I fished my boyfriend from the sea. I empty my pockets to treat his amnesia, and he turns out to be a CEO when he regains his memories.

Due to the disparity in our statuses, Quinn Hoffman doesn't hesitate to dump me. He says, "You're just a fishmonger. How can you be worthy of me?"

He refuses to pay me back for the money I spent on his treatment. I'm backed into a corner—I need the money for my grandmother's surgery.

In the end, I get tricked, and all my organs are gouged out.

On the day Quinn learns of my death, he holds my belongings and refuses to let go. "You're just playing hide-and-seek, Kay! Aren't you?"

The day after I died, my body was dumped in the wilderness.

The monkey-faced man held up a cooler, his grin stretching wide. "We're rich! This girl's organs are all in perfect condition."

My soul drifted above the scene, weightless and powerless, staring at my tragic fate. I had no idea how it had come to this. I only wanted to sell a kidney—just one, enough to cover Grandma's surgery.

I thought I would fade away forever, but in the blink of an eye, I was back—standing beside Quinn Hoffman.

He was at a birthday party with his fiancée. Daphne Poole smiled sweetly, her arm looped around Quinn's as she leaned shyly into him. He raised his glass for her, thanking the guests on her behalf.

Someone in the crowd teased, "So, how far along are you and Ms. Poole?"

A glow of happiness spread across Quinn's face. "We're almost there."

When those words left his lips, his gaze flickered to me. I shuddered, instinctively wanting to hide. Because in public, Quinn never let me exist in his sight.

But it lasted only a heartbeat. His eyes slid away, and he returned to socializing.

I exhaled slowly, then let out a bitter chuckle. No one could push me around anymore. After all, I was dead—a ghost. There was no way he could have seen me.

Maybe I was stuck with him because he still owed me. Maybe that was why I couldn't leave.

When I was alive, I had begged Quinn for so much. And now, even in death, I still needed one last thing. I just wanted him to visit Grandma in the hospital. That way, I could go with him.

Before I sold my kidney, they had already transferred the money. By now, the surgery must have gone smoothly, and Grandma must have been saved.

But Quinn never went. Of course, he wouldn't. He never believed a word I said. To him, Grandma's illness was just another lie, another story I made up to win his sympathy.

As the party wound down and guests began to leave the hotel, Daphne tugged at Quinn's sleeve. "Quinn, can I come over for a bit? I've been craving the coffee your housekeeper makes."

Quinn took her hand gently, his palm resting tenderly against her cheek. "Of course. Whatever you want."

He still cared about her, just like always. But his sweetheart was about to be disappointed. She was never going to taste that coffee again. Because the one who used to make it—me—was already dead.

…

I became the Hoffmans' housekeeper for one reason—to earn the money that was rightfully mine.

That day, I went to the shore, just like always, to pull in the fishing nets. But when I hauled them up, I caught more than just fish.

There was a man tangled in the net—a stranger, shirtless and covered in wounds, with no memory of who he was.

The local fishermen called him Rocky because of his strong, muscular build.

"Kayla, it looks like you just fished yourself a boyfriend!" they teased.

I glanced at Quinn's sharp, handsome features and felt my face heat up. But I quickly wiped away the thought, forcing my expression back to normal. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just saving a life."

They hadn't meant anything by it, but Quinn seemed to take it seriously.

Whenever I went out to fish, he stayed home, helping Grandma cook and do the laundry. And when I came back, he was always there, tending to everything for me.

Later, he begged me to take him out to sea. He said the heavy lifting should be a man's job.

Quinn learned quickly, and before long, he became the driving force behind the work. His once fair skin deepened to a healthy tan under the sun and sea breeze. His hands, which had never known hard labor, slowly grew calloused.

Watching him change like this, an inexplicable guilt welled up inside me. It felt as if I had stolen the life he was meant to have.

So, Grandma and I talked it over and decided to use our savings to get Quinn treatment for his amnesia.

When I told him, he panicked. Quinn cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. "Kay, are you trying to get rid of me? I don't want to leave. I want to stay with you forever."

I stroked his face, trying to calm him. "If you love me, then even after you get your memories back, we'll still be together."

Quinn nodded firmly. "I do, Kay. I love you."

For over half a year, I took Quinn back and forth between the fishing village and different hospitals. To save as much money as possible, we traveled by whatever means we could.

More than once, on a crowded bus, Quinn held me in his arms as I dozed off in exhaustion. "Kay, this is too hard on you. Let's stop the treatment."

But I shook my head. We had come this far, so I had to see it through.

Maybe god took pity on us because just as we were about to run out of savings, a miracle happened.

Quinn's memory returned. But at the same time, he disappeared from the hospital and vanished without a trace.

That year with Quinn felt like a dream, but the empty balance in my bank account was a constant reminder. Not only had I lost him, but I had lost everything.

I saw Quinn again a month later.

It was Daphne who found me first. She stood before me, draped in designer brands I had only ever seen on TV.

Looking down at me, she asked, "So, are you the woman who took care of Quinn for a year?"

I tilted my head. "Quinn? Who's that?"

She frowned, impatience flickering in her gaze. "Rocky."

Rocky…

My heart—one I had worked so hard to steady—began racing all over again. Desperately, I grabbed Daphne's arm, begging her to tell me where Quinn was.

Before she could respond, the two bodyguards flanking her seized me and yanked me away.

Daphne gave me a look of disgust and pulled her heels free from the sand. "And what exactly is your relationship with him? What right do you have to know where he is?"

I hesitated for only a moment before answering, "I'm Quinn's girlfriend."

Daphne let out a laugh like I had just told the funniest joke in the world. She turned toward the luxury car parked behind her and called out in a sweet voice, "Quinn, this woman says she's your girlfriend."

And then, the man I had dreamed of countless nights stepped out. He was dressed in a tailored suit, polished leather shoes sinking slightly into the sand.

The tan he had earned from months under the sun had faded, replaced by his natural air of wealth and privilege, one that made him look utterly out of place in this poor fishing village.

Quinn frowned as he looked down at me, still held in the grip of his bodyguards. His voice was cold. "She's just a filthy fishmonger. How could she ever be good enough for me?"

I froze. His words cut deep like a knife straight to the heart.

Anyone could call me that, but not him. Because it was my Grandma and me—selling fish day after day—who had paid for his treatment and given him the chance to return to his wealth and privilege, safe and sound.

And now, he dared to look down on me.

The bodyguards let me go, and I collapsed onto the sand, the wind lashing against my face.

Quinn crouched down in front of me, his gaze colder than ice. His next words were even colder. He told me to stop dreaming, that we were never from the same world to begin with.

I heard his words, but my heart remained calm. I knew he was no longer the Rocky who once cared for me.

Under their watchful eyes, I slowly straightened my back. "Go. I'll just consider that year a waste on an ungrateful bastard."

Quinn swayed, his crouched form tipping forward. But he caught himself just in time, pressing a hand into the sand to steady himself.

Then, he stood. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "If you ever need anything, you can contact me. But it's better if you don't."

I took the card between my fingers. Hoffman Group's CEO. Ha. How impressive.

With a flick of my wrist, I let go. The thin card caught the wind, drifting toward the sea. And in an instant, the waves swallowed it whole, and it vanished into the endless depths.

Quinn's brows furrowed, his fist clenching at his sides.

I turned and walked away, pretending not to care. But no matter how hard I tried to hold them back, two silent teardrops slipped down my cheeks.

Quinn, if only we had never met.

…

But life never went the way I wanted, and the bad news came too suddenly. Grandma suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. I needed a large sum of money—fast.

And so, I thought of Quinn. What he owed me wasn't just love—he owed me 200 thousand dollars. It was real money.

Watching Grandma grow weaker in that hospital bed, I hated myself for being so proud that day.

I had no choice but to swallow my pride, board a northbound train, and camp outside the Hoffman Group day and night.

Then, one day, a sleek black car rolled to a stop right in front of me. Quinn's familiar face appeared from inside.

I rushed forward, disheveled and desperate, looking like a crazed lunatic.

Luckily, Quinn recognized me. Otherwise, his security might have thrown me out like a beggar.

I grabbed his hand like it was my last lifeline. Gone was the pride I had when we last parted. "Mr. Hoffman, please return the 200 thousand dollars I spent on your treatment."

Quinn slid both hands into the pockets of his suit pants, his expression unreadable. "Kayla, did you come all this way just to ask for money?"

I nodded.

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me inside the office building. "Are you that desperate to cut ties with me? That eager to settle the score?"

I didn't understand why he was so angry. With his wealth, returning 200 thousand dollars was nothing more than lifting a finger.

I was just a small-town fisherwoman, hardly someone worth holding a grudge against. But maybe, to someone like him, I was just trouble. Maybe he thought I was here to cling to him again.

So, I made myself clear. "I only want the 200 thousand dollars that belongs to me. Once I have it, I swear you'll never see me again."

Quinn cornered me against the wall, towering over me with an air of dominance.

"Forget it, Kayla. That money was given out of kindness, not debt. You chose to pay for my treatment on your own, and it wasn't a loan. Even if I don't return it, there's nothing you can do about it."

I stood there, stunned. I never imagined that the simple, kindhearted Rocky I once knew would turn into someone this shameless.

But this wasn't the time to argue over right or wrong or let my pride get in the way. Grandma was running out of time.

So, in front of everyone in the lobby, I dropped to my knees. "Mr. Hoffman, I'm begging you. Please, give me back the money. Grandma needs it for her treatment."

Quinn instinctively reached out to pull me up, but when he heard my words, his expression darkened. "Kayla, how long have I even been gone? It's only been a short while, yet you dare make up lies about your grandmother."

I clung to the hem of his pants, pleading over and over. "I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, you can go see for yourself. Grandma is sick!"

"Enough!" Quinn's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Come work as a housekeeper at the Hoffman estate. 20 thousand a month. Take it or leave it."

I had no choice, so I could only give in.