My boyfriend is a lauded attorney. His true love rams into me with her car; my daughter stands bravely before me as the car explodes. She's blown to smithereens.

I'm on the brink of death as I'm carried onto a stretcher, but my boyfriend holds his true love's face tenderly. His gaze is filled with heartache as he tells her that he'll get her off scot-free.

He ruins the scene of the accident and buys off the witnesses. He even comes to the hospital to threaten me after I've been disfigured from the explosion. In the end, I die after the treatment doesn't help.

It's only when the court announces the sentence that he realizes the deceased's personal details match mine perfectly.

I was drifting in the air, stunned. I watched as the heart monitor beside me flatlined, its beeping alarm ringing through the room.

The person in the hospital bed was barely recognizable—severely burned, completely wrapped in thick bandages, with no way to tell their gender.

The patient chart at the foot of the bed was the only clue to their identity.

But Quentin Scofield couldn't care less about that. All he cared about was finding a way to clear his beloved Taylor Cross of any charges.

"Quent, you came…" The nurse, Anya Cross, guided Quentin into the ward, but her words trailed off when she saw my body, still and lifeless.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen death before, but it was only natural to feel a little stunned when her lifelong dream finally came true.

"The victim's dead?" Quentin was surprised, but then a look of excitement flashed in his eyes. "That's great! No witnesses mean I can make the case that Tay's not responsible!"

I floated in the air, eyes locked on Quentin, who was grinning ear to ear.

This was the guy I'd been with for five years.

…

When the accident happened, Taylor's car crashed into mine, flipping it over. I got stuck behind the wheel and couldn't move.

But Taylor was fine. She parked her car a safe distance away from the scene, called Quentin, and broke down, telling him she'd accidentally hit someone.

Quentin rushed to the scene and immediately pulled Taylor into a tight hug.

I watched from afar as they embraced, hearing Quentin softly telling her not to worry. His voice was full of warmth and care.

Blood was dripping down my forehead, and I felt like I couldn't move. But somehow, I managed to grab my phone and call 911.

The operator told me help was on the way and urged me to hang in there.

But even if I could hold on, there was no way Ruby Scofield, my daughter, could! She was in way worse shape than I was.

"Quentin! Help me! Help me!" I shouted as loud as I could to Quentin, who was far off, through the cracked car window.

I meant to shout, but only a whisper came out.

Quentin seemed to sense something and hesitated. But Taylor was quick. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried bitterly into his ear. Then, she shot me a look and grinned triumphantly.

The broken car parts cut into my arm. I pushed through the pain and ignored the looming threat of an explosion as I dialed Quentin.

But he fired back, "What's all the drama for? Tay's the one in an accident! She needs me!"

I did my best to calm Ruby beside me, all while desperately begging Quentin, my voice barely there.

"Quentin, Ruby and I were in an accident, too. She's losing a lot of blood. I don't think she'll make it until the ambulance gets here. Please, you have to help us!"

I was shocked when Quentin blew up like I'd crossed some unforgivable line.

"Sharon Eastlake! What's your problem? You're fine every other day, but the minute Tay gets into an accident, you suddenly have one, too?

"You're just jealous of Tay! If you're sick, get treatment. If you can't be cured, then just die!"

All it took was a quick turn of his head to see the flipped car, with Ruby and me trapped inside, bleeding out. But there he was, standing outside the car, hanging up on me.

Quentin gently cleaned Taylor's face. When no one was watching, he strolled over to my car and erased any sign of Taylor's speeding.

"Hey, stay with me! The ambulance is coming!" A courageous stranger ran over to my overturned car, checking on me and doing everything he could to keep me conscious.

My boyfriend was looking after another woman, while a random stranger was the one telling me to hold on.

"There's a fuel leak. The car's going to blow! Everyone, get back!" Quentin yelled, rushing to get the crowd out of the way. Then, without wasting any time, he carried Taylor and took off.

The shockwave from the explosion came rushing at me, and without thinking, Ruby threw herself before me. And just like that, my little Ruby took her last breath in my arms.

Meanwhile, I was badly burned and finally dragged to the hospital by ambulance, which took forever to show up.

I kept wondering what I had done to deserve such suffering. Now that I had finally escaped all the agony, I still had to watch Quentin tear me down as a mentally unstable drunk driver, even in death.

He stood before my body, looking unusually relaxed for someone always so serious. "Tay won't have to worry anymore now. I'll have more chances in court to fight for what's right for her."

Quentin threw aside the papers he'd planned to use against me, his gaze hardening with hostility. "You've caused Tay enough trouble. I'm not letting you off the hook, even if you're dead!"

He planned to put all the blame for the accident on me.

But it was Taylor who messed with my car. She sabotaged the brakes and mixed psychoactive drugs and alcohol into my sleep tonic, planning to take me out in a crash.

Quentin seemed to recall something and turned to Anya beside him. "I heard they found a child's body at the accident site. Is that true?"

After Anya confirmed it, his eyes lit up with satisfaction. He wore that confident, courtroom swagger like he already had the victory in the bag.

"That makes it even easier. She's probably some immoral woman who had a kid out of wedlock. She put the kid in the front seat and drove drunk without caring about the kid's safety. That just added another charge to her," he said.

But it was Quentin who begged me to have Ruby. The child he insisted I bring into the world was sitting in the front seat just to make sure the birthday cake didn't tip over.

She was our Ruby—desperately seeking his approval and hoping for happiness for both of us.

Ruby always cared about her appearance and was afraid of pain, but she shielded me from the explosion without hesitation. After suffering unimaginable pain, she died in my arms, her face unrecognizable.

Now, Ruby had become another excuse for Quentin to slander me.

"What was the name of the person who died again?" Quentin asked. "I need to look her up and see if she has any criminal history!"

Anya freaked out for a second, but Quentin was too caught up in his vengeful frenzy to even notice.

"Quent, she's dead, so there's no reason to waste your time on her. Tay's waiting for you!"

Yeah, I had died in agony. I overdosed on the drugs Anya had given me on purpose. Of course, she didn't have the nerve to tell Quentin who I really was.

After all, as long as I was here, I'd always get in the way of Quentin and Taylor's relationship—especially with Ruby in the picture.

Quentin thought for a moment and realized Anya was right. "You're right. With the evidence we have and no one to back up her side, it's enough to ruin her and leave her with no way to clear her name!"

He pulled out his phone and saw there were no messages on WhatsApp. A thought crossed his mind, and he felt like something was off.

"Anya, did Sharon stop by your hospital today?" Quentin asked.

Anya got nervous but quickly pulled herself together. "Why would Sharon come to the hospital when she's perfectly fine? And if she did, you'd be the first to know."

Everyone knew how much I depended on Quentin.

Quentin sighed, nodding like he was on the same page as her. "That woman's nuts! She called me earlier, saying she had a car accident, too! Like, seriously? Couldn't she come up with something more believable?

"Tay just had an accident, and she's claiming the same thing right after! And now she's giving me the cold shoulder and hasn't texted me in days. Does she think I'm just going to cave?"

His voice dripped with disgust, like he was talking about a sworn enemy.

But I'd been gone for a while by then. His precious Taylor was the one who'd ended me.

I wasn't giving him the cold shoulder or trying to make him cave. He'd never hear from me again or have a daughter named Ruby.

My soul followed Quentin back home. The home I'd put so much effort into decorating was now full of signs of Taylor.

"Quent!" The moment Taylor saw Quentin walk in, she jumped into his arms.

He softly stroked Taylor's head and didn't push her away, letting her tighten her hold.

Meanwhile, even if I just tried to be a little cute with the way I talked, Quentin would always call me out. "You're all grown up, yet you still act so childish."

Now, he smiled warmly, his voice full of affection. "You're all grown up, yet you still act like a kid."

He said the same thing, but it wasn't me he was doting on.

Taylor hugged him even tighter. Her voice had the perfect blend of annoyance and hesitation.

"Why can't I? I don't get much time with you, and if Sharon comes back, she'll call me out for being shameless again!"

I fought with Quentin so many times because of Taylor. I told him he was crossing the line with her, but he thought I was blowing things out of proportion and that it was all in my head.

The most ridiculous moment was when Ruby was really sick with a high fever. I still hadn't learned how to drive yet, but Quentin left me behind to celebrate Taylor's birthday at her place.

He even left a whole room full of friends and family on our engagement day. He didn't care about the whispers or the stares I was getting from everyone and just bolted out of the hall to look for Taylor.

It was all because of a message from her saying she couldn't live without him and wanted to end it all.

Quentin spoiled Taylor and let her have her way with everything, including calling him her husband. It was all because she was his childhood sweetheart and had a history of suicide attempts.

That was why Anya, Taylor's younger sister, felt comfortable seeing Quentin as her brother-in-law.

That was also why, even though Taylor had no professional experience, Quentin was fine with having her around and even brought her along while handling cases.

I was concerned the other partners might have issues with it, and given the clients' privacy, I kept telling Quentin not to let Taylor get involved at work.

But Taylor thought I was targeting her and kept throwing digs at me before Quentin.

So, when I received her threatening message, I didn't take it seriously—I figured it was just empty threats. I never thought she'd actually mess with my car and try to run me over.

When I saw Taylor speeding toward me in her car, I hit the brakes hard, trying to swerve out of the way, but it was pointless. Just before my car flipped, I heard her triumphant laugh.

She messed up her clothes and gave herself a few cuts. Before Quentin showed up, she made herself look like a scared victim who'd just accidentally caused the crash.

…

After hearing Taylor's response, Quentin pulled her out of his arms, irritation obvious in his eyes.

"Why do you keep bringing her up? She's just some self-righteous woman. Does she really think giving me the silent treatment will make me want to make up with her? No way!"

Even so, he faltered. He pulled out his phone and hesitated before dialing my number.

But Taylor stopped him with a playful tone. "Quent, Sharon's just being childish. She's probably still mad, so don't egg her on!"

Her words seemed to calm Quentin, and his voice shifted from uncertain to determined. "You're right, Sharon's way too narrow-minded. She doesn't even come close to how great you are!"

He gently stroked Taylor's face, his fingers brushing over the scar left by the car accident's flying debris. "That must hurt, huh? Don't worry, Tay. I'll make the person who did this to you pay!"

Quentin was asking her if it hurt, but he never bothered to check on me when I was burned by the raging fire.

I'd already paid the price. I'd been branded as someone who didn't love herself, and I lost Ruby and my life, didn't I?

In the days that followed, Quentin never brought me up again. Instead, he was always by Taylor's side—shopping, watching movies, getting ready for her birthday.

Since I was dead and had no family or friends to speak for me, the court made its final call after deliberating—Quentin's side won.

How ironic that was. Quentin, my boyfriend, was a top lawyer, yet I didn't even have anyone to represent me in court after I died.

Quentin was in great spirits in the days leading up to the judgment.

Logically, this case was another win for his career—something that could boost his future. Emotionally, his involvement meant Taylor wouldn't have to take the fall, which fed right into his need to protect her.

I floated beside Quentin, watching him and Taylor act all lovey-dovey, calling each other husband and wife. But they never crossed that final line, not even at the end.

I couldn't help but feel the irony. Quentin's behavior now was pretty much the same as crossing that final line. I wondered who he was pretending to be so principled for.

He had quietly checked out of our relationship a long time ago.

The night before the judgment was handed down, I saw Quentin actually take the initiative to message me for the first time.

"Sharon, that should be enough for your little show. If you come home now, I'll let you off the hook for the tantrums you've been throwing lately."

His text oozed with condescension, like he was doing me a huge favor by sending it.

He paused for a moment before texting again. "I've got Ruby now, so don't worry. I'm not going to leave you. I just see Tay as a sister."