Chapter 1
**Title: My Obsessive, Tragic Love** Adelaide Stone stood before the door of Unit 2B at 72 West River Lane, confirming the address once more against the crumpled letter in her hand. The faded blue ink scribbles were unmistakable—it was the right place. This was the home of Benedict Hawthorne, a friend from high school, whom Lady Stone had pressed her to reconnect with. After years apart, she had steeled herself for this visit, determined to thank him for how he had once helped her mother. At twenty-seven, it was time to put away youthful grudges and behave like an adult. But as her hand hovered over the rusted doorbell, the door swung open abruptly. A middle-aged man staggered out, his white shirt thoroughly stained with sweat, the cuffs speckled with dirt, and the sneakers on his feet didn’t seem to match anything else he wore. From within, a slack voice floated out, “A celestial being cannot unravel the fate written at midnight. Life may path smooth or rough, but it’s all fate—just luck, just luck, destiny, oh, destiny…” The man ignored the noise from inside, glanced at Adelaide, and shook his head. “He’s not very good at reading fortunes.” Fortunes? When did Benedict start doing that? Adelaide blinked, taken aback. She managed a polite nod at the middle-aged man, offering a tight smile. She had a decent education and belonged to a world far removed from mysticism. “Close the door and take out the trash while you’re at it,” the voice from inside called again. The man looked at the trash bags piled carelessly in the hallway, frustration building in him as he delivered a swift kick to one, toppling it. Multicolored scraps poured out, making Adelaide’s skin crawl. Adelaide felt her determination waver. It had been years since she’d seen Benedict; she wasn’t sure what kind of person he had become. But her mother's admonition to bring the little charm, perhaps as a talisman for healing, echoed in her mind, pushing her forward. She remembered Benedict as a celebrated athlete, all energy and exuberance, bouncing around graduation in a sporty outfit, full of life. What was he doing now? Running a funeral parlor and dabbling in fortune-telling? Fear gripped her, a gnawing anxiety about confronting a man who, at twenty-seven, seemed to embody the essence of an aged sage rather than the classmate she once admired. Sometimes, the death of one dream could cause more anguish than the collapse of entire worlds.
Chapter 2
“Fortune-telling only takes one case a month. Come back next month.” Adelaide Stone was there, her head down, lost in thought, when she heard a voice coming from inside the small space. Startled, she looked up. The person before her was rough around the edges, sporting an unkempt beard and a slight limp in his left leg. He was barefoot, his toes gripping the floor tightly, accentuating the visible veins in the top of his foot. It was undeniably Benedict Hawthorne, known for his habit of going barefoot and the way he would clench the ground when nervous. Thank goodness, he was in casual sweats and not some wizened sage outfit she had absurdly imagined. Most importantly, that face was still as strikingly charming as ever. Adelaide thought—faded beauty. There seemed to be a rising trend for this kind of disheveled, brooding appearance among older men. “What are you doing here?” Benedict uttered as he recognized her, swiftly turning around and awkwardly making his way to the dining table where he dropped heavily into a chair. Adelaide stood frozen for a moment, then closed the metal door behind her and followed him inside. “My mom sent me. How’s your leg?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. The situation was better than she expected. They skipped the unnecessary pleasantries and social niceties. Benedict picked up a clear glass and took a sip of water before replying, “It's okay, doing alright.” “I go back to Stonemere every year.” Adelaide felt an odd need to share this with him. She knew his leg was still not great, not really up to par with other people's mobility. He had promised to attend the same college for their exams, but he had never made good on that promise. Since then, it felt like Benedict had been avoiding her, each time she reached out, he was never available or always had a ready excuse. Eventually, he changed his contact information altogether. “It’s nice to visit home sometimes,” he said quietly. “I came to find you.” Adelaide was angry and frustrated; how could a benefactor just vanish like that without a trace? Benedict paused for a few seconds, clearly lost in thought. He opened his mouth several times before finally speaking, “How are you and Isabelle Green doing?” Isabelle Green—the third in their trio, who had ended up at the same university as Adelaide and later joined The Healing House after graduation. “How could we be good? We grew up wearing the same goofy clothes,” Adelaide replied, exasperated. Back in high school, she had made it abundantly clear that a romantic relationship with Isabelle Green was out of the question. Only then did Benedict look at her with focus. She hadn’t changed much on the surface, still composed, though her speech now spilled out rapidly. “Are you married? Working at The Healing House, makes it easy to find someone,” he asked, curiosity lacing his tone. “Not married, and I don’t want to,” Adelaide snapped, her tone sharp. A closet introvert like him, marriage was hardly on her agenda. “I came to find you for a reason. My mom is in the hospital at The Healing House. When can you visit? She wants to see you.”
Chapter 3
“Is Lady Stone not well?” Benedict Hawthorne asked, his voice steady yet laced with concern. “She has a tumor and is undergoing chemotherapy,” Adelaide Stone replied, her tone dropping as she spoke. “And you? Have you really been all alone all these years?” “Yeah, I’ve gotten used to it,” he said with a hint of resignation. Benedict Hawthorne was one of the few outsiders in Stonemere, having grown up in the neighborhood after losing his parents in a car accident. They left him an old house. Back then, he was just a middle school kid living next door to the Stones. Lady Stone had taken pity on him, often sending over extra portions whenever she cooked. On rainy days, he would share a room with Adelaide. “I heard from my mom that you dropped out of college after your freshman year,” Adelaide said, a thousand questions swirling in her mind. In the eight years they had been apart, she wondered what had become of the once-promising boy genius. How had he ended up alone, shrouded in mystery like a funeral parlor where fortunes were told? “Yeah,” was all he offered. “I heard from Sister Margaret that business at your place, Benedict's Emporium, is average at best and that old blind man Willow next door often steals your customers.” Every bit of news about Benedict was something Adelaide had actively sought out over the years. “Yeah,” he repeated, a monotone reply as if he couldn’t care less about the chatter. It seemed like nothing could stir him. “Is this all you plan to do for the rest of your life?” she pressed. “Yeah,” he answered, sounding slightly annoyed. Adelaide could feel her frustration bubbling over. Raising her voice, she retorted, “Benedict Hawthorne, you have no heart.” Taken aback, he blinked a couple of times before responding, “I don’t have many skills. I made some money working odd jobs, opened Benedict's Emporium, and honestly, I’m content with that.” “And how do you expect to meet someone to marry?” she fired back, her tone sharper. He chuckled softly, self-deprecation evident in his voice. “What would a girl want with a guy like me? I have a leg problem and no proper job; most people wouldn't look twice.” “Do you like anyone?” Adelaide dared to ask, her heart thumping anxiously. “Yes,” he replied. Adelaide felt her heart sink. He had liked someone all along, but his leg condition made him think he was unworthy. The thought dimmed her joy, taking the wind out of their conversation. For ten long years, she had harbored a secret crush on Benedict. Her heart had been battered ever since he chose not to apply to the same high school. It felt as though he had betrayed her, carrying the weight of his love for someone else far away, lost in silence. --- When Adelaide left, she grabbed a bag of trash and tossed it in the dumpster. Only afterward did she realize she should have invited him for dinner. Still fuming, her emotions in turmoil, she pondered for a moment before dialing his number. To her surprise, when she asked him to join her for dinner, he flat-out refused. “I have three buns I bought this morning that I haven’t finished yet. No need to splurge on dinner.” That wasn’t about splurging; she hadn’t even suggested he pay. It felt genuinely cold of him. “Well, fine. Come visit my mom at the Healing House the day after tomorrow and let me know if you’re coming.” “Sure,” he replied, and when the call ended, he hopped on one foot to the window, catching a glimpse of Adelaide lingering by the dumpster, lost in thought.
Chapter 4
Adelaide Stone couldn't help but wonder what he had done to upset Benedict Hawthorne. They had been close friends back in high school, but ever since Benedict had injured his leg, his personality had changed. Was it possible that Benedict hated him now? In a way, it made sense. If it weren't for that injury, Benedict's life would likely have taken a smoother path. To Adelaide, Benedict still looked the same as always – his handsome face continued to stir feelings in Adelaide that he couldn't quite shake off. But on the flip side, Adelaide felt guilty. He had treated Benedict like a bro while secretly nurturing ambitions that were far from brotherly. Sometimes, Adelaide felt a twinge of disgust toward himself. After all, Benedict had been the one who saved his mother’s life and was his best friend from their school days. Adelaide could no longer pinpoint the exact moment he realized he had feelings for Benedict. By the time it became clear to him, his mind was already embroiled in troubling fantasies driven by raw instinct. Adelaide excelled at hiding his desires. Throughout their three years in high school, he not only masked his feelings but even made a point to get closer to Isabelle Green, creating the impression to everyone at Stonemere Academy, including Benedict, that he had a crush on her. Back then, the three of them would stroll together, and while everyone would tease Adelaide and Isabelle as a couple, Benedict would wrinkle his brow in disdain as if he found such gossip trivial and tiresome. For a while, Adelaide even speculated that maybe Benedict had feelings for Isabelle himself. So, when Isabelle had discreetly shown interest in him, Adelaide rushed to tell Benedict, feigning nonchalance as he asked for advice. Benedict's response was blunt: If you like her, go for it; if not, don’t keep her hanging. After that, Adelaide intentionally kept his distance from Isabelle. As fate would have it, they ended up at the same college. On that particular night, Adelaide shouldn’t have been on call. Yet, due to a patient under his care whose surgical wound was seeping blood, he returned to The Healing House to handle the situation. While there, he found himself staring at the photo of him and Benedict in his desk drawer for almost half an hour. He looked at the picture and felt a deep-seated happiness, especially since he had just seen Benedict that day. Everything seemed to be pointing toward a brighter future, including his mother’s successful surgery which meant she had more time left in this world. Suddenly, voices from the interns gathered in the hallway snapped him back to reality, and he hurriedly shoved the photo into his pocket. “Doctor Flint, still here?” one of the interns asked politely, surprised to see him still at the office.
Chapter 5
“Is Old Man Willow on duty tonight? Can you ask him to keep a closer eye on bed six? Thanks!” Adelaide Stone said as she stood up and made her way to the locker room. Just after stepping out of the office, she heard one of the interns mumbling to their supervisor, “Doctor Flint is so handsome and still single. Come on, Isabelle, go for it!” “It's not gonna happen! Doctor Flint has no interest in that kind of thing, haha!” The intern chuckled. But the truth was, Adelaide Stone wasn’t without her worldly desires; she just had a few secrets that were a little hard to face. Adelaide had been dreaming—vividly. She envisioned Benedict Hawthorne bathing in his Lavender Bath, the translucent glass fogged up, blurring the contours of his body. It was this hazy beauty that ignited her imagination. Then the door swung open. Benedict appeared, wearing simple Aldric underwear, the dark navy soaked and clinging to him, vividly accentuating every feature. His hair dripped water that splashed onto the floor, his toes, and stirred restlessly in Adelaide's heart. In her dream, Benedict was uninjured; he walked over to Adelaide’s single bed, perching on the edge, waiting for her to register what was happening. It hit her when she realized he had taken off his underwear, his hair now dry, and was rolling into bed beside her. The metal bedframe creaked under the weight of two sturdy young adults, struggling to hold firm amidst their wild movements. Benedict was surprisingly rough—something Adelaide had never associated with him. Yet, this raw energy felt tinged with tenderness, a sort of ruggedness that was exhilarating. Adelaide was jolted awake by the alarm, disappointment flooding her when she recognized the passionate affair was nothing but a dream. But when she turned over, pulled back the covers, and glanced at the sheets, it hit her. She had been holding back for too long. That dream felt so real it made her blush—proving her thoughts about Benedict were far more unconventional than she’d like to admit. But then again, at twenty-seven, was it so strange to have desires? Benedict Hawthorne was indeed desire incarnate. Like an everlasting flicker of flame, he promised to light up the shadows of life, offering just a glimmer of hope. Adelaide didn’t have time to linger on her thoughts; after tidying up, she headed to The Healing House. While changing shifts, she got lost in her daydreams and the director caught her daydreaming, commenting on her distracted mind. During lunch break, she visited her mother on the fourth floor. Barely seated and exchanging pleasantries, Ella suddenly asked, “When are you bringing Benedict to see me?” Hearing that took Adelaide by surprise. It had been years since Benedict had been in touch, so why was her mom suddenly so interested in him? “Didn’t you say he was heartless before? Now you want to see him?” Adelaide questioned, confusion coloring her tone. “Heartless or not, he’s still the one who saved my life,” Ella sighed after a brief pause. “Honestly, I feel bad for Young Zhang. At his age, to have suffered such an injury must’ve damaged his spirit. I should’ve paid more attention to him back then, especially when all I focused on was your college applications.”
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