he picked up the recorder, but for a moment, he did not dare to press play.

What would Irene say to him?

Hysterical curses? Cold resentment? Or a final, irrevocable farewell?

Stellan closed his eyes, steadied his tense breathing, and pressed the play button as if awaiting judgment.

In the next instant, a weak yet gentle voice emerged.

The moment it sounded, it seized Stellan’s breath tightly-

“Stellan, I have always been a contradictory person, wishing you

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Chapter 13

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would never go to Alaska again, yet also imagining that one day you might return to the old place…”

“If one day you hear this recording, I hope by then you are already living a happy new life.”

“As for me, I have probably become a tree on the plateau. By then, I must have forgotten you completely.”

In the final moments of her life, her voice held no anger or resentment, only deep affection and regret.

At the end, she forced back a sob and let out a soft laugh: “You see, this has become… a joyful funeral.”

The words ‘joyful funeral‘ struck Stellan like a sudden, sharp knife, piercing him in his daze.

He could no longer deceive himself, could no longer avoid this cruel reality-

Irene was truly gone.

She had walked the final stretch of her life by his side, and yet he had been completely unaware.

In the end, she departed from this world right in front of him, leaving him to watch her go, unable even to keep a handful of ashes.

Yet he had always deceived himself, unwilling to believe that the name Irene could ever be linked to death.

Unwilling to believe that he truly… could never find her again, never

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Chapter 13

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see her again, never touch her again.

He could no longer argue with her over trivial matters until they were both red–faced, could no longer hold her tightly in his arms, silently planning their future together.

They had no future anymore…

He slowly raised his hand to cover his eyes, and a suppressed sob escaped his throat.

It echoed in the empty room like a cry for help that would never be answered.

He did not sleep at all that night.

Early the next morning, Stellan returned to St. Michael’s Cathedral.

He found the same Jack from the day before, wanting to ask him about

Irene’s situation before her death.

As soon as Jack saw him, he led him to a small room and handed him a shoulder bag.

“These are Irene’s belongings. Since we couldn’t reach any family, they were supposed to be disposed of.”

“But you came yesterday and said you were her husband, so these belongings are now yours.”

Stellan looked at the familiar shoulder bag, instinctively hugged it to his chest, and asked in a hoarse voice.

“Did she… stay in the chapel before she died?”

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Chapter 13

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When he mentioned her death, he could not help but choke up.

Jack nodded and said, “She contacted our chapel about a month ago, hoping we could hold a funeral for her.”

“She stayed with us for more than ten days. Every time I saw her, she seemed especially thin and weak, but she always wore a smile. She was a very kind person. It’s a pity…”

As he spoke, he shook his head.

Listening to his account, Stellan gradually became absent–minded.

A dull pain rose in his chest, and he wondered, since Irene had always appeared so kind and warm to others, why had their relationship become so strained over the years?

Why was Irene always so easily angered in front of him…

At that moment, they walked to the entrance of a large hall. Stellan saw the candles burning inside and asked, “What is this place?”

Jack explained, “This is the hall where we pray for the deceased. The merits of the prayers illuminate the path of the departed, helping them transcend suffering and reach eternal bliss.

He paused, then added, “Irene is also here. The priests and believers here all pray for the departed.”

A sharp, fine pain spread through Stellan’s heart.

Did Irene think he would never find this place in his lifetime, that no one would pray for her, so she arranged a place for her ashes before

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Chapter 14

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Chapter 14