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."

Jack looked like he was in a good mood. The smile never left his face.

Course after course of beautifully plated food arrived, and he kept his manners in check, occasionally placing a few things on her plate.

Seraphine looked up and asked gently, "Are you feeling any better?"

So, she could be caring, just not when it came to me.

He kept cutting into his steak and replied casually, "Much better. It's just my stomach acting up, the usual stuff. As long as I eat on time, I'm fine."

"I can't remember if you had stomach problems back in school," she said.

His knife paused mid-slice as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Back then, you were always looking after me. I never had the chance to fall sick."

She looked away. "Is she not taking good care of you?"

Jack set down his utensils, his brows tightening. "Hayden stole five years of your life. And I forced myself to stay with someone else for those five years. But we both know that feelings can't be forced. We've always loved each other. If it weren't for Hayden, we could've been together long ago."

Right. It was all my fault. Now that I was finally gone, they could be together again.

Seraphine seemed to remember everything that had happened five years ago, and guilt flickered across her face. "I'm sorry. I let you down."

He stood up and walked over to her, leaning in. "No. You did nothing wrong. It was Hayden and his powerful family. Back then, we had nothing. We couldn't fight back."

His gaze settled on her face, finally drifting to her lips. Slowly, he leaned in.

In a flash, she turned her head, dodging his kiss. I couldn't help but wonder what went through her mind at that moment. Why did she react like that?

Was it because she remembered what I used to say?

"After we get married, stay away from other men. They never mean well. I'm the only one who truly loves you."

I shook my head. Who was I kidding? As if she ever cared about what I thought.

He froze, awkwardness flashing across his face as he straightened up. "Sorry. That was out of line. I forgot that you were married."

"We're divorced," she said while her fingers instinctively brushed the base of her ring finger. The wedding ring she'd worn for five years was gone, but the faint indentation remained.

He was shocked. "You're serious? Are you really divorced?" However, I caught the way the corners of his mouth curved just for a second.

She stood up and gently pulled him back into his seat. "Yeah. It's over," she said softly.

He covered her hand with his and grinned. "That's amazing news, Seraphine. You don't have to force yourself to be with him anymore." He gripped her hand tightly. "This is worth celebrating."

"It's not that big of a deal. There's no need to celebrate," she replied coolly.

"Of course, we have to celebrate!" he said, raising his voice. "I've waited five years for this day, Seraphine. For me, can we please just enjoy this moment?"

Looking at the joy on his face, she didn't want to disappoint him. So, she went along with it.