Chapter 18 ** Chapter 18 : Once Upon a Time ** The old monk looked at me , then at Hayden Hughes , a flicker of confusion in his eyes . But a man of the cloth knows not to pry , and he simply let it pass with a smile . Mr. Hughes's expression soured . " As long as you and Aubrey are okay , your mother and I will be fine . " " I'm going for a smoke , " Hayden said . He turned and walked away . Mr. Hughes looked like he was about to blow up again , but Madam Hughes quickly grabbed his arm . " Enough . This is a temple . Don't start a fight with him here ." Mr. Hughes pointed resentfully at Hayden's retreating back . " Is he really going for a smoke ? He's probably just calling that Isabelle girl ! " Madam Hughes sighed . " What can you do ? You know what your own son is like . " " I just feel like this is so unfair to Aubrey ... " Mr. Hughes said . The old monk chanted a Buddhist phrase . " A spouse is a matter of fate , a child a karmic debt . It is all determined by cause and effect , so one should not be overly attached . " Madam Hughes took a piece of paper from her purse , bowed reverently to the monk , and asked in a low voice , " You're right , Master . I've been a vegetarian for years and understand that marriage is decided by heaven , but I still have this lingering obsession . I was hoping you could help guide us . " She unfolded the paper and handed it to the old monk . " This is my son's birth date and time . I came to the temple today to pray for my son and daughter - in - law to have a happy and beautiful life together , but I don't understand what went wrong . Why did a perfectly good family suddenly end up like this ? " The old monk just smiled and shook his head . " Everything is the will of heaven . All you can do is pray . If their bond is not broken , they will naturally be guided back to each other . " Madam Hughes was desperate . " Master , we know you can't reveal heavenly secrets , and we won't force you . But could you please just take a look and see if my son and daughter - in - law still have a future together in this lifetime ? " " Well ... " An idea struck me . I pulled out my phone , turned away , and sent Hayden a text . [ When's Isabelle's birthday ? ] Hayden replied quickly : [ Why are you asking ? ] 1/5 Chapter 18 [ I want to get her a gift . I'm leaving in two months and I'm worried I'll miss her birthday , so I want to give it to her early . ] A moment later , Hayden sent a date . Madam Hughes tapped me . " Aubrey , I'm talking to you . " I snapped back to reality and put on a smile . " What's up ? " " Write down your birth date so the Master can take a look for you and Hayden . " " Oh , okay ." Thinking fast , I turned my back and wrote down Isabelle Pearson's birthday instead . Then I handed the paper straight to the old monk . Madam Hughes didn't notice , her eyes fixed on the old monk's expression . When she saw his brow furrow slightly , she asked anxiously , " Master , what is it ? " The old monk looked up , recited another Buddhist phrase , and said apologetically , " It seems these two are not fated to be husband and wife . " " What ... " Madam Hughes stumbled back , looking utterly defeated , and nearly fell . I quickly caught her . " Madam Hughes , are you okay ? " Still in disbelief , Madam Hughes grabbed my hand . " Aubrey , you didn't write it down wrong , did you ? " I smiled sweetly . " It's my own birthday . How could I get it wrong? " " But ... how could this be ? " Mr. Hughes wouldn't give up . He asked directly , " Master , this birth chart for my daughter - in - law - can you tell anything from it ? " The monk studied the slip of paper for a long moment . " She suffered greatly in her youth . Few relatives to rely on . " Mr. Hughes fell silent . * My own childhood really hadn't been easy . My parents died young , and I was raised by others . The monk's words fit me perfectly . * Madam Hughes covered her face and collapsed onto a prayer cushion , unable to recover for a long time . Mr. Hughes knelt slightly beside her , patting her shoulder comfortingly . " Can it really all be fate ? " Chapter 18 Madam Hughes pressed , " Master , what about my daughter - in - law's future ? " " Peaceful and smooth . No more hardships . " " That's good , that's good . Thank you , Master . " Unable to hide her sorrow , Madam Hughes was helped by her husband to a guest room to rest . I was about to follow them , but halfway there , the old monk called out to me . " Young lady . " I turned back with a smile . " Yes , Master ? " " Could you do me a favor ? " I nodded . " Of course . " He had two young acolytes help Mr. Hughes take his wife to the room , then beckoned me over . When I walked over , he handed me another pen . " Young lady , write down your real birthday this time . " My smile froze on my face . The old monk chuckled . " Go on . " I hesitated for a moment but finally wrote down my actual birth date and handed it to him . The monk only needed one glance before his expression turned grave . " Master , I'm not going to live much longer , am I ? " The old monk was silent . That was his answer . I wasn't too surprised . I'm not superstitious , but I respect faith and metaphysics . The monk asked , " Is that why you deliberately wrote down someone else's birthday ? " I couldn't hide it from him . I gave a wry chuckle and nodded . " Yeah . " " But that girl is not fated to be with him . " " Why not ? Are their birth charts incompatible ? " " Because in the stars of his fate , you are his true match . " " Then what if I'm not around anymore ? " The old monk hesitated once again . 3/5 Chapter 18 I said , " That other girl is sweet and innocent The monk sighed . " Have you not told him about your condition ? " I shook my head . " Master , how long do you keep the temple's Wish Scrolls ? " " Are you looking for the one from the last time you two were here " Yes , " I said . " I want to see what wishes he made . I want to help him achieve all of them in the time I have left . " The old monk led me to a side hall . A wooden shelf stood against the wall , neatly stacked with used Wish Scrolls , organized by year and month . He found it quickly . " Here it is , young lady . " " Thank you . " " Take your time . I'll leave you to it . " " Okay , thank you for your trouble . " The old monk recited a final Buddhist phrase and slowly departed . There were no chairs in the side hall , so I found a corner to sit in and opened the dusty , musty - smelling Wish Scroll . The first few pages were filled with wishes from other people . There were no names signed on the Wish Scroll , but I could guess whether the wisher was a man or a woman by their handwriting . The girls ' handwriting was elegant , mostly asking for love . Someone handsome , good to them , a love that would last forever , The guys ' handwriting was a bit firmer . Some wished for love , others for success in their careers . I flipped through the pages slowly , finding it all quite interesting . After about a dozen pages , I finally found Hayden's handwriting . He'd practiced calligraphy since he was young , developing a bold and powerful script . I recognized it instantly . But on the entire page , he had written only two words . I quickly flipped to the next page . A thick Wish Scroll , and on every single page that followed , there were only 4/5 Chapter 18 those same two words . He had clearly written them countless times . The strokes were practiced and beautiful . Only at the final stroke of the last character did he seem to ease the pressure , softening the sharp edge of the brushwork into something lingering and tender . He had written : Aubrey Shelton . 525