Chapter 120
Backstage, Grayden stood frozen, his teeth clenched so hard that his lips were pale. It was like all the life had been drained out of him.
Someone whispered in his ear, “Gray, let’s get to the break room. The media–“>
But he didn’t move like he didn’t hear a thing.”
He clutched the tablet–the one he’d just spent a fortune to get–screen still paused on my “I’m leaving.“}
I was smiling, but the red around my eyes told him I’d been crying.”
His manager finally dragged him away, pulling him through the crowd.
But even through several closed doors, the chaos outside bled through.
The video of the press conference had already leaked, and the internet was faster than anyone.
Hashtags were already climbing Instagram’s hot search.”
[#Grayden Breaks Down AfterProposal]
[#GraydenLeaves FiancéeOn Stage]
[#VlogFromLateExGirlfriendShirl]
[#ALSGirl’s FinalWords]}
[#FansBlameShirl]
The comments were a war zone.
[She didn’t say a single bad word about him. That hurt to watch.]}
[Is this a stunt? Who vlogs while dying? This kind of drama is a bit too much!]}
[Did Grayden really leave his fiancée over a dead ex?]}
But Grayden didn’t care about any of it anymore.
He looked over at Chantal sitting in the corner, and the wave of grief hit all over again.
Her eyes were swollen. She stood stiff at the door as if she had used a lot of strength before she spoke, “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to post the vlog.“>
Grayden lifted his head with his lips trembling, but he was still silent.
Chantal sniffled, “She told me to keep it as a memory. I wasn’t gonna post it. But when I saw what people online were saying… I just… I couldn’t take it.”
Tears welled up again, and her voice cracked.
“She’s already gone, and I just thought… at the very least, you should know. Someone should tell the truth for her.”
Grayden shut his eyes, his knuckles white as he clenched the tablet.
Chantal hesitated, and then she whispered, “When she passed… it really hurt. A lot.
“She couldn’t move anymore. Even talking made her gasp. She edited those last few videos herself. Bit by bit. Even when she was nauseous or having seizures. But she still insisted. She said the final cut had to be hers.”}
Grayden looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot.
He opened his mouth–and choked on the words.
He covered his face and then, a muffled sob escaped his chest.
After a long silence, he finally forced out one sentence, “Was her… funeral… done?”
Chantal nodded, tears falling again.
“It was… up in her hometown. On a hillside, behind the pines. She said she wanted to be near her grandma.“}
Grayden couldn’t hold it in anymore. He sank to the floor, one shaky step at a time like the weight of the world was crushing him.}
He covered his eyes with the back of his hand, his voice cracking into something raw and broken.
“Why didn’t you tell me?}
“Why didn’t anyone let me see her… one last time?
“I really… really…”
He couldn’t finish.
Chantal was bawling too now.”
She knelt beside him, wiping her tears.”
“Because she said… ‘Grayden’s a crybaby.”
“She said if you saw her body, you’d be devastated. You’d have nightmares.}
“She didn’t want your last memory of her to be like that. That’s why she told me… to wait until after the funeral to tell you.“>
Grayden lifted his head–his face twisted with grief and guilt like he’d been ripped open.
He wanted to say something. But not a single word came out.
And he didn’t even notice when Chantal quietly left.
D
11:41 AM J
