Chapter 1

Three years after I withered away, my husband finally remembered me.

It was all because his childhood sweetheart, Lorelei, had a relapse of her chronic hemorrhaging. She desperately needed my blood to stay alive.

He went to the old house where I used to live, intending to force me to donate for her again.

But the house was cold, silent, and empty.

He stopped an old woman living next door to ask about me.

The old woman sighed. "Are you talking about Sera? She's been gone for a long time! I heard that while she was sick, someone forced her to give blood. She died just a few days after she got back."

Caden's face filled with suspicion. He was convinced the old woman was conspiring with me to trick him.

With a look of pure impatience, he snapped at her. "If you see her, tell her this. If she doesn't show up within three days, I won't pay a single cent for that bastard child's medical bills."

Seeing how stubborn he was, the old woman shook her head and walked away. She muttered under her breath, "That poor child... she starved to death a long time ago."

1

It has been three years since I died. My daughter and I are still just lingering spirits.

Our obsession was too deep, making it impossible to move on to the next life.

My husband, Caden, had transformed from a penniless student into the most powerful Senate Majority Leader in the country.

I had supposedly "betrayed" him when he was at his lowest point.

Because of that, he hated me.

He hated me enough to want to tear me into a thousand pieces.

Three years ago, he forced me to give a blood transfusion to Lorelei.

The procedure was brutal and damaging to my weak body.

Maybe the doctor made a mistake, or maybe I was just too frail from my own illness.

A week after the transfusion, my body gave out. I fell into a high fever and died alone in that house.

My four-year-old daughter, Joy, had no one to care for her. Eventually, she followed me into the afterlife.

In these three years, Caden never set foot in this place. He never even sent a single message.

Now, I was holding Joy's tiny hand, floating in the air. We watched as Caden kicked the front door of our old cottage over and over.

He had changed a lot in three years. His eyes were cold, hard, and filled with a terrifying resolve.

He looked so familiar, yet like a complete stranger.

Lorelei stood behind him, looking pale and fragile like a wilting willow. Despite her supposed illness, she was dressed in expensive, flashy clothes.

The loud "thud, thud" of his boots against the door terrified Joy. she hid in my arms, trembling.

She looked up at me, her bright eyes filled with a mix of hope and fear.

"Mommy, did Daddy finally remember us? He hasn't visited in so, so long."

"But he looks so angry. Did I do something to make him unhappy?"

"And who is that lady standing over there?"

I stroked her hair, my heart feeling like it was being shredded by a dull blade. My throat felt tight, and I couldn't say a single word.

"Sera! Get out here right now! Stop playing dead inside!"

Caden roared at the empty house.

The noise drew out Mrs. Miller, who lived in the neighboring yard.

Mrs. Miller stepped out and looked at Caden. "Sir, who are you looking for? No one has lived here for years."

Caden straightened his suit and asked, "Doesn't Sera live here? Where did she move to?"

Mrs. Miller's eyes dimmed. She sighed heavily. "You mean Sera? She passed away three years ago."

Caden froze for a split second.

Mrs. Miller continued, "I heard someone dragged her off to give blood while she was sick. She died a few days after she came back. What a tragedy."

Lorelei's expression shifted instantly. She looked hurt and began to defend herself. "Ma'am, please don't say such things. Giving blood is an act of charity. It doesn't kill people."

"If she didn't want to help me, she could have just said so. She shouldn't curse herself like this. It's bad luck."

She spoke loudly, as if she expected me to be eavesdropping from behind the door.

Caden, who had been dazed, snapped back to reality. A mocking smile spread across his face. "She spends her whole life acting. She should at least make her lies believable. Tell her to look up if anyone has ever died from a simple blood draw."

Mrs. Miller didn't understand what they were arguing about. She simply repeated, "That poor girl... she was dead for days before anyone found her."

Caden's face turned as cold as frost. He looked at Mrs. Miller and said, "I don't know why you're helping her lie to me. But please, tell her she has three days."

"If she doesn't show up to help Lorelei, she can forget about the money for her brat's medicine. I won't give her a dime."

Mrs. Miller's jaw dropped. She shook her head in disbelief and turned to go back into her house.

Caden called out one last cold warning. "Remember! Three days! If she stays hidden, she can watch that little brat die right in front of her."

Mrs. Miller's eyes welled with tears as she walked away. She whispered to herself, "That poor child... she starved to death. If only I had checked on them sooner, maybe I could have saved her."