Seraphine Hale, a genius musician, announces her return to the country.

When a reporter asks whether she's back for her first love, she smiles icily. "Are you talking about that trash? It wouldn't be any of my business even if he were to drop dead tomorrow."

What she doesn't know is that I've already been dead for close to a decade.

Seraphine Hale had just walked out of the airport when journalists swarmed her. They had been waiting for her for a long while.

"Ms. Hale, you've lived abroad for years, and your career has been quite stable. Did you suddenly choose to come back because of your first boyfriend?" a journalist asked.

A faint mocking smile appeared on Seraphine's face as if she had heard something funny. "You mean that trash? Even if he dies tomorrow, that is none of my business," she replied.

Despite the cruel words coming out of her mouth, no one was surprised. After all, everyone knew that a decade ago, Seraphine had a boyfriend—he had also been her first love. They had been dating with the intention to get married.

However, something unexpected had happened at their engagement party. As the guests watched, Seraphine's boyfriend had abandoned her and walked away with another woman instead.

That incident had always been a shameful memory Seraphine avoided thinking about. It was the most painful and embarrassing moment of her life.

The journalist who had asked that question was undoubtedly reopening Seraphine's old wounds.

Seraphine didn't seem to mind the lenses aimed at her as she put on a cold expression. Then, she said slowly, "He's not worth my time!"

It had been too many years since I last saw Seraphine. I didn't expect our first meeting to be so tragic. She still hated me, and she wished that I could just die tomorrow.

I would love to fulfill her wishes, but sadly…

The airport was filled with people, but none of them could see me floating in midair. I was a spirit, with no physical form.

Unfortunately, I had died too early.

Meanwhile, the journalist was still prodding. "What brought you home, then, Ms. Hale?"

I was curious about the answer as well. Logically speaking, Seraphine shouldn't have any remaining obligations in this country.

However, she declined to answer the question. With her bodyguards surrounding her, she walked coldly out of the airport.

After getting into an MPV, she muttered under her breath, "Ugh, that left a bad taste in my mouth."

Beside her, her assistant said furiously, "Those journalists are too much! They really would stop at nothing just to get some juicy gossip! They're fully aware that to you, Leo Sterling is—"

"Shut up!" Seraphine harshly snapped at her assistant.

Startled, her assistant hastily stopped speaking.

Seraphine had a beautiful yet distant image in public, but in private, she was actually gentle and friendly. So, it was rare for her to speak in that tone.

Rubbing the space between her eyebrows, Seraphine softened her attitude a little. "Don't mention his name around me ever again. It's disgusting."

The man named Leo Sterling, whom the assistant spoke of, was none other than me.

I recalled the time when we were dating. Seraphine would lean against my shoulder with the innocent anticipation of a young lady.

She had asked, "Leo, don't you think our names look good together? Every time the test results are announced, when I see our names next to each other at the top of the list, I'd always wish that the announcement board would turn into something more intimate and special."

She was referring to a marriage certificate.

As I recalled the past, I felt something bitter and sorrowful in my heart. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time.

I subconsciously glanced at Seraphine's right hand.

She was a genius musician, and she had taken extremely good care of her hands, which might as well have been created to play music.

She was wearing a diamond ring on her slender ring finger.

Was Seraphine married?

I felt my soul shudder, and for a long time, my gaze lingered on her right hand.

The diamond was huge and shimmering brilliantly. It was cut flawlessly, and every part of it flaunted exquisite details.

It was nothing like the one I had given to Seraphine before.

That engagement ring was old-fashioned, and it wasn't worth much. Seraphine had probably discarded it a long time ago.

"Shall I coordinate your outfit for your class reunion the day after tomorrow, Seraphine?" Seraphine's assistant shifted the topic back to business.

A class reunion?

I vaguely recalled that after our final exams in high school, our class had made a ten-year promise. I wondered if Seraphine had returned just for this reunion.

"It's just a normal gathering. There's no need to put so much effort into dressing up." Seraphine angled her head to look out the window. She had an indifferent look on her face.

The streets were bustling with cars, and skyscrapers filled the horizon.

Views of the flourishing streets of Grendale flew by, but Seraphine showed no hint of nostalgia. Instead, the look on her face grew ever colder.

In the end, she decisively looked away. Frowning, she closed her eyes and rested.

I knew why Seraphine would behave like that. After all, our past could be found everywhere in this city. It was also the reason why my soul was trapped here after I had died.

Seraphine had always hated me, and in her eyes, I was a heartless man who had abandoned and betrayed her.

However, the truth was far from that. Sadly, in my spirit form, I no longer had a chance to explain myself.

…

On the day of the class reunion, Seraphine still dressed herself up before setting out.

She looked even more radiant than before. Everywhere she went, everyone else would fade into the background.

Her classmates, who used to be close to her, didn't dare to step forward and greet her.

"Seraphine actually came?" one of them whispered.

Another said, "I thought she forgot all about the reunion…"

Amidst the whispers, the former class representative, Ivan Brown, stood up. "Ahem. Well, since Seraphine has arrived, we're all here and accounted for. Let's eat, then."

The private room was bustling with activity, but Seraphine sat quietly in her seat. She didn't touch the food, nor did she talk to the people beside her.

She had a distant look in her eyes as she discreetly glanced around her. An obvious look of confusion flashed across her eyes.

She was probably curious. After all, Ivan had said that everyone was there and accounted for, but for some reason, I was missing.

Of course, Seraphine wouldn't take the initiative to ask about my whereabouts.

Lowering her gaze, she rubbed her left hand against the ring she was wearing on her right hand. She seemed to be thinking about something.

The person beside her noticed that, and they widened their eyes in shock. "Are you married, Seraphine?"

Everyone instantly turned to look at her.

Seraphine was a famous figure now, but no one in the country had ever heard the news of her marriage.

"You did a great job keeping it a secret. We didn't even get to congratulate you when it happened," one of our former classmates said.

Another speculated, "You're such an outstanding lady. Your husband must be handsome, rich, and also loving, right?"

Everyone proceeded to congratulate her. Some of them were earnest about it, but others were just trying to get on her good side.

Suddenly, someone spoke up. "Either way, Seraphine's husband is definitely better than Leo."

An odd hush fell over the whole place, as if a switch had been flipped.

Amidst the silence, Seraphine, who had been giving lukewarm responses, suddenly raised her head. She stared straight at the person who had spoken up.

Ivan sighed. "Why would you mention him out of the blue?"

The person stammered in an attempt to explain, "Sorry, I…"

To everyone's surprise, Seraphine smiled slightly. It was a cruel smile filled with mockery.

"You're right," she said. "It's only natural, after all. Leo is a loser who's not even worthy of comparison. Any man would be better than him."

Silence reigned in the private room.

No one responded to her words.

"Why isn't Leo here today?" Seraphine asked. Sure enough, she was still bothered about that.

She quickly continued as if she were answering her own question, "Oh, I know. He's too ashamed to show up, right? That makes sense. He should live his whole life out of sight, just like a rat in the sewers."

Seraphine had been living abroad all this while. Perhaps because I had hurt her too deeply, she had cut off all ties with everyone in the country.

It was reasonable that she didn't know I had died a long time ago.

However, our other former classmates had attended my funeral before.

Everyone looked at each other and exchanged glances. They seemed to be debating whether they should tell Seraphine the truth or not.

In the end, Ivan spoke up. "Seraphine, there might have been a misunderstanding back then."

"What misunderstandings can there possibly be?" Seraphine took a deep breath as she retorted, "Are you speaking up for that wretch, Ivan?"

Ivan tried to calm her down. "I mean, Leo was—"

"He abandoned me at our engagement party!" Seraphine cut him off. "Thanks to him, I have to put up with ridicule and scorn even to this day!"

Seraphine was obviously enraged by the mention of the incident back then, her breathing grew fast and unsteady.

Grabbing a glass from the table, she proceeded to throw it onto the floor. With a crash, the glass shattered into pieces. Some of the shards even cut the back of her hands.

My heart ached a little.

Drops of crimson blood oozed out, but Seraphine was completely unaware of them. She said in trembling anger, "I've seen the photos and heard the recordings. Even Leo himself had admitted it to me. How can it possibly be fake?"

Ivan didn't say another word. After all, he wasn't sure of the exact details back then either.

Still, the dead were always given special respect. Ivan just didn't want Seraphine to speak too badly of me.

However, Seraphine was completely consumed by anger. He couldn't get through to her.

Around 30 seconds later, Seraphine composed herself. "I lost my appetite. I'm leaving now."

Grabbing her purse, she got up and left the private room without even a backward glance.

My soul naturally followed her.

Seraphine didn't call her driver to pick her up. Instead, she strolled along the streets lined with ginkgo trees, all alone.

I followed her, keeping her company. I drifted along as she walked, and stopped when she paused in her tracks.

For a moment, I felt as if we had returned to the past.

It was late autumn, and some golden leaves had fallen on her long hair. I instinctively reached out to pick the leaves out of her hair.

I had done it many times in the past, so it came naturally to me.

I had picked fluffy catkins out of her hair, tidied her hair messed up by the sea breeze, and even tied her hair into a bun with self-made accessories. I had caressed her head countless times.

I could almost feel the sensation when I touched her head.

However, in the next second, my palm passed right through her. I couldn't touch her at all.

I froze.

At the same time, a piercing pain welled up in my soul. At that moment, I realized more clearly than ever that I had died.

I had been dead for an entire decade.

By the time I recovered my senses, Seraphine was already walking into the distance.

Just then, she stopped abruptly in front of a stall, stunned. Her figure exuded loneliness and arrogance, and her hands were clenched into fists by her sides.

Even without looking at her face, I could imagine how foul her expression must be at that moment.

Following her gaze, I looked at the owner of the stall. I immediately felt my chest tighten.

The stall owner was none other than my elder sister, Rose Wilder. She was also the one who had taken me away from the engagement party back then.

Sensing that she had a customer, Rose looked up and spoke in a tired and hoarse voice. "Pick whatever you like."

Lowering her gaze, Seraphine glanced at the plastic accessories on sale. She scoffed. "What's the matter? Did Leo not treat you well?"

The mention of my name caught Rose off guard. The light returned to Rose's vacant eyes, and she began to study her customer with a confused stare.

After a moment of stunned silence, she murmured, "Seraphine? You're back?"

It had been ten years since then.

There was no trace of familiarity on Seraphine's face.