I turned my back on Lucas Grant during his darkest hour, falling into the arms of his sworn enemy. Yet Lucas humbled himself to the dust, begging me not to leave him. Nestled in another man’s embrace, I poured half a glass of wine over his head, my smile dripping with scorn and contempt: “Let me go. I’m sick of being chased by debt collectors every day.” Utterly devastated, he left in disgrace. Five years later, Lucas Grant made a triumphant comeback as a prominent overseas business tycoon. On his first day back in the country, he brought his dream girl to settle scores with me. But what he didn’t know was that I had already died, on the very day he and his dream girl went public with their relationship. Lucas Grant was back in the country. I hid in a dark alley, peering out with my one good eye at the LED screen on the skyscraper across the street. On the screen, Lucas was holding hands with Aria Sullivan, the reigning pop queen, preparing for an interview. The flash of cameras seemed too bright, causing Aria to blink uncomfortably. Lucas instinctively shielded her, then calmly answered the reporters’ questions below. My heart felt like it had been stung, aching slightly. He used to protect me like that when debt collectors came looking for trouble. Everything was proceeding as usual until near the end when someone in the crowd suddenly asked, “Mr. Grant, we heard you’re married. So who is this lady beside you?” Lucas smiled, pulling a shy Aria into his arms before answering, “My ex-wife abandoned me when I was at my lowest point, terminating our unborn child and divorcing me. Aria stood by me through it all, and now she’s my new bride.” “I’ve returned to the country to give my wife the grand wedding she deserves, to make up for all these years of her support.” “As for what happened before, let’s just say I was a poor judge of character.” The crowd erupted in a clamor. In just a few short sentences, Lucas had painted me as a selfish, cold-blooded ex-wife devoid of any wifely virtues, throwing me into a sea of controversy. People were quick to condemn me. Naturally, some were also swooning over the sweet interaction between the pop star and the business tycoon. But I could see the endless hatred lurking in the depths of Lucas’s eyes. Even through the screen, it felt like he wanted to devour me whole. I realized deeply that he hated me. The kind of hate that wished me dead. My blood almost froze. My body, already cold, now felt like it had plunged into an icy abyss. I clutched the red string bracelet in my hand. Averting my gaze, I limped away on my broken leg. As I neared the basement, a little girl bumped into me. When she saw my scarred face and the empty socket where my left eye should have been, she burst into terrified tears. Her mother rushed forward, shoving me hard and cursing, “Ah! You freak! Stay away from my daughter!” The cement ground was covered in puddles from the recent rain, and filthy water splashed all over me. The woman hurriedly left with her child, not looking back once. I calmly picked up the red string bracelet from the ground, wiped it clean, and left. During my first year of work, I was in a car accident and almost didn’t wake up. They issued three critical condition notices. Lucas had specially gone to a temple to get this red string bracelet for me. Yesterday, when I went out to buy food, I accidentally dropped it on my way back. I used every ounce of strength I had to find it. It’s the only thing I have left that’s connected to him. I can’t lose it. Back in the basement, I suddenly lost all strength and collapsed to the floor. My vision blurred as excruciating pain swept through my body, every inch of my skin feeling like it was on fire. I trembled uncontrollably from the pain, my chest feeling as if a boulder was pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe. I clutched the red string bracelet tightly. Besides the external injuries, I had a lame leg and had once been injected with an overdose of bromide. I’ve known for a while that I don’t have long to live. Holding on until today was already my limit. But even in death, there’s no dignity. I laughed bitterly. At least Lucas won’t see me in this state. As the sky darkened, in a place where no one passed by, my body gradually grew cold and still.
I never imagined that one day I, who never believed in ghosts, would become a spirit. After a moment of surprise, I quickly accepted it. I drifted aimlessly through crowds until I found myself at Royal River Gardens. That’s when it hit me. Five years ago, Lucas had used the first money he earned as a stock trader to set up our home there. It was our marital home. The interior was decorated entirely to my tastes. But shortly after we moved in, he was schemed against and lost everything, drowning in debt. His mother was also diagnosed with leukemia. We were left penniless and helpless. I took the opportunity to terminate his child and divorced him. He sold the house to clear the debts and left for five years. As the lights came on, a Bugatti slowly approached from the distance. The car door opened, and out stepped Lucas and Aria. Aria seemed drunk, hanging onto him. Lucas expertly lifted her in his arms and strode inside. Once in the room, he placed Aria on the bed and turned to leave, but she hooked her arms around his neck. Aria nuzzled his face, her soft voice tinged with drunkenness, “Lucas, stay with me tonight, please?” She was wearing a light purple silk camisole that showcased her beautiful figure. Lucas didn’t refuse. Aria’s hands began to wander. His shirt quickly fell to the floor. My heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed. I abruptly turned away and left. Why torture myself? They’re married now. It’s normal for couples to be intimate. Besides, I was the one who left him first. I wandered around, dazed, looking at the familiar layout. This house, full of our memories, now housed another woman, becoming a place of despair for me. After what seemed like an eternity, the bedroom door opened. Lucas walked out, holding a box. The pattern on it was all too familiar to me. Inside were all the gifts I had given Lucas. He sat straight on the sofa, lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke it. After a while, the cigarette burned out. He expressionlessly picked up his phone. I leaned in and froze for a moment. Five years later, I was still pinned at the top of his WeChat. He clicked on my avatar and typed a message in the chat box, “I’m married now. There are still some things you left in the house. My wife isn’t happy seeing them. When are you coming to take them away?” After a moment’s thought, he added, “Come get them tomorrow, or I won’t hesitate to throw them out.” The glimmer of hope that had just risen in my heart burst like a bubble, leaving me with nothing but endless pain. The box contained everything I had given him over the past decade and more. He used to treasure them so much that no one else could touch them. He’d fight anyone who tried. But now, he was ready to throw them away without a second thought. Cold and merciless to the extreme. So, had Aria seen the things in the box and gotten upset? An overwhelming sense of bitterness welled up inside me. I looked away, wanting to touch the box one last time, but could only watch helplessly as my hand passed right through it. Lucas sat on the sofa all night, waiting for a response that never came. His expression grew colder by the minute. I whispered in his ear, “Lucas, I’m dead. My phone is broken. How can I reply to you?” But Lucas probably thought I was avoiding him, not wanting to deal with him. A storm began to brew in his eyes, his face now covered with hatred, his hands clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles turned white. He let out a laugh, “Zoe Foster, don’t you dare regret this!” The box was instantly thrown into the trash can. It shattered into pieces, its contents spilling out. The white sweater I had spent three nights knitting for him was instantly soiled with filth. How jarring it looked. All those things seemed to have become dirty in an instant.
It felt like a sharp knife was constantly twisting in my heart, the pain so intense I could barely breathe. I crouched on the ground, large tears falling from my eyes. So, even spirits can feel pain and cry. The commotion in the living room disturbed Aria in the bedroom. She came out, coaxing him, “Lucas, I have a photoshoot today. Will you come with me?” Lucas’s expression softened slightly. He grabbed his coat and left, holding Aria’s hand. At the venue, Aria, now in full makeup, wore a black cheongsam with intricate embroidery. Her hair was elegantly styled in an updo as she gazed at Lucas with love in her eyes. “Lucas, you are the eternal one in my heart.” With these words, she rushed to him without hesitation, cupped his face, and kissed him on the lips. The photographer stepped forward. Click. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. I no longer had the courage to watch. Aria posted the proofs of this photoshoot on her Instagram. It immediately caused a sensation. Fans had been obsessing over them for days. “OMG! That’s my idol for you! Look how smitten Mr. Grant is!” “Exactly! She’s beautiful and so good to Mr. Grant. She’s thousands, no, millions of times better than that wicked ex-wife of his!” “I vow to be vegetarian for life if it means they’ll be together in every lifetime!” “Waiting for the ex-wife’s demise!” Lucas scrolled through the comments with boredom. Suddenly, he smirked, “Zoe Foster, you think ignoring my messages will work? Let’s see how long you can hide.” “All the pain I suffered five years ago, I’ll make you pay for it one by one.” The bitter emotions in my heart couldn’t be suppressed. Lucas, I’m sorry. But if I had to do it all over again, I would still make the same choice. After dropping Aria off at home, Lucas went to the company. For the next few days, he didn’t return to Royal River Gardens. It was as if he had forgotten about my existence. He was busy flying high at the company. His affair with Aria continued to be a hot topic. Until this day, when Aria’s phone rang. He made another trip to the police station. Because Aria had been harassed outside. The car stopped in front of the police station. When Lucas went in, Aria and the man were giving their statements. When Lucas saw the man’s face clearly, his pupils constricted. In that instant, my mind went blank too. The man who harassed Aria was Marcus Lee, the same man who had acted with me in front of Lucas five years ago. Coming to his senses, Lucas’s eyes turned cold. He strode over, grabbed Marcus by the collar, and punched him hard in the face. “Who gave you the guts to touch my woman?” “Does Zoe Foster know you’re out here harassing my wife?” “Or is she too scared to show her face to me, so she’s resorting to these despicable tactics!” Marcus was thin and weak, no match for Lucas at all. He was beaten until blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. I cried out anxiously, “Lucas, stop hitting him!” “Marcus, you idiot! Why didn’t you dodge!” But they couldn’t hear me. Fortunately, this was a police station, and they were quickly separated by the officers. Aria had already run over, looking worried, checking Lucas up and down for any injuries. Marcus wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered, “Harassment? I just wanted this woman to delete those photos from Instagram.” “She refused, so I had to use some tactics.” “As for you, Lucas Grant, the rumors about you and this woman have been spreading like wildfire. You had a hand in that too, didn’t you?” “You’re nothing special, Lucas Grant. You don’t deserve her.”
Marcus, so you harassed Aria for my sake? Guilt, gratitude, and various other emotions intertwined, leaving me with mixed feelings. “You don’t deserve her.” These five words seemed to have struck a nerve with Lucas. His eyes blazed with fury as he clenched his fists and shouted at Marcus, “I don’t deserve her? And you do?” “She’s the one who’s fickle and chose to degrade herself!” “Marcus, did you think I’d be the same as five years ago? You’ll all pay the price. Just wait, I’ll deal with you one by one.” After saying this, Lucas left with Aria. Marcus was detained by the police for harassing Aria. Before being taken away, Marcus smiled at the departing Bugatti, “Lucas Grant, you’ll regret this.” However, Lucas didn’t hear him. In the car, Aria asked softly, “Lucas, should we take down those photos?” Lucas hesitated for a moment before saying, “No need.” The car drove slowly, but this wasn’t the road to Royal River Gardens. Aria placed her hand on his, her tone somewhat anxious, “Lucas, can I stay at your place tonight? I’m scared.” Perhaps today’s encounter with Marcus had brought back memories of the past and soured his mood. Lucas looked at her for a while, but still removed her hand, “The house hasn’t been cleaned in a long time. It’s very dirty.” Aria wanted to say something more, but Lucas patted her head, “Be good, just bear with it for tonight.” Aria could only nod. Because she saw the impatience in his eyes. After dropping Aria off, Lucas drove to Royal River Gardens. The car stopped by the roadside. He leaned back in the driver’s seat, eyes closed, lost in thought. Until Mrs. Grant came down, impatiently knocking on the car window, “Lucas! What are you daydreaming about? Get out now!” Lucas was startled for a moment, then got out of the car, “Mom, why are you back in the country?” Mrs. Grant looked exasperated, “If I didn’t come back, Zoe would be bullied to death!” “What’s going on between you and that Aria Sullivan? If you don’t like her, why are you still being all lovey-dovey with her! What about Zoe? How could I have a son like you!” All the grievances of the past days finally burst out at the sight of Mrs. Grant. I could no longer control myself and burst into tears, “Mom, I’m right here.” Thankfully, she looked in good health now. No longer the bedridden, comatose person in my memory. But she couldn’t hear me. Lucas walked all the way, and she scolded him all the way. She was venting for me, feeling indignant on my behalf. Finally, back in the room, Lucas couldn’t bear it anymore. With a grim face, he said, “Mom! Stop talking! What do you know about what happened back then!” “Zoe Foster abandoned me first! Why don’t you scold her!” Mrs. Grant pointed at him and shouted, “Lucas, I found Zoe abandoned as a child. From when she was ten until now, she’s been with us for over a decade. Don’t you understand her personality?” “You loved her so much. When Zoe suddenly changed into a different person, shouldn’t your first reaction have been to find out why?” “Zoe is kind-hearted! I don’t believe she’s a bad person!” When I was ten, my birth parents, who favored sons over daughters, took me out of the mountains and sold me to a homeless man for a thousand dollars. The homeless man had probably never seen a woman in his life. After the transaction, he eagerly took me to an alley and was about to molest me when Mrs. Grant happened to pass by and saved me. She stood with her hands on her hips, cursing non-stop and threatening to call the police. Although her hands hidden in her sleeves were trembling non-stop, in the end, she and Lucas managed to drive the homeless man away.
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