Chapter 16

Several months had passed since Holly disappeared. Jasper had been certain that he would find her in the beginning. But now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Could he really find Holly? At first, he posted updates on the Internet every day. Now, he couldn't even bring himself to express the longing in his heart. His confidence in finding her had been worn away by time, leaving only endless regret and pain. He didn't dare return to the home they once shared, nor did he dare check the news online. Now, just hearing the name "Holly" triggered him. It sent him into angry outbursts as he kept repeating the same self-deceiving words. He would say, "She'll come back. She'll be back one day." Randall had frozen all his cards. He could no longer spend recklessly to mask his inner turmoil. All he could do was drink. He drank all day so that the alcohol could numb his mind. But Holly still appeared in his dreams—she sat beside him as always. Yet after waking up, all he felt was a deeper emptines