The Entomologist's Perfect Crime Chapter 5

My wife and I put on our harnesses and equipment, boarding the plane with the instructor and leaving the ground.

The plane ascended to about 4,000 meters and stopped climbing.

This was the highest altitude we'd ever reached for skydiving.

My wife suggested I jump first. I refused.

The instructor laughed:

"Lily, don't make it hard on Professor Dorn. How many times have you two jumped together, and hasn't he always hesitated until the end?"

My wife lightly punched my chest:

"You've done this so many times and you're still scared."

"How about this—today we'll jump together, the instructor too."

I shifted my legs backward slightly, held by my wife and the instructor on either arm.

The instructor reminded us: "Check your equipment carefully."

My wife patted her chest: "Old pro here, I know the rules. I'll count to three and we'll jump."

"1."

"2."

"3."

"Jump!"

As soon as my wife finished speaking, we jumped from the cabin together.

Instantly, I felt intense wind resistance and weightlessness, while also overlooking the earth and admiring the magnificent scenery.

About 1,500 meters from the ground, the instructor opened his parachute.

My wife also pulled her ripcord.

I routinely opened my parachute as well.

The moment the parachute opened, I thought I saw my wife's stunned expression.

But I wasn't sure—the speed was too fast to see clearly.

Both the instructor and I had opened our parachutes, and our descent slowed considerably.

But my wife continued plummeting.

At first, I thought my wife wanted to open her parachute at around 1,000 meters.

But as she neared the ground, my wife's parachute still hadn't opened.

I immediately shouted anxiously:

"Lily! Open your parachute!!"

However, she'd already passed the point where delay was possible.

Now I could only hope the reserve chute would activate.

But the reserve chute didn't open.

I watched my wife fall before my eyes in free fall from 4,000 meters.

The massive impact caused my wife to disintegrate instantly upon hitting the ground.

At that moment, my chest felt crushed by a huge stone.

The world shattered and darkened, my heart suffering the dull pain of being pounded by a heavy hammer, again and again.

All that remained was a scene of crimson—

My wife was dead.