"But I noticed Cecile hasn't been wearing the bracelet you gave her over the past few days. Didn't you say that it was your token of love, and that she would never take it off?"

Nina's casual remark made Caleb stand frozen in place.

He had bought that bracelet with his first paycheck. Although it was ordinary, it represented his promises to me.

He had once knelt before me, swearing that after we got married, he would buy me an even more expensive bracelet. He had promised to make me the happiest woman in the world.

But he never understood that I never wanted wealth or status. I just wanted someone I could spend the rest of my life with.

I had treated that bracelet like a treasure. I never took it off, not even in the shower. But now, that treasure was in the trash. I had thrown it out when I was clearing out his gifts.

Caleb thought carefully. Then, he realized that my wrist had indeed been bare the last time he saw me.

He hadn't noticed then, but now he remembered it had indeed been a while since I last wore it.

A flicker of unease rose within Caleb's chest. He took out his phone to call me and clarify.

But the moment his finger touched the screen, Gina grabbed hold of his hand.

"Caleb, don't worry. Cecile must have done it to get your attention. She loves you so much, so how could she ever leave you? If you give in now, that's exactly what she wants," Gina said.

Hearing Gina's words, Caleb felt she had a point. If I loved him so much, how could I bear to throw away our token of love?

So he quietly set his phone down.

The crew members, who were standing behind him, sighed at his reaction.

And I, as a wandering spirit, sighed along with them.

All those years I spent on Caleb suddenly felt so wasted.

…

That night, during the cast and crew dinner, Caleb personally peeled a bowl of shrimp and placed it in front of Gina.

Anyone who saw them would think they were the real couple instead.

Jessie Sinclair, who was from the same crew, deliberately asked, "Caleb, do you also peel shrimp for Cecile when you're home?"

Caleb froze mid-peeling and replied awkwardly, "She can do it herself, so why would she need my help? I'm only helping Gina because she's sick, and it's inconvenient for her."

I scoffed from the side.

Gina's face had an allergic reaction. That was it. Her hands weren't broken.

Jessie couldn't stand to watch anymore. She said, "That's true. Every time we have a cast and crew dinner, she's the one peeling shrimp for you.

"There was also that time when we were filming in the wild and got caught in the storm. The whole crew was stuck in the mountains. But you had a fever, and Cecile carried you over ten miles down the mountain to the hospital.

"Can't you see everything Cecile has done for you?"

Caleb clenched his hand under the table into a fist.

"That still isn't a reason for Cecile to bully Gina. If she apologizes to Gina, we'll hold the wedding again."

Maybe he felt guilty because he actually brought up marrying me on his own.

He added, "This time, we'll complete the wedding ceremony. Nothing will go wrong again."

But only I knew that was impossible. Even if we tried a hundred more times, the wedding would still be canceled for no reason like before.

Just then, Caleb got a call from the housekeeper.

"What did Cecile say? Is she willing to apologize now?" he asked.

The housekeeper on the other end of the line stammered and said the lock to the cellar couldn't be opened.

Caleb's heart skipped a beat. "How's that possible? I was just trying to teach her a lesson. The lock was rusty, so it should have been easy to kick open."

The housekeeper replied, "Maybe you should come back and check. We really can't open the cellar door's lock."

Caleb felt a chill run down his spine, and his hands trembled.

He called me over and over. Yet, no matter how many times he dialed or texted, no one answered.

Of course, that was the case. How could a dead person answer the phone?

When I had been struggling desperately in that pitch-black cellar, I had wished so badly that he would appear before my eyes and get me out of there.

But even as I breathed my last, he still never came.

He might have used that rusty lock on purpose, thinking I could break out using my own strength.

However, if he had just checked on me once, he would have seen that Gina had replaced the lock. That had killed any chances I had of escaping.

"Cecile isn't answering my calls," he mumbled.

Panic clawed at him as he grabbed his coat and rushed out the door. Behind him, Gina hurried after him, afraid the truth would come out.

She claimed she was just going to help him look for me.

Before the car even came to a full stop, Caleb frantically rushed back into the house.

It was empty, and not a single person was in sight.

"Cecile, I know you're out. Stop playing disappearing games with me. If you apologize to Gina now, I'll forgive you and marry you," Caleb shouted.

But no matter how loudly he called, he received no answer.

"Cecile, where are you? Come out!" he yelled.

After shouting several times and receiving no response, he rushed to the cellar.

But when he saw that a brand-new lock had been fastened to the cellar door and that the air vents had been sealed tight, a chill ran through him.

Caleb's heart jolted. With a loud clatter, his phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.