Prologue

It was the rainy season, and our city was besieged by a thunderstorm. I was supposed to get up early, but my weakened body won't let me move an inch. I clenched my teeth and pulled out my phone to check the weather forecast. This appears to be going on for a month.

I coughed horribly as I tried to keep myself from crying. I stared aimlessly at the small room, which was littered with bottles of water, junk food, and cup noodles. I recall the pitiful state in which I have been for the past few years since my father's death. This was all I could afford to live on because the cost of living in this neighborhood was extremely expensive. I debated whether I should just abandon this flower shop that my father had patiently built for us, complete with a small room and kitchen in the back. It was a wedding gift for my mother. But fate was cruel, and she died a few years after giving birth to me, leaving behind a bereaved father and a young daughter.

And now I'm on my own.

As I struggled to calm myself, my breathing became heavier. Because of the cooler weather, the flowers in the store are starting to wilt because they aren't getting enough sunlight. Due to the heavy rain, there were almost no customers as well. I even caught the flu, which added to my miseries, and now I can't move. There are no relatives to look after me and no friends to talk to when I'm lonely.

As I coughed furiously, my fingers began to numb. My eyes became heavy as I shivered in the cold with my flimsy blanket.

What a wonderful experience it would be to grow up in a different environment. To have a mother who adores you and with whom you can share girlie secrets. To live a joyful and uncomplicated life free of regrets.

A single teardrop slid down my cheeks to the pendant on my neck as I surrendered to an eternal sleep.