Chapter 15 Maxwell had a dream . A long , suffocating dream . In that dream , he discovered by accident that Zoey was dead . And it was his own hands that dug up her bones . He could still remember how cold she felt . So cold that the chill pierced straight into his heart . He jolted awake from the nightmare , gasping for air . His eyes opened to the familiar ceiling of the villa . Dr. Willow was sitting beside him , quietly feeding him warm soup . His whole body trembled . That question , the one he didn't dare ask , sat stuck in his throat , pressing down on him until he couldn't breathe . He didn't want to know . He wasn't ready to know . But the words forced themselves out anyway . " Dr. Willow ... that wasn't ... a dream , was it ? " Dr. Willow lowered his head , struggling to answer . In the end , he quietly placed the urn - the urn already filled with ashes- right in front of Maxwell . " Mr. Porter ... my condolences . " The second Maxwell laid eyes on the urn , it felt like something inside him snapped . He lunged forward , wrapping his arms around it like a man drowning . All the grief he'd tried to hold back for ten days surged up like a flood . His voice cracked as he choked out , " Why ... why such a small urn ... ? " His fingers brushed against it like it might break . " Zoey always said she liked big houses ... if we lock her in something this small ... she'll just be sad ... " And just like that , the madness never let go . For seven days straight , Maxwell barely spoke . At least ... not to anyone living . But whenever he sat before Zoey's urn , words would pour out of him . He treated it like he was caring for a child . Every day , he wiped it down , cleaned it , and even told her bedtime stories . " Zoey ... do you feel a little happier today ? " Even though there was no response but the silence , he still asked . Over and over . Dr. Willow couldn't stand it anymore . Watching Maxwell spiral like this ... it felt unbearable . When Maxwell started muttering to himself again , rocking with the urn clutched tight , Dr. Willow finally stepped forward . " Mr. Porter ... she's gone . She's really ... gone . You can't keep doing this . You'll just make her worry . " Maxwell's chest caved , his grief smashing against the walls of his ribs . " But I can't ... I can't ... Without her ... I'll die ... " Dr. Willow stood frozen . He'd seen this once before . The last time ... it was when Zoey found out the truth . He could still remember her bloodshot eyes , how all the love in them turned to hate in a single moment . She'd screamed- screamed until her voice was raw- " Maxwell ... I will never , ever love you again ! " 1/3 Chapter 15 +25 BONUS And just like now ... that day , Maxwell's eyes had gone hollow . Empty . Like a soulless doll . He'd stood there , whispering her name over and over . " Zoey ... Zoey ... " But she had already run . Run far , far away . Left him standing there alone . Just like now . Dr. Willow squeezed his eyes shut , torn . Should he say it ? Should he tell him ? Meanwhile , Nancy's messages kept coming , one after another , flooding his phone . [ Where is Maxwell ? ] [Why won't you let me see him ? ] [ What's going on ? ] What's But on the morning of the seventh day , something changed . Maxwell suddenly ... calmed . He ate breakfast . He slept at noon . He didn't talk to the urn like a madman anymore . It was like ... the old Maxwell was back . He sat on the sofa , scrolling through old pictures of Zoey on his phone , silent for a long time . Then , finally , he asked , " When ... did you find out ... that Zoey ... " The last two words refused to come out . His throat locked shut . Dr. Willow blinked , stunned . Then quietly answered , " Mr. Porter ... I told you .. the day after she passed . " Maxwell's fingers clenched so hard they went white . No ... that was impossible . He never received the news ... And then Dr. Willow's next words hit like a slap , snapping every last illusion . " Nancy ... she answered the phone that day . She told me ... not to tell you anything about Zoey ever again . Said you two were over . That it ... wasn't your concern anymore . " A sharp , stinging pain split through Maxwell's chest . } " Zoey was the most important person in my life ... " His voice cracked . " How ... how could I ever say something like that ? " Suddenly , it clicked . Nancy's strange expressions . Her evasiveness these past few days . Dr. Willow's face drained of color . He fell to his knees . " I ... I'm sorry . It's my fault ... I ....... " But none of that mattered anymore . Zoey was dead . Maxwell stared at his phone . The screen still showed her profile . Still lit up with messages . [ Maxwell , stop looking for me . We have nothing to do with each other anymore ] 2/3 Chapters +25 BONUS [ I have a new boyfriend now . There's nothing left between us . ] [ Don't look for me again ! ] A bitter laugh scraped from his throat . His lips curled up ... but there was nothing soft in that smile . It was all hatred and fury . ' How ... how did I never notice ... ' he wondered . Zoey never talked like this . Not ever . His hands tightened into fists . He hated his own blindness . Hated how he'd indulged Nancy for far too long . How dare she ? How dare she do something like this ? " Dr. Willow ... " His voice was cold now . Razor - sharp . " I'm going back . Take care of Zoey . Don't ... don't tell anyone what happened these days . If anyone asks , just say I went on a trip to clear my head . " Dr. Willow had followed Maxwell for years . He understood exactly what that meant . He nodded . " And ... Ms. Westbrook ? " Maxwell's eyes darkened as he stared at Zoey's Telegram profile . " Since she wants so badly to be Mrs. Porter , I'll give her the title . Whether she can hold onto it ... that's up to her . " 3/3