Chapter 1

I died that night when my husband, Lucas Sanders, kicked me out of the hotel. I had gone out into the pouring rain to buy a birthday cake for my sister, Roxanne Miller.

The scruffy man dragged me into an alley and kicked my slightly rounded belly again and again. I was six months pregnant.

Maternal instinct made me protect my stomach with everything I had, never letting go even when his kicks fractured the bones in my hands. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the brick wall.

"So you're the slut who seduced Roxanne's husband and got pregnant with his bastard, right?

"You made Roxanne upset, so you deserve to die! You cheap whore! You and that bastard both deserve to die!"

Blood filled my vision. I collapsed on the wet pavement, wanting to cry for help, but the agony had drained every ounce of strength from my body.

Roxanne's husband? That made no sense. Lucas was my husband, and this baby wasn't anyone's bastard!

But I couldn't speak anymore.

He pulled out a knife and cut open my belly, ripping the fully formed child from my womb and dumping the bloody little body on my chest. The baby already had tiny, perfect features.

I never closed my eyes, not even in death. They burned with rage and the bitter refusal to accept this fate.

The heavy rain washed the blood from the concrete. My soul hovered above as I watched him stuff my corpse into a black garbage bag and drag it away.

The dark alley fell silent again, erasing every trace of my murder.

…

I thought my soul would quickly fade away, but instead, a gust of wind carried me to the door of the private room where Lucas was celebrating Roxanne's birthday.

Lucas had his arm wrapped around Roxanne's waist, his eyes so tender they seemed to drip with affection as he carefully slid a ring onto her middle finger.

The group of friends around them erupted in excitement. "Holy shit, isn't that the Aurora ring you dropped a million dollars on at that international auction, Luke? So you were giving it to Roxanne! The romance is making me nauseous."

"So is this just a birthday gift, or are we talking about something more serious here?"

Roxanne's cheeks turned red at their teasing, and she buried her face against Lucas' chest.

"It's whatever you guys want it to be. I don't care what you call it."

Lucas held her protectively, his gaze utterly devoted. "Don't listen to them. You've had too much to drink tonight. I'll get you some coffee to help sober you up, okay?"

Roxanne bit her lip as she looked up at him, eyes sparkling with joy. "Why are you so good to me?"

Lucas kissed her forehead gently. "Because you deserve it."

They looked like such a perfect couple. It seemed like my death, the death of his legitimate wife, hadn't affected anything at all.

A dull ache spread through my chest. I stared at them in a daze, feeling cold all over.

That was supposed to be my husband, but he'd never loved me. His heart belonged entirely to my sister.

I'd loved him humbly for ten years, and now even in death, I had to watch him slip a ring onto his beloved's finger. It was as if fate itself wanted me to see exactly how foolish I'd been.

I knew deep down he'd never loved me, but why did he have to trample on my sincere feelings like this? And Roxanne... What gave her the right to steal my husband so shamelessly?

That man who killed me was just doing her bidding when he butchered me, wasn't he?

Thinking of the agony of my death and the child who could have been born, my eyes burned red with fury. I lunged forward, screaming curses like a madwoman, but my body just passed right through them as they held each other close.

Right. I was already dead. No matter how much rage consumed me, all I could do was watch helplessly.

I floated numbly above the private room, powerless to do anything, unable even to leave. The party dragged on for what felt like hours before finally ending.

Lucas wrapped his arms around Roxanne to help her up, but he frowned when he spotted a smear of cake frosting that hadn't been cleaned from the floor. Roxanne noticed his distraction and followed his gaze. Something flickered in her eyes.

She clutched Lucas' arm tighter, her voice tinged with worry. "Luke, Joanne still hasn't come back. What if something happened to her? Maybe you should call and check on her?"

Then she lowered her head with fake guilt, her voice turning pitiful. "She probably just misunderstood about the cake. I shouldn't have sent her out to buy another one.

"She must be angry with me. That's why she won't come back."

Lucas had been reaching for his phone, but his hand froze. His expression turned cold and hard. "What right does she have to be angry? She's the one who ruined your birthday."

His tone was full of disgust and impatience. "Don't worry about her. What could possibly happen to her? She's just throwing a tantrum to spite me. Let her sulk all she wants.

"She's always trying to compete with you for everything. She just doesn't know her place."

Those icy words stabbed into my heart one by one like sharp icicles. I opened my mouth, then suddenly found it almost funny.

So he thought I was throwing a tantrum and ruining his precious darling's perfect birthday? But he'd forgotten something. Today was my birthday too.

Roxanne had called me that afternoon, telling me Lucas had prepared a surprise for me. When I heard the news, my heart practically leaped out of my chest with joy.

In three years of marriage, he'd never given me so much as a kind look. No matter how desperately I tried to please him, he always looked at me with disgust.

I thought maybe now that I was pregnant, he was finally ready to accept me. So when I walked into that private room and saw the cake decorated with little hearts, I was so excited I could barely believe it was real.

My hands shook as I carefully inserted the candles and lit them. When Lucas walked in with Roxanne, I was still planning to look up at him with a smile and say thank you.

But the next second, Lucas clenched his fists and said viciously, "What the hell are you doing here? Who gave you permission to touch that cake?"

He went ballistic and smashed the cake to the floor. Frosting splattered all over me, and then his hands were around my throat.

The cake was for Roxanne. He'd never intended to celebrate my birthday at all. I wasn't even worth an afterthought.

"Joanne, you make me sick! Why do you have to steal everything from Roxanne, even her birthday?

"You think sleeping with me and getting knocked up gives you the right to do whatever you want? I wish you would just die!

"Get the hell out of here and buy Roxanne a new cake! And if you can't find one, don't bother coming back!"

So there I was, covered head to toe in frosting, humiliated as he shoved me out of the room. Roxanne watched me leave with that mocking look in her eyes, as if to say, "See? Even though you married him, he still thinks you're worth nothing."

As I left, she nestled pitifully against Lucas' chest, her eyes red with fake tears. "Luke, I invited Joanne over so we could celebrate our birthdays together. After all, we're practically sisters.

"But why does she hate me so much? I really do want us to get along..."

Lucas held her close, comforting her while shooting me a look full of pure hatred. That was the last time he'd ever look at me. In that moment, I could tell he genuinely wished I would drop dead.

But I didn't want him to hate me. He used to say he'd marry me when we grew up. How did everything change so completely?

I went out into the rain to find a cake. Every bakery was closed at 10:00 pm, but I struggled from store to store, protecting my belly and checking even the tiniest shops.

Then that man told me he knew a private baker who could make a rush order for me. I believed him and let him lead me into that alley, where I died on my 24th birthday.

So Lucas got his wish after all. I wondered what his expression would be like when he found out I was dead.

Chapter 2

My soul still couldn't leave. I followed him out of the private room and back home. It was midnight, but the living room lights were still on.

Confused, I followed Lucas inside and saw a cold dinner spread and a droopy birthday cake sitting on the dining table. Nancy Patterson sat at the table, looking tired with her eyes closed.

"Grandma?" Lucas frowned. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Nancy woke up and looked puzzled when she saw he'd come home alone. "Where's Joanne? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Lucas' expression darkened when his grandmother asked about me. "She's throwing a tantrum. Don't worry about her. You should get some sleep."

"Today's her birthday. What did you do to upset her this time?"

Nancy grew agitated. "Even if she had a fight with you, she wouldn't ignore my calls or texts like this!

"I sent her so many messages telling her I made her favorite cake, but she won't respond. Something must have happened to her!"

Seeing Nancy's hands shake with worry, my nose stung with emotion. I couldn't help floating over to try to take her hand.

But then I remembered people saying ghosts carried negative energy that was bad for the living, so I instinctively stepped back. I didn't want Nancy to get sick.

When the Miller family took me back from the orphanage, everyone thought I was too timid and awkward to be a proper Miller family heiress. They all preferred the well-educated, gentle, and obedient adopted daughter, Roxanne.

Only Nancy was different. The moment she saw me, she grabbed my hands with tears in her eyes, saying I must have endured so much hardship. She told me about the arranged marriage between Lucas and me that had been decided before we were born.

I adored Nancy and wanted to be her granddaughter-in-law. When I discovered Lucas was the same boy who'd been trapped with me in that burning house years ago, I looked forward to marrying him even more.

However, the Miller family actually wanted Roxanne to marry into the Sanders family, and Lucas also wanted to marry Roxanne, the girl who'd grown up with him as his childhood sweetheart.

But Nancy had insisted on me. She said I was the true Miller family heiress, which was how I became Mrs. Sanders.

Seeing her so worried, I felt like someone was squeezing my heart in their fist, the pain sharp and suffocating. When they found my body, they'd probably hide it from Nancy, wouldn't they?

I didn't want her health to get worse because of what happened to me.

When Lucas heard Nancy's concerns, his expression grew even more mocking. "She just wants you to worry about her, and she wants to force me to give in and apologize.

"What's the point of you spoiling her like this? She runs away from home over the smallest thing, not even caring if she makes you sick with worry.

"Just ignore her. When she's done with her tantrum, she'll come crawling back. I'd like to see what other drama she can pull!"

He then turned to head upstairs.

Nancy's chest heaved with rage. "You bastard! She's your wife! That's your child in her belly!"

Lucas' expression remained cold. "I never wanted her as my wife, and I don't want that child either. She's the one who shamelessly drugged me. Otherwise, I never would've touched her."

After saying that, he went straight upstairs. Nancy trembled with fury, gripping her walking stick like she wanted to throw it at him. Looking at all the food on the table, her eyes filled with tears again.

"Joanne would never run away just to worry me. She's such a kind young lady. You're the only one too blind to appreciate her!

"Please God, keep our Joanne safe..."

She shakily stood up and had the housekeeper call me again. Margaret Thompson dialed my number, and the phone rang for a long time with no answer.

Margaret comforted Nancy for a while before finally coaxing her upstairs to rest. I waited until I saw Nancy take her medicine and fall asleep before floating to Lucas' room.

Surprisingly, he wasn't asleep yet. He sat restlessly in his study, smoking with one hand while gripping his phone with the other.

Looking at the smoke filling the room, I drifted closer to peek at his screen. It was our WhatsApp chat open. He was trying to call me, the ringtone playing for a long time with no one picking up.

All these years, Lucas had never failed to reach me by phone.

I'd answer when I was working, I'd answer when I was in the shower. Even if he called at 2:00 am after landing from a flight and demanded I pick him up, I'd answer instantly and jump out of bed to get ready.

So his expression visibly darkened even more. He tried calling again. When I still didn't pick up, Lucas crushed his cigarette violently in the ashtray, stood up, and swept everything off his desk onto the floor.

"Joanne Miller, if you don't come back right now, then don't ever come back! Don't think I'm going to grovel and beg you to come home!

"If you're not here first thing tomorrow morning, we're getting divorced! I won't acknowledge that bastard you got pregnant with by climbing into my bed!"

He probably thought seeing a message like that would make me come running home obediently. After all, I used to be terrified whenever he mentioned divorce.

But now, looking at those words on the screen and his cold, furious face, I just wanted to slap him. It was bad enough that he hated me, but now he was calling our child a bastard too.

How could I have loved such a piece of trash for so long?

Lucas thought the baby was something I'd schemed to get by seducing him, a way to secure my position as Mrs. Sanders. But that night, he was the one who'd been drugged and forced himself on me.

He showed me no mercy. I felt nothing besides pain. I cried and begged him to let me go, but it was useless.

It was ridiculous. The only time we were ever intimate, he was calling out Roxanne's name.

"Divorce? Fine, let's get divorced. I won't let you threaten me with it anymore."

I stared at him calmly. "When you find me, you won't have a wife anymore either."

He seemed to sense something and glanced in my direction, staring for a long moment without saying anything. I met his gaze, feeling strangely peaceful.

Perhaps it was because I was already dead. Whatever he did didn't matter to me anymore.

He quickly looked away and went to his bedroom to rest. But just as he lay down, his phone rang. It was Roxanne calling.

He answered immediately, his voice turning gentle. "What's wrong, Roxanne?"

I couldn't make out what Roxanne was saying on the other end, but I could hear her crying.

Lucas clenched his fist, his face going pale. "Wait for me. I'm coming right now."

Chapter 3

I watched him quickly throw on his clothes and leave the room. His eyes were red with fury, his fists clenched so tight the veins bulged. He was in his car and gone within minutes.

The whole way there, he kept calling me with his jaw locked tight. He seemed absolutely livid.

When I still didn't answer after multiple attempts, he suddenly snapped and smashed his phone against the car window. "Joanne! You deserve to die!

"You'd better not come back at all! If you do come back, I'll make your life hell!"

What had I done now? Roxanne called him, so how could that possibly have anything to do with me? Watching him rage like this just left me completely baffled.

But suddenly, I remembered what that man who killed me had said about helping Roxanne get revenge. Could Roxanne have known what happened to me and had called Lucas about it? Then why was he acting like this?

Filled with confusion, I followed him all the way to Roxanne's apartment building.

Lucas ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. Roxanne's door was open, and there was a blood-soaked cardboard box on the floor with a printed note taped to it.

"A gift for Ms. Roxanne, from Joanne."

Even though I was just a spirit now, I could smell that thick, metallic scent of blood. What the hell was inside that box?

Roxanne's face was deathly pale. When she saw Lucas arrive, she immediately threw herself into his arms. "Luke, I'm so scared...

"I don't know what Joanne sent me. I was too afraid to open it. Is she home right now?"

Her eyes were red with tears as she clung to Lucas' neck, looking innocent and pitiful. Lucas' expression grew even more furious. He carried her in his arms and gently placed her on the couch before moving to open the box.

When the cardboard opened, his hands suddenly trembled, and he nearly dropped the "contents" on the floor. Tears began streaming down my face when I saw what was inside.

It was my child with Lucas!

The baby's eyes were tightly closed as he lay curled up in that cold cardboard box. His umbilical cord had been brutally torn apart, and blood mixed with rainwater had soaked through the bottom of the box.

That deranged animal had actually sent my child's body here like this!

Heart-wrenching pain spread through me. I wished I could become a vengeful spirit and hunt down the person who killed me!

Lucas stared at the mangled child and staggered to his knees. "Joanne! How could you do this?"

His eyes were bloodshot, his whole body shaking, but he didn't dare touch the child. Roxanne seemed to realize what she was looking at. She glanced over and nearly collapsed.

"Luke, did Joanne abort the baby?"

She covered her mouth, choking back sobs. "That was your own flesh and blood. It was already six months along. How could she be so heartless?"

Lucas' chest heaved as he redialed my number. Hearing the busy tone, he completely lost it and called his assistant, Timothy Johnson.

"Find her! Search every hospital in the city! Bring that woman back to me! I want her to suffer a fate worse than death!"

A fate worse than death? I'd been missing for so long, and that was all Lucas had to say.

"Luke, what should we do about... this?" Roxanne tremblingly pointed at the box beside them, her voice still carrying that fragile, tearful tone.

"Throw it away!"

I couldn't control myself anymore. I floated beside him, watching in despair.

"But still, this was a human life. Luke, isn't this wrong?" She spoke with a tone of compassion while gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Roxanne, you're still so kind-hearted. This whole mess isn't even your fault, yet you're still thinking about these things."

I clenched my fists when I heard Roxanne's fake sympathy. I wished I could drag her down with me.

"Dump it in the mountains! I want to see how long that woman thinks she can hide from me!"

With his command, several men carried the bloodstained box away. I wanted one last look at my child, but I couldn't escape this space no matter how hard I tried.

I fell to my knees in despair and watched helplessly as their figures disappeared. When I turned back around, Roxanne had already nestled into Lucas' arms.

"Luke, after everything that happened today, I feel so unsettled."

"Don't be scared. I'm right here, aren't I? I'll stay with you tonight." Lucas pulled Roxanne close, his voice gentle and soothing.

I laughed bitterly. I'd never seen him look so tender. He always had that hateful glare paired with his vicious tone when he was around me.

"Let's go get a drink. We didn't get to properly celebrate my birthday earlier," Roxanne suggested.

Lucas nodded, seeming lost in thought about something. I followed them to a bar. The loud music grated on my nerves, but I had no way to leave.

"Try this one. I heard it's the bar's new signature drink. It's called 'Lost in Love,'" Roxanne said as she blushed shyly, but Lucas seemed preoccupied and didn't notice.

He grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp, then slammed it hard on the table. The sound made my spirit tremble, and Roxanne jumped too.

She wrapped her arms around his, asking softly, "Luke, are you still angry with Joanne?"

"Why waste energy being angry at someone like that?" Lucas snorted coldly and reached for another drink, tilting his head back to drain it completely.

"Drink slower. Didn't you say you'd keep me company?" Roxanne pouted playfully.

"You're right, that's my fault. Tonight I'll drink however much you want, and then I'll take you home." He gently cupped Roxanne's face, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

I laughed at myself mockingly. Why the hell was I being forced to watch this intimate, flirtatious display? The whole situation felt surreal.

"I need to use the restroom."

The constant stream of alcohol was getting to Lucas. He stood up and left. When he got up, I found myself stuck in place, which meant I could see exactly what Roxanne was planning to do.

Suddenly, Lucas' phone on the table lit up. It was a call from the police station.

Chapter 4

I watched helplessly as Roxanne hung up the phone and deleted the call record, a chill running through me.

Just how terrified was she of my body being discovered?

When Lucas returned, he kept drinking heavily. His eyes quickly grew glazed from the alcohol.

Seeing he was drunk, Roxanne hesitantly spoke up, "Maybe... you could stay at my place tonight?"

He paused, hesitated for a long moment, then shook his head. "I'll take you home."

I drifted closer to him, somewhat puzzled. How weird. A beautiful woman was throwing herself at him, and with me out of the picture as an obstacle, why was he suddenly holding back?

"Your injuries haven't healed yet. I can't touch you right now." Lucas found what seemed like a reasonable excuse.

Injuries? From that car accident?

How ridiculous. I was clearly the most tragic victim in all of this, but aside from Nancy, no one cared about me at all.

For some reason, I found myself thinking about a cold hospital bed and that person. If Gabriel Dutton hadn't found those specialists back then, I probably never would have been able to get pregnant with this child.

Thinking of Gabriel now, I felt nothing but guilt. Back when I was desperate to marry Lucas, I said so many cruel things to Gabriel. I never expected he'd still be willing to help me.

…

After Lucas left Roxanne's place, I followed him again. He sat in the car, staring blankly outside for a long time without telling the driver, James Wells, to go anywhere.

Just as James was about to ask where to go, Lucas' voice shot up an octave. "Drive!"

It startled me too.

When we got home, he was completely wasted. James struggled to get him back to his room, and the moment he left, Lucas started shouting my name.

"Joanne, get your ass out here! I want water!"

I sneered coldly. Even at a time like this, he still wanted to boss me around and have me take care of him. Too bad his personal nanny was already lying dead in some alley.

After yelling throughout the house for a while, he collapsed on the couch alone. He looked around and seemed to finally understand that I truly hadn't come back.

"Joanne, just you wait. When you come back, I'm going to make you pay!"

Hearing his threats, I smiled indifferently and drifted closer to him, my eyes dark as I stared at him. "Sure, Lucas. I'll be waiting for you right here.

"Once you die, I'll make you pay for what you did to me and our child!"

…

The next day, I was woken by a commotion. Through my haze, I thought I saw Gabriel breaking down the door. Before I could process what was happening, he'd already grabbed Lucas by the collar and yanked him off the bed.

Then his fist connected with Lucas' face. The punch instantly sobered Lucas up, blood streaming from his nose.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Gabriel still had Lucas by the collar, shoving him against the wall. He was livid.

"Joanne's been missing for an entire day, and you're here sleeping off a hangover? Aren't you worried something happened to her?"

"Something happened? What could possibly happen to someone like her?" Lucas scoffed dismissively.

Gabriel's face turned ice-cold. He hauled Lucas up again as he snarled through gritted teeth. "The police have been calling you all night. Why didn't you answer?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Lucas' eyes, and he blurted out, "The police? When did they…

"Oh, that's just perfect. Joanne's really going all out to ruin my reputation, isn't she?"

Gabriel's voice dropped dangerously low. "Lucas, if you don't love her, then just get divorced."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lucas looked stunned by the question, and I found myself staring at Gabriel with complicated feelings.

"Let go of me, damn it! You'd better explain yourself!"

Lucas struggled desperately, but Gabriel was stronger. He kept his grip on Lucas' collar and dragged him toward the door like he was hauling a sack of potatoes.

…

"Are you family members of Joanne Miller?" The police officer asked some basic questions.

"Yes, I'm her husband," Lucas replied impatiently.

"Your wife has been missing for a day. Why didn't you come to file a report?" The officer frowned as he flipped through his files.

Lucas snorted dismissively. "Running away is nothing new for her. She just does it to get my attention."

He said it so casually that I felt a chill run through me.

"To get your attention? Sounds like you two have some marital problems." The officer turned to Gabriel. "And you're a friend of Joanne's?"

Gabriel spoke urgently. "Yes, and I want to file a missing person's report."

"File a report? That's not necessary. I don't have time to keep playing these games with her."

Chapter 5

With that, Lucas turned to leave.

Gabriel blocked his path and said coldly, "We're not done here. Where do you think you're going?"

The two men squared off. Seeing they were about to come to blows in the police station, the officer rapped on his desk.

"This is a police station! Sir, I need you to confirm whether you want to file a report or not."

"No. It's not worth the trouble," Lucas said flatly.

"Alright, but if she doesn't come home today, you'd better file that report. Otherwise, you'll miss the critical window for finding her."

The officer tried to give Lucas some parting advice as they left, but Lucas brushed him off completely.

Outside the station, Gabriel's anger finally boiled over. "You married Joanne. Why can't you treat her better?"

Lucas smirked. "I don't love her. Why should I be nice to her? Do you want me to fake it for the rest of my life?"

I stood between them, staring at Lucas. Despair filled my eyes. I was disgusted with myself, furious at the choices I'd made.

"If you don't love her, why marry her? You could have walked away after that night."

He meant that awful night. I didn't understand it then. Even now, I still don't get why Lucas acted like he'd take responsibility when he could have just forced me to get an abortion.

"That's rich coming from you. Why didn't you step up and take her yourself?"

I couldn't believe he'd say something so vile. In his mind, I was just some woman who'd sleep with anyone.

"Joanne loved you completely. She even sacrificed everything for you..." Gabriel cut himself off.

"Sacrificed what? What else don't I know?" Lucas asked, suddenly interested.

"Never mind. There's no point now. Just find her and divorce her. I'll help with the kid."

Right now, Gabriel still didn't know I was dead. This friend who'd always been willing to stand by me had done everything he could.

"What kid? That heartless woman already killed the baby. Didn't you know?" Lucas' face darkened when he brought this up, as if I'd destroyed something that belonged to him.

"She didn't just abort it. She sent the corpse to Roxanne."

Gabriel's mouth twitched when he heard this, his face going pale. "That's impossible. Something terrible must've happened to her."

Gabriel's eyes reddened as he stepped back, like he couldn't handle such devastating news.

"Only a fool like you would think Joanne is some innocent angel. I don't want to waste any more time on this. If you want to find her, do it yourself and stop bothering me."

Lucas turned away coldly. I watched him suddenly pause and glance in my direction before looking back at Gabriel.

"And don't come looking for me again until that woman comes back. I don't want to hear anything about her."

I used to think this man had at least a shred of humanity left. I never imagined he could be so ruthless. Meanwhile, Gabriel said nothing, as if the life had been drained out of him.

I closed my eyes, waiting for Lucas to pull me away. In that moment, I felt my spirit slowly dissolving. An indescribable pain was washing over my entire being.

Was I finally going to be free?

The thought of leaving this world completely made me wonder what was waiting for me next. But the next second, I was back to normal.

I figured maybe someone had found my body, so I couldn't leave yet. Perhaps only when my corpse completely disappeared from this world would I truly be free.

When I opened my eyes again, Lucas was already gone. I stared at his retreating figure, feeling utterly confused. He'd left, so why was I still here?

I tried to follow him, but I couldn't move from where I stood. It felt like some force was holding me back, preventing me from catching up.

So I stayed behind with Gabriel. What was happening? Could some mysterious power be guiding me to say goodbye to someone more important?

"Joanne, you're such a fool."

After a long silence, I heard that weary sigh. Gabriel sat on the curb, head down, murmuring to himself.

He was right. I really was a fool. If I'd listened to advice back then, maybe I'd still be living freely now.

"If you can find me, please help me leave this world completely. Please."

I placed my hand on his shoulder, my transparent fingers hovering in the air. Seeing this, I smiled bitterly at myself.

"Joanne, where are you?" The man looked up, tears glistening on his face.

Gabriel and I were just friends, yet he was crying for me. Then I thought about my husband, that husband in name only. He just saw me as a burden.

Watching Gabriel's eyes redden with worry for me, I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't say anything. All I could do was stand there and listen.

After pulling himself together, he turned to leave. I thought I'd be stuck in the same spot, but an invisible force pushed me to follow Gabriel. I found myself trailing behind his car.

What was going on? Could someone actually control my soul?

Even though I was dead now, this feeling of being manipulated gave me the chills. Getting into the car with Gabriel, I watched him make call after call.

"I told you to call the police and search every inch of this city. How is there still nothing? If you can't find her, you're all fired!"

This was the first time I'd ever seen him this furious. In my memory, he'd always been gentle and composed.

After hanging up, he threw his phone right out the car window. Seeing him fall apart like this made my heart ache.

Suddenly, he floored the gas pedal, and I instinctively grabbed for the seat back. My hand passed right through it. I was surprised that even as a spirit, I could still feel startled.

I stayed by his side as we drove back to his house. Just like I remembered from the past, nothing had changed here.

He sat on the couch, staring blankly and lost in thought. I drifted aimlessly around his house, not knowing what to do with myself.

When I was starting to get bored, he suddenly stood up and walked over to his bookshelf to press a button. The bookcase split apart on both sides.

I had no idea he had a secret room in his house!