Chapter 1

Eight years after my husband Ethan died, I finally agreed to the blind date my sister arranged.

Before the date, I went to the salon for a new hairstyle and bought a new dress at the mall.

My sister had set fire to Ethan's belongings.

I ignored my burns and snatched our wedding rings from the flames.

I held the rings and arrived at the restaurant where I was supposed to meet my blind date, Noah.

Through the glass window, I saw Noah chatting with a friend.

When Noah lowered his head, I caught a clear view of his friend's face.

In that instant, I nearly stopped breathing.

That man was Ethan—the same Ethan I had pushed into the cremation furnace with my own hands.

And beside him sat a woman with a stunning figure, clinging close to him.

I didn't have the courage to push open the door. I leaned silently against the wall, listening to the conversation inside.

"Noah, the woman you're meeting is already half an hour late. You think she stood you up?"

That voice—I would never forget it, even in death.

It was Ethan. My Ethan, the one I'd missed desperately for eight years.

But why was he still alive? And why was there a woman I didn't recognize sitting beside him?

Why hadn't he come back to find me all these years? Why hadn't he told me he wasn't dead?

Too many questions clogged my chest until it felt suffocating.

Then another voice spoke—Noah's.

"Women like to dress up. It's natural for them to take a little longer."

Then Noah changed the subject.

"Ethan, I really envy you. You married a beautiful woman like Ivy and she even gave you such an adorable son. You two must have been together for many years."

Ethan's cheerful voice drifted out.

"Ivy and I have been together for nine years."

How ridiculous.

For the past eight years, not only had Ethan not died—he'd gotten married and had a child with someone else.

He'd been living carefree in a world I knew nothing about, while I'd nearly lost half my life from missing him.

Eight years ago, one rainy night, I'd insisted on having pizza.

Even though the rain was pouring, Ethan grabbed an umbrella and went out without hesitation.

I curled up on the couch, but instead of pizza, I received news that he'd died in a car accident.

By the time I arrived at the scene, his car had burned to a hollow shell. The downpour had doused the flames, leaving only a few streams of foul-smelling black smoke.

Ethan in the driver's seat was burned beyond recognition. If not for the wedding ring on his left hand, I wouldn't have been able to identify him at all.

In the years that followed, I drowned in endless guilt.

I kept thinking.

If only I hadn't insisted on pizza that night.

If only I'd gone out with him.

If only... Ethan were still alive.

I turned gray overnight at such a young age. I became a shell of myself.

I gave up my social life, quit my job, and locked myself indoors all day.

Ethan's death turned my life completely upside down.

If my sister hadn't pulled me out of that abyss, I probably wouldn't exist in this world anymore.

Tears fell heavily onto the ground. My sobbing finally drew the attention of those inside.

Noah slowly opened the door and looked surprised to see me.

"What happened? Did something go wrong on your way here?"

I shook my head and followed him inside.

Noah stood by my side, staring at my red, swollen hands.

"If you don't treat those wounds, they might get infected."

I tucked my hands behind my back, my gaze locked onto Ethan's face.

That face I'd missed day and night now appeared before me like something from a dream.

"Ethan, you lied to me so cruelly."

Ethan looked equally shocked. Disbelief flashed in his eyes.

"You're Noah's blind date?"