Edgar's parents were long gone.

A faded old newspaper headline still preserved the details of their tragic deaths: "Heiress Suffers Mental Breakdown: Fatally Stabs Husband Over 100 Times, End Own Life, Leaves Only Son Behind."

He was that only son, who was then taken in by the Yale family out of kindness.

Jessica was a few years his senior. Perhaps moved by his plight, she'd showered him with utmost care. Anything Edgar wanted, she would find a way to give him, even if it were the stars in the sky.

And she had, quite literally, given him a star.

The trauma of losing his parents had left Edgar scarred, and he constantly sought reassurance and safety. Thus, one quiet night, Jessica had led him up to the rooftop.

Pointing to the brightest star in the sky, she smiled and said, "Edgar, see that star? I've bought it for you."

She'd handed him the star's ownership certificate, tapping the tip of his nose playfully. "From now on, that star is yours. When I'm not around, it'll always watch over you for me."

Edgar walked to the window now and pulled back the curtains to search the night sky for his star. However, the sky was covered in thick clouds, and his star was nowhere to be seen.

The next morning, Harry Torres, the person in charge of the cryonics research team, called. "Mr. Lawrie, we need you to come in for a physical examination."

Edgar smiled wryly. "Is that really necessary?"

He was dying, after all. No number of tests would change that.

"The examination is to determine the best freezing method and timing for your body," Harry explained. "It's to maximize your chances of survival. Please cooperate."

With no reason to refuse, Edgar drove to the cryonics lab.

…

After a long day of tests, it was finally over. Before leaving, Harry handed him a thick stack of documents.

"These include options for the design and storage of your cryonic capsule," he explained. "You may have a look and let us know your preferences."

Edgar nodded, thanked him softly, and headed home with the documents in hand. When he entered the house, he noticed the lights in the living room were on. His heart skipped a beat at the thought that Jessica was back.

Even after her harsh treatment, his heart still ached for her.

Steeling himself, Edgar quickened his pace into the living room. But instead of Jessica, he was greeted by Cooper lounging on the couch in a half-open bathrobe.

"Edgar, you're back!" Cooper approached warmly and said, "Have you eaten? Jess is in the kitchen cooking. Tell me what you'd like for dinner, and I'll let her know."

He behaved as if he was the master of the house.

A bitter ache welled up in Edgar's chest. He shook his head and was about to say that he wasn't hungry when Jessica came out of the kitchen carrying a dish.

"You're just in time," she said briskly. "Cooper and I are engaged. Starting today, he's the head of this household. All decisions, big or small, will be made by him."

Edgar looked down and mumbled, "Got it."

Jessica had expected resistance, and his calm acceptance surprised her.

"Don't be so serious, Jess. You're scaring him," Cooper remarked with a grin. "Come on, Edgar, let's eat. Don't mind her."

He then grabbed Edgar's arm and pulled him toward the dining room. The sudden movement caused the stack of documents Edgar was holding to scatter across the floor.

Jessica frowned and bent down to pick up one of the pages. It was a cryonics capsule design. Her voice turned icy as she demanded, "What's this?"

Although Edgar's heart raced, he kept a composed exterior and explained, "It's a design for a cryonics capsule. My professor assigned us a project to design something over the summer. I wanted to create a crystal casket to preserve bodies, so I printed out some reference materials."

It wasn't entirely implausible. After all, he was a freshman majoring in design.

However, Jessica's expression remained stormy. "Edgar, are you out of your mind?"

Jessica had been the one to arrange Edgar's parents' burial.

On the day of the funeral, Edgar had locked himself in a wardrobe again. When Jessica found him there, she hadn't forced him to come out. Instead, she'd opened the door and climbed inside to sit beside him.

"Jess, is a coffin as dark and cold as this?" Edgar had asked her with red-rimmed eyes. "I dreamed of Mom. She told me to join her in her coffin because she's scared and cold all alone…"

"That was just a dream," Jessica had said gently. "Don't be afraid. You're not going anywhere. I won't let anyone take you away from me."

Edgar had wrapped his arms around her neck and whispered in her ear, "As long as you're with me, even being locked in a coffin wouldn't scare me."

…

It seemed Jessica still remembered that moment vividly, which was why she must have misunderstood. She thought Edgar was using an excuse for another veiled confession of his feelings for her.

"If you don't like it, I'll change my design topic," Edgar said softly. "It's just an assignment. Please don't be upset, Jess."

While Jessica was still angry, Cooper hurriedly chimed in with a conciliatory smile. "Yeah, you should change it to something else. Coffins are so morbid. Young people like you should think positively and be a bit more cheerful."

Edgar gathered the scattered documents from the floor. Then, he threw them all into the trash in front of Jessica. Only then did her tense expression ease slightly.

That night, when everyone was asleep, Edgar got up and tiptoed to the trash can to retrieve the discarded documents.

As he returned to his room, he bumped into Cooper, who was emerging from Jessica's room.

Cooper was wearing a loosely tied robe, exposing his body that was marked with traces of intimacy, including red scratches and faint bruises.

One didn't need to guess what had transpired in that room.

Edgar forced himself to look away while repeating in his mind, "Don't look. Don't think about it. He's Jessica's fiancé. Whatever they do, it's normal."

Jessica loved him. If Cooper was able to give her the happiness she deserved, that was all that mattered.

"Edgar, why can't you look me in the eye?" Cooper's tone was full of mockery, which was a stark contrast to his friendliness from earlier. "Even now, you can't accept the fact that Jessica loves me and not you?"

Edgar lowered his gaze and responded, "No. I've already accepted it."

"Drop your act." Cooper sneered disdainfully. "You think I don't see the way you look at Jessica? It's not normal. She raised you. She's like a mother to you. Edgar, are you some kind of sick pervert?"

Edgar said nothing.

Was he… really twisted?

That explained why Jessica had grown so disgusted with him after learning of his feelings. To everyone else, his love must have seemed revolting.

"I heard you became an orphan because your mother lost her mind and stabbed your father over 100 times in his sleep. She hacked him to death," Cooper continued, his tone deliberately provoking. "No wonder you're such a freak. It runs in the family. Your mother was deranged, and so are you."

Edgar could endure Cooper's insults about himself but not about his late parents.

"Shut up!" he roared as he lunged forward and grabbed Cooper by the throat. "You don't know the full story! You have no right—"

Before he could finish, a furious voice yelled, "Edgar, what the hell are you doing?"

Jessica stood in the doorway, glaring at Edgar, looking livid.

Cooper explained, "Jessica, don't blame Edgar. It's my fault.

"I thought it was so late that Edgar would already be asleep, so I didn't bother to put on a shirt. But as soon as I opened the door, I ran into him. He saw the marks on me and started calling me shameless. He said someone like me doesn't deserve to be with you."

Just like that, Cooper painted Edgar as a twisted man who lurked outside Jessica's door late at night, eavesdropping out of jealousy and violently attacking her fiancé.

"He's lying! I didn't say any of that!" Edgar's eyes turned red at the corners as he protested. "He deliberately provoked me by bringing up my parents and… and calling my mom deranged!"

When Edgar was in elementary school, his classmates had bullied him because of his mother's story. They'd formed a circle around him, throwing trash at him while chanting, "Crazy kid with a crazy mom."

Jessica had been the one to step in and resolve the situation.

Surely, she knew he wouldn't lie about something like this, as that incident had traumatized him.

"Edgar, what are you talking about?" Cooper put on a confused expression. "What happened to your parents? All I know is that they passed away when you were very young. I don't know anything else."

Jessica gently comforted Cooper before turning to Edgar with a stern look. Disappointment was written across her face as she said, "Edgar, I never expected you to stoop so low just to slander Cooper! He knows nothing about your past. I never told him about it."

"He could've looked it up online," Edgar retorted, still upset. "It was all over the internet—"

"Enough!" Jessica cut him off sharply. "Do you think everyone is as malicious and petty as you? Always twisting the truth to stir up trouble?"

Edgar froze.

Malicious. Petty. Twisting the truth.

So this was how Jessica saw him.

At that moment, any words of defense felt meaningless.

"Apologize to Cooper immediately," Jessica commanded coldly.

Edgar stayed quiet. He refused to apologize because he did nothing wrong. Cooper was the one who should apologize!

"Looks like I've spoiled you for too long," Jessica added. "But not anymore. From today onward, you're not allowed to leave your room. Stay inside and reflect on your actions. When you've thought it through and are ready to apologize, you can come out."

For as long as Edgar could remember, Jessica had always been the one to defend him. But this time, she had chosen to defend another man.

Back in his room, Edgar curled up on his bed. Even so, he felt freezing cold.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a message from Harry.

"Mr. Lawrie, your physical examination results are out. Based on our research, your optimal cryopreservation window is between December 7 and 21. Please select a date at your convenience."

December was the next month.

Edgar's chest ached at the thought. He stared into the darkness for a long time before his trembling hands finally typed out his chosen date—December 12.

Not only was December 12 his birthday, but it was also Jessica and Cooper's wedding day.

There was no need for him to attend their wedding since Jessica was already fed up with him. His presence would only ruin their day.

Thus, Edgar decided he would leave quietly without bothering anyone.