The day I was kidnapped, the abductors called my fiancée of five years, demanding a $50,000 ransom. But she only sounded irritated on the other end. “Ethan, you know I don’t have that kind of money.” “I just lent our remaining fifty thousand to Julian.” My fiancée was supposedly poor, yet she didn’t hesitate for a second to give away all our savings to rescue her childhood crush. But after my death, as my spirit floated by her side, I discovered the truth. She was actually a billionaire heiress from New York’s elite high society. She hung up the phone and laughed about it with her friends. “Ethan has officially gone crazy. He actually thought I’d fall for some fake kidnapping scheme just so he could play the victim.” But when my cold corpse was finally laid out in front of her, she completely lost her mind. The sharp blade pierced my heart. Strangely, the pain only brought a sense of relief. Nobody knew the pure hell I had endured in those final hours before my death. They had used a knife to carve into my skin, inch by inch, letting my blood pool onto the cold floor. They were professional torturers. Every single cut was calculated to bring maximum pain without killing me instantly. Finally, they drove the blade straight into my heart, ending my miserable life. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing inside a luxurious VIP lounge. The loud, chaotic music gave me a pounding headache. I looked around, completely lost as to why my soul had ended up here after death. Then, my eyes fell on Madelyn, who was sitting right in the center of the crowd, leaning comfortably in Julian’s arms. Julian gently stroked her hair. Madelyn didn’t pull away. She just rested her shoulder against his, looking completely relaxed. They looked like a perfect, picture-perfect couple. It pierced my eyes like a physical blow. I rushed forward, trying to pull her away from him, but my hands passed straight through her body. It was useless. Both Madelyn and Julian were dressed in designer clothes. The people surrounding them kept tossing out flattering compliments. Didn’t Madelyn tell me that Julian’s family was going through a financial crisis? Wasn’t that why she kept taking our money to bail him out? But looking at this luxurious lounge, the groveling crowd, and the effortless aura of wealth and arrogance radiating from both of them… None of this looked like a family struggling to survive. My mind went blank. Suddenly, the words of my killers flashed back to me. “Man, this guy is pathetic. What’s fifty grand to a billionaire heiress like Madelyn Sterling? But she wouldn’t even spend a single penny to save his life.” “She and Lord Julian are a match made in heaven. Who does this trash think he is? Pathetic.” I felt something wet on my face. One of the kidnappers had spit on me. In my memory, I raised a hand to wipe the filth away, but I could only watch helplessly as they threw me back into the dark corner of the warehouse to rot. Before I closed my eyes for the last time, I actually thought it was funny. I thought those thugs had the wrong person. Maybe it was just someone with the same name. Because in my world, Madelyn was just a hardworking girl from a poor background, struggling to get by. How could she have anything to do with some elite high-society family? But now, looking at the glamourous Madelyn in front of me, raising her champagne glass as everyone toasted to her… Her dominant status in this room was glaringly obvious. I stared at her, memorizing every detail of her face. I desperately searched for even a single difference between this woman and the Madelyn I knew. But no matter how hard I looked. She was Madelyn. The girl I had loved for five years. The fiancée who had promised to marry me. I remembered the phone call the kidnappers had made to her. They had asked for fifty thousand dollars. But she had only reacted with annoyance. “Julian is in a tough spot. I already gave him the last fifty thousand we had. Your little tantrums won’t work on me anymore.” “I literally have no money.” The kidnapper had paused, letting out a dark chuckle. “Miss Sterling, if you don’t pay up, Ethan Vance is going to die today.” “Then let him die.” Those were the very last words I heard from her before my heart stopped. And just as she wished, I was dead.
I first met Madelyn at a charity event for low-income college students. She was wearing a simple white dress. Her innocent, fresh face stood out instantly in the crowded room. When I approached her, she looked up and smiled softly. “Are you here to help me, sir?” That single smile completely captured my heart. I nodded like an idiot. She let out a sweet laugh. “You’re funny.” After that, I sponsored her through her remaining college years. She told me she was an orphan. She said she had been bullied constantly at the orphanage. I was the very first person who had ever reached out to help her. I thought I was saving her life. After graduation, Madelyn struggled to find a job. Knowing how hard it was for a young girl to survive in the city, I offered to take care of her. She agreed. And just like that, we became a couple. Even on the nights I worked late, no matter how exhausted I was, I would always bring home small surprises for her. Anything to make her smile. Seeing her happy was enough for me. During our five years together, she told me she wanted to focus on her fashion design. So, I told her to stay home and focus on her art. I took care of all the bills. I started working double shifts and doing DoorDash deliveries after my regular job. It was exhausting, but the thought of Madelyn waiting for me at home made all the pain melt away. She used to curl up in my arms, her voice incredibly sweet. “Ethan, once my designs get noticed, we’ll finally live the good life.” The good life. I gave everything I had for that promise. But now, the stranger standing before me had clearly been living the good life all along. Just as Madelyn was about to bring the champagne glass to her lips, Julian gently stopped her. “Your stomach has been acting up lately. Don’t drink so much.” Madelyn looked at him, her eyes filled with tenderness. “Since when do you control me?” Julian snatched the glass from her hand and drank it in one gulp. He teased, “How can I not? Your stomach issues only started because you used to skip breakfast every single day.” So… that was the real reason? I stared blankly at the empty glass in his hand. I first found out about her stomach problems when she had a severe case of acute gastroenteritis. She told me it was because she had to drink too much during client dinners at her previous jobs, and her stomach was practically ruined. Back then, my heart ached for her so much. I spent hours learning how to cook gentle, stomach-soothing meals for her every day. But the more it had hurt back then, the more ridiculous I felt now. Someone in the crowd started teasing, “So, Miss Sterling, when are you and Julian finally getting engaged? We’re all waiting for the big news.” Madelyn didn’t answer. Instead, her gaze fell onto the diamond ring on her finger. The diamond wasn’t huge, but its brilliant cut showed it wasn’t cheap either. I had saved up for months, working endless overtime and delivery gigs, just to buy her that ring. When I placed it on her finger, she had looked so incredibly happy. Another friend noticed her gaze and sneered, “Don’t tell me our billionaire heiress actually fell for that poor loser? That ring looks so cheap.” Julian also looked at the ring, waiting for her reaction. Madelyn casually slid the ring off her finger and tossed it to the person who had spoken. “You like it? Keep it. It’s not worth anything anyway.” A wave of laughter erupted in the room. “Of course! What high-end jewelry hasn’t Miss Sterling seen? Why would she care about this piece of garbage?” The ring was kicked onto the floor. Someone stepped on it maliciously, and the once-shiny band was quickly covered in dirt and dust. Julian smiled, pinching Madelyn’s cheek gently. “Who called you earlier, by the way?” Madelyn replied lazily, “Ethan. He hired some cheap actors to stage a kidnapping. He actually tried to extort fifty grand from me.” “He’s completely lost his mind.” A sharp pain flared in my chest—a pain far worse than the blade that had pierced my heart. Julian’s eyes darkened. “Aren’t you afraid it might be real?” Madelyn let out a dismissive laugh. “Ethan is dirt poor. Who in their right mind would kidnap him?” So, in her eyes, the life I had worked myself to the bone to provide for her was just a “dirt poor” existence she looked down on. As she spoke, Madelyn pulled a luxurious velvet box from her bag and handed it to Julian. Julian opened it. Inside was a ridiculously expensive luxury watch. “What’s this for?” Madelyn shrugged. “I bought it with Ethan’s money. He saved up fifty thousand over the years. This watch was basically all he could afford.” “That’s what he gets for fighting with me. Consider this his punishment!” My soul felt entirely cold, even though I was already dead. Madelyn had taken the savings we had pinched and scraped for years to buy Julian a luxury watch, yet she refused to use that exact same amount to save my life. Before my kidnapping, Madelyn and I had the biggest fight of our lives. She had demanded our savings, claiming Julian’s family business was in trouble and she needed to help him. Naturally, I refused. Ever since Julian had reappeared in her life, Madelyn had changed. Her warmth and sweetness were gone, replaced by endless cold shoulders and insults the moment I walked through the door. When I refused, she had screamed at me, “Ethan, how can you be so heartless! This is a person’s life we’re talking about!” We had parted on terrible terms. I had driven to a quiet park to clear my head, and that was when I was snatched. And now, the money she claimed was to “save a life” was used to buy a toy to make Julian smile. Julian frowned, tossing the watch casually into the trash can. “His money? Gross. I don’t want it.” I felt a rush of cold despair wash over my soul. The watch bought with my life was thrown into the trash like garbage. Just like how Madelyn had thrown me away.
After the party, Julian wrapped his arm around Madelyn’s waist as they walked to his car. He leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. The air inside the car grew warm and heavy. Julian stared into her eyes, slowly leaning in for a kiss. The moment his lips touched hers, Madelyn flinched as if she had been shocked. She quickly pulled back and wiped her mouth. Julian’s face immediately turned incredibly dark. “Maddy, what is wrong with you?” Madelyn seemed surprised by her own reaction too. She sat up straight, flustered. “Just drive. I’m tired. I want to go home.” Watching her pull away, I remembered how I used to protect her. Madelyn was beautiful, and she used to get harassed quite a lot. Every single time, I was the one who stood up to chase those creeps away. Afterward, I would look at her seriously and say, “Maddy, you’re my girl. Promise me you won’t let other guys get too close to you.” “I get jealous easily.” She would hug me and pout, “I know, dummy. My heart only has room for you. Why would I ever look at anyone else?” Was she… remembering those times now? I laughed at my own foolishness. To a rich girl like Madelyn, I was probably just a temporary distraction. Why would she ever care about my words? To her, I was just an entertaining clown. Madelyn had Julian drop her off at our apartment. Before leaving, she gave the still-pissed-off Julian a brief hug. “Don’t be mad. If I don’t go back tonight, Ethan will get suspicious.” Julian spat coldly, “Why don’t you just dump him already?” Madelyn hesitated for a second before mumbling, “I’m not bored of him yet.” After watching Julian drive away, she walked into our apartment. In the past, whenever I didn’t have to work late, a warm, home-cooked meal would be waiting for her on the table. But lately, she had been coming home later and later, and she hadn’t touched a single bite of my food. Now I knew why. It all started when Julian came back. Madelyn called out into the empty, dark apartment. No one answered. Annoyed, she threw her designer bag onto the couch. “Still throwing a tantrum? Get over yourself.” *I won’t. I will never fight with you again, Madelyn. Because I will never appear in front of you again.* I whispered the words into her ear, but she couldn’t hear a thing. After removing her makeup, she sat on the couch scrolling through her phone until midnight, but the front door never opened. She cursed under her breath and dialed my number. It went straight to voicemail. Her anger flared. She slammed her bedroom door shut and locked it. “Fine! If you don’t want to come back, then never come back!” She kept checking her phone, but there was not a single Snapchat notification or text from me. Eventually, she fell asleep with her phone in her hand. I stood by her bedside, quietly watching her all night. The next morning, Madelyn rubbed her sleepy eyes and opened her bedroom door, habitually calling out, “Ethan, I want bagels from the bakery down the street. Go grab them.” It had been her routine for years, and eventually, it became my habit too. Every single morning, before the sun even rose, I would stand in line to get her favorite fresh bagels. But today, there was only silence. The apartment was exactly as she had left it last night. No one had been home. Her face went cold as she dialed my number again. After a long ring, just when I thought it would go to voicemail, the call actually connected. But a stranger’s voice came through. “Hello? Do you know the owner of this phone?” She had blocked my main number during our last fight, so she must have used her work phone to call me this time. Madelyn frowned, her voice icy. “Where is Ethan? Put him on the phone!” There was a long pause on the other end. “He’s… he’s dead.” “It looks like a homicide. The police are currently investigating. If you know him, please contact the station immediately.” My breath caught. I stared intently at her face, searching for any sign of grief. But after a brief shock, she actually laughed out loud. “Are you kidding me? Has Ethan gone completely insane with this acting?” “Tell him to stop playing games. I’ll find a way to give him back that fifty thousand.” The voice on the other end sounded incredibly weary. “Ma’am, I am serious. He is dead…” Madelyn’s tone snapped. “Are you done? Is Ethan really going to act like this just because he’s throwing a fit?” “Fine! Tell him he never has to come back!” She slammed the phone down, turned on the TV, and began aggressively flipping through channels. Then, a local news broadcast caught her eye. I looked at the screen too. It was a breaking news report about a homicide. A male body had been found in a warehouse. His face had been heavily mutilated beyond recognition. Looking at the blurred-out photo on the screen, the feeling of my blood draining away rushed back to me. The phantom pain made me want to scream. There was no doubt about it. That mutilated corpse was me. But Madelyn merely scoffed, quickly switching the channel. She muttered, “Why is the news always so depressing? Ethan actually thinks he can scare me with this cheap drama.” “So pathetic.” 3 The doorbell rang. Madelyn opened it to find Julian standing there with breakfast. Julian looked around the modest apartment with clear disgust before handing the food to her. Madelyn smiled, taking the food and curling up on the couch to eat. Julian paced around the small living room, finally stopping in front of a framed photo on the shelf. It was a photo from our very first trip together, after we had saved up for months. We had taken so many photos that day, but this was the only one Madelyn had liked. Julian frowned, picking up the frame and walking over to her. Madelyn glanced at it casually. “Oh, that’s just a photo from some old trip. What about it?” Julian leaned in close, his breath brushing against her ear, his voice dropping low. “I don’t like seeing photos of you with him.” “Throw it away, okay?” Madelyn stared at the photo, showing a rare moment of hesitation before gently pushing him back. Seeing her hesitate, Julian’s expression soured. “Madelyn, you know Ethan was nothing but a toy to you.” “I am your real fiancé. You are supposed to marry me.” “Our families arranged this years ago.” Madelyn quickly softened her voice to soothe him. “Okay, okay, I know you get jealous easily. It’s just a stupid picture. If you want to throw it away, go ahead.” Satisfied, Julian pulled the photo out of the frame and slowly tore it into tiny pieces right in front of us. I lunged forward, trying to grab the pieces, but my hands swept through nothing but air. I could only watch as our only memory was shredded into dust. Just like the love I once had for her. I had cherished that photo more than anything. Madelyn knew that. She just didn’t care about my feelings. To her, I was just a fool she could manipulate at her whim. She and Julian were the ones who truly belonged together. Once the photo was completely destroyed, the playful mood seemed to vanish. Madelyn asked quietly, “What are we doing today?” Julian took her hand, gently rubbing his thumb over her skin. “Let’s go shopping.” Madelyn hesitated. “Today…” She unlocked her phone, checking the date. An alert popped up on her screen—it was the same news report from earlier. The police were now desperately trying to identify the victim’s body. Madelyn frowned, quickly swiping the notification away and locking her phone. “Not today…” Julian cut her off. “Why? Do you have other plans? With Ethan?” Madelyn remained silent. Her silence was the answer. Because today was our scheduled appointment to finalize the wedding suit and gown. I stared at her quiet face, a pathetic spark of hope rising in my chest. Did she… actually remember? Julian’s voice broke the silence, cold and demanding. “Madelyn, choose. Me or Ethan?” “Don’t tell me you actually fell for that loser.” Madelyn’s eyes widened, and she immediately denied it. “Are you crazy? How could I ever be serious about Ethan?” “I don’t have any plans today. Let’s go.” Once again, when given a choice between me and Julian, she chose Julian. It wasn’t the first time. Ever since Julian returned, she had made this choice countless times. And no matter how much I begged, she always chose him. Because she knew I would never truly get mad at her. She knew how desperately I loved her, which was why she felt she could trample all over my dignity without consequence. On Madelyn’s last birthday, both Julian and I had prepared celebrations for her. I had booked the absolute best restaurant I could possibly afford. She had invited a group of her friends, and after dinner, I drove her and Julian to a club. On the way there, a truck suddenly lost control and swerved directly into our lane. My instinct took over instantly. I threw my body over Madelyn in the passenger seat. The impact was deafening, and the entire world spun as our car flipped over. The driver’s side door was crushed completely, pinning my legs beneath the steering wheel. But my first thought was still Madelyn’s safety. When I blinked through the smoke, my heart shattered. Madelyn had a small cut on her forehead, but otherwise, she was completely fine. Because I had shielded her with my own body. But she was already dragging a semi-conscious Julian out of the backseat, walking toward the crowd gathering on the street. She never once looked back at me. Shard of glass dug deep into my legs, the agonizing pain keeping me brutally conscious. I croaked her name, begging for help, but she kept walking. Only when the ambulance arrived did she finally mention to the paramedics that someone was still trapped in the front seat. I was rushed into emergency surgery. Julian, having received immediate attention, was completely fine. But my leg was permanently damaged from being pinned under the wreckage for too long. During my entire hospital stay, Madelyn only visited me once. She looked at my bandaged leg, a flicker of guilt and disgust crossing her eyes. “About that night… I panicked and forgot you were still in the car. It wasn’t on purpose.” I had stared at her quietly, feeling something die inside me. But I still forced a smile. “It’s fine. I know.” I loved her so much that I chose to ignore the obvious truth: her heart had already left me.
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