Neal just came back home from work when he found his mother greet him at the door, instead of Beth as usual. Her lips were smiling, but her face looked crying, her eyes were red. Instantly, his heart stopped beating. Seeing her feature, he sensed something bad must have been happening.

"Mom?" said Neal. "Where's Beth?"

Sarah tried to be strong, but seeing her young son's complexion, she felt sorry for him... She couldn't help to let go of her tears when telling him the heartbreaking news.

"Beth got pregnancy complication, she's in the hospital," said Neal's mother. Tearfully, she described what just happened less than an hour ago.

Neal hurriedly went to the hospital to see his wife. His heart crushed seeing her lie on the hospital bed with a face looked so pale and tired. Beth usually was always energetic and full of life. Seeing her husband coming, Beth smiled and tried to sit to greet him. He hurriedly came to hug her.

"Don't sit," he said worriedly.

"You must be tired. It's so late and you need to come to visit me in the hospital. Did you eat?" asked Beth.

"Oh, Darling," Neal was speechless hearing what she said. Her total selflessness cut his heart into pieces.

"I want to go home, now," she requested.

Her husband had a lengthy talk with the doctor and took her home. Lovingly he carried her to their bed. It reminded her of their honeymoon scene all over again. She put her head on his chest, closed her eyes remembering those happy times. She felt happy and secure in his arms. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her heart thinking of the current reality they are facing. She wanted to cry but she suppressed it, she's afraid her tears would make the man she loved worried even more. Instead, she looked at him gently and gave him a loving smile.

From then on, Beth had a total bed rest. But, alas, day by day her situation didn't improve. She had to have caesarean.

The news came like a bombshell to the young couple. Forever brave, in front of her husband, Beth kept showing a positive attitude. Behind his back, however, she prepared for the worst. She secretly prepared the servants with instructions on how to take care of her husband should she not make it. Neal didn't know that until one night a crying servant told him about it. The servants all loved Beth. It broke their hearts to see what their young master and mistress needed to go trough. Their happiness shone brightly in the house and they couldn't help to be really sad.

"Beth, the servants told me about the preparation you did for me," said Neal.

"True, now it's your turn, sweetheart. If anything happened to me, promise me if you met someone you wanted to marry in the future, you'd marry her. Don't let me be on your way," she said suddenly.

"Why did you say this kind of thing? I refuse to promise anything. You'll get trough this. You are going to make babies, we will live happily and get old together," he answered with a fake happy smile on his face.

"I want you to promise me. Please..., otherwise I can't be peaceful. I love you. Because of that, I really want you to promise me," she said.

He hugged her and said, "Please be positive."

"I am, but, just in case. Dear, please. This is very important to me. Look how young and handsome my beloved husband is. You have a long road in front of you, my love. I don't want you to be alone for the rest of your life. Don't let me be on your way. Promise me, and my heart will be forever smiling."

"Fine, I promise. Look at you, even at this time you still think about me rather than yourself. I love you, Beth." He started tearing up.

He couldn't imagine life without his best companion. She's his best friend. Her love made him live and have the courage to grab the world.

"Thank you for being such a wonderful husband. You have given me so much happiness more than I could have imagined," she said with a tender smile.

Neal was very sad to hear what seemed to be like her saying goodbye. Tears coursed down his face, endlessly.

"I love you, Beth. Being with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You exceed all that I had ever expected from a woman." He hugged her tearfully. "But, you will make this. I am sure you will. We will have many children and watch them grow up together..."

-0-0-0

Unfortunately, the worst thing happened. Beth and the stillborn baby died the following day. The news took everyone by surprise. In the funeral, many members of family and friends came with teary eyes. Albert was extremely sad too. He was tough to Neal in the past, but he never regarded him as his enemy. He genuinely sympathized to him from the bottom of his heart. Neal's mother couldn't be sadder. She spent so much effort to select the best possible wife candidates for her son. She never thought that such tragedy could happen. True, she prioritize status and wealth in selecting her son's potential lover, but her main goal was always her son's happiness.

In the funeral, the broken husband tried to look strong and not to shed a tear until the end of the ceremony where he refused to go and stayed there to have a private moment. Seeing him from the far, Candy felt devastated with the tragedy that befell him. Accompanied by Carl, she waited until everyone left. She then asked Carl to leave first and she came to approach Neal. From the four fast friends, one was gone and only three left.

"Neal...," said Candy.

"Oh Candy," Neal hugged her and started to cry. They stood silently that way until he stopped crying.

She took his hand to sit. Both sat in silence until it got dark and Candy took him home.

They never met anymore. One day she received a letter from him thanking her for the support she gave at that day and that he had left for Europe. He would work there for the time being in his father's business.

Overnight, Candy and Carl lost two of their best friends. They were sad for the pair and really missed them and their laughter. The memory of the four of them had fun together in the past was still vivid in their mind. It's a nightmare and seemed so not real that it's gone for good.

-To Be Continued-

Thanks for reading.