My husband's first love jumped to her death due to depression and landed right on me as I was passing by.

I was rendered unconscious on the spot and subsequently rushed to the ICU.

However, my orthopedic surgeon husband stayed by his first love's side to comfort her over her minor scratches.

He even refused to sign my Critical Care Notification.

"Whoever joined her charade can get lost along with her! Come to me when she's really dead!" he said.

It wasn't until he received a death certificate that he realized in horror—the deceased's information was identical to mine.

........

"Abigail! Are you alright, Abigail?"

I floated in the air as I watched my husband, Leon Cadwell, rush out of his office. I was in the same ambulance, but he didn't even spare a glance at me. He hurriedly helped his first love, Abigail Lynch, who was barely injured, into the emergency room. He looked panicked and confused at the same time.

Meanwhile, the other doctors swiftly arranged for me to be sent to the ICU and pushed me into the operating room to save my life.

My face was pale, and I couldn't feel any pain as I watched my body being cut open on the table.

I understood what was happening immediately.

I had often heard that a person's end was near when their soul leaves the body. Since I was experiencing this now, I guess it was a sign that I was going to pass away soon.

The gruesome scene before me was hard to bear even though it was my body. I turned away and drifted toward Abigail's room.

Leon was crouched beside her bed as he gently caressed her cheek. "Abigail, why would you do something so foolish again?" he asked in concern.

He carefully examined Abigail's bandaged arm, where her wounds had been treated properly.

"It's lucky that you didn't suffer any fractures this time! It would hurt me to see you on the operating table!" he told her.

I was fighting for my life on the operating table, yet Leon wouldn't even spare me a single glance.

Despite having a rosy complexion, Abigail smiled weakly and said, "Leon, my heart aches. The thought that you don't belong to me hurts so much I could die. Perhaps I won't feel hurt anymore if I injure myself physically."

I was seething with anger as I watched Abigail put on her ridiculous performance.

I had been strolling around the community when I suddenly received a message from Abigail once I was on the ground floor.

"My life is meaningless if I can't be with Leon."

I had thought she was just being provocative.

I hadn't even had the chance to reply to her when something massive crashed down on me. I had felt a searing pain throughout my entire body before everything went black.

Next up, I was in this ghostly state when I opened my eyes.

Abigail, who had jumped off the building to commit suicide, was unharmed. Meanwhile, I was in the operating room, hanging on to my life due to the unexpected incident.

No, my fate had been sealed. My current state said it all.

Leon guiltily responded to Abigail after listening to her words, "Abigail, I'm so sorry. You have done foolish things to hurt yourself over and over again because of me. I've caused you so much pain."

Abigail gently patted his hand but then winced as if she had hurt her wound, prompting Leon to immediately check on her.

"Leon, don't blame yourself. I shouldn't have depended on you so much. Depression is tormenting me badly now. Someone like me is never worthy of someone as wonderful and kind as you. Next time, I'll make sure to commit suicide at a better spot. Once I'm reborn in the next life, I can be with you from the very beginning."

Abigail sounded as though she had genuinely given up on life.

I couldn't help but scoff at her.

If she had wanted to die, why would she always send Leon a warning right before committing suicide? She just wanted him to save her in time.

Abigail claimed to have depression, yet she couldn't produce any legitimate diagnosis.

Only Leon would believe her condition was so severe that even doctors couldn't properly diagnose it. He was more than willing to play the hero to save the damsel-in-distress in her act again and again.

I had tried countless times to subtly hint at the truth, but Leon would always brush me off impatiently.

"You wouldn't understand Abigail's suffering because you've never been through it! She relies on me, and I'm the only one who can save her!"

So, he would take her shopping, go to the movies with her, and help decorate her apartment like a devoted lover.

They had even opened a joint savings account.

Besides that, Leon had Abigail's picture as his phone wallpaper, and they wore matching undergarments.

He had done all that while being married to me.

Leon was feeling more guilty by the second. Then, he gripped Abigail's hand tightly and said with a resolute tone, "Don't worry, Abigail. I'll always be by your side from now on. Let's get married when you get better."

My eyes widened in shock upon hearing that.

Abigail seemed equally stunned by Leon's words. After pausing monetarily, tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Leon, you're always calling me foolish, but aren't you the foolish one now? How could you possibly marry me since you're married to Zoe? I promise I'll try harder to be the first person who meets you in my next life."

Leon gently wiped away the tears from her face affectionately. "Don't cry. Seeing you cry breaks my heart. I'm not saying that to make you feel better. I'll start preparing the divorce papers in a few days. We can be together forever once you get better!"

Leon was worried that she wouldn't believe him, so he immediately sent me a message: [Take these few days to prepare the papers, we'll be getting a divorce next week. I can't keep disappointing Abigail like this!]

Abigail covered her mouth as she was overwhelmed with emotion, and she collapsed into Leon's arms. Both of them sobbed as they held each other.

It was such a hilarious sight.

Leon and I had been interns at the same hospital, but my skills and experience had always outshone his.

I knew how important it was for him to become a doctor who could save lives. When there was only one promotion slot available, I gave up my chance without hesitation and let him stay on to advance his career.

I had stood by him from his days as an intern to when he had finally become the esteemed orthopedic surgeon he was now. I had seen all his sacrifices and efforts that had made him the man he was today.

Leon knew that being a doctor was my dream too, and he understood how valuable that promotion was. When I had given it up to him, he had hugged me tightly as he vowed, "Zoe, I will never let you down!"

I had taken his words to heart, thinking I had made the right choice to be in a relationship with him.

However, Leon wanted to divorce me for another woman now.

What an absolute joke.

They were just about to get more intimate when someone suddenly burst into the room, breaking the moment.

"Leon! Something has happened to Zoe! She's in the operating room, and they need a family member to sign the Critical Care Notification!"

Abigail had wanted to get steamy with Leon, and she panicked for a second when Rachel Scott barged into the room.

However, Leon mistook her reaction for fear.

He glared at the intruder. "Rachel, can you and Zoe give Abigail a break? Abigail is seriously injured, so you shouldn't disturb her!"

The serious injury Leon was talking about was the tiny scrape on her arm.

Rachel's frustration grew, and she pointed at Abigail. "Leon, Zoe is your wife! She's barely alive in the operating room right now! How could you flirt with her at a time like this?!"

"Watch your mouth!" Leon swatted Rachel's hand away, his eyes flashing with warning. "I'm divorcing Zoe soon and will marry Abigail after that!"

"As for you," he said while scrutinizing Rachel with disdain, "you should practice your acting. Zoe texted me this morning. How could she suddenly be in a critical condition now? You guys are doing this now because she doesn't want the divorce, right?"

"Seriously?" Rachel was clearly at her limit. "Since you guys haven't finalized the divorce yet, come with me to sign the notice! The doctors can't move forward without it!"

Then, she grabbed Leon's arm and tried to drag him out of the room.

"Rachel!" Leon snapped and shook her off angrily. "Don't forget your place! You're just a resident doctor. Abigail is injured, and she needs me by her side! Are you trying to get me out of here so that you can harm her?"

Leon had used his authority to intimidate Rachel for the sake of staying by the lightly injured Abigail's side.

He had forgotten that I was the reason for his successful career.

Leon ignored Rachel and shoved her out of the room before slamming the door shut behind her.

Rachel continued banging on the door, but Leon quickly started typing another message on his phone since I hadn't answered his call.

[Zoe, stop it with these childish games. Get ready for the divorce if you don't want things to get ugly. Don't try anything ridiculous. I need to give Abigail a real home!]

It was funny. He still thought that I didn't want a divorce at this point.

However, he wouldn't get what he wanted.

The divorce wasn't going to happen, and he would become a widower.

Cough, cough!

I suddenly opened my eyes.

It felt like something was sucking my life away, and I could barely breathe. I felt as though I had been run over by a truck due to the pain that radiated from every part of my body.

I was confused as I could feel the bed beneath me.

I remembered my soul had already left my body. How was I back?

Rachel, who had been sitting by my side, let out a cry of joy when she saw me awaken.

"Zoe, you're awake!"

She was crying tears of happiness over my consciousness, and seeing her familiar face stirred something soft in me.

Rachel was my junior by one year during our time as interns. I had taken care of her during the internship, and we had a close relationship.

She had cried on my behalf when she found out that I had given up my promotion for Leon. She had felt that it was a waste for me to do that.

However, I was too consumed by my love for Leon to listen to anyone at that time. I had brushed off all the advice I received.

"Zoe, that jerk didn't believe you were hospitalized! He refused to sign the Critical Care Notification, and the doctors had no choice but to only give you the most basic treatment. You've been in a coma for three days. I thought you weren't going to wake up…" She sobbed.

I wanted to squeeze her hand like I used to do so when she was upset to comfort her, but I couldn't summon the strength.

I knew I didn't have much time left.

Even though I had been pulled back from the edge of death, it felt like my entire body had been hammered repeatedly. Every breath I took pierced my lungs.

I could feel my life slipping away, and I understood that this brief return was just the last radiance of the setting sun. Perhaps that was the reason my soul could return to my body for a short while.

"Where's my phone?" I asked weakly.

Rachel handed it to me and said resentfully, "Zoe, Leon said he wanted a divorce so that he could marry Abigail! How dare he?! Did he forget how he got his position in the first place?!"

I struggled to scroll through the messages that Leon had bombarded me with.

[Zoe, let's end this peacefully. Forget about the house. I'm going to live there with Abigail!]

[Zoe, do you think ignoring me will solve anything? This divorce is definitely happening!]

[Let's get a divorce quickly if you don't want things to turn ugly between us!]

[Fine, we'll split the house equally. Is that good enough for you? Stop holding up my marriage to Abigail!]

[Zoe, I have depression. I can't live without Leon. Please let us be together.]

The last message was from Abigail herself fifteen minutes ago.

[Fine. Let's get it done tomorrow.]

My arm dropped heavily to my side after I sent the message. However, I accidentally tugged at the freshly stitched wounds, and tears welled up in my eyes due to the pain.

If I had the choice, I would also like to free myself from Leon before death came. I wanted nothing but peace.

Unfortunately, I was rushed back into the operating room later that night.

I thought I would finally get some rest, but I suddenly felt a powerful force pushing me out of my body again. I could see myself lying in the hospital bed the next moment. My lips had turned blue, and the heart monitor had flat-lined with urgent beeps.

So, this was it.

It had come a little sooner than I'd expected. I had hoped to free myself from Leon before I died, but my name was still tied to his in the end.

"The patient's organs are ruptured! There's a massive internal bleeding, leading to infection!"

"Her heart isn't beating! Get the defibrillator ready!"

"Someone notify the patient's family!"

I was an orphan.

The only person who could technically be considered family was Leon, and he was likely fast asleep next to Abigail at the moment.

I watched as Rachel wept outside the operating room while frantically trying to reach Leon.

No one answered her calls.

She paced up and down the corridor, sweat forming on her forehead.

Soon, Leon finally answered her call after countless 'The number you are trying to reach is unavailable, please try again later.' responses.

Rachel's eyes were filled with hope instantly.

"Leon! Zoe's condition has worsened, and she's in the operating room! You need to come to sign the papers now!"