Chapter 3
His eyes flickered with a mix of emotions before he carefully tucked the pen into the inner pocket of his jacket.
Back at the office, one of the employees told Curtis that I hadn't shown up for days and hadn't handed in a single project plan for the collaboration.
Curtis's face went cold. He snatched up his phone and dialed my number, furious.
But nobody answered.
For the first time ever, he exploded in front of his staff. He jumped to his feet and sent all the papers on his desk flying in a fit of rage.
In the end, he fired me for skipping work and put Juliet, who had never done a project plan before, in my spot.
Back in the office, Curtis finally gave in to Juliet's charms. They held each other tight and kissed passionately.
They tangled together on the desk and in the chair, lost in each other like a pair of lovers in the throes of a new romance.
Watching them, I couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust rising inside me.
Instinctively, I touched my slightly rounded belly, a crushing sense of worthlessness washing over me.
I was almost two months pregnant, hoping to surprise Curtis. But now, it felt like both me and my unborn child were headed for a tragic end.
For the next few days, Curtis seemed totally lost, texting me over and over, asking where I was.
Maybe he finally came to his senses after everything that happened. His messages kept coming, each one more humble and desperate, practically begging me to come back.
Like I'd ever reply to him.
"Honey, what are you thinking about?" Juliet asked.
At some point, Juliet had come over, her belly already starting to show, just like mine had.
It hadn't even been two weeks since I died, and she was pregnant too.
She looked absolutely radiant, happy all over her face, and not a hint of the so-called terminal illness she claimed to have.
But Curtis was totally oblivious, acting like he couldn't see any of it.
When Juliet spoke up, Curtis jumped like he had been caught red-handed, scrambling to exit our chat.
He turned around, reaching out to hug Juliet, but his gaze caught the bracelet on her wrist.
"Isn't that Harley's bracelet? How did you end up with it?" Curtis asked.
"Oh? What a coincidence. I saw it while I was out shopping and thought it looked pretty, so I bought it," Juliet said.
Curtis frowned.
Curtis gave me that bracelet when we were in college. It wasn't anything fancy, but I treasured it and wore it every single day.
Juliet's eyes darted nervously, and she rushed to change the subject. "Honey, we're supposed to celebrate my pregnancy tonight. My parents have dinner ready at home. Let's go, okay?"
I watched them walk away, instinctively touching my empty wrist.
After I died, the crooks took off with my bracelet.
Now that I saw the exact same bracelet on Juliet's wrist, there was no way I was buying the whole "a coincidence" story. Was Juliet somehow involved in my death?
"Curtis, Juliet's risking her life to give you a child. You better treat that kid right," my mom said.
"You need to take good care of Juliet," my dad added, worry etched on his face.
At the dinner table, my parents looked at Juliet, her face looking a bit gaunt, and tears welled up in their eyes out of heartbreak for her.
Curtis smiled and nodded, reassuring them with his promises.
To keep Juliet in good spirits, no one at the table dared to mention my disappearance.
Suddenly, someone started banging on the door, fast and urgent.
Curtis's eyes lit up instantly. He dashed to the door, beating everyone else to it.
He was convinced that after hearing Juliet was pregnant, I'd come home, forget all the bad blood, and join the family celebration.