Breakup Year Four: My ex-girlfriend, Nora, finally located my home after a long search. Back when her mother passed away, her father remarried, and her stepmother made her life unbearable, I left her. She resented me deeply for it. But when she opened the door, it wasn’t me she saw—it was my daughter. Nora assumed I had anticipated her visit and was hiding, so she vented her anger on my daughter, hitting and yelling at her. My daughter suffered an asthma attack and was barely hanging on. Meanwhile, Nora stood there with the inhaler, laughing hysterically. “Theo, if you don’t come out now, your little bastard is going to die!” What she didn’t know was that I had been dead for four years. Nora was trying on wedding dresses when she got the call. Without looking back, she got into the car. “Drive faster! Even faster!” The fury she had suppressed for years surged with every press of the gas pedal. Today was supposed to be the day she and her childhood friend, Finn, took their wedding photos. But a phone call pulled her away, leading her to a grimy alley in the north part of town. Despite the scorching summer heat, Nora ignored the unbearable stench, letting her pristine wedding dress brush against the filthy garbage. She stood before a rusty iron door, and before she could knock, it swung open on its own. It was my seven-year-old daughter, Hazel. Hazel timidly held a bag of cans and asked, “Pretty Auntie, who are you looking for?” Nora brushed off Hazel’s question, barged in, and accidentally knocked over the cans. After searching in vain, she seized Hazel by the collar, her eyes blazing with anger. “Where’s Theo? Where is he? Tell him to come out and face me.” Hazel’s face flushed red as she struggled to break free, especially after hearing my name. I was desperate to stop it all but couldn’t do anything. I forgot—I was dead, just a wisp of a spirit now, helpless. Seeing the face of the woman I once loved now twisted by hatred was like a knife to my heart. “Bad Auntie, why are you looking for my dad?” Hearing this, Nora released Hazel’s collar, shocked, before bursting into laughter at Hazel’s face. “Dad?” “So you’re the little bastard Theo had with another woman behind my back.” “I’m not a bastard! I’m not!” Hazel cried out. Hazel was young but very sensible. I found her by chance in a park when she was only three years old. She had big eyes and sat quietly, watching people pass by. Seeing how pitiful she was, I insisted on adopting her. I tried to give Hazel the best of everything, but everything changed after I died. Now Hazel wore a dirty floral dress, her face smudged like a little flower cat, and she reeked from collecting cans to exchange for money. After a while, Finn, Nora’s impeccably dressed fiancé, showed up at the door. “Nora, this place is filthy. Why are you here? Let’s go back.” “Let go of me! After four years, I’ve finally found Theo. I must see him today!” Finn shook Nora’s shoulders, his tone filled with exasperation. “Why are you still thinking about him? Have you forgotten what he did to you? Why bother seeing a heartless jerk like him?” Yes, the heartless jerk they’re talking about is me. Now Nora is a renowned designer in the jewelry world, but behind her glamorous facade lies a past she can’t erase. I broke up with her when her mom died, her dad remarried, and her stepmother was making her life hell, using my infidelity as an excuse. Luckily, she made it through the tough times. Now she wants to find me, humiliate me, and crush me underfoot, making me regret my past decisions. After all, she hates me to death.
“Get Theo out here to see me!” Nora kicked over a kettle on the floor, scalding Hazel’s arm with hot water. I floated in front of Hazel, trying to shield her, but it was futile. “Brat, if you don’t tell me where Theo is, I’ll beat you to death!” “Does he dare to do what he did but not face it now?” Hazel cried out in pain, pushing Nora hard, shouting, “You’re a bad person, go away.” The child’s heart-wrenching cries made my heart ache. Nora tightly gripped Hazel’s arm, scoffing, “Bad person?” “The bad one is your cowardly dad. Even a dog would protect its owner, but Theo just screamed at me.” Hazel’s big, round eyes widened, her little mouth stubbornly retorting. “Bad Auntie, don’t insult my dad!” “When your dad was with me, he cheated and had you, a little bastard. Do you think your family is any good?” “Look at what you’re wearing, where you live. It’s karma. No wonder he doesn’t want to see me.” Standing in the shadows, listening to Nora’s insults, I knew she would hate me, but I didn’t expect it to be so deep. Listening to Nora’s disdain, Finn’s smile grew wider. He pulled Hazel aside, adding, “Nora’s right. Cheating bastards like Theo deserve nothing good.” “He won’t face you because he’s ashamed. Even if he’s dead, he deserves to be in hell.” That moment, I regretted teaching Hazel to be so sensible. She could partly understand such horrible words. But Finn’s shove triggered Hazel’s asthma. The little girl clutched her chest, gasping, and staggered back inside. Meanwhile, Nora laughed maniacally, holding the asthma inhaler from the table, “Theo, if you don’t come out, your little bastard is going to die soon.” Hazel struggled to stand, trying her best to get up. “Is this child stupid? Having an attack and not thinking to use the inhaler.” Following Hazel’s gaze, I saw a painting hanging in the hall. I felt a lump in my throat. Panic made my ethereal spirit tremble violently. Watching Nora get closer to the painting, Finn stepped in front of her. “Nora, it’s getting late. I don’t think Theo will come out. Let’s just go back.” She stopped advancing, turning her gaze to Hazel, who was gasping on the floor. Hazel’s small face was unnaturally pale, her head hitting the hard cement floor with a thud. Nora kicked Hazel once. “Brat, stop playing dead.” With no response in the room but the ticking of the clock, she finally panicked. She picked up Hazel, carrying her outside. I spun in circles in the air, desperate. Hazel needed to get to a hospital immediately. As Finn walked, he tried to block the way. “Nora, she’s Theo’s daughter. He doesn’t care if she lives or dies, so why save her?” “I’m keeping this brat alive. I don’t believe Theo will abandon her. It’s my business; stay out of it!” Hazel was placed in the back seat, and I floated into the car. Just as Nora was about to get in, Finn held her back. He looked at her, his voice hoarse, “Nora, today was supposed to be our wedding photo shoot.” “I hired the best photographer, spent months preparing custom suits and dresses, and invited our parents to witness this beautiful moment.” “Nora, come with me. Theo and this child have nothing to do with you now.”
Suddenly, I found myself dazed. My thoughts dragged me back five years. “Nora, I’ll get the best photographer, buy you the most beautiful wedding dress, and let everyone witness our happiness.” When I said this, Nora cried uncontrollably. She hugged me, saying, “I do.” But I never fulfilled my promise to her. Now someone else could make her happy, and I watched her with anxiety. The pain and bitterness made me not want to listen anymore. But she said nothing, pushing Finn’s hand away, speaking calmly: “Let’s reschedule the wedding photos. It doesn’t have to be today.” “Nora, what do you mean?” “I need to keep this brat alive. Theo has to pay for what he did to me.” She didn’t give Finn a chance to speak, immediately closing the car door. Outside the emergency room, the doctor angrily said, “This child not only has asthma but is severely malnourished. How do you take care of her as a parent?” “I’m not her parent,” Nora replied, awkwardly. “Not her parent? Then get the parent here.” A nearby nurse interjected compassionately, “I’ve seen this child around, often picking up bottles in the area. She seems like an orphan.” A child, only seven years old, living alone. After paying for the medical bills, Nora returned to the ward. Hazel was out of danger. Seeing Hazel’s heartbeat stabilize, Nora finally relaxed. She noticed the IV needle in Hazel’s malnourished arm, which was indeed pale. Nora scoffed, “Theo, you really are heartless. You’d rather abandon your child than face me.” “I’ll see who can endure more.” I floated helplessly, a bitter smile on my face. Nora, you got it all wrong. A Seven-Year-Old Living Alone After settling the medical bills, Nora returned to the hospital room, feeling relieved that Hazel was out of danger. Seeing Hazel’s heartbeat stabilize, Nora finally felt at ease. She accidentally noticed the IV in Hazel’s arm, which showed signs of malnutrition with a bruise. Nora scoffed coldly. “Theo, you really are heartless. You abandon your own child just to avoid seeing me.” “Let’s see who can endure this longer, you or me.” I drifted with no strength, a bitter smile forming at the corner of my lips. Nora, you misunderstood. It’s not that I don’t want to see you. On the contrary, I miss you so intensely, it’s maddening. But sadly, my journey ends here. I can only be with you for so long. For the time that followed, Nora stayed by Hazel’s side, not daring to leave for fear of missing my secret appearances. On her way back from fetching water, a shadow slipped out of the ward. Just as she attempted to follow, the person had already entered the elevator. Nora quickly grabbed a passing nurse to ask. The nurse said, “The visitor was a young woman, asking mainly about the child’s condition. From her tone, she seemed like a relative.” A young woman? Nora immediately suspected that the woman was the one I had an affair with back then. Seeing Hazel sleeping soundly on the bed, she angrily tossed the hot porridge into the trash. Even though the porridge stained her designer dress, she didn’t care, her eyes filled with hatred. “Well done, Theo. You love her so much, yet neglect your own daughter, allowing that shameless woman to step in.” “You love her, but treat me like a plague.” I watched as her eyes reddened, a tear falling heavily to the ground. I approached, wanting to gently wipe away her tears, but then overwhelming hatred overflowed from her eyes. “Theo, I will not let you go!” “I won’t forget the humiliation you’ve put me through. The pain I endured because of you will be returned a thousandfold.” “I want you to regret it. I want you to live in pain, never finding peace!” I’m just a lingering soul. But the dull pain in my heart is no less than when I was alive. But Nora, I’m already dead…
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