I was stunned.

Ethan was still my legal husband when I died. Two years after my death, he had married the culprit who had murdered me, and they even had a baby together.

I was curious, though. I wondered what expression Sophia would have on her face when she saw my corpse after two years. After all, this would mean that the truth behind my death was about to surface.

That fateful afternoon, I was researching a group of virus samples with genetic codes we hadn't deciphered yet.

My superior had told me that the virus was extremely dangerous and that it could survive even in high-temperature environments. Our top priority was to figure out ways to inhibit it.

No one was working at the lab that day. After getting special permission from the leader, I was all alone in the lab as I repeatedly compared the boring data. I was determined to speed up our research progress.

It was then that Sophia entered the lab.

As soon as she walked in, she started shouting and insulting me. She was furious that I had taken Ethan away from her.

With my work interrupted, and for such petty reasons too, I had immediately flown into a rage.

"This is a restricted area. How did you get in?" I had asked.

Noticing that I had my full attention on the test tubes, Sophia announced that she would destroy everything I cared about. Right before my eyes, she flung the test tube rack onto the floor, and the test tubes containing the virus samples instantly shattered.

In an instant, my face had turned pale. Meanwhile, Sophia was still looking gleefully at me.

She had said, "Serves you right for putting on that hardworking front. What are you going to research now, huh?"

I had retorted, "You idiot! Do you know what's inside the test tubes? Those are virus samples of a highly contagious disease! You'll be put behind bars!"

Sophia had looked panicked briefly. She didn't believe it at first, but when she saw my stern expression, she had decisively grabbed the rag on the table and held it tightly against my nose and mouth.

I had been doing research overnight, so I was quite weak then. I had fainted from the diethyl ether on the rag, and my body had slumped onto the floor.

Sophia didn't seem satisfied yet. She had proceeded to hit my head with a hammer until my head caved in. Then, she had finally stood up, exhausted. "I don't care about highly contagious diseases. How dare you take my man from me! I'm already showing you enough mercy as it is!"

To cover up the evidence of her crimes, she had secretly brought in two barrels of gasoline. Then, she had set fire to the whole lab.

My spirit had watched as she slapped herself several times. She had perfectly controlled her strength to look like a pitiful flower destroyed in a storm—broken but still beautiful.

Then, she dialed Ethan's number.

With everyone watching, Sophia had thrown herself into Ethan's arms and sobbed pitifully.

"Ethan, I just wanted to explain to her that nothing is going on between us, but I accidentally saw her putting away the samples and research data. I didn't understand what she was doing, so I asked her a question, but she slapped me! Then, she grabbed some test tubes on the table and ran away!"

The staff members who had rushed over suddenly had stern looks on their faces. They urgently called the leader over the phone.

"Those test tubes contained virus samples of a highly contagious disease!" they had said.

Ethan hugged Sophia as he comforted her. His eyes were filled with worry and care.

I had hovered in the air, looking hopefully at Ethan.

"Will you believe me, Ethan?" I had thought. "Will you clear my name and avenge me?"

With Sophia in his arms, Ethan had put on a cold expression.

He had said, "I can't believe Charlotte would be so bold as to steal those virus samples! Report this case immediately. A researcher named Charlotte Smith was working with foreign powers to steal important samples, and she's currently missing. Go and request an arrest warrant."

The light in my eyes had slowly faded, taking my last shred of hope with it.

With Sophia playing the victim and Ethan defending her, the case was wrapped up with the claim that "Charlotte Smith, a researcher, had turned her back on her duties and betrayed the country". That careless judgment had marked me with a deep disgrace.

No one dared enter the lab to investigate the truth due to the threat of the unknown virus.

The researchers at the lab were ordered to terminate the project due to the leaked virus samples, and the surrounding areas were designated as restricted zones. The site was sealed off entirely, entombing my corpse within it.

Officials had suppressed the information to avoid mass panic, but a month later, the terrifying and highly contagious disease had broken out in the city. It was the most dangerous outbreak the world had ever seen.

Countless lives were lost, and for a time, everyone was at risk.

Several bold journalists had discovered that Ethan was in charge of the case and demanded an explanation from him.

They had intercepted Ethan right at his front door, preventing him from entering or escaping. They had asked Ethan, "Was the virus leak planned? What do you think about the countless deaths caused by the leak? Do you question your professional competence at all?"

It was then that Sophia came running out of the room that had previously belonged to me and Ethan. With tears in her eyes, she hugged Ethan tightly as the journalists watched.

"Please stop blaming Ethan!" Her sobbing was quite convincing, and she had behaved as if she was actually upset because the journalists were making things hard for Ethan.

She had raised her head; her gaze was filled with love as she looked at Ethan. "I'm sorry, Ethan, but I can't just sit by and watch you getting insulted like that!"

Facing the camera, Sophia had a determined look in her eyes, which was further enhanced by the tears in her eyes.

She had claimed, "It was Charlotte Smith, Ethan's ex-wife! She was a researcher in the lab, and she got herself involved with foreign powers. She escaped after stealing the virus samples! Ethan chose justice over his own wife, and he's doing his best to locate her. Please stop making things hard for him!"

With that, she sobbed bitterly and had gone limp. Then, Ethan picked her up and carried her in his arms.

"I'm sorry for my negligence. I didn't expect her to have caused such a huge commotion. I'll find out the truth as soon as possible. Trust me, you'll receive a proper explanation soon!" Ethan promised.

The interview recording was uploaded to major video platforms, and everyone was in an uproar.

They had tried tracking me down, attacking my character and every aspect of my life, while showering Sophia and Ethan with praise for their unwavering love in the face of adversity.

I had watched as my former colleagues cursed me as if they had never known me at all.

"I knew that Charlotte was bad news. She kept trying to show off and even stayed in the lab without permission. Sure enough, she has brought hell upon us!" one of them had said.

Another one had agreed. "Exactly. My teacher said that the disease is the most contagious we've ever seen. We're done for!"

I had wished I could lose my hearing right away so that I wouldn't have to hear the insults from my former comrades.

My poor parents had been innocent their whole lives, and they had taught countless students as well. Yet, in their twilight years, they had to endure scorn and insults because of me.

I couldn't forget my mother sobbing her eyes out in the bedroom as she held my childhood photo in her arms. She had lost her sight from all the crying.

Nor could I forget my father, who had never smoked. He had quietly taken care of my mother during the day and smoked on the balcony at night, and he would smoke until the sun came up.

In the end, they couldn't bear it anymore. They had jumped off a 5-story building.

The users on the internet, who were oblivious to the truth, were still shaming them for raising a traitor, claiming that even death was too light a punishment for them.