Right after I die, my wife goes on a date with her first love.

I once told her, "If I die, I swear I won't love you in the next life."

She scoffs. "Gladly. But people like you live forever, don't they?"

Just as she wishes, I die.

However, right then, she holds my urn close, whispering, "Are you still mad at me?"

The clock struck midnight. I stared at the sky-blue cake that was slowly melting on the table. The single candle had long since burned out.

Just like that, my birthday quietly ended.

I walked over, looked at the forgotten cake, and took a bite. "Happy birthday," I muttered to myself.

Then, without a second thought, I tossed the entire cake into the trash can.

It was late when she finally came home.

I looked toward the front door as she stepped inside. "You're back."

Seraphine Evans cast a cold glance my way, her brows furrowing in disapproval. "Do you ever do anything other than drink?"

I swirled the drink in my glass and gave a soft laugh. "Drinking is an elegant thing to do."

Then I staggered toward her. "It's good stuff. Come on, have a sip…" I held out the glass.

She narrowed her eyes and pushed my hand away. "You should go to bed."

The push sent most of the wine sloshing out of the glass. The sharpness of it sobered me up a little. I lowered the glass and finally looked at her properly. "Today's my birthday."

Her eyes paused for a split second before returning to their usual indifference.

"Since it's my birthday, there should be a gift," I said, exhaling. "You're not giving me one, so I'll give you something instead."

I reached into the drawer next to the sofa, pulled out a document, and tossed it onto the table. "This is my gift to you."

Her gaze fell on the words printed across the cover: Divorce Agreement. It was the one she gave me. She had signed it a long time ago.

When she saw my name was also on the paper, her brow furrowed as she asked calmly, "What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now?"

"Our families arranged this marriage and kept you tied to me all these years. I know it hasn't been easy. You've always had your heart set on your first love, haven't you? It's time to go back to him."

I placed the papers into her hands. Before she could react, I leaned in and gently kissed her on the forehead.

Seraphine shoved me away almost immediately.

I almost lost my footing. Lowering my gaze, I said, "It's bad for a married couple to end up like this. I guess we really weren't meant to spend a lifetime together."

Seraphine's voice stayed cold. "If you'd realized that back then, we wouldn't still be stuck like this now."

"It's my fault." I forced a faint smile. "And I guess the only way I can pay for it is with my life."

She let out a cold laugh. "Like you'd actually go through with it."

I paused for a second, my voice dropping lower. "If I die, I swear I won't love you in the next life."

"Save it for when you're actually dead." She looked away and turned to leave.

The door slammed shut behind her. She walked out again.

The curve on my lips slowly disappeared. I let out a bitter laugh, knowing she still hated me.

Sitting down on the sofa, I reached into the drawer and pulled out another document. It was my medical report. Stage 4 cancer. Those terrible words sat on the last page.

I closed my eyes and took a long moment before opening them again. Then, I tore the report to pieces.

The shredded pieces of paper fluttered to the floor. I stared at the wedding ring on my finger, rubbing it gently with my thumb. Slowly, I slid it off and placed it on the table.

The next morning, I packed up everything I owned and threw it in the car. I didn't even bother with breakfast. I got in the car and drove off, leaving the villa behind.

The car sped forward, the city shrinking in the rearview mirror as I merged onto the coastal highway. I rolled down the window and let the cold wind hit my face. My hair whipped wildly in the breeze.

"Goodbye forever, Seraphine."

I turned the steering wheel sharply to the right, let go, and slammed my foot down on the gas. With a loud bang, the car smashed full speed into the cliffside. The hood crumpled in on itself, and blood trickled down from beneath the driver's seat.

Even though I had died, my soul drifted in this world. I thought death would finally free me from Seraphine. However, for some reason, my spirit lingered near her.

I drifted up to the 60th floor of Heeta International, Seraphine's company.

After her parents died in a car accident, she took over the business.

Her secretary handed her a cup of coffee. I floated in behind her into the office. "Ms. Evans, the video conference with Willer starts at 9:30. The briefing documents are already on your desk."

Seraphine gave a slight nod. That was when I noticed something missing—her wedding ring.

Even though she had always kept her distance from me, she had never taken off the ring. Now, her left ring finger was bare, save for a faint red imprint where the band used to be.

Right. We were divorced now. There was no reason for her to wear it anymore. Still, a sudden ache assaulted my chest. I didn't expect to feel anything after death.

Around noon, I glanced at the time out of habit. For five years, I had shown up at her office every day like clockwork to bring her lunch. However, today, I wasn't there.

Her secretary, Helen Jones, seemed to realize something was off and ordered takeout for Seraphine.

30 minutes later, lunch arrived. "Ms. Evans, you should eat something." Helen placed the food on her desk and left.

Seraphine finished up her work, then opened the lunchbox. She took one bite before frowning, as if something tasted wrong. She ate a few more bites and then set it aside.

Her phone vibrated on the desk. I glanced at the screen and immediately recognized the caller. Without so much as a glance at the screen, she picked up the call, still focused on the documents in front of her.

"Seraphine, are you off work yet?" the man's voice came through.

She glanced at the screen, her lips curving faintly. "Yeah, almost."

"Let's have dinner tonight," the man suggested.

She looked down at the stack of files and said softly, "Okay."

She sped up, flipping through the rest of the documents before leaving the office.

That evening, Seraphine's car pulled up at the Haequinn Hotel from a distance. Jack Burton adjusted his blazer and smiled as he waited for her to step out. "Seraphine."

She walked toward him. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders like it was second nature. "I just got here."

She stiffened slightly at his touch, but the moment passed quickly.

The two of them headed into the restaurant on the hotel's third floor.

Jack pulled out her chair like a gentleman and ordered a few dishes she liked.

I felt bitterly amused. She had never once picked up a single bite for me.

Whenever I placed food into her bowl and looked at her, hoping for some warmth, she would shoot me down coldly. "Hayden, have some self-respect. Stop trying so hard."