Chapter 2

The rest remained a blur.

My spirit drifted out of the ambulance, weaving through the crowd until I found Samuel.

Inside the luxury ward, Aubrey looked anxious, her lower lip trembling. "Samuel, do you think Michelle will be okay? I saw how angry she was... I just wanted to explain, but I didn't mean to have a panic attack..."

Guilt etched her face, tears pooling in her eyes.

Samuel brushed away her tears, pulling her gently into his arms. "She'll be fine. Michelle's always been tough as nails. Nothing keeps her down."

Aubrey still looked terrified. "But today's your wedding day. It's all my fault for being so weak. Maybe I should go apologize to her."

She sniffled, wiping her nose. "I don't want you and Michelle to fight because of me."

Just then, another of Samuel's assistants burst in, flustered and out of breath. "Mr. Evans, word from the police. The flower archway you set up for Ms. Summers is blocking the main road.

"An ambulance is stuck, carrying a car crash victim in critical condition. They need the road cleared immediately. We're working on it, but..."

Before he could finish, Aubrey's eyes filled with more tears. "Was that archway for me... But I never got to see it..."

Her voice cracked, fragile and hurt. At Aubrey's words, Samuel cut the assistant off with a sharp gesture. "Don't clear it."

"But..." The assistant hesitated.

"But what?" Samuel scoffed, his tone dismissive. "Tell the hospital to send a helicopter to pick up the patient. Problem solved. I'll cover every cent of the cost."

The assistant hesitated, his expression uneasy. "But round-trip, the patient might not hold on. If something happens, it could damage Evans Corp's reputation."

Samuel smiled coldly, brushing off the concern, "So what? We still have Michelle. She's the top lawyer in the city. Besides, we're getting married soon. Evans Corp will be our joint property; she'll clean this mess up.

"I'm staying with Aubrey now. Don't bother me with anything, not even Michelle.

"Otherwise, pack your things and get out. Take her with you."

The assistant tried to argue, but he finally sighed and left, defeated.

I floated beside them, blinking back cold liquid from my eyes.

Whether blood or tears, I couldn't tell.

So, Samuel had no idea I was dying.

He'd counted on me to fix this, but I couldn't anymore.

Still, Evans Corp's legal team would sweep everything under the rug. Even my death.

A sharp, piercing sadness washed over me, heavy and unrelenting.

Over the next few days, Samuel never left Aubrey's side, even handling work from her hospital room.

Nothing was too much for her: he bought her a private island when she mentioned wanting a home of her own, even purchased a star in her name after she said, "The universe is eternal; I want something eternal too."

I couldn't help but let out a wry laugh.

Samuel was far wealthier than I'd ever realized, no longer the struggling, pitiful man I'd first met, the one everyone walked all over.

But late at night, after tucking Aubrey in, he'd pull out his phone and stare at our chat, a faint look of confusion in his eyes.

I knew what he was thinking. I'd loved him with every fiber of my being, never going more than a few hours without contacting him.

Even when we fought over Aubrey, I'd cave and apologize within half a day.

Days had passed without a single word from me, and it was eating at him.

He hesitated for a long moment, then typed: [Once Aubrey's condition stabilizes, I'll go with you to get our marriage license. What was that surprise you mentioned?]

That was when I saw our last conversation, from days earlier.

My text stared back at me: [I have a surprise for you on our wedding day.]

A sharp pain shot through my head, like a knife twisting in a wound.

Something important was missing, hovering just out of reach, but I couldn't grasp it.

After a long while, Samuel stood up and walked to the balcony, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

Instinctively, I reached out to take it from him. "Don't smoke. It's bad for you."

My fingers passed right through the cigarette, and I froze.

I gave a wry smile. I was already dead.

Old habits died hard. Even as a ghost, I still found myself worrying about him instinctively.

Samuel's expression was cold as he took a deep drag, dialing his assistant's number, a hint of unspoken restlessness in his voice. "If Michelle causes a scene these days, stop her. Don't let her come to the hospital and disturb Aubrey's recovery. She can wait."

The assistant hesitated on the other end. "Ms. Stone hasn't contacted you lately. She—"

But Samuel hung up before he could finish, his jaw tight.

He glanced at our chat one last time, blocked me in a fit of pique, then shut off his phone entirely.

Once, this would have terrified me. I'd have begged, pleaded, done anything to find him, apologize, and get him to unblock me.

But now, I stood in front of him, my voice a whisper. "Samuel, I won't come looking for you anymore. I don't love you. I hate you. I hate you for costing me my life. I curse you."

Suddenly, A bolt of lightning crashed across the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap that jolted Aubrey awake. She screamed, "Samuel!"

Samuel tossed the cigarette aside, rushing back to the room to wrap his arms around the trembling Aubrey. "It's okay. I'm here. You're safe."

I trembled, too. I was afraid of thunder, too.

But Samuel had never stayed with me during storms. Every time, he'd leave me alone, running straight to Aubrey.

I'd argued with him, but he'd always snap, "Why are you fighting over a sick person? Can't you be more understanding?"