Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I posted a photo of me and my boyfriend on Instagram. The moment his first love saw it, she jumped from a second-floor balcony, shattering both her legs.

When Devon found out, he blamed me for destroying her life.

A torrential downpour battered the streets. Devon dragged me through the freezing gale while I coughed uncontrollably.

Shivering and gasping for air, my strength gave out and I collapsed onto the pavement. Devon looked down at me with a savage grin.

"Hurts like hell, doesn't it?" he sneered.

"You made Rosie cry her eyes out every single day. She will never walk again because of you! Dying a thousand brutal deaths would not even begin to pay for what you did!"

He got his wish.

When he violently yanked me off the ground, my head smashed into the sharp metal corner of a roadside billboard.

I actually died.

...

On that desolate, empty road, the world spun violently before my eyes opened. I watched in shock as my soul slowly drifted away from my cold body.

Devon was still trying to yank me up from the concrete. When I remained limp, he began dragging me across the rough asphalt.

I never imagined his hatred for me ran so deep. For the sake of his first love, he tortured me to death without even realizing it.

Floating in the air, my heart shattered at the sight.

Devon grew exhausted from dragging my dead weight and kicked me hard in the ribs.

"Get up! Stop trying to play lazy!"

Blood dripped from my forehead, streaming across my pale skin before the relentless rain washed it away.

Devon still had no idea I had died the second my skull collided with that billboard.

Seeing no reaction, he kicked me again and grabbed my collar to pull me upright.

His eyes burned with furious disgust.

"Do not think playing dead will get you off the hook. You brought this on yourself!"

"If you had not insisted on posting our picture, Rosie would not have been driven to jump! Her paralysis is all your fault!"

Listening to his furious accusations, a sharp ache tore through my phantom chest.

Just three days ago, before Rosie jumped, Devon had taken me home to meet his parents. He had promised to marry me.

In just seventy-two hours, everything had turned to dust.

My corpse lay flat on the cold road, glassy eyes staring blankly ahead, lips completely drained of color.

Devon crouched down and glared at my lifeless face.

"Why are you glaring at me? Do you honestly think you are the victim here?"

He grabbed my jaw with brutal force, squeezing tight.

"Talk to me! Stop playing dumb!"

I could not answer him. If I could, I would scream that I was already dead.

Could he please just leave my corpse alone?

"You had the energy to glare at me, but you could not find the decency to apologize to Rosie? You ruined her life. She is stuck in a wheelchair forever, so who the hell gave you the right to feel wronged?"

He screamed at the top of his lungs. He did not even notice that my eyes never blinked.

Still unsatisfied, he raised his hand to slap my lifeless face. Just as his palm hung in the air, his phone rang urgently from his pocket.

It was Rosie.

Her choked sobs echoed through the speaker.

"Devon... my legs hurt so bad. Can you please come back and help me? I am so scared to be alone here!"

Panic instantly wiped the rage from Devon's face. He sprang to his feet and sprinted toward his car.

"Rosie, hold on! Do not be scared, I am coming right back!"

The rain poured endlessly from the dark sky. My corpse lay motionless on the asphalt, soaked by the freezing storm.

I wanted so badly to scream at him to stay and give my body some dignity. At least do not leave me rotting like trash in the gutter.

But he could not hear me, nor did he look back even once.

Hovering in the air, a bitter, miserable smile broke across my face.

Devon, you really hated me this much.