Chapter 88

When John woke up in the morning, he was overwhelmed by a heavy sensation in his head, almost to the point of feeling nauseous. In an attempt to alleviate his discomfort, he reached under his pillow to retrieve his phone and check the time. To his surprise, it was almost 12 noon, signaling that he had slept in quite late.

As he made his way out of his bedroom and descended the stairs, John noticed that the house was eerily quiet. It dawned on him that he was the only one home at that moment. Upon entering the kitchen, he discovered a note left on the counter, penned by his Aunt Emma.

The note explained that she had already prepared a meal for him and had gone to attend Mr. Gonzales’ funeral to offer her condolences. Aunt Emma acknowledged that she hadn’t woken him up, aware of how tired he must have been. She reassured him that it would be difficult to make it to the funeral, suggesting he eat well and find solace in taking care of himself.

The words "eat up a