LOVE TRANSCENDS_eBook

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COPYRIGHT PAGE
This ction novel was inspired by a true story of a notable person who already passed on
before the start up to the completion of this work and whose departed spirit aided the Author
through “Automatic Writing”.
However, NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED upon his story as well as
on the scienti c and metaphysical reference materials used by the Author in writing this story.
Copyright © 2023 Moonyeen G. Ozaeta a.k.a. SLIFER
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without
the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations.
To request permissions, contact the publisher at autotelic.slifer@gmail.com
eBook: ISBN 978-621-06-1266-0
PUBLISHED BY
MOONYEEN G. OZAETA
159 H.V. Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Bel-Air, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. No. +63 2 8552 1183 / Mobile Numbers : +63 9772670087 /+63 966853 100 [Telegram]
https://autotelicslifer.wixsite.com/website-1
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FOREWORD
“Once in a while, in the middle of an
ordinary life, Love gives us a fairytale.”
Melissa Brown
&
“There is no better fairytale than the one
created by Life itself.”
Hans Christian Andersen
3

PROLOGUE
“Heartbeats lost can be found in the heart of another.”
MICHELLE SCHAPER
As fate would have it, Geoffrey and Annie crossed paths despite the early
demise of the former.
Divinely orchestrated, their soul energies connected when the portals of life and
death overlapped for them to meet.
LOVE instantly blossomed between them as they discovered they were destined
to fulfill each other’s earnest wish i.e.
Geoffrey’s desire to complete his unfinished business interrupted by his untimely
death;
and
Annie’s dream to write her own story of romantic love, which eluded her for
sometime.
Their surreal encounter at Creative Cottage defied the past missed opportunity
and the physical barrier between them that enabled them to overcome the odds
and sustain their love for each other regardless.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 IT WILL BE, IF IT IS MEANT TO BE. Pages 6-12
Chapter 2 EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. 13-19
Chapter 3 THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE MISSING PIECE. 20-24
Chapter 4 ENDINGS ARE NEW BEGINNINGS. 25-29
Chapter 5 FROM THE PHYSICAL REALM INTO THE DIVINE REALM. 30-35
Chapter 6 EVERYTHING IS FATED…BY DESTINY. 36-41
Chapter 7 A SOUL CONNECTION IS THE PUZZLE PIECE THAT FITS. 42-46
Chapter 8 WHEN HEAVEN AND EARTH MEET. 47-52
Chapter 9 WHEN THINGS ARE OVERWHELMING, JUST WAIT AND SEE. 53-58
Chapter 10 WHEN THE ONLY OPTION IS TO TRUST. 59-63
Chapter 11 THERE’S ALWAYS A PLAN EVEN IF IT SEEMS THERE’S NONE. 64-68
Chapter 12 IT IS OVER ONLY WHEN WE SAY IT IS. 69-74
Chapter 13 WHEN LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS. 75-81
Chapter 14 FORGET WHY IT WON’T WORK. FOCUS ON WHY IT WILL. 82-86
Chapter 15 THE UNIVERSE SHALL SERVE WHAT ONE DESERVES. 87-91
Chapter 16 A SITUATION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE DESTINATION. 92-96
Chapter 17 MAGIC HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO SEEK AND BELIEVE IT. 97-100
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Chapter 1
IT WILL BE, IF IT IS MEANT TO BE.
Annie Chen contained her sadness from knowing her closest friend and
schoolmate, Leonard Song, was moving to another place with his family today.
They grew up together and were practically childhood sweethearts, but she
wouldn’t be going with him to college anymore. So, they agreed to simply wish
each other the best until their paths cross again in the future. She just waved at
him from her bedroom window when his family’s car passed along with a
mover’s truck in front of her house. She strongly believes in destiny and has no
attachments to people or things that came her way. Only grateful for the
experiences and times she shared with them. Being free spirited, she’s quite
optimistic at heart.
Anyway, she looked forward to next week to enroll at the university as a
Literature Major. She wanted to be a novelist and write about her romantic
beliefs in life through her stories. Her friend Leonard would pursue Engineering
as he excelled in both math and science. Technically, they wouldn’t be enrolling
in the same course in college so, his moving away to live in another place was
kinda meant to be.
Years later…
6

The flight was full, so it was a struggle to find the seat while dragging a trolley
bag along the aisle with all other passengers boarding the aircraft. Finally, Annie
found her aisle seat and as she tried to stow her trolley suitcase onto the
overhead luggage bin, a tall kind looking guy seated on the aisle seat across
hers stood up and gave her a hand.
“Allow me to stow that for you, Miss.”
the man said and did the stowing of her bag for her.
She was glad since her petite size and 5 feet and 2 inches height could hardly
reach the overhead bin. She decided to acknowledge him properly for his
gallantry towards her. She offered him a handshake.
“Oh...thank you. I really can’t reach it well by myself. And there’s no flight attendant nearby.
I’m Annie Chen.”
The man grinned and shook her hand before taking his seat to buckle up.
“Matt Xiu. I was actually afraid your bag might slip from your grasp and hit me in the process.
So, I actually did myself a favor preventing a likely accident.”
His remarks made Annie laugh and found him nice to chat with during the flight.
She learned that he was visiting the branch office of his software company as he
is based in the city from where they took the flight together. Matt Xiu is a Design
Engineer with a good sense of humor. He’s living with his long time girlfriend and
business partner who manages the main office of his company.
Matt Xiu loves Annie’s vivacious personality contrary to his previous idea that
writers are either snooty or withdrawn types. He marvels at Annie’s zest for life,
which is the polar opposite of his best friend, Geoffrey Lin who is still single.
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Therefore, he thought of introducing them to each other when the opportunity
arises as Geoffrey works in another city. Yet, he did not waste time to give his
best friend a hint already.
“Hey...Buddy! Guess what? I made a new friend on the flight. She’s a pretty novelist with a with
a great personality. Still Single and lives just 6 hours drive from you. You may wanna check her
out.”
At Creative Cottage...
Geoffrey Lin could not help but smile as he listened to Matt Xiu on the phone.
His best friend is always eager to match him with any ladies he would come
across, as if feeling guilty for having found a life partner already while he still
hasn’t met his. However, he trusts Matt’s gut feel on such matters, so he
welcomed his initiative.
“Whatever you say, Matt. Go fix it and I’ll make time for it. You’ll be the Best Man in my
wedding, if anything solid comes out of your relentless matchmaking.”
Matt Xiu beamed with excitement and took Geoffrey’s challenge optimistically.
“Alright. Will check Annie Chen’s schedules and let you know soonest.”
Geoffrey hung up and continued his drawings of the luxury house design he was
working on before Matt rang him unexpectedly. His architecture firm is onto this
new project that he’s personally in-charge of for a repeat client. He just hoped
he could really find the time to date amidst his tight schedules so as not to waste
his best friend’s incessant efforts and disappoint the other party, if he failed to do
so.
8

Ooops...Annie Chen isn’t keen on “blind dates” at all aside from she already has
a string of travel schedules to follow in order to complete her novels as
demanded already by her publisher. She had to decline Matt Xiu’s request for
her to meet up with his best friend, Geoffrey Lin, for now. It would just be up to
the right timing or fate, if they would eventually meet.
Matt Xiu went driving 6 hours by land to see Geoffrey instead. He felt he should
keep him interested to meet Annie on his own even if he could not arrange it for
them. He texted his live-in partner that he would spend a day with his best
friend. He met him at his Creative Cottage Studio for a drink. Although
unexpected, Matt noticed Geoffrey’s disappointment in not meeting Annie Chen
as proposed by him when his previous matchmaking didn’t seem to bother him
at all. Perhaps, his friend is already feeling what he’s missing in life.
“Geoff, Annie’s schedules are quite tight these coming days and months because she has
publication deadlines to meet and she would be traveling a lot in those times. So, she
couldn’t squeeze in dating for now.”
“As they say, if there’s a will, there’s a way, right? She might not be interested in me, Matt.
You’re just forcing it.”
Matt tried to appease Geoffrey as he felt guilty for having broached the idea to
him prematurely.
“Don’t sour grapes now, Buddy. I haven’t told her much about you yet. I just asked if I could
introduce her to you since you’re my best friend and she has a very nice personality. So, how could
she possibly not want you? Really, it’s just her tight schedules getting in the way.
Geoffrey patted Matt on his shoulders reassuringly.
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“Then, don’t try too hard to set us up as it may turn her off eventually. Maybe you can do it
another time. Let’s just play it by ear.”
So, they just gulped more whisky together to enjoy the night like they used to
when they were still in college.
Flashback…
Geoffrey Lin just made a homerun for his High School Baseball Team after hard
hitting the ball pitched at him, which went way over the Center Fielder’s position
so he missed to catch it. It won their team the Baseball Match since it was the
last inning as they scored higher than their opponents. Teammate Matt Xiu
jubilantly ran to embrace and congratulate his best friend Geoffrey for his
winning play. Their girl classmates seated at the spectators’ bench at the
stadium rejoiced for the team success, particularly Geoffrey for his remarkable
performance. They were led by their class top student leader, Rachel Wu, who
was Geoffrey Lin’s longtime Crush. She organized the rest of the class to watch
the game in support of their classmates, Matt Xiu and Geoffrey Lin, who were
the star players of their High School Baseball Team.
When Matt noticed the overwhelming reaction of their classmates, he teased
Geoffrey that he was obviously inspired to play exceptionally well at the game
because Rachel Wu led their class to cheer him on. Geoffrey simply brushed off
Matt’s teasing because he still didn’t have the guts to approach Rachel to thank
her even after winning the match for his team. He was just too shy to express
his admiration for her since their Freshmen Year until now in their Senior Year.
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So, he proceeded to the Shower & Locker with Matt to freshen up and change
clothes, where the latter prodded him to make a move on Rachel since their
School Soiree was already upcoming.
Then, later outside of the Shower & Locker, Geoffrey’s older brothers, Carl and
Ted Lin (as young college students) waited to greet Matt and him for their
success at the game. They were naturally proud of Geoffrey’s spectacular
baseball performance so, they went to dine out with Matt to celebrate where the
topic of Geoffrey asking Rachel Wu for the school dance was raised and
resolved. Together with Carl and Ted, Matt planned out how Geoffrey could
finally approach Rachel about it.
Hence, the following week Matt arranged for Geoffrey and Rachel to meet at the
school cafeteria during their class break time, so Geoffrey could ask her to be
his dance partner at the School Soiree’, in the guise of inquiring who among
their classmates were already paired by the class adviser herself. Matt’s
strategy turned out favorable for Geoffrey because Rachel still had not been
paired with anyone yet, so she readily accepted him to be her dance partner and
even scheduled with him their dance practice days before the event day itself.
Such made Geoffrey hopeful towards winning Rachel’s heart soon.
However, as fate would have it, even after Geoffrey had finally mustered the
courage to confess his feelings to Rachel at the school dance, she discouraged
him because she had been planning to study abroad for college since her
excellent academic standing qualified her for admission into a university in
Canada that was being supported by her parents.
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Although Rachel did express her own admiration for Geoffrey, she didn’t think a
long distance relationship with him would work since it would both be their first
time. Seeing the wisdom in her point of view, Geoffrey respected it even if it was
his first heartache. Timing was just off for both of them so, pursuing their
respective dreams first seemed to be more important for the time being.
Anyway, in college Geoffrey and Matt enrolled in the same university despite
taking up differing but allied courses, i.e. Architecture and Design Engineering,
respectively, so they could continue to be school buddies. They had been
inseparable since their primary years like soul brothers.
As Geoffrey became preoccupied with his studies, he eventually got over Rachel
Wu since he lost touch with her over the years. Matt, on the other hand, was
relentless in his efforts to match Geoffrey through double dating with his string of
flings in school. Yet, Geoffrey didn’t seem keen on having any relationships
while studying and simply enjoyed the company Matt would arrange for him only
as far as the day or evening had gone. He was more bent on finishing
architecture and excelling in it when his practice begins after graduation, which
was his utmost goal at that time since he decided LOVE will come when the
timing is right.
Never force anything. Just let it be. If it is meant to be, it will be.
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Chapter 2
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.
Geoffrey needed additional rolls of drawing papers so, he went to pick up the
box of the art supply himself from the store his company orders from. On his
way out, he accidentally nudged someone who was coming in while having a
conversation on the phone. The art box he was carrying knocked the arm of the
person holding the phone and interrupted the call as the gadget fell on the floor.
Geoffrey immediately apologized when he saw the broken phone. The young
lady he bumped onto scowled at him in disgust. He felt guilty and offered to
replace her phone.
“I’m sorry. It was an accident. I didn’t see you coming in. Can I just buy you a new one?”
The young woman heaved a long sigh of displeasure but, nonetheless accepted
his offer.
“Well, it better be now as I have to make a lot of calls.”
Geoffrey felt relieved that she agreed and motioned her to join him in his car.
“Sure. Let’s go together to a nearby store so we can have it replaced soon.”
The young woman did not dilly-dally and chose the most expensive and the
latest model at the first mobile phone store they found nearby. Geoffrey did not
mind and had it charged onto his gold credit card, which did not escape the
notice of the young woman. Then, as soon as they finished the purchase, the
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young woman asked Geoffrey to bring her back to the art supply store where
they came from earlier on. She asked for his number so she could text him once
her phone got activated to let him know it is working well. Geoffrey gave her his
business card with his mobile number on it.
Matt was already checked-in for his flight back home so he turned on his phone
to notify his live-in partner of his arrival time. He saw Annie Chen’s text message
apologizing for her inability to meet up with his friend but promised to visit him
and his girlfriend the next time she flies to his home city again. He replied to it
teasingly.
“Anytime, Annie. Just buzz me in advance and I will make sure Geoff can join us. So, we can
have a foursome dinner. Anyway, I am flying back now.”
Annie just replied with a happy emoji to his text. He would have forwarded it to
Geoffrey had it contained a promise of meet up. Well, he decided to let it rest for
now. There’s still time. He turned off his phone as soon as he boarded the plane
as required.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey had just concluded his meeting with his staff and
colleagues when he noticed the text messages on his phone that came in
earlier... one from Matt who texted his arrival back at his home city and one from
an “unknown number”.
“Hi, this is Suzette Bei, the one you bought a new phone for earlier. Thank you. It’s working
fine.”
As his phone battery was running low, he decided to turn it off and recharge it
14

without replying to the young woman who texted him. He was just OK to know
the expensive phone she chose was worth the price he paid.
On the other hand, Annie was in limbo on how to end the last chapter of her
novel. She needed some valuable opinions so, she emailed a few of her
publication colleagues and Matt Xiu, for a change, just in case he can offer her a
fresh outlook since the others are quite predictable that she is only after a
consensus from them. To her delight, Matt replied with his two cents worth but,
differing perspective. She thanked him earnestly for his time and attention. It
was indeed a blessing to have met him.
The next day...
Geoffrey just came in from a client visit when his receptionist informed him that
someone had been waiting for him at the lounge. He didn’t expect anyone, so he
thought it could be a walk-in inquiry. He was about to go straight to his office
passing by the lounge when the guest called his attention.
“Architect Lin.”
As Geoffrey looked to the person who called him to see it was the young woman
he came across yesterday, Suzette Bei, who was waiting for him. Quite puzzled
as to why she came, he decided to find out.
“Yes? Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Suzette Bei handed Geoffrey an invitation.
15

“Oh, I would just like to invite you to our lifestyle magazine launch, if your time permits. I
happened to be the Art Editor and thought our accidental meeting yesterday went a bit
unpleasant and hasty. Perhaps, I can make it up to you as well since the phone you bought me is
really nice and state of the art. And you didn’t reply to my text yesterday. ”
Geoffrey took the card from Suzette to keep himself from retorting that she
actually went overboard choosing the most expensive one instead of just taking
the same model as her broken phone. He felt taken advantage of by her but,
didn't want to let their situation drag any further. He just said dismissively.
“I’ll see if I can squeeze it in my schedule as we are swamped with deadlines these days. Thanks,
anyway.”
The young lady seemed persistent and extended a hand to shake Geoffrey’s.
“Alright. I will just wait for your confirmation later. It was nice meeting you, Geoffrey Lin.”
Out of courtesy, Geoffrey shook Suzette Bei’s hand, which held him
unnecessarily longer than necessary. He just nodded without acknowledging her
name before he turned towards his office. He didn’t bother to see her off. He felt
a little uneasy with the way the young lady squeezed his hand during the
handshake. While she is attractive in her own right, he finds her too forward and
flirty towards him today after being inconsiderate and feeling entitled yesterday.
However, Suzette Bei had already set her eyes on Geoffrey after she checked
his status within the architectural industry. He’s one good catch that she intends
to latch her claws on very soon. And she would never take NO for an answer.
Suzette gets whatever Suzette wants.
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A week later...
Annie sent Matt a soft copy of her published novel since the printed one would
be only available after sometime. It was her way of thanking him for giving her a
different perspective on how to end the final chapter of her book. He replied that
his live-in partner is one of her readers now as she loves her story and hopes to
meet her one day. Annie promised to invite them to her book launch once she
has the schedule and details. Matt vowed to bring Geoffrey along to her book
launch to which Annie could only take with a grain of salt and let fate decide.
It was past 6PM already when Geoffrey decided to stop drawing and head home
to his apartment. He wanted to rest early tonight to have a video call with his
siblings in Australia while they are still up since there’s a time difference. He was
about to step out of his office when Suzette Bei suddenly entered the reception
area and chanced upon him. She gave him a wry smile and an accusing look.
“Geoffrey Lin, since you didn’t have the time to text me if you could come to our event in the past
days, I decided to find out for myself if you are available today.”
Taken off-guard by Suzette’s audacious move, Geoffrey relented.
“Well, I really forgot about it, so I didn’t text you. But, as you are here already, I guess I can
spare you an hour for your event. I just have to be home right away.”
Suzette's eyes glared in triumph and exclaimed.
“Great! Then, you are forgiven. Let’s go as you are my only guest.”
Without asking for his permission, Suzette hooked an arm to his and dragged
him out of his office as if they were going for a romantic interlude somewhere.
17

She took him to her car to save time according to her. Geoffrey just went along
with her as he was feeling tired to say anything. He would simply play silent
throughout with her so she would know his disinterest.
Suzette had everything planned out since she got lucky catching Geoffrey Lin in
time for the event. She would do her best to win him over because she learned
he’s an eligible bachelor. Anyway, she’s not exclusively dating anyone from her
string of flings here and there. So, she is a good match for him, technically
speaking being in the design field just like him.
The magazine launch turned out interesting enough for Geoffrey and he saw
how Suzette’s work contributed a lot to its success. He had to give credit to her
talent, though. And while there was wine, cheese and crackers served at the
event, hunger crept in and so, he asked Suzette to have dinner first before he
headed back to his office. They went for a Japanese katsu meal nearby, which
Suzette enjoyed a lot. Geoffrey felt it was just right.
As days went by...
Suzette would text Geoffrey out of the blue to ask his whereabouts requesting to
meet up for a meal or snack. Geoffrey would compromise whenever he was
within the area, which became a routine for him. Suzette would always initiate
things between them like doing and celebrating couple activities together as if
they were officially an item. Since their situationship did not require Geoffrey to
woo Suzette anymore as she already pursued him, he just went with the flow to
see how things would progress between them later on. So, when the book
18

launching invitation of Annie Chen came along through Matt, Geoffrey could not
make it because he had to take Suzette to dinner for her birthday, which turned
into a silent ordeal for him as he begrudged himself this time for another missed
opportunity to meet Annie.
If two hearts are meant for each other, no matter how long it takes, how far they may
go, how tough it may seem, fate will bring them together to share their love forever.
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Chapter 3
THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE MISSING PIECE.
2 Years have passed…
An email notification popped up on her phone. It was a reply confirmation from
the Creative Cottage Owner [Geoffrey Lin] on her 3 months booking at the
property that was arranged by their common friend Matt Xiu.
“Hi ANNIE,
Certainly. You can stay here for 3 months or as long as you want since
you are highly recommended by Matt. I’ll just drop by one time before
my honeymoon trip to pick up some sketches I have been working on here,
if that’s OK with you. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy your stay here
then.”
GEOFF
She couldn’t help but smile. Geoffrey is really a cool guy as Matt described him
to be. Too bad that she passed up those times Matt wanted to set her up with
him for a date when he was still Single. Not only because she detested the idea
of being on a blind date and would rather meet someone she could fall in love
with by fate but also, she was busy traveling to find inspiration for her novels so
timing was off then. Now, Geoffrey is getting married already while she is still
waiting for her one true love. Anyhow, she happily emailed Geoffrey back with:
“Great, GEOFF!
Sure, you can come anytime for your sketches. It’s No Problem. I wish
you LOVE and HAPPINESS from hereon. So, See You When I See You then.”
Thanks and regards to Matt.”
ANNIE
20

And she continued packing her things into her luggage because she was looking
forward to the trip to Creative Cottage, which is only two days away. She
couldn’t possibly miss anything in it since it is a six hour road trip to get there
from her place.
Sleep is beginning to creep in but, Geoffrey refused to give in so, he stood up
from his drawing table to fetch himself another mug of fresh coffee when he saw
an email notification on his phone that he left recharging nearby. It was from
Annie Chen, Matt Xiu’s good friend who requested for a long stay at Creative
Cottage, which is his private lair, yet he wouldn’t mind letting close friends like
Matt or their referrals from time to time. While he hadn’t met Annie in person yet
due to Matt’s failed attempts in the past to introduce them, Geoffrey felt an
instant affinity with her and warmth from her well- wishing email response.
The thought of what could have been if they had actually met and dated brought
a sense of excitement that he couldn’t fathom but, he shrugged it off with a sip of
coffee from his mug. What was he thinking now...for crying out loud? He’s
getting married to Suzette in 3 days to even get excited about meeting Annie
Chen in person. He shuddered at the idea before he went back to his desk and
resumed his drawing work there.
The weather forecast for tomorrow really sucks!!! Of all days, a typhoon is
arriving and the roads will be impassable including the driving path towards
Creative Cottage. And no matter how many times Annie checked the direct route
and the alternative ones leading to it, she would have to delay her trip for one
day. Yet, her hopes remained high that the weather may still improve anytime
21

soon. She will just email Geoffrey, if ever, on her late arrival at Creative Cottage.
She just does not want to cause him trouble on how to hand her the keys to the
property since he will be busy already for his wedding. In the meantime, she will
wait and monitor the weather forecast until tonight. And she’s keeping her
fingers crossed for good luck.
Geoffrey got interrupted in his drawing when another email notification from
Annie Chen popped up on his phone nearby. A typhoon will delay her arrival at
Creative Cottage for the next day so, she requested if he could just leave the
cottage keys with his neighbor or somewhere she could pick them up because
she knew he wouldn’t be there anymore to meet and usher her into the property
as he would be off to his wedding.
Somehow Geoffrey felt quite disappointed not meeting Annie Chen today as
scheduled. It seemed they were not meant to meet even on his last day as a
Single Man. This unforeseen obstacle left him with a wry smile and a bitter taste
in the mouth. Why did it feel frustrating not meeting her at all? Is he still looking
forward to it since the day Matt suggested to hook them up, which never
happened? What gives? After all, he didn’t dare check her out himself when
Matt failed. He wasn’t curious enough then...until this very moment. Anyway, he
replied,
“No worries, ANNIE.
Safety comes first. I’ll just leave the spare keys inside the umbrella
bin. You’ll find them at the bottom. Anyway, I have CCTV Cameras
installed in Creative Cottage that I can remotely check through my
mobile phone. I will see it when you get in. Enjoy your stay.”
GEOFF
22

With less enthusiasm, he went back to draw again but Annie's quick email revert
with emoticons caught him off guard.
“Thanks, GEOFF!.
LOVE you already. Hugs and kisses to you.”
ANNIE
Geoffrey did feel the sensation of her remote hug and kiss that was comfortingly
familiar, though they have not met yet. Annie Chen, indeed, is a very
affectionate person as Matt described. A pang of longing to meet her in person
intensified in him. Then, his phone rang and jolted him from reverie. His fiancee’
Suzette called to remind him not to get too drunk and mess up with any sexy
strippers at his Stag Party set up by his friends tonight since she could not be
there. She is one jealous and wily kind being 10 years younger than him but,
quite smart and active, which lured him to a different side of the world. And
being bored with his Single Life, he thought it best to settle with her now since
they’d been dating for 2 years already. His career in architecture hardly gave
him time to date and when Suzette persisted, he thought it was meant to be……
as he never got the chance to meet Annie Chen anymore. Annie Chen,
again??? Geoffrey could not understand why the thought of Annie kept lurking in
his mind even after talking to his fiancee’ who will be his wife in the next two
days. It baffled him to no avail. Hmmm...he decided to check her on social
media just for once. Only to be disappointed that Annie posted mainly photos of
the places she visited while writing her novels. Even her profile picture is an
image of a book and a pen. She preferred anonymity in her profession though
she’s quite outgoing, loyal and passionate as Matt had put it and as confirmed
23

y the memes and comments she likewise posted on her social media accounts.
Geoffrey could only heave a sigh of regret for not having met her earlier. Yet,
“What if'' is no longer a possibility where he is concerned.
The typhoon had finally touched down and delayed some of the flights coming
in. Matt Xiu is running late for Geoffrey’s Bachelor’s Party organized by their
other friends based in the city. He flew in to be his Best Man at his wedding
because they have been bosom friends back in their High School Days. He
wouldn’t miss it for life as it completely surprised him when Geoffrey informed
him of his decision to tie the knot with Suzette. Although he wasn’t completely
taken with her to be his best match, he could only support him as a friend and
wish him happiness. Geoffrey is a real good guy who deserves to spend his life
with a good woman. Now, he could only hope Suzette can truly make him happy
because his past efforts to match him with Annie Chen, who is his idea of a
perfect partner for Geoffrey, miserably failed. He phoned Geoffrey to inform him
of his flight arrival delay while on his way to his Stag Party penthouse venue.
“We are never connected to anyone by chance.
Souls always connect, at the perfect time and place to ful ll
an emotional, a physical, mental or spiritual task or karmic bond.”
FARON MCKENZIE
24

Chapter 4
ENDINGS ARE NEW BEGINNINGS.
While having a full body massage treatment her phone rang. Suzette Bei
answered it without checking the caller ID as she assumed it was her fiance’
Geoffrey on the line. She almost dropped her phone when she recognized that
Jackson Wong, her secret lover, was the one calling.
“Hey Sue, can we see each other tonight? Your beau is going to his Stag Party and so I plan to keep
you company the whole night through. What do you say, Sweetie?”
Suzette was a bit irritated with Jackson’s timing, but then she held it in since it
isn’t a bad idea to spend the night with him before she will be officially tied down
to Geoffrey Lin very soon. The last night of debauchery with Jackson will
certainly take away the bedroom boredom tonight because he surely knows how
to make it fun in bed. Anyway, Geoffrey shouldn’t be the only one getting
entertained by friends. So, she answered:
“Alright. Come to my place at 9:00PM tonight. But, you can only stay until 4:00AM. I have to
meet Geoff for breakfast at 7:00AM tomorrow. We have to pick up something for our wedding.”
Jackson couldn’t contain his delight and retorted with:
“Yeah!!! But, I doubt it if your beau will even sober up that early after his Stag Party tonight,
Babe. He might go totally wasted to wake up tomorrow to meet you for breakfast. Don’t count on
it since it would be his last night to swing before you tie him down. Whereas. I will be in full gear
for you. LOL.”
Suzette just smirked and dismissed Jackson’s overbearingness before she hung
25

up on him with, “Shut up! And just show me what you got later.”
She did divulge to him her dissatisfaction with her intimate relationship with
Geoffrey who is busy most of the time. That’s why she resorted to having sexual
affairs on the side whenever the need kicked in and Geoffrey was too busy to
even call her. She just hung on with him as he is a good catch status-wise. She
would have broken up with Geoffrey if anyone of his caliber came along until he
finally popped the question, which she grabbed as an opportunity of a lifetime.
Anyway, she is confident she could get away with murder (her secret affair) even
after she marries him as she has Geoffrey Lin under her young spell for life.
Jackson Wong hit the gym to prepare for the big night with Suzette. He planned
on giving her the best ‘romp on the hay’ tonight so she may completely abandon
the idea of marrying the boring Geoffrey Lin. Well, he is certainly up to winning
Suzette at all cost because Plan A is already in place at the Stag Party later. He
wouldn’t lose Suzette to Geoffrey Lin or anyone else for that matter. He never
will since his Celebrity Dad (Lawyer Peter Wong) won’t allow it. Suzette Bei is
his and everything else he has set his eyes on. Sorry and good riddance to
Geoffrey Lin. Nothing Personal. He just happens to be blocking the way.
The better weather forecast for tomorrow has delighted Annie as she hoped for.
She’s quite excited to be at Creative Cottage as soon as she can, though she
missed the chance to meet Geoffrey Lin in person today as bad weather got in
the way. Anyway, she could look forward to the day he would come by to pick up
his sketches to get a glimpse of him even if he will no longer be a Bachelor by
then. Matt’s good words for him made her curious enough, but she always
26

leaves it to fate or destiny if she would still meet him someday. She texted Matt
to thank him for arranging her stay at Geoffrey’s Creative Cottage. He has
always been a reliable and supportive friend. She invited him to visit him at the
cottage during her stay so she could treat him to a home cooked meal.
“Hey ANNIE.
It’s good to know Geoff allowed you to stay at Creative Cottage. It
will truly inspire you in your novels. It’s a pity that you guys
haven’t met, though. You would have been Mrs. Geoffrey Lin soon had you
endeavored to meet him when I asked you. Anyway, see you there as soon
as I clear up my work schedules here. Got to see Geoff now. Cheers!”
MATT
Annie couldn’t help but laugh heartily at the undying persistence of Matt as a
matchmaker between Geoffrey and her. He is one for the books of Best Friend
Forever. Yet, she’s a bit embarrassed to think how Geoffrey would react if he
could hear Matt’s prodding even at the last minute. She would not dare mention
Matt’s past attempts to play cupid to Geoffrey and her when she finally meets
him. It would be too awkward for both of them. And she wouldn’t dream of
rocking the boat for the newlyweds at all. Not a chance unless by Divine Plan
things will turn to her favor. Only God knows...but, then, “fairy tales do come true
and it can happen to...naahh. It’s really too much wishful thinking. So, she
decided to go to bed and sleep on it instead. She will go for a long drive
tomorrow.
At the Stag Party…
Geoffrey had two shots of whiskey already by the time Matt arrived at his Stag
Party at the penthouse of the city’s most central hotel. They hugged each other
27

in jest, missing each other for sometime since Matt works in another city that is
best flown from than traveled by land. They were joined by other friends at the
event who staged the surprises and fun for Geoffrey. Though feeling weary from
lack of enough sleep and complete meals from the past days while doing the
concept design for his new architectural project, Geoffrey tried to keep his spirit
up and gulped another shot of whisky to perk himself up. He managed to
converse with Matt who is happily seated sipping his drink while watching the
fun around the sexy stripper in a box that the rest of their friends have been
ogling at. He and Geoffrey are birds of the same feather who don’t really indulge
in such things, no matter how drunk they are.
GEOFFREY: (tipsy)
“Hey Matt, I’m really glad you made it here despite the bad weather, huh. You’re the best. And
by the way, your friend Annie is coming to the cottage tomorrow instead.”
MATT: (smilingly)
“Don’t mention it, Buddy. And yeah, thanks for letting Annie stay at Creative Cottage. She
really needs to be in such an environment to write her novels. She’s so thrilled about it.”
GEOFFREY: (a little pensive)
“As she is your good friend, how can I say No? Besides, she seems really nice and easy to get along
with, so I don’t mind her staying there as long as she wants since I’ll be gone for my honeymoon
anyway.”
MATT: (teasingly)
“It’s a pity that you two haven’t met each other yet. She’s one woman you’ll never forget once
you meet her.”
GEOFFREY:(timidly)
“Then, why don’t you bring her to my wedding so we can finally meet each other?”
MATT: (mischievously)
“Oh...can she cry, STOP THE WEDDING?”
28

GEOFFREY: (grinning)
“Why not? She might just do me a favor.”
MATT: (seriously)
“Better if you send her an email invite yourself. It isn’t my wedding and Suzette doesn’t know her. I will
take her if she agrees to come as I don’t know her schedule.”
GEOFFREY: (looking forlorn)
“Yeah, right. It slipped my mind as I thought I’d meet her today to extend the invitation
personally. My bad. Will email her tomorrow then.”
MATT: (smiling with a wink)
“Alright. Just copy furnish me so, I would know if she will accept. Somehow, I know you are still
curious about her.”
GEOFFREY: (smiling faintly)
“It’s better late than never, I suppose.”
Geoffrey gulped the third whisky shot and attempted to stand up, but his legs
wobbled and he collapsed right in front of Matt. The noise, music and
movements around them stopped. Everyone else froze.
When it isn’t a breakdown, it’s a breakthrough.
29

Chapter 5
FROM THE PHYSICAL REALM INTO THE DIVINE REALM.
Completely shocked, Matt scooped up Geoffrey to try to wake him up, but when
he wouldn’t budge, he dialed for a medical rescue. Geoffrey is already looking
pale and no longer breathing. In a few minutes, the EMR was pulling away the
lifeless Geoffrey on the wheeled ambulatory bed. Matt accompanied him to the
hospital. He sensed something was amiss after he took the third whisky shot as
Geoffrey doesn’t easily get knocked out by five straight shots. He just couldn’t
figure out what went wrong this time. He could only hope that Geoffrey would
get revived soon. He tried calling Suzette but her number couldn’t be reached.
He, then, phoned one of Geoffrey’s older brothers abroad to inform them while
waiting for the doctor’s advice.
He couldn’t believe it when Geoffrey saw himself being cuddled by Matt from the
floor of the penthouse where he fell drunk earlier. He did stand up from the spot
but, without his body, which remained still in Matt’s arms without consciousness.
Although he approached Matt, he couldn’t hear him until his body got taken
away by the EMR team who came at Matt’s call. No one in the party seemed to
hear or notice him even though he yelled that he was there with them and only
his spirit just got separated from his body. His touch penetrated through anyone
or anything just like the air passing through. His voice did not get anyone’s
attention even though he could see and hear them hover and talk about him, his
lifeless body. He saw how the doctors tried to resuscitate him until he heard
them pronounce his death, which he could not believe or accept. It made him
30

very sad and aimless. Any attempts to rejoin his lifeless body failed. It was like
banging himself on a brick wall that his spirit would only bounce back to float
away from it. He decided to walk away to find Suzette. She would be in grief
when she learned about what happened. She has become his widow before she
could be his wife.
Instantly…
Geoffrey’s spirit transported himself to Suzette's apartment. Walking through her
bedroom is now easier as he could get in without knocking. But to his dismay, he
found her moaning in pleasure with another man in bed, oblivious to his
presence as he watched them in shock and hurt. When she reaches the climax,
she calls the name of the man she is with (Jackson), which is like a knife struck
Geoffrey at the heart. He never expected Suzette to betray him like this. He
wanted to shout at and pounce on them, but he decided to walk away in tears as
it would be useless to do so as he is already a goner, so it would not matter
anymore. Feeling lost and disappointed, He went towards Creative Cottage, the
last place on earth he truly cares about and would linger at before he finally
crossed over. He had not seen the light yet any way.
Finally, Annie arrived at Creative Cottage early in the morning and was halfway
through unpacking her luggage in the room assigned to her by Geoffrey when it
began to rain outside, so she went to the kitchen and brewed some coffee to
perk up her tired mood. She got curious and went around the living room, which
she bypassed earlier upon arrival there because she was eager to settle in her
31

oom first. She saw some framed family photos on display and immediately
spotted Geoffrey’s solo photo.
“Oh so...this is you, Geoffrey Lin. What a good-looking bloke you are.”
Eventually...
Geoffrey just found himself already on the porch of Creative Cottage, but he
could not get into the house by just penetrating it the way he did at Suzette’s
apartment earlier. Then, he noticed the lights were on inside and remembered
Annie Chen’s presence there. He decided to peep in from one of the glass
windows to see what she was up to.
Annie Chen is indeed petite and cheerful as described by Matt. And Geoffrey got
entertained when he saw her holding and talking to his framed photo. He felt
better hearing her complimenting him that way. At least not all scenes he
witnessed today were downers. Hers is an upper that he needs. Soaking in her
positive energy is a good opportunity before the final call. He wants to shrug off
the sad and bad vibes as much as possible. It will be easier for him to accept
what happened. Well, he decided to ring the doorbell or knock on the door to
distract Annie, as she would surely open the door expecting someone. To his
surprise, he felt the doorbell button when he touched it, like he was back in his
human senses once more. He also felt the doorknob, unlike last night when his
touch penetrated everything solid and opaque like air.
Annie got distracted when the doorbell rang. She was not expecting anyone at
this time. But she went to the door to find out who was there.
32

ANNIE (surprised but smiled)
“Oh, it’s you! I didn’t expect you just yet. But then finally, we met, Geoffrey Lin. I’m Annie
Chen. Matt’s friend.”
She extended her right hand as a friendly gesture to the handshake. She was in
awe at Geoffrey’s tall bearing, well-built frame and friendly but reserved
attractiveness.
Geoffrey was momentarily smitten with Annie’s vivacious and bright personality,
but realized her acknowledgement and recognition of his presence at that very
moment.
GEOFFREY (in disbelief but collected)
“Hi, can you truly see Me?!!! I mean…how do you know it’s Me???”
He could not understand why and how Annie could see him as if he were still in
the flesh when no one at the party or in the hospital and not even Suzette could
see or hear him last night. Was it all just a dream?
ANNIE (confused but got smart)
“What do you mean?!!! Oh, I just saw your photos there.”
With both hands, Geoffrey grabbed Annie’s right hand to check if he could
indeed feel and touch her. And YES he can, to his amazement.
GEOFFREY (quite ecstatic)
“Oh, I’m so glad to meet you, too. Really!!!.”
And he cheerfully stormed inside the house feeling alive once again.
Annie could only watch Geoffrey’s behavior in wonder. He seemed in such bright
mood like he was just given a second lease on life. She handed him a cup of
33

coffee, which he gladly accepted.
“I thought you’d drop by here after your honeymoon. Isn’t your wedding day tomorrow?”
Geoffrey’s expression turned as gloomy as the weather outside because he was
reminded of Suzette in bed with another man, which made him wonder if it was
just a nightmare. But, the feeling of raw pain from the betrayal remained with
him. He is now doubtful of Suzette.
“It won’t push through anymore as planned.” He said in a decisive tone without second
thoughts, though he still plans to find the truth soon.
Annie felt Geoffrey's sadness and reached to lightly pat him on the arm to
somehow soothe his feelings.
“Oh, sorry to hear that. I hope things will work out for the best, though.”
Geoffrey immediately felt soothed and relieved by Annie’s touch and words like
a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest. He smiled at her and decided to go
to his studio room. He would finish his drawings feeling the way he did before
the inspiration dissipated.
“Yes, I believe so. Thanks and have a good day.”
He could not call or text Matt to find out what happened to him because he did
not have his phone aside from the phone signal at Creative Cottage going weak
whenever it rains heavily in the area. He will wait until later.
Annie followed him with a bowl of noodles and a glass of water. She guessed he
would be working on his drawings like her on her novels as inspiration came.
34

“Have some noodles as you might be working on your drawings. That’s all I can offer you as I
still need to go to the grocery tomorrow. Hope that’s fine, though.”
Geoffrey was surprised by Annie’s thoughtful gesture and as the coffee triggered
a hunger pang in him, he gratefully took the offer. He gave her a shy but
appreciative smile.
“Thank you. That was thoughtful of you. Noodles are great to have when it is raining outside.”
Annie almost got disconcerted by Geoffrey’s killer smile. Matt did not mention it
but surely, it is what she would remember Geoffrey for.
“Yes, it’s quite romantic as well. Anyway, if you aren’t leaving yet, I’ll talk to you again later.
The long drive here has worn me out in a way. I’d take a nap first. See yeah!”
She walked away as quickly as she could before she changed her mind and
goofed off at his work to have more glimpses of him. Besides, Geoffrey seemed
to need some time alone after canceling his wedding.
Geoffrey acknowledged Annie’s leave-taking before she closed the door after
her. He wanted to chat with her more, but his supposed death still bothered him.
He would not know how to discuss it with her as they were still strangers, aside
from the fact that he still needed to find out the truth anyway.
“When it’s time for souls to meet, nothing on earth can prevent them from meeting, no
matter where each may be located.”
JAIME LICHAUCO
35

Chapter 6
EVERYTHING IS FATED…BY DESTINY.
She and Jackson were at the height of their bed frolicking when Matt was calling
her. The sensation and thrill were so great that Suzette felt the best of both
worlds at her feet, becoming Mrs. Geoffrey Lin soon and having Jackson Wong
for awesome sex on the side. Just how lucky can she get. Earlier Jackson
convinced her to turn her phone off so they wouldn’t be disturbed throughout the
night. It was past 8:00 AM when Suzette woke up as she was too spent
energetically last night. She realized she is already late for her breakfast
appointment with Geoffrey who might show up at her door to find her in such a
disheveled state reeking of sex. She went hurriedly to take a shower before she
turned on her phone, thinking of what alibi to tell her fiance’, if ever. To her shock
when she read the text of Matt:
“SUZETTE,
I tried calling you but your phone was off last night. Geoff collapsed
from the party before midnight, but could not be revived at the
hospital. He was pronounced BRAIN DEAD by the doctors at exactly
1:45AM. I’m Sorry. He is gone.”
MATT
Suddenly, the entire world crumbled before her. She slapped herself to wake
herself up if she was just having a bad dream. And when she tried calling
Geoffrey’s number, it only kept ringing as he wasn't answering anymore. She
could only cry with regret as today things have started to fall apart for her. How
could this happen? She didn’t want the good things to end this way...not just yet.
36

She isn’t Mrs. Geoffrey Lin yet! She screamed in sheer frustration, but not in
grief.
Geoffrey could hardly make improvements on his drawings. His supposed death
continued to bother him. Then, the internet signal was also down as the rain
poured heavily so, he couldn’t check anything online about him or what
happened. He tried the television, but the cable signal went static as well for
some reason. But then, he eventually dozed off with his tired mind.
When he finally woke up midday, he thought of borrowing Annie’s car to go to
the city tonight to find Matt and the truth. He decided to bring the noodle bowl
and the coffee mug to the kitchen as he noticed them on his drawing table.
However, he couldn’t get a grip of them because once again his touch would just
penetrate through the items like the air dispersing and bouncing at them. He
tried shaking it off and attempted to slap himself to wake him up in case he’s just
having another bad dream, but then, he also could not touch or feel himself. So,
he went to look at himself in the mirror but couldn't see his reflection in it. It
terrified him helplessly. He’s Dead! Truly Dead.
Annie Chen was nowhere in sight. The house was empty… just him and the
silent space. Perhaps, the encounter with Annie Chen earlier was only an
illusion. It may just be a fulfillment of his last mortal wish to meet her before he
completely passes on from this world. He unconsciously sank onto the couch at
the living room with hands covering his face in deep sadness and frustration.
How could this happen? He hasn’t completed his concept design yet and still
has other things he wanted to do.
37

Annie went through the back door of the kitchen of Creative Cottage to bring in
the food and supplies she bought from the fresh market and convenience store
she found nearby. She only took Geoffrey’s bicycle parked at the garage, which
she noticed when she arrived there in her Mini Cooper. But then, Geoffrey did
not hear her come in through the kitchen as he seemed wallowing in deep
sadness at the living room. Annie couldn’t help but empathize with him as he
tearfully buried himself in his hands at that moment. It must be painful for him to
abandon his wedding plans at the last minute. Something grave must have
happened for him to come to such a decision. She watched Geoffrey stealthily
until his sobbing subsided. Then, she poured water into a glass and approached
to console him. She sat beside him as she placed the glass of water on the
coffee table before she began to pat- rub his back, trying to assuage his pain.
“It’s alright, Geoff. Things happen for a reason. It will pass. And when it does, it won’t feel the
same.”
Geoffrey got startled. Annie is back and could see him. Her touch interrupted his
wailing as he felt her warmth once again. He raised his face to look at her and
saw the sympathetic expression on her face. Feeling aggrieved as he is, he
embraced her tightly for more reassurance. Though a bit taken aback, Annie
hugged him back for comfort and continued to talk to him.
“It’s OK to feel the way you do. Just let it go so you will feel better later.”
Geoffrey felt good having Annie so close like this that he could feel her
heartbeat and her breathing. How come? She could really see and touch him
like a mortal when earlier on he was like a ghost vanishing through the thin air.
38

Annie broke free from their embrace as the moment was getting intense for her
already. She took Geoffrey’s hands in hers and looked him in the eye with a
teasing expression.
“Let’s have lunch first and cry again later, OK?”
Geoffrey chuckled at Annie’s sudden mood shift. She certainly knew how to
cheer him up, so he had no choice but to go along her way. After all, she is his
only willing and able companion at his current miserable and baffling state. He
wouldn’t have it another way for now until he figures out why and how come
Annie could see and feel him like a mortal. Until then he would not dare tell her
what happened as she might desert him. One thing he is certain of, though, he
needs Annie by his side for as much and as long as he possibly can.
Annie went back to the kitchen to start unpacking and storing the food into the
fridge and the cupboard pantry. She needed a distraction from Geoffrey as she
almost got lost in the moment of their embrace. Her heart started pounding like
crazy while locked in his arms. It might lead them to an uncompromising
situation had she not bolted out first. And she wouldn’t want to take advantage
of Geoffrey’s emotional state. She just wanted to console him since she is the
only one around and he’s Matt’s best friend.
Good thing Geoffrey went back to his room to shower. He must also have felt
the growing intensity between them while they embraced. It’s a human thing that
any mortal would feel. Geoffrey, after all, is a normal man and she is a normal
woman. Whew!!! She should be more composed when he joins her later for
39

lunch. Hope he will be in a lighter mood by then, so she won’t feel too conscious
of his manly presence.
Matt Xiu took the liberty of using Geoffrey’s phone to cancel the wedding without
divulging Geoffrey’s death as requested by his siblings abroad who would make
the official announcement or decision once they arrived. They asked him to put
Geoffrey on life support for the time being. They suspected foul play somehow.
So, Geoffrey was just declared comatose to other friends.
Suzette Bei refused to do the wedding cancellation herself because she didn’t
want to be liable to pay for the balance on the cost of the event that Geoffrey
had arranged for them and would pay for. She could only agree not to breathe a
word about Geoffrey’s untimely passing and go along with the comatose status
as required by his siblings as relayed by Matt. She would not go against their
wishes and be better off if she continued to play grieving until she finds a way to
get out of this mess, scot-free.
Matt still couldn’t believe Geoffrey died right in front of him that night as he didn’t
show any signs of death looming over him. He was practically himself that
moment as they spoke. Then, Suzette was completely detached from what
happened. She didn’t even want to take a look at Geoffrey’s condition after
hearing the news. She claimed to be nervous-wreck about death. And she was
more concerned about how she’d face the public after her wedding got
canceled. That’s what she is grieving about! How could Geoffrey even liked and
wanted her for a wife? He was too kind to see through her that she’s just one
social-climbing bitch. Hence, his dislike of her has become even greater now.
40

Best that Geoffrey didn’t end up marrying her as she would probably be more
preoccupied now with her conjugal inheritance if she were his wife when he
died.
Anyway, Matt awaits the arrival of Geoffrey’s siblings for the doctors to discuss
with them the details of their medical report on him as his next of kin.
There are no accidents or coincidences.
Things happen for a reason.
And that reason causes change.
Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it’s hard.
But, everything is orchestrated in divine order.
41

Chapter 7
A SOUL CONNECTION IS THE PUZZLE PIECE THAT FITS.
It amazed Geoffrey that he could indeed take a shower just like he was alive.
And he could already smell Annie’s cooking permeating the cottage. He went to
assist her, but got mesmerized by the way she works at the kitchen. Annie is a
multi-talented woman. She looks passionate with what she is doing.
Undoubtedly, she loves cooking. Suzette had never endeavored to cook him a
meal, make coffee or noodles as she always preferred to eat out. Thinking
because she’s still young, it didn’t matter to him at all until now. She paled
compared to Annie as a wife material. Why didn’t it occur to him then?
Annie was almost done with the beef broccoli stir-fry. She is dice-chopping some
spring onions to garnish it with. Rice is ready and so is the soup. They are
probably enough for lunch with some cut-up fruits. She plated everything and
then happily sprinkled the diced spring onions on top of the beef- broccoli stir-fry
like magic dust. It was a beautiful sight to behold for Geoffrey. Annie is indeed a
beautiful magical woman who can turn his upside down world around.
Sensing Geoffrey was actually there staring at her so, Annie teased him to break
the ice.
“Hey, Lover Boy! Food is ready if you’re hungry. It’s All You Can Eat, if you do the dishes. What
do you think?”
Geoffrey got out of the momentary trance and grinned at Annie from ear to ear.
“No worries. My dishwasher is working well.”
42

He winked at Annie playfully, which made her blush and guffaw to camouflage
how her heart fluttered with such a gesture by Geoffrey that she didn’t expect.
When Annie started to bring out the plated food, Geoffrey helped by setting the
table for the two of them. Lunch went very satisfying as Geoffrey ate with gusto
like a normal being. Every bite of Annie’s cooked food was savory to him
though, he couldn’t understand why he had an appetite in his condition. Annie
didn’t seem to notice as she was preoccupied with feeding Geoffrey to cheer
him up.
Once they had both stowed the soiled dishes into the dishwasher, Geoffrey
approached and hugged Annie once again, which took her by surprise. But, she
just let her head rest on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat and his breath
panning her temple.
“Thank you for being here for me. You have no idea how I greatly appreciate your presence here
at Creative Cottage during this critical time.”
Annie looked up to see Geoffrey’s expression to understand what he meant,
when he planted a kiss on her forehead that froze her for a moment. And before
she could say anything, Geoffrey released her from his embrace and stepped
out of the cottage towards the garden. Annie dared not follow him, thinking he
must need the space for now; besides, her legs turned wobbly anyway from his
warm kiss and embrace. She needed to drink some tea to calm her rattling
nerves down.
He needed to heave a sigh as soon as he reached the garden bench. He
43

actually felt his heart pounding as soon as he stepped away from Annie. He
couldn’t believe he was capable of warming up fast towards her. She has that
intense effect on him that enabled him to be bold enough to embrace and kiss
her the way he did. She is still a Stranger, though, it felt like he knew her very
well. Not sure if she felt it, too. Yet...why does it seem like he’s more human now
that he’s dead than when he were alive?
It was all quiet at Creative Cottage when Geoffrey stepped back inside after
contemplation and putting a rein on his imaginary raging hormones. A sticky
note from Annie is posted on his bedroom door.
“You’re welcome. It was generous of you to let me stay here unconditionally. So, let me be
here for you, if you need company. I am just a knock away.”
Geoffrey felt so relieved that Annie did not take offense towards his behavior.
She’s really very considerate and amiable. He headed towards her room and
was about to knock on the door when he noticed it was partly ajar and he could
see Annie already taking a nap. She looks very peaceful and angelic like with
her eyes closed and breathing in slow rhythm that he wouldn’t mind dying at all if
she were to accompany her to after life. He stepped inside and closer towards
her. He lowered himself to kneel beside the bed to watch her in her sleep. And
as he couldn’t resist the temptation, he stroked her hair to keep some strand
away from her face, Annie’s eyes slowly opened to stare at him in a dreamy
state. One hand reached out to touch his face and she smiled before her eyes
closed again back to sleep. Geoffrey caught her hand that touched his face and
kissed its palm. Annie seemed to be in a deep slumber that didn't wake her up
at all. God...she’s falling for the woman. She’s just so easy to love. But, it would
44

e an unrequited love given his condition. He silently left the room so as not to
disturb her.
Having lived and died the way he did, would he deprive himself of this last
opportunity to love and be loved the way he always hoped but not asked for?
The hell with it! What else could he lose?!!! It isn’t as if he haunted Annie like a
bad spirit. She has been responsive and accommodating to him that he couldn’t
help himself but simply enjoy and cherish the moment with her here at Creative
Cottage. It’s Now or Never. And who cares?!!! Regardless of how long it will last,
he’s decided he will go for it as it may not be too late for Annie and him, after all.
Hours later...
Was she only dreaming? Geoffrey was here watching over her while she slept. It
seemed so real and surreal at the same time. Annie could still feel his warm
breath on her palm. Was it just wishful thinking?
She rose up from her nap. How romantic it was that she felt energized by it.
Time to resume her writing, which she slackened off from to entertain Geoffrey
Lin. It was worth it, though. The past missed opportunity to get to know him did
not even compare to how she met him now and how memorable the moments
they just have shared. Everything seemed according to the Divine Plan indeed.
So, why go against the tide? Going with the flow is the only way for her now.
She intends to enjoy every minute she can spend with Geoffrey here at Creative
Cottage. It was meant to be and she would just be grateful for whatever unfolds
between them. There will be no tinge of doubt or regret, regardless of how it
45

would end up later. Geoffrey is definitely the one she’s been waiting for to cross
her path, the real-life inspiration for her own romantic story. She decided to go to
the kitchen to fetch herself a cup of green tea that usually accompanies her
writing. But, she heard some thumping sound as she approached it.
Geoffrey, in a white V-necked t-shirt, has been kneading some dough for pizza
as there are pepperoni, grated mozzarella and a bowl of tomato sauce around.
She watched his awesome way of exerting force on it. His lean but buffed upper
arms are becoming more pronounced as their muscles tensed from kneading
the dough. He looked serious on what he was trying to accomplish with his dark
stubble square jaw. She also noticed that Geoffrey is wearing a pair of running
shorts that revealed his taut butt. He’s so sexy to ogle at! And the smell of the
pie already baking in the oven whets her appetite even more...for a bite of
pizza...or... for a bite of Geoffrey! Annie relishes both options at that moment.
“True Soul Mate relationships are never complicated, di cult or dramatic.
They are like long lost puzzle pieces that easily fall into place the moment they are found.
And it is always a perfect t.”
ANTHON ST. MAARTEN
46

Chapter 8
WHEN HEAVEN AND EARTH MEET.
Geoffrey eventually sensed Annie’s presence as she approached him, which got
him a bit conscious of what he was doing. He wanted to have Pizza and Wine
dinner with her as a show of appreciation to her kind gesture earlier. He
acknowledged her with banter.
“Hi there, sleepy head! Thought you were going to sleep throughout the day.”
Annie smiled seeing Geoffrey’s mood has improved already. She preferred
seeing him lighten up so, she countered teasingly with,
“How could I… with that smell of your pizza in the air? Just didn’t know you could make them
yourself.”
Geoffrey smiled shyly at Annie as he set aside the dough he finished kneading
earlier to give it enough time to rise. Then, he started to clear the kitchen table
off the scattered bread flour but, unawarely smudged his right jawline with it.
“Pizza is actually my comfort food so, I thought it is just right to have it today for dinner with
some wine, if you’re up to it.”
Annie immediately noticed Geoffrey’s smeared stubble and called his attention
to it.
“Sure. Pizza and Wine for dinner are good. But wait, you have flour smudged on your face.”
Geoffrey reacted quickly and tried to wipe off his face, but smudged his nose in
47

the process as well.
Annie found it funny to see him disconcerted about it so, she stepped closer to
help him brush the smudge off his face. It took Geoffrey aback when she boldly
reached up and dusted the powder off his nose first with her fore and middle
fingers together. He was momentarily mesmerized by it. But then, he felt
stimulated when she shifted her attention to remove the smudge on his jawline
by rubbing her thumb on it. A strong urge compelled Geoffrey to stoop and kiss
Annie quickly on the lips while her face was at a close angle at his as she wiped
the smudge off his right jaw. It was an impulse that overcame him, but felt right
somehow. It startled Annie yet, it made her smile. And then without warning, she
grabbed Geoffrey by his shirt and tiptoed to return his kiss.
Geoffrey couldn’t let the chance go by so, he scooped Annie closer by the waist
to deepen their kiss. Given their height difference, he lifted her to sit on the
kitchen table without breaking their kiss so she was comfortably seated and
could clasp her hands around his neck while he remained standing in front of
her. They kissed with such abandon and exploration as if getting to know each
other a little too well the way fate had designed it. They were fully in sync at the
moment until the oven timer started to buzz off and interrupted them. The Pizza
is ready!!! And they both laughed at the embarrassment as they broke off their
smooching.
Geoffrey gave Annie another light kiss on the lips before lifting her off the
kitchen table to stand up. He tilted her chin up tenderly to look at him before
saying,
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“Let’s have dinner first. It’s best to have the Pizza when it’s fresh from the oven.”
Annie cheerfully agreed with a wink, which reassured Geoffrey that they were
still on the same page.
“Certainly. Go get the Wine and I will take out the Pizza. Our starter was quite appetizing,
after all.”
Pizza and Wine Dinner went well for both of them. They truly enjoyed the
moment talking without awkwardness towards their escapade earlier. They just
comfortably ate pizza and drank wine while watching a movie together, as if on a
date.
Annie was in awe of the moment the way things happened spontaneously
between her and Geoffrey more than she expected. She could only wish they
would be able to sustain it till the end without any complications. She simply
wanted to savor it as much as she could for however long it would last. It’s a
fairy tale coming true for her.
Geoffrey was overjoyed by the experience that made him feel so alive again. His
heart started beating once more after it clinically stopped the other night and he
regained the beat through Annie. So, in spite of the overwhelming feeling, he
just wanted to keep the momentum going with her that made him ecstatic about
living it up until he could. In fact, he doesn’t want it to end at all.
Geoffrey took one of Annie’s hand and planted a kiss on it before saying,
“Annie, I just want you to know that I am not on the rebound with you for whatever happened
to me recently. Somehow, I am naturally drawn to you that is unexpectedly quite strong and
compelling, which didn’t happen to me with anyone else before.”
49

Annie raised her other hand and lightly stroked Geoffrey’s on one cheek
reassuringly.
“No worries as I feel it, too, Geoff. I had no expectations coming here and meeting you. But as it
turns out wonderful like this between us, I just want to enjoy it with you here while we both can.”
After putting away the wine glasses and pizza tray into the dishwasher, hand in
hand they entered Annie’s bedroom. Geoffrey had been curious as to how it
would be like to make love with Annie in his current state. Would he really be in
the moment to feel her and every physical sensation of it like if he were alive?
He wondered if Annie would likewise feel him and he would be able to please
her as he wanted during the process. Such thoughts came on too strong for him
to resist the temptation at the moment, which may never come again given his
true predicament. The opportunity is here and now.
Annie was feeling too lightheaded to think twice. Besides Geoffrey is one
experience she is quite excited to complete here at Creative Cottage. Though it
came too fast and unplanned, she would just let herself be swept by whatever
was inevitable tonight. After all, this is a romantic encounter of a lifetime that she
had been wishing for to experience and write about soon.
Being completely synchronized with each other, they kissed and hugged with
reignited passion from earlier in total abandon. Undressing each other came
naturally as they savored the moment without regard for tomorrow. They were
unrestrained with the way they touched and felt each other’s warmth. Geoffrey
was both in awe with and in heat from Annie’s touch. She moved and moaned
50

as if she could truly feel him in the flesh, his touch and his presence. If it was
only a dream or just hallucination, he would not want to wake up from it all.
The moment they hit the bed with their unbridled passion, Geoffrey took it as a
signal to quench their thirst for each other when he felt Annie clamoring for his
already burgeoning desire while he was exploring her twin erogenous peaks that
ignited her core. She was ready and asking to be fulfilled by him. So, when he
finally entered her feminine realm, he got fully engulfed by her hot wetness and
tightness, which caught him off guard but from the point of no return...because
he already succumbed to the lure of physical pleasure that seemed an
impossible feat until now.
Later on, Geoffrey cuddled Annie from behind when she dozed off into a fetal
position after they both reached climax. She obviously got worn out by their
intimate moment and her body might still be sore from the encounter as evident
by the stain on the part of the bed sheet she laid on. He pulled the comforter up
to cover both of their naked bodies. His mind remained preoccupied with how
awesome the experience was that despite the glaring sign, he continued to
plunge her depths until he reached the heights with her, which took much
physical toll on her in the process. Suzette was a far cry from Annie who is a
more loving woman and deserves more than what she actually bargained for.
Geoffrey decided to come clean with Annie as soon as he found out the truth of
his situation from Matt.
Annie woke up from the slumber with Geoffrey’s nakedness entwined with hers.
She felt invigorated despite the physical soreness from their lovemaking last
51

night. She felt no regrets but rather a sense of fulfillment from it as a woman
who finally met her match and gave her all for a night to remember. She
carefully moved out of Geoffrey’s embrace to take a shower and prepare their
breakfast. She would let him sleep some more. He must have been tired from
having made love to her the way he did so skillfully and passionately like there is
no tomorrow. The memory brought her an impish smile while she quietly took a
photo of the blood stained part of the bed sheet she slept on as a souvenir with
her mobile phone before she left the room.
When we take the spiritual world seriously,
we will know there is more to life than this physical dimension.
52

Chapter 9
WHEN THINGS ARE OVERWHELMING, JUST WAIT AND SEE.
Matt was having a mug of hot coffee while he scrolled his mobile phone for
messages he might have missed and saw Annie’s two day old text inviting him
to visit her at Creative Cottage to have lunch with her. He texted her back that
he could make time today without mentioning what happened to Geoffrey. He
preferred to tell her when they met in person as he only had a day break since
the traumatic incident. Although she had never met Geoffrey, Annie is such a
good friend who could offer him an empathetic company and keep a secret
about what happened until the matter could be made public by Geoffrey’s
siblings. He could only vent with someone like her.
Already showered and dressed anew, Geoffrey found Annie setting up the dining
table for breakfast with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon strips, wheat bread slices,
cream cheese, hot coffee and freshly cut-up citrus fruits. He was delighted to
see her happily preparing the meal for both of them like a doting wife. And he
felt at liberty to approach and hug her by surprise from behind as she munched
on an orange slice.
“Good morning, Lovely Lady.”
Caught off guard, Annie impulsively shoved a part of the orange slice she was
munching on into Geoffrey’s mouth and kissed him on the cheek while he held
her tightly from behind.
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“Good morning, too, Lover Boy. Breakfast is now ready.”
They happily sat at the table to have breakfast together. Geoffrey had never
been inspired seeing how nurturing Annie is as a person. Suzette was never this
attentive and didn’t ever spend time with him at Creative Cottage knowing he
would be here to work most of the time. She’d rather go shopping or partying
with him, which were tiresome in the end. Annie compliments him energetically
and emotionally with her cheerful disposition. Annie heard a text on her mobile
phone that she left on the kitchen table. Matt confirmed he’s already on his way
to lunch at Creative Cottage per her invitation. She gladly showed it to Geoffrey
who turned serious and pensive. He pulled Annie to sit on his lap and earnestly
asked her.
“Matt doesn’t know I am here with you so, I intend to surprise him. And as I may be working on
my drawings please get the door for me and kindly usher him to my room once he arrives here.
Then, give us time to talk first about what happened.”
Annie smiled and hugged Geoffrey understandingly before saying and getting off
from his lap,
“I know. Matt is your Best Man and he ought to hear it from you. Anyway, I’ll be busy in the
kitchen preparing our lunch for today. You’ll have your privacy and I’ll have my peace. Besides,
Matt will pester me with endless stories before I can finish a recipe. He’s all yours as soon as he
enters this space.”
Geoffrey felt relieved that Annie agreed to his request and did not sense his
apprehension. He would sort things out with Matt alone to find the truth before
he could reveal to Annie whatever was going on. He assisted her in clearing up
the dining table and stowing the utensils into the dishwasher. Then, he hid
54

himself in his room to wait for Matt to arrive. Annie remained in the kitchen to
start preparing the menu for lunch.
Matt arrived earlier at Creative Cottage to have more time to chat with Annie as
he planned to drive back early in the afternoon to the city so he could meet up
with Geoffrey's siblings at the airport tonight. When Matt rang the doorbell, Annie
was already at the door to usher him inside the cottage. But, having driven for
more than an hour from the city, he felt the urge to take a leak first as soon as
he greeted her with a peck on a cheek.
“Hi there, Annie. You’re looking great! However, could I use the toilet first? My bladder is about
to burst already.”
Annie noticed Matt’s weariness but took it as an opportune moment to direct him
to Geoffrey.
“Thanks! Although, I cannot say the same with you- but, go ahead, use the one in Geoffrey’s
room."
Geoffrey decided to let Matt deal with nature’s call first before revealing himself
to him. He wanted to do so very carefully because he was not sure how Matt
would react or if it would cause his demise, too. So, just when Matt was coming
out of the toilet, Geoffrey presented himself with a hush gesture.
Matt froze instantly upon seeing Geoffrey standing right in front of him with a
forefinger across his lips as if telling him not to scream. When he could no
longer contain his fright, Matt instinctively opened his mouth to yell but Geoffrey
was quick enough to cover it with one hand to gag him and put his other hand
around him to sit him on his bed to calm him down first.
55

“Hey, it’s me, Matt. Don’t freak out on me now, Buddy. I need your help to sort this out, please.”
Still in total disbelief, Matt decided to feel and touch Geoffrey. Then, he started
to calm down as soon as he got convinced since he could feel him in the flesh at
that moment. Though, a bit muffled and panting for breath, he felt relieved
thinking Geoffrey had not died after all. He hugged him merrily.
“How...is this possible? Wha..t happened there? But, it’s great, Geoff! If you’re not really...you
know?”
Geoffrey hugged Matt back as it was his second human encounter after Annie.
However, he had no time to waste to find out what really took place that night at
his Stag Party and Matt was the only one who could help him. He broke free
from their embrace and seriously asked him,
“Matt, you‘ve got to help me find out if I indeed DIED that night or NOT... because I am not
really sure if I am still ALIVE.”
Matt’s jaw dropped open in utter shock from Geoffrey’s statement. Is he just
having a nightmare now?!! In almost hysterical whisper, Matt grabbed Geoffrey
by the collar of his shirt and pried further,
“What the...hell are you saying, Geoff? You aren’t sure you’re Dead or Alive?!!! Is this some kind
of a prank or what?
Geoffrey released himself from Matt’s grasp and very calmly explained his
situation to him.
“Matt, I honestly do not know what’s happening to me because I also saw myself collapse at the
party and die at the hospital that night, after which, you could no longer see or hear me no
matter how I tried. I sort of evaporated into thin air. Then, I found myself here but Annie could
actually see, hear and feel me as if I got reincarnated here without my body.”
56

Matt listened intently trying to comprehend what Geoffrey just related to him. He
knew him so well as someone who could not possibly play such a joke on him or
their friends. He’s always been a serious and silent guy who would rather laugh
at one and never make one, especially as morbid as death. Before he could
clarify further from Geoffrey, Annie came knocking at the door.
“Hey Guys, I have to go out quickly to get some spices from the convenience store. I’ll be back right
away. So, Matt, You and Geoff can already set the table while I am gone.”
Geoffrey was quick to respond before Matt could react. He needed that time to
determine something with Matt exactly as Annie leaves the premises.
“Alright, Annie. Matt and I will just be right here with the dining table ready.”
Although still bewildered, Matt noticed that Geoffrey dismissed Annie purposely
from the room so he clarified.
“Geoff, Annie does not know what’s going on, right? Just how did you pull it off with her?
Geoffrey did not waste time and decided to show and tell Matt what he
suspected all along.
“Yes, she doesn’t know anything, Matt. I wanted to find out the truth from you first about my
death before I tell her anything because I believe she is the missing piece to this puzzle that I am
now in.”
Matt:
“What exactly do you mean, Geoff?“
Geoffrey:
“Watch it, Matt, while you can still fully see me now. Later, don’t panic when I disappear before
you. Just hang on to witness the miracle when it unfolds upon Annie’s return here.”
Matt: “Ah..huh.”
57

At Geoffrey’s instruction, Matt braced himself with eyes widened, anticipating
what was about to happen. Then, as soon as Annie was out of the vicinity of
Creative Cottage, Geoffrey’s human form started to fade from feet and up until
he completely disappeared before Matt’s view, which left him tongue-tied in awe.
He could no longer see or hear Geoffrey anywhere in the house. Geoffrey, on
the other hand, remained at close range to Matt while waiting for Annie to come
back.
Eventually…everything aligns.
58

Chapter 10
WHEN THE ONLY OPTION IS TO TRUST.
Annie rode Geoffrey’s bicycle to the convenience store so she could return
quickly to spice up her cooking. She reached the store within 10 minutes and
parked the bike outside to look inside for what she needed. While in queue to
pay at the Store Cashier, a familiar, tall, and good looking male who just came in
took notice of her when she glanced at his direction. He instantly recognized her
and approached her with a knowing smile and familiarity.
“Annie...? Annie Chen? Hi, it’s me, Leonard Song. We were neighbors and schoolmates,
remember?”
Hearing his name at a closer look made it clearer to her who he is. She
eventually recognized him after a decade of absence since his family moved out
of their hometown when they graduated from high school. She hasn’t heard from
him since, so it was a welcome surprise to meet him again. She beamed at him
with a big smile and a friendly hug.
“OMG, it’s nice seeing you again, Leonard!. Wow, It’s been years really! Do you live around
here?”
Annie Chen has been Leonard’s childhood crush and seeing her again brought
him to memory lane. He hugged her back and upon noticing that she wasn't
wearing any ring on her fingers, he thought it was a good chance to catch up
with her.
“Great to see you, too, Annie! Yes, I live 3 blocks away from here and only dropped by here to get
something on the way to the city. So, did you move here, too?”
After paying for what they bought, they left the store together and discovered
59

that Annie’s bicycle had a flat tire. Leonard offered to drop her off at Creative
Cottage in his SUV.
Back to Creative Cottage...
Matt was both dumbfounded and speechless while waiting for Annie’s return to
Creative Cottage as instructed by Geoffrey. He would not want to miss anything
that may manifest before him right that very moment. Twenty minutes had
passed since Annie left when he heard a vehicle stop by the cottage fence and
its passenger door open and close before it drove off from the property. Then,
he began to see Geoffrey’s human figure re-appeared at the main door holding
its knob as Annie turned to open it from the outside. Whoa! It was indeed true as
Geoffrey told him. Annie’s presence did incarnate him back to life like “magic”.
Quite UNBELIEVABLE, if he didn’t witness it himself as he did!
Geoffrey was quick enough to distract Matt from his momentary trance by
reminding him to set the table with him as soon as Annie stepped in.
“Hey, Buddy! Annie is back already and we haven’t set the table yet as promised. Come let’s do it
now.”
Matt shook off his mesmerized stance and immediately got up to follow
Geoffrey’s cue. He tried not to be obvious to Annie his still perplexed state of
mind and emotion. He chided her in a way.
“That was quick, Annie. Geoff and I got too engrossed with our catching up. We forgot the time.”
Annie downplayed both of them as she happily informed them about her
unexpected encounter outside.
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“Well, it would have taken me longer to be back here because the bike got a flat tire. Luckily, an
ANGEL showed up and came to my rescue.”
Both Geoffrey and Matt were caught off guard by Annie’s remark. An Angel?
Another Miracle! What’s going on? Matt could no longer contain his curiosity and
asked Annie in a banter.
“What do you mean an Angel fixed your bike’s tire? Did he give you a ride back here, too?”
Annie’s face lit up in excitement as she recalled what happened at the
convenience store earlier.
“Imagine, I came across my childhood friend whom I haven’t seen for a decade already. I
couldn’t believe it when I saw him at the convenience store before I discovered that Geoffrey’s bike
had a flat tire. Of all places and times, I crossed paths again with LEONARD SONG just when
I needed help. And YES, he dropped me off here on his way to the city. He also offered to bring the
bike tomorrow after he gets the tire fixed for me. Isn’t he an Angel in disguise?
Geoffrey’s expression went dim but, said nothing. He continued to set the table
quietly. He hasn’t told Matt yet about the level of intimacy he already has with
Annie. And he still has to tell her the truth about his real circumstances.
Matt recognized Geoffrey’s reaction as something familiar, the same silent
disappointment he exhibited during his failed attempts to introduce him to Annie
then. He decided to probe Annie further about her “encounter with an angel”
earlier to confirm his hunch.
“Oh wasn’t he the guy you grew up with, Annie? The one you waited for to come back?”
Before Annie could reply to Matt, Geoffrey grimly interrupted and said.
“Let’s have lunch now as Matt needs to go back to the city early.”
Throughout lunch Geoffrey allowed Matt and Annie to dominate the
61

conversation as he hardly said anything. He was in deep thought on how to
disclose his situation to Annie while Matt is around. The sudden appearance of
Annie’s childhood sweetheart has compounded his dilemma. He ought to come
to a decision to let her know soonest. He owes her the truth.
“Annie, can you come with Matt and me to the city today to meet my siblings who came from
abroad?”
Geoffrey’s request took Annie by surprise but, it excited her in a way that he
wanted her to meet his kin. She thought Geoffrey was asking for her support as
well on how to break the sad news to his family since they have gotten intimate
with each other already. So, she agreed without hesitation.
“If you need me to be there, too, why not? I’d gladly support you in any way possible.”
Although Matt did not anticipate what prompted Geoffrey to go with him and take
Annie along to the city to meet him, he certainly did not miss the hint of affection
between him and Annie. He knew both of them so well for him to conclude that
they are into each other, amidst the mystery hovering them. So, he could only
trust whatever Geoffrey had in mind to accomplish.
“That would be great if you could come along, Annie. Your presence there would mean a lot to
Geoff.”
As soon as lunch was over, Annie excused herself to get ready for the trip while
Geoffrey and Matt offered to clear the dining table and put the dishes in the
dishwasher. She noticed how pensive Geoffrey was over lunch and thought
discussion with Matt about his canceled wedding might have affected his mood
altogether. She could only hope his meeting with his siblings at the city would
lighten his feelings somehow and that her coming along would be of consolation
62

to him.
While Annie was getting dressed, Geoffrey and Matt used the time to discuss
and plan how to orient her on the situation without scaring or hurting her to
sustain her support of Geoffrey’s unusual plight. Both of them value Annie,
particularly at this crucial surreal time.
“Matt, Annie and I will follow your car to the city so I can discuss my situation with her. Please
meet my siblings at the airport and I will let Annie meet you at the hospital. My brothers do not
have to know what you know about my current predicament until we have gotten to the bottom of
what happened to me that night according to the medical report.”
Matt understood what Geoffrey wanted to happen. However, he was concerned
as to how he intended to disclose the matter to Annie, who remained unaware of
what was happening.
“I get it, Geoff. However, I want to confirm something first. Are you and Annie into each other
the way I sensed it?”
Geoffrey acknowledged the fact that Matt had the right to know since he is
friends with Annie, too, who technically introduced them.
“YES, we are actually together in supposedly normal sense amidst this paranormal situation.
Things happened fast between us that seemed destined from the start. Confused and desperate as
I am, I simply went with the flow just like Annie did, though I have no intention to deceive or
mislead her. I only needed time to find out the truth with you so I could tell her my
circumstances. But, rest assured, I care about Annie more than I ever cared for Suzette as I come
to think of it.”
“Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path
to the best things that will ever happen to us.”
NICOLE REED
63

Chapter 11
THERE’S ALWAYS A PLAN EVEN IF IT SEEMS THERE’S NONE.
Matt felt relieved that Geoffrey, despite his situation, has finally come to his
senses about Suzette.
“Since you mentioned Suzette, you might as well know that she doesn’t even want to see you in the
hospital or deal with the wedding cancellation herself. She reasoned humiliation more than grief
over your sudden passing on.”
Geoffrey looked Matt in the eye with hurt and disdain as they finished the
chores. He lowered his voice as he spoke.
“Actually, I found her in bed with another man the night I died. My Wandering Spirit walked-in on her
apartment because I thought of her as soon as I realized what happened, only to discover she was cheating
on me. Not sure how long it has been going on. So, if you could help me find out more about the “Jackson"
guy she was with that night, it might lead to something related to what happened to me at the Stag Party.”
Although taken by surprise with Geoffrey’s revelation on Suzette, Matt became
more empathetic and eager to assist him in his search for the truth.
“Certainly, Geoff. We must not let them get away with it. I will look into it as soon as I can and
let you know.”
Geoffrey was grateful to have Matt for a friend at such a crucial time that he
needed someone dependable and true who was also instrumental in bringing
Annie to his realm for which he couldn’t be more thankful despite his
circumstance. He is his real confidante.
“Thanks a lot, Buddy! Just keep the matter between us for now until we find out something solid
later.”
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Following Matt in his car, Geoffrey and Annie used her car to head straight to the
basement parking of the hospital where his brain dead body is in respirator for
the time-being as such would give Geoffrey the time to orient Annie before the
arrival of Matt and his siblings there from the airport. As soon as they parked the
car and unbuckled their seatbelts, Geoffrey held Annie’s hands in his as he
spoke.
“Annie, it may come as a shock to you as it was for Matt and me but, something terrible
happened on the eve of my wedding day that’s why I could not go through with it as planned. You
will find out more when Matt and my brothers get here. All I ask of you is to watch and listen to
whatever you will witness as it would be best not to react to it until later. I can only entrust this
matter to you and Matt because I do not wish to fully involve my siblings in it. I hope you can
help me go through it once again.”
Sensing the seriousness of the situation in Geoffrey’s voice and seeing his
sadness,
Annie unclasped her hands out of Geoffrey’s to cup his face
sympathetically and curiously.
“Thank you for trusting me as well. I promise to do what you asked of me as my way of
supporting you. However, why are we meeting your brothers here?”
Geoffrey held Annie’s hands that cupped his face and lovingly kissed each palm
before looking away to hide his already teary-eyes from her.
“You will know soon. Anyway, kindly meet Matt and my brothers at the waiting lounge now. I
will go to the restroom first and will meet you later.”
Annie simply nodded in agreement with Geoffrey and alighted from the car to
meet Matt and party. She texted Matt to let him know that she was waiting for
them at the lounge and Geoffrey went for the restroom first. Matt replied that
they already arrived at the hospital and would meet her soon.
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Matt understood that Geoffrey wanted him to disclose the truth to Annie instead
by pretending to be at the restroom since it was not possible for him to meet his
brothers with her in order to contain the situation. So, he immediately
approached Annie as soon as he spotted her at the lounge to introduce her
briefly to Geoffrey’s elders, Carl and Ted Lin.
“Hey, Annie! These are the elder brothers of Geoff, Carl and Ted. They just flew in from
Australia. Carl and Ted, this is Annie Chen, a friend of Geoff and mine.”
Annie remembered Geoffrey asked her to be more observant than sociable with
them so, she simply extended her hand to greet them who both looked weary
from the flight.
“Hello. Hope you had a good flight.”
Carl and Ted Lin are likewise tall and well-built as Geoffrey but, more matured
and reserved. They politely acknowledged Annie and alternately shook her
hand.
“Hi, Annie. Yes, we did. Thank you.”
Matt cut the conversation short according to how Geoffrey wanted it to unfold
later and led everyone the way as he whispered to Annie.
“Annie, stay calm and collected once you see Geoffrey soon. I will explain more later after his
brothers have seen him.”
Though puzzled by what Matt meant by it, Annie simply nodded in agreement as
it reminded her of Geoffrey’s request for her composure earlier. And it became
even more baffling for her as they entered a Critical Care Unit and saw Geoffrey
66

lying in it on a life support system. The scene appalled and utterly confused
Annie. But, before she could say a word, the attending doctor came in and
introduced himself. Geoffrey’s brothers stepped in to probe the medical findings.
“We found traces of Strychnine poison in Mr. Geoffrey Lin that caused his Brain Death. He
ingested it most probably from what he ate or drank the night he was admitted here.
Unfortunately, it is very poisonous even in small doses and the damage it causes is irreversible.”
Annie could not believe what she was seeing and hearing at the moment. She
couldn’t wrap her brains around the fact that she was with Geoffrey earlier who
was very much alive and he is now lifeless here before her. And Matt seemed to
know it as he was more prepared than her. She needed to breathe some fresh
air as the situation would cause her to hyperventilate already. She quickly left
the room while the Lin Brothers continued their discussion with the doctor. She
would not want her misery to add to their troubles on Geoffrey. Matt noticed her
exit and immediately followed her. Before Annie could begin to process by
herself what was going on, Matt’s words halted her steps from going farther.
“Annie, that is the real status of Geoffrey. He passed on at the Stag Party before his wedding day.
I personally brought him to this hospital and witnessed what happened. How he ended up
meeting you in the flesh at Creative Cottage after that is like a miracle. And Geoff needs to
uncover the plot behind his demise.”
Despite her troubled state, Annie did not miss every word that Matt said, so she
turned around to clarify something that hit her the most.
“Was there foul play on what happened to Geoff?”
Matt combed his hair with his fingers in a tiresome way before he answered
Annie.
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“That’s what we all ... we mean ... me, Carl, Ted and even Geoff himself suspected. He
mentioned it during our discussion at Creative Cottage earlier. And he believes you can help him
find out the truth.”
Annie growled at Matt in sheer frustration.
“The TRUTH!!!. What TRUTH, Matt? Is He Dead or Alive?!!! I don’t even know which
one to believe anymore! Things have been crazy or am I getting crazy?”
Matt could only empathize with Annie and had to reassure her he knew where
she’s coming from.
“I can certainly say I am in the same boat as you, Annie. I also don’t know how to explain your
live encounter with Geoff as he himself is in a quagmire about it. He had no idea how it came
about. But, I did witness how Geoff reincarnated with you around. So, your meeting him must be
divinely guided.”
Annie groaned, feeling defeated in the situation as she could not think straight
any longer and she walked away from Matt who decided to give her time and
space to deal with it on her own.
“I really don’t know how, why, and what to think of it at this time, Matt”
“It will be astonishing to know how short a time it can take
for very wonderful things to happen.”
FRANCES HODGESON BURNETT
68

Chapter 12
IT IS OVER ONLY WHEN WE SAY IT IS.
Matt went back to the Critical Care Unit and rejoined the Lin Brothers while they
were still having a discussion with Geoffrey’s attending doctor who is a
functional neurosurgeon.
MD
“Are you planning to donate your brother’s organs as his body can only be on life support for up to
26 days, if that’s the case? However, you may wanna try the Neuronal Stem Cell Transplant on
him. It’s a new scientific breakthrough still being explored further, so there’s no guarantee but
miracles can happen with modern technology nowadays.”
CARL
"What does the procedure entail, Doc?"
MD
"It is basically a stem cell implant procedure using the double-cortin positive cells in your brother's
brain extracted through biopsy and then cultured before they get re-implanted on him. It's a
process we call autologous graft that is aimed at repairing the lesion part of the brain, which may
revive him."
TED
"How soon can Geoffrey avail of this procedure?
MD
"I can immediately make the call to find out from my colleague in Switzerland who is an active
participant in this experimental paradigm and revert to you in 2 days time with the timeframe
and cost."
CARL and TED exchanged meaningful glances to each other as if to arrive at an
agreement. Then, they shot Matt a hopeful smile.
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CARL
"Great, Doc. Anything for our brother."
TED
"We would look forward to hearing from you again, Doc."
MD
“Alright then. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Every one of them stepped out of the Critical Care Unit, leaving Geoffrey's body
in the life support system. As soon as the doctor took his leave, Matt, Carl and
Ted went to a nearby restaurant to have dinner and continue their discussion. It
was then that Ted noticed Annie's absence.
TED
“Where has your friend Annie gone?”
MATT
“She has another appointment and just dropped by to meet you and see Geoff. But, she got
emotional upon seeing his real condition, so she decided to leave ahead of us.”
CARL
“She must have been close to Geoff to feel that way.”
MATT
“I introduced them to each other actually but, they were both too busy to meet up before the
unfortunate event happened on Geoff. She couldn’t believe it yet, I suppose.”
TED
“It’s a consolation to know that Geoff has good friends around him here. But, what about his
fiancee, Suzette’? Wasn’t she informed about our arrival here?”
MATT
“Allegedly, she’s still feeling depressed that she hasn’t been able to visit Geoff yet. I will check on
her after I drop you off at your hotel.“
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CARL
“We haven’t really met her in person as Geoff only introduced her during one of our video calls
when he informed us of his plan to marry her.”
MATT
“I did meet her a few times during my business trips here when Geoff and I would meet over
dinner with her tagging along. And she would just sit there beside him minding her meal and
hardly joining the conversation, as if bored most of the time with Geoff and me conversing. So, I
hardly know Suzette Bei.”
CARL and TED grimaced but said nothing further so, they simply savored their
food and drinks. Jetlag started to catch up with the brothers by the time they
reached their hotel. However, before they parted with Matt, Carl requested a
favor.
"Matt, can you set up a meeting with Suzette here tomorrow? It's necessary that Ted and I get to
talk to her soon."
Despite his dislike for Suzette, Matt readily agreed to accord the Lin Brothers
their request. He already guessed it has something to do with their desire to
resuscitate Geoffrey, which he earnestly shares with them.
Afterwards…
Matt decided to pass by Suzette's condominium without messaging or calling
her in advance, so he might chance upon her secret lover as mentioned by
Geoffrey. He turned off his mobile phone for the meantime.
Suzette was having wine and salad dinner with Jackson who brought in the food
and had visited her often since Geoffrey’s mishap. He wanted to take advantage
of the situation since Suzette would welcome his company without argument
because she doesn’t like being alone for a prolonged time. He already knew her
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well. Then, as they were getting cozy already the doorbell rang and interrupted
their sleazy episode. Suzette was not expecting anyone else so, she was taken
aback when she opened the door at Matt.
“Oh, Matt! What brought you here at this time?”
Matt noticed the surprised tension in Suzette's expression and tone. And his
eyes immediately caught sight of Jackson who was lounging on the couch with a
glass of wine in one hand.
“Geoff’s brothers have arrived from Australia and asked about you. I dropped them at their hotel
nearby, so I thought of checking on you since I am already in the area. The battery of my mobile
phone is already drained, that's why I couldn’t call or text you beforehand.”
Suzette was quick to respond and explain the presence of Jackson in her
apartment.
“Actually, my Cousin Jackson is also checking up on me and bringing me dinner. Please come in
and meet him. He’s heard of what happened to Geoff and our wedding, so he came to console me
as well.”
Matt did remember the name “Jackson” as mentioned by Geoffrey. So, he got
curious to meet him up close and personal since Suzette offered it.
“Why not? But, I won’t stay long as I haven’t had a decent sleep since the incident. I just want to
arrange your meeting with Geoff’s brothers tomorrow.”
Already caught flat footed at the moment, Suzette could only agree to it and set
the meeting right away as she ushered Matt inside her condominium unit.
“Alright. I can meet them at 2:00PM tomorrow as I am not a morning person because I
developed insomnia after what happened.”
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Matt simply agreed to her time preference as he was more keen to meet
Jackson at that moment.
“No worries. They need some rest to shake off their jetlag anyway. So, it’s 2:00 PM tomorrow
then at their hotel. I will text you the address.”
After the brief introduction by Suzette, Matt did not waste time and immediately
engaged Jackson in a conversation to get more information about him.
“So, Jackson, have you met Geoff in person before?”
Unfazed by Matt's question, Jackson made a bluff since Suzette introduced him
as a kin and besides there was no way Geoffrey could refute it anyway.
“Yeah, at Suzette’s birthday party last year. He even invited me to their wedding.”
Matt just smiled and pretended not to recall that Geoffrey never threw or
attended a Birthday Party for Suzette because he had only spent quiet dinners
with her during such an occasion since he didn’t fancy partying of any kind. In
fact, he missed meeting Annie again at her book launch as he took Suzette to
her birthday dinner. So, he simply said.
“Oh, we would have met there as I was his Best Man at their wedding. Unfortunately, it won’t
happen anymore.”
Jackson did not see through the disguise of Matt and continued to play as a
sympathetic cousin to Suzette who sat by his side. He put an arm around her as
if to comfort her.
“Yeah. So, I came here as soon as I heard what happened. I know how Suzette can get depressed
since we grew up together.”
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Matt, however, saw malice in the way Jackson was rubbing Suzette from
shoulder to arm. The act confirmed his suspicion that the two indeed have an
illicit relationship unknown to Geoffrey until the night he found out about it for
himself. He did feel obnoxious towards them for their betrayal of his friend but,
he restrained himself and endeavored to behave nonchalantly as he took his
leave.
“Well, Suzette certainly needs your company to recover quickly from this traumatic situation.
Anyway, I’ll see her again tomorrow as Geoff’s brothers are looking forward to meeting her.“
He turned on his phone as soon as he walked out of Suzette’s condominium
building. He texted Carl Lin to confirm the meeting with Suzette at their hotel.
Then, he called Geoffrey (who already retrieved his mobile phone from him) to
inform him of his brothers’ meeting with Suzette and Jackson’s presence at the
latter’s place.
“We may not be able to start over, but we can always create a new beginning.”
CARL BARD
74

Chapter 13
WHEN LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
Feeling lethargic, Annie went for her car parked at the basement and she drove
back to Creative Cottage alone wishing it was all a bad dream that Geoffrey isn’t
the brain dead guy lying on the Critical Care Unit bed she had seen earlier. The
truth of it is hard to accept since their moments together at Creative Cottage
were real to her. How could they not be? They made love! Was it all her
imagination? And why would fate pull such a prank on her like that?
She began to wail in sorrow as soon as she got inside the cottage. But then, she
felt Geoffrey’s presence as he began to appear next to her. She almost
screamed but then, she witnessed the same miracle or magic that Matt was
referring to. In sheer amazement, she reached out to touch him to determine if
he’s real or an apparition. Geoffrey caught her hand and she felt his warmth as
he spoke.
“Forgive me for not telling you about my true predicament much earlier. I wasn’t sure about it
until I verified from Matt what happened to me at the Stag Party and thereafter I confirmed
that I do come back to life whenever you are around as witnessed by Matt here earlier. I had no
intention of hiding it from you because I treasure whatever we have shared here though, I don’t
know for how long it will be. For now, I am just grateful for this chance to meet and be with you
in this place that I love as well. It already feels like heaven to me, if I am not there yet. So, I can
only hope our happy times will outweigh the horror of my real circumstance...that you can love me
as much as I can.”
Annie’s eyes welled with tears listening to Geoffrey. She was so touched with
every word and felt his sincerity. But, her mind was too numb to accept them at
the moment. She needed time for her heart and mind to come to an agreement
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about how to face the situation. She withdrew her hand from his.
“Geoff, I only wished for TRUE LOVE and did hope it was you but, this revelation about you
caught me really off-guard. So, I need time to process it.”
Annie stood up and went to her room silently, leaving Geoffrey behind for the
time being. Geoffrey did not press further on Annie. He somehow expected her
reaction and decided to give her time and space but, hoped it won’t take long as
he might not have much time left.
Inside her room...
Annie got reminded of her intimate moment with Geoffrey and decided to check
out the stain proof of their physical union. It is still there on the bed sheet, quite
evident and not just a figment of her imagination. Then, the words of Matt
pertaining the supposed injustice on Geoffrey’s unforeseen death lingered on
until she dozed off to sleep. In a lucid dream, Annie’s spirit seemed to travel out
of her body and got transported into the venue of Geoffrey’s Stag Party Night.
She was like an invisible on-looker who saw what was happening at the event
including the actual passing on of Geoffrey. She tried to call his attention to
dissuade him from drinking the glass of whisky that had poisoned ice cubes but
to no avail. He did not hear her and neither did Matt who just came in. So, Annie
screamed at the top of her lungs in an attempt to put a stop to it to save
Geoffrey from the imminent danger.
“No, Geoff, Don’t!!! Stop it! Geoff!!!.”
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From his room...
Hearing Annie scream, Geoffrey rushed inside her room and saw her having a
nightmare. He endeavored to wake her up as soon as he could.
“Annie, wake up. What is it? You’re having a dream.”
As soon as Annie opened her eyes, she hugged Geoffrey tightly and cried in
relief.
“I saw what happened to you, Geoff. I saw how you were poisoned at the party.”
Geoffrey hugged Annie back. He wanted to console her first more than anything
else. It must be traumatic for her to discover everything about him in less than
24 hours. He wiped the tears on her face to reassure her that he appreciates her
for her concern.
“How I wish we met in a different circumstance, so you don’t have to go through the horror of my
situation.”
Annie looked up at Geoffrey with a teary but determined expression.
“We should find out the truth and who was behind it, Geoff. I will help Matt to give you
justice. You don’t deserve such cruelty.”
Geoffrey cupped Annie’s face with his hands before kissing her on the forehead.
“Despite what happened to me, I still am lucky that you care about me the way you do. And I will
be eternally grateful for having met you.”
Annie searched Geoffrey’s face with her own hands and kissed him on the lips.
Then, she looked fervently into his eyes.
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“Regardless of this situation we are in, you are REAL to me, Geoff. I don’t care how this will end
tomorrow. For now, I only wanna feel your warmth and presence here with me.”
Geoffrey felt the same intense need as Annie, so without hesitation, he kissed
her back on the mouth with much ardor that stripped them of their anxiety as he
made love to her once again.
The next day ...
The morning sunlight started to permeate the bedroom and stirred up Annie
from her sleep. Her naked body was wrapped in a blanket and Geoffrey was
nowhere in sight when she opened her eyes to look around. She sat up to find
her mobile phone but to no avail. It was not on the bedside table where she
usually puts it on when she is not using it. She decided to take a quick shower
and dress-up.
Geoffrey was not in his room and neither in the kitchen nor in the living room
when Annie came out to look for him. He didn’t respond when she called for him.
She started to feel worried that Geoffrey might have gone away for good, given
his situation. Her resolve turned weak with the thought of not seeing him ever
again. Then, she heard the doorbell ring and rushed to open it thinking it was
Geoffrey at the door. However, it was Leonard Song.
“Oh...hi, Leonard.” You’re quite early.”
Leonard flashed a smile and shoved a basket of fruits at Annie. Beside him was
Geoffrey’s bicycle with newly fixed tires.
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“Good morning, Annie. I couldn’t reach you by phone because your number was constantly busy.
So, I decided to just drop by since I live nearby.”
Annie ushered Leonard inside the house and offered him coffee since she
needed a cup as well. She tried to entertain him even though her mind would
wander off for Geoffrey. She decided to cut-up some of the fruits Leonard
brought for her so he would carry on their conversation and not notice her
divided attention. Then, as soon as she plated them and placed them on the
dining table to share with Leonard, the back door opened and Geoffrey came
barging in with Annie’s mobile phone. Annie automatically strode towards him in
gladness and relief, momentarily forgetting Leonard’s presence.
“There you are! Where have you been, Geoff? You were gone when I woke up and I couldn’t find
you.”
Quite unprepared to see Annie dining with another man at their table, jealousy
struck Geoffrey who instinctively staked his claim on Annie by embracing her
and kissing her on the mouth, which stunned Leonard.
“Sorry, I stepped out to call Matt with your phone because the signal is better outside so, I didn’t
hear you call. My phone is still recharging its battery and you were still sound asleep. And I
didn’t know you had a guest coming today.”
The gesture embarrassed Annie as she was reminded Leonard witnessed it. So,
she tried to break the awkwardness by introducing him to Geoffrey.
“Geoff, this is my good friend, Leonard Song, the one who helped me with your bike that got
flat-tired at the convenience store, remember? We got reunited after a decade of absence.
Leonard, this is Geoffrey Lin.”
Seeing the resigned look of Leonard, Geoffrey offered to shake his hand and
thank him.
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“Yeah, you told me so. Hi, it’s nice of you to come to Annie’s rescue at that time. Let me know how
much we owe you for the trouble. I will reimburse you for it.”
Leonard shook hands with Geoffrey briefly and dismissed his offer before taking
a leave sensing his own discomfort in the situation.
“Don’t mention it, Geoffrey. Annie is a good friend and it was nice seeing her after a long while,
so I promised to drop the bike here once the tires are fixed. Anyway, I have to go now.”
Noticing Annie was looking anxious to see Leonard go abruptly for she still might
want to spend time with him since she had not seen him for a long time,
Geoffrey muttered pensively.
“Annie, Leonard seems to be a good guy. Perhaps, when this is over and I am no longer here for
you, you could give it a chance to rekindle your past with him. I just need you to be with me for a
few more days.... please.”
Annie turned teary–eyed upon hearing what Geoffrey said. Her heart swelled in
sadness and frustration.
“And you think, I could easily switch love channels, Geoff? That as soon as you’re gone, I can just
ring and hook up with Leonard? Do you honestly believe we can dictate to our hearts how, when
and who to love next?”
Realizing his mistake and how his sentimental outburst hurt Annie, Geoffrey
immediately apologized and consoled her. He hugged her tightly and allowed
her to sob on his chest.
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to undermine your feelings for me. I just want you to continue living
and loving even when I am. . ..”
Annie put a finger on Geoffrey’s lips to stop him from speaking further.
“I already made a decision last night that I will see you through this. So, let me love and live the
way I chose to.”
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Geoffrey held Annie’s face with his two hands and kissed her on the forehead
with reverence.
“There comes a time when nothing is more meaningful than surrendering to Love.”
RUMI
81

Chapter 14
FORGET WHY IT WON’T WORK. FOCUS ON WHY IT WILL.
Matt instructed Geoffrey to proceed to Suzette condominium with Annie where
he could find and confront Jackson Wong while Suzette was out to meet his
brothers, Carl and Ted Lin, at their hotel. He then could get into the bottom of
things with Jackson through his bluff of knowing or having met him in person
before, which had not been the case. Annie would be crucial in making it
possible for him without exposing her to danger in any way. Right after brunch,
Annie drove Geoffrey to the city towards Suzette Bei’s condominium address.
Matt decided to join Geoffrey’s Brothers in meeting Suzette at their hotel to
witness the likely outcome of it on behalf of Geoffrey who must deal with
Jackson on his own around the same time. He agreed with Geoffrey that it is
such an opportune time to accomplish the mission in finding out the truth from
the horse’s mouth, so to speak, without compromising Geoffrey’s real condition.
Carl and Ted Lin rented a small meeting room at the hotel to meet and speak
with Suzette to avoid public glare, in case she turns emotional during the
conversation. Suzette arrived on time and she was met by Matt at the hotel
lobby to bring her to the meeting room where the Lin Brothers were already
waiting. As this is the first time for them to meet in person, Matt made the
introduction.
“Hello, Suzette. Please have a seat and some coffee.”
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said Carl Lin who extended his hand for a handshake.
“It’s unfortunate to have met you in person on this occasion.”
said Ted Lin who also opted for a handshake and noticed the engagement ring
still on her finger.
“Hi, apologies as I have been too distraught to meet you earlier or visit Geoff in the hospital since
the incident.”
said Suzette who tried to be as less communicative as possible to avoid any
slip.
Not quite convinced with Suzette’s excuse as didn’t look as she claimed to be,
Carl Lin did not mince words and asked her a straightforward question.
“Suzette, we are considering the Neuronal Stem Cell Transplant for Geoff, which may revive
him. Though, there’s no guarantee, we still want to explore it. So, we want to know how willing
you are to be by his side during the process.”
Suzette was taken aback and started to panic in her stance and spoke bluntly.
“What is the rate of success of such a procedure and how long will it take to see results? It would
only be a waste of time and money, if there’s no guarantee. Frankly, I have already accepted the
fact that Geoff is gone and given his current condition, he won’t be the same Geoffrey we know
even if we try to revive him.”
Ted felt disgruntled with Suzette’s reaction, so he goaded her to firm up her
decision.
“We do respect your choice and the need to move on. However, it is only proper to return the
engagement ring Geoff gave you, which is an heirloom from our Grandmother as you have
chosen to sever your relationship with him in his current condition and disregard any possibility
for him to get better later on.”
Appalled and embarrassed by the callous words hurled at her by Ted Lin,
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Suzette got compelled to remove and give up the solitary diamond engagement
ring from her finger that Geoffrey gave her. She didn’t expect them to treat her
less. Yet, she could not contradict them since she refused to have anything to do
with Geoffrey after what happened to him. Anyway, Jackson is eagerly awaiting
her return and could provide for her as much as or much better than Geoffrey
did. She left the meeting in haste while Matt texted Annie about Suzette
returning to her condominium unit anytime soon.
Meanwhile at Suzette’s condo unit...
Jackson got awakened by the incessant ringing of the doorbell and thought it
was Suzette who might have forgotten to bring her apartment key with her. Still
having a hang-over from their drinking and sex bouts last night, he stepped out
of the bedroom clad only in brief shorts with bare upper body and a throbbing
headache, he opened the door. But then, he almost threw up upon seeing
Geoffrey Lin standing before him, in the flesh. Good grief! Was he having
hallucinations now but, he didn’t sniff any “crack” last night?! He got even more
shocked when he heard him speak as he shoved him inside the condominium
unit against a wall.
GEOFFREY
“Hello, Jackson Wong. Have we really met before?.”
JACKSON
“GEOFFREY LIN?! How could this happen?! You were supposed to be DEAD already!”
Completely overtaken and shaken by Geoffrey, Jackson let out another slip up
by thinking aloud.
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“My man recorded what happened at the Stag Party and up to the hospital when they brought
you in. STRYCHNINE is highly toxic and you cannot possibly survive it once you ingest it with
the poisoned ice cubes in your drinks.”
Geoffrey smirked at Jackson triumphantly as he secretly recorded his
confession. And he continued to taunt him.
“And what have you gained, so far? I don’t know you at all or haven’t owed you anything!”
Despite losing his mojo and composure due to fear, Jackson answered
indignantly.
“SUZETTE. She would no longer marry you because we have been lovers until you came between
us so, you deserve to DIE!”
Geoffrey loosened his grip on Jackson upon hearing his final words of
confession, which confirmed his suspicion. Jackson took advantage of the
situation to run out of the condominium unit of Suzette despite his unclad
condition. He bumped onto Suzette on his way out of the building and convinced
her to drive him away from the place. Still nervous and shaking from his
encounter with Geoffrey whom he thought was an incarnated ghost haunting
him, he spoke incoherently about what happened.
“Geoffrey Lin is ALIVE! And he knew I tried to kill him because of you. He knows about us
now.”
Suzette was aghast by what she just heard from Jackson. She did not suspect
him whatsoever because she wasn’t aware of any foul play in Geoffrey's incident
so she screamed at him.
“What SHIT have you got yourself into, Jackson?! And why Geoffrey?! Things were PERFECT
until you ruined it with your murder plan! You BASTARD!”
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Knowing the circumstance of what happened to Geoffrey agitated Suzette to the
core because her affair with Jackson and his crime would gravely blow upon her
reputation for good.
Annie, on the other hand, witnessed the scuffle between Geoffrey and Jackson
and the latter’s eventual admission of his crime and motivation since she
remained within a close distance to them in order to sustain Geoffrey’s
incarnated form that enabled him to confront his enemy and squeezed the truth
from him successfully. Then, as soon as she saw Jackson flee the condominium
unit, she went in for Geoffrey to inform him that Suzette Bei was already on her
way back according to Matt’s text message. Geoffrey hugged Annie in great
relief for having accomplished the task of obtaining justice for himself the way he
had desired and planned it with her and Matt. He was extremely grateful to her
and to his best friend who did not waver in their support and love. He held her
hand as they left the building to meet Matt as agreed upon who was eagerly
waiting for them.
“Go for it now. The future is not promised to no one.”
WAYNE DYER
86

Chapter 15
THE UNIVERSE SHALL SERVE WHAT ONE DESERVES.
After reviewing and editing the confession recording of Jackson Wong, Matt and
Annie went to meet Geoffrey’s Brothers (Carl & Ted Lin) to present the evidence
of their suspected foul play.
“I immediately sensed something wrong about her alleged cousin Jackson Wong who claimed he
knew Geoff in person so, I went on to investigate and set up a trap for him with Annie while he
hung out at Suzette’s place. This recording along with the mobile phone and personal stuff
Jackson left behind at the condominium, which Annie promptly secured before Suzette’s arrival
there, could establish the murder case against him.”
Carl and Ted Lin were in tears upon receiving the information and evidence from
Matt and Annie. They felt relieved and confident to pursue the perpetrator in no
time. They hugged Matt and Annie in gratitude for their relentless efforts to seek
justice for their brother Geoffrey.
“We can never thank you enough for your time, effort and affection for Geoff. Rest assured, we
will not let the culprit off the hook. He will go to jail for what he did to our brother.” said Carl.
“By the way, Annie here is willing to stay by Geoff’s side when you pursue the Neuronal Stem Cell
Transplant for him.”
Matt blurted out.
Quite surprised, Carl and Ted Lin looked at Annie for confirmation of Matt’s
remark. Annie smiled confidently at them and spoke accordingly.
“Don’t look surprised. Geoff has been communicating with me in my dreams since the day I
stayed at Creative Cottage. That’s why I was able to assist Matt along the way. So, I won’t mind
helping you further, if there’s a chance to revive him at all.”
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The Lin Brothers turned ecstatic upon hearing Annie’s confirmation to look after
Geoffrey while he undergoes the procedures. They truly wanted to try the new
medical breakthrough that could bring him back but, they can only provide
money and not their constant physical presence. They alternately pecked Annie
on the cheek to thank her further for her kindness.
“You’re an angel, Annie.” said Carl
“Perhaps, Geoff would have not been in such a misfortune, if he had you as his girlfriend,” said
Ted.
“Actually, Geoff had a thing for Annie even before he dated Suzette but, fate got in the way.”
Matt interjected teasingly with a wink at Annie.
Annie blushed at their compliments and tried to lighten her response so as not to
let them probe further on her offer to accompany Geoffrey throughout the
medical procedure.
“Don’t mention it. It is my utmost desire to see Geoffrey alive so he will stop visiting me in my
dreams. And I am sure that it is also his fervent desire to be well again. Anyway, I have the
entire year to write my novel, so my hands aren’t full and I can allot time to be with Geoffrey.”
Again, Carl and Ted Lin hugged both Annie and Matt happily before they parted.
“Our Brother Geoff has been lucky to have you around in both happy and sad times. Thank you
for being here for him when he needed you most. We are indebted to both of you.”
Geoffrey smiled with tears in his eyes as he watched them from afar while
waiting for Annie.
Later in the day…
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Matt accompanied Carl and Ted to the police station to formally file a complaint
against Jackson Wong with regards to Geoffrey’s alleged poisoning according to
his medical records and the recorded admission obtained from the suspect. The
police investigators immediately acted on the complaint and searched Suzette
Bei’s apartment and questioned the bar staff at the stag party venue to collect
evidence accordingly.
Both Suzette and Jackson could not be located. The police went to look for them
through the law office of Peter Wong, the father of Jackson, who was caught off
guard by what happened. He tried to contact Jackson but, the police were
already in custody of his mobile phone and he had no knowledge of Suzette Bei
because he didn’t know about his son’s relationship with her prior to the alleged
incident. As a lawyer he was aware of the legal implications if his son fails to
appear before the police soon and remains at large. As a father, he wanted to
find Jackson before the authorities did because he was on the verge of
strangling him for himself, being quite tired of cleaning his mess for years.
Certainly, this is the last straw!
Jackson had been wandering aimlessly in the street in his almost naked form
after Suzette abandoned him. Taxis refused to take him anywhere in his
condition, mistaking him for a troublesome lunatic who obviously had no money
to pay for the taxi fare. He was truly confused, cold and tired from trying to find
his way home. He now felt hatred towards Suzette Bei.
On the other hand, Suzette went berserk trying to escape from the nightmare
she found herself in. She drove away from her condominium building and from
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Jackson Wong who would drag her into the murder pit he dug for himself. She
could not afford this pitfall with him. But then, she doesn’t know how far she can
go considering she could not get her passport from her condominium unit. She
was completely in a mess driving her car without any direction. She continuously
cursed Jackson for her dilemma.
Later on...
Matt, Annie, Carl and Ted went to visit Geoffrey at the hospital to accomplish the
required paperwork in regards to their application for Neuronal Stem Cell
Therapy for Geoffrey designating Annie Chen as his regular guardian.
Then, Matt received a call from the police station updating him with the capture
of Jackson Wong. He was apprehended by a traffic enforcer who got a
complaint from a netizen that posted a photo and the location of an “almost
naked man” wandering the city street in broad daylight begging for money from
passers-by. Initially, he was to be charged with “mendicancy and indecency”
when he boastfully introduced himself as Jackson Wong, son of the celebrity
lawyer, Peter Wong. Since he was already WANTED by the police for the
Geoffrey Lin Murder Case, they detained him accordingly at the precinct until
both Matt and Annie could formally identify him and the Lin Brothers could
charge him with their legal counsel.
Everyone except Jackson rejoiced over such a quick result of police action as he
insisted that he didn’t commit a crime because Geoffrey Lin is still ALIVE
contradicting the medical records and police report on the actual confined
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physical condition of Geoffrey at the hospital, which supported the complaint of
his brothers. Peter Wong suspected that his son, Jackson, must be losing his
sanity due to substance abuse so, he may have to appeal to the court for a
mental health assessment on him. Jackson’s claim that Geoffrey Lin, who has
already been pronounced as Brain Dead and is just under life support at the
hospital, is alive is truly preposterous. His son is apparently under so much
stress and obviously delusional.
Meanwhile...
To celebrate their success in incarcerating Jackson Wong for his crime against
Geoffrey, Matt suggested to Carl and Ted to visit the Creative Cottage, which is
their brother’s favorite lair. Annie would prepare a sumptuous dinner for
everyone. The Lin Brothers agreed so, they could likewise check the property,
which Geoffrey had invested so much into and where his spirit lurks around
according to Annie. Somehow, they would want to feel closer to him through the
place he loved.
Geoffrey eagerly awaits his brothers’ arrival at Creative Cottage for a chance to
finally hug them.
“The Universe will match whatever vibration you put out.
And you cannot fool the universe.”
JEN SINCERO
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Chapter 16
A SITUATION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE DESTINATION.
Annie drove her Mini Cooper towards Creative Cottage ahead of Matt and the
Lin Brothers’ SUV who had to stop for some wine and dessert. She ought to
inform Geoffrey and prepare the steak dinner with tossed salad for everyone.
Hopefully, Carl and Ted would still have an appetite after seeing Geoffrey there.
She’s anxious on how they would react during the encounter.
Matt decided to orient Carl and Ted more or less on the paranormal experience
with Geoffrey later upon Annie’s advice. He also requested that Ted bring along
the heirloom solitaire diamond ring Suzette returned as a summoning medium to
lure Geoffrey’s spirit to manifest strongly at the place. It was actually upon
Geoffrey’s instruction that he did so.
Geoffrey decided to wait inside his room while he sat at his drawing table. He
expected Carl and Ted to proceed there anyway upon arrival at Creative Cottage
since they wanted to commune with him. Matt had been instructed by him to
explain to them the paranormal interaction they will have with him at the
property, which Annie has been instrumental to.
Carl and Ted Lin were both feeling incredulous and excited. They couldn’t
believe what Matt just disclosed to them on their way to Creative Cottage that it
was actually Geoffrey himself who sought justice and went after Jackson Wong.
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So, the idea of actually seeing Geoffrey in the flesh even only for a moment as
described by Matt would be wonderfully surreal. They went straight to his room
to find out for themselves. Lo and behold...they saw Geoffrey at work on his
drawing as soon as they entered. Geoffrey raised his head with a smile and
greeted both of them. He stood up to approach and embrace them.
“CARL! TED! It’s good to see you both! Thank you for coming to see me here.”
In amazement, Carl and Ted hugged Geoffrey with tears of joy and awe. It was
one magical moment for all of them.
“BRO, is this really you? How could this be possible?” asked Carl
“If YOU are here? WHO is that in the hospital?” asked Ted, already confused.
“Yes, it’s ME. And I am both here and there. But, what you see now may only be temporary since
my real body is still on life support in the hospital. This is probably God’s way of enabling me to
find justice and my true love.” Geoffrey clarified.
“TRUE LOVE???” asked Carl and Ted in unison.
“Actually, I need you to help me propose to Annie Chen before my days here run out.” said
Geoffrey with a wide grin.
Carl and Ted looked at each other recalling he indeed is Geoffrey, their brother
who has always been timid when it comes to women. And in quick agreement,
they hugged him again.
“Anything for you, Bro! We’re glad we could be here for you, Geoff.” said Carl and Ted
alternately.
Then, Matt came in to announce dinnertime. He witnessed how happy the
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moment was for the three brothers despite the uncertainty ahead. However, he
is now looking forward to the next event, when Geoffrey pops up the question to
Annie who has no inkling on what is about to happen at dinner at Creative
Cottage. The thought simply excites him for both Geoffrey and Annie.
Geoffrey and his brothers followed Matt to the dining area where Annie is
completing the table set- up. Once everyone is seated at the round table about
to dine, Geoffrey stood up and knelt next to Annie who got startled by the
gesture.
“Annie Chen, for whatever it is worth or how things may end up for me, will you Marry Me?”
Before Annie could answer, Geoffrey motioned to Ted to hand him the heirloom
solitaire diamond ring and raised it for her to see. The moment made Annie cry
because she did not expect it under the circumstances. She could only whimper
and nod with a reply.
“Yes..u-huh, Geoffrey Lin. Here or in the After Life.”
As soon as Geoffrey put the ring on her finger, Annie pulled him up to kiss and
hug him in happiness. Everyone else was in awe witnessing their almost
fairytale love that dispelled the myth.
Two days later…
Matt, Carl and Ted organized the simple wedding celebration of Geoffrey and
Annie at Creative Cottage after assisting them to register their marriage at the
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Marriage Bureau since Geoffrey wasn’t quite certain on how long he would be
able to stay incarnated.
Good thing he had not registered his marriage yet with Suzette Bei who
preferred to go with the wedding ceremony first so she could flaunt to her friends
and to the society in general with a plan to do it after their honeymoon, which
turned out to be a blessing in disguise after all.
Annie, on the other hand, didn’t want to make a big fuss out of the occasion and
preferred it to be as private as possible, which impressed Carl and Ted the most
seeing how sincere she is with her feelings for their brother Geoffrey. She
wanted for the Neuronal Stem Cell Transplant on Geoffrey to proceed on
schedule with the team of Neuro Specialists arriving from Switzerland in the
coming days. Despite being quite hopeful for its success, Geoffrey wouldn’t want
to take chances and convinced Annie to marry him right away. At any rate, the
Lin Brothers were delighted to have witnessed Geoffrey’s true happiness by
marrying Annie Chen instead while they were still around him.
Geoffrey truly devoted and savored his time with Annie at Creative Cottage,
which served as their honeymoon lair since they also wanted to spend it with
Carl, Ted, and Matt before their most awaited day comes.
Finally...
Carl, Ted, and Matt were at the airport to meet the team of Swiss Neurosurgeons
who flew in to immediately qualify Geoffrey for Neuronal Stem Cell
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Transplant as arranged by his attending doctor at the hospital where his body
has been sustained by a life support system and Annie was watching over him.
Geoffrey could not stay incarnated when he would go near his body that has
been confined in the hospital. He would dissipate before everyone’s view so, he
decided to approach his brain dead self once again on that day he will undergo
Neuronal Stem Cell Transplant because he ought to be able to rejoin his body
as soon as he got revived by the procedure. And when the moment finally came,
Geoffrey ceased to reappear in the flesh before everyone anymore. Annie, Matt
and his brothers Carl and Ted had to simply believe in the process and hoped
against hope that he would eventually come back to life soon to be with them
once again.
After the transplant procedure, Annie continued writing her novel while spending
time to watch over Geoffrey at the hospital. She would tend to him as if he could
hear him with a firm belief that he would soon wake up and surprise her.
Matt returned to his city of dwelling as soon as Carl and Ted Lin flew back to
Australia to resume their respective preoccupations. They could not stay further
to witness their desired miracle for economic reasons. They will just wait
updates from Annie.
Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed and rearranged
to locate us to the place we’re meant to be.
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Chapter 17
MAGIC HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO SEEK AND BELIEVE IT.
Annie eagerly sat before her iPad for a video call with Carl, Ted and Matt. She
eagerly awaits their feedback on her recently completed novel. She did ask
them to be her beta readers to review and comment on her story before she
would publish them since they were privy to it and she valued their opinion.
ANNIE
“Hi, Everyone! Finally, I got hold of you today. Otherwise, I would not be able to publish it yet
until I hear your feedback.”
CARL
“Hi, Sis! Nice to see you online again today. Just had to wait for Ted to finish reading your work
before we can schedule this call with you today.”
TED
“Apologies, Sis. I couldn’t read it as fast as Carl did because I went out of town for business in the
last two weeks, though I brought the manuscript along on my trip.”
MATT
Hey, Annie. I could not finish it soon enough because my girlfriend insisted on reading it with
me. She would get mad if I would attempt to read a chapter ahead of her whenever I found the
time. She’d feel left out if I did. I guess the pregnancy hormones have something to do with her
emotional state.”
ANNIE
“No worries, guys. I’m just as thrilled to hear your opinion on my work today despite the delay in
gathering you all online. They would help determine if I’d still need to revise or adjust it in any
way.”
MATT
“Naahh! It is good to go as far as I’m concerned.
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CARL
You’re definitely a writer at heart. “I’m sure Geoff would give it a thumbs up.”
TED
“Just let us know when you get to publish it online so we can tell our friends about it.”
ANNIE
“Thank you all! At any rate, I will just run one last spell check on it before I bring it to the
printer next week. Then, only when the printed version is out in the bookstores can I publish it
online.”
As Annie continued her online conversation with the three gentlemen, a text
message flashed on her mobile phone. It was from Leonard Song.
“Hi, Annie.
I just finished reading the draft of your latest novel. Can we meet up
for coffee as I prefer to give you feedback on it personally? Let me
know if it is convenient tomorrow.”
Leonard
It made Annie smile to receive Leonard’s text quite timely as she gathered the
most valuable opinion on her new masterpiece. She decided to text him a reply
after she finished her video call with Carl, Ted and Matt.
A few days later...
The Barista handed Annie her Green Tea Latte cup and cup of Americano to
Leonard at the counter before they found a table to sit at. Leonard eyed Annie
with a bold admiration because her novel was beyond his expectation. She’s
truly an accomplished writer not just for fictional love stories but now of her own.
Annie felt a bit conscious of the way Leonard has regarded her.
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“So, what do you think of it?” she asked him shyly like a newbie before she took a
sip of her latte.
“Remarkable! Not only because your story is UNUSUAL but I also felt the real you in it. The
Annie Chen I know and remember well. I only wished I was at the center of your love story rather
than just a witness of an episode in it. Yet, it reminded me of your belief in destiny and what the
so-called divine plan has in store for us. So, I am happy for you and will continue to support you
in any way I can.” he answered with mixed longing and resignation.
Annie felt Leonard’s sincerity and unwavering belief in her.
She is likewise
grateful for his generous affection towards her despite the interruption in their
journey together.
“Thank you for allowing me to make reference to you in my novel and finding time to review the
draft. It gave me an opportunity to pay tribute to you and our history as well.” she clasped
his hands that were lazing on the table as a sign of appreciation.
Leonard lifted his hands while Annie’s hands still clasped them up to his lips to
kiss hers with reverence.
“No matter what. You will always be a part of me, Annie, just as I know I will remain a part of
yours.”
Annie simply nodded in agreement and removed her hands from his to take
another sip from her latte cup as she looked down pensively. Leonard did the
same by drinking from his coffee cup, though his gaze remained fixed on Annie.
“By the way, Leonard, I hope you can make it when I launch the book. My publisher always
organizes a Book Signing Event to promote my latest work.” she finally said before she
decided to end their coffee time.
“Just let me know in advance so I can make time for it. I’d be happy to grace and celebrate such
an occasion with you.” he replied with real fondness as he accompanied her on the
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way out. Leonard insisted on giving her a ride to her next appointment and
dropped her off to GEOFFREY LIN’S & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGN Office Building.
3 months later…
It’s been five agonizing years since Suzette Bei set foot in the city again. She
completely cut ties with Jackson Wong who is still in prison and did not bother
about her ex-fiance’ Geoffrey Lin since she assumed a different name and
identity when she fled the incident. She went to a nearby mall where a book
signing event got her attention as the novel is entitled, CREATIVE COTTAGE,
which reminded her of the favorite vacation house of Geoffrey. Curiously, she
got a copy for a signature of the Author, ANNIE CHEN, who was wearing a
familiar solitaire diamond ring on her right ring finger. Unfortunately, she didn’t
get into the queue because the event’s host announced that the book signing
had just ended as the Author’s husband arrived to take her to a dinner
celebration. Suzette almost fainted in shock when she recognized that it was
GEOFFREY LIN who came in with a bouquet for ANNIE CHEN and together
they rode a luxury car away from the venue.
“Impossible is just an opinion, not a fact.”
MUHAMMAD ALI
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THE END
REFERENCES
●
●
●
●
●
CASES OF STRYCHNINE POISONING
(https://youtu.be/UcVMhY6svF4?si=FS2OrrYhQ_PHTGCq)
ASTRAL LOVE & SEX
(https://youtu.be/P8xemh2ZKvs?si=MLBr1sV_h53fDFdS)
LUCID DREAMING
(https://youtu.be/qH-MGqokk_Y)
WAYS TO BRING ‘BRAIN DEAD’ BACK TO LIFE
(https://youtu.be/rO5w-g_Xm-s)
THE BRAIN MAY BE ABLE TO REPAIR ITSELF
(https://youtu.be/6d6oq0zGGmw)
INSPIRATIONS
❖ TELL YOUR HEART TO BEAT AGAIN
(https://youtu.be/F77v41jbOYs?si=6aXFLaoEiKsO_Mr0)
❖ LOVE MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS
(https://youtu.be/6X4a_jT25i0?si=l1SQoYlLetWidbzS)
❖ LOVE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY
(https://youtu.be/DO-9G4nhewY?si=YjAcrVFMrVtwjWMH)
❖ ONCE IN A LIFETIME
(https://youtu.be/4JzqPCN9VbI?si=5oQ9p_ZK25f6YY-q)
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THE AUTHOR / PUBLISHER
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