Chapter 2

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and my spirit was pulled violently through the air.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in our house.

Staring at the familiar living room, my eyes stung, but as a ghost, I had no tears to shed.

I heard a noise coming from the master bedroom. Joy sparked in my chest—Chloe was home!

She was a notorious workaholic, always staying late at the office or traveling for business. She was rarely home during the day, and even when I was bedridden with fever, she wouldn't come back.

I didn't know how long I had been dead, and I thought I'd never see her again.

I rushed toward the bedroom, instinctively reaching for the doorknob, but my hand passed straight through it.

Right. I was dead.

I floated through the door, but the sight inside froze me in my tracks.

The warmth in my chest vanished, replaced by an icy chill.

Why was Julian in our house? Why was he lying in our bed?

Rage consumed me. I lunged forward, trying to drag him off the mattress. "Get out! Get the hell out of my house!"

But my hands sliced through his body, and I fell helplessly to the floor.

I had to watch as Julian leaned weakly against the headboard while Chloe blew on a spoon of hot soup, carefully feeding him.

"My old symptoms are acting up again. I hate making you come home to cook for me every day, Chloe. You're working so hard," Julian murmured.

Chloe smiled gently, shaking her head. "You don't have any family in this city, Julian. It's only right that I take care of you. Don't thank me."

I sat on the floor, completely numb.

But I was alone here too. When we got married, Chloe's old-money family disapproved of me, so I packed my bags and moved across the country to her city, starting from scratch to build a life for us.

I worked myself to the bone just to give her the lifestyle she deserved.

Yet, every time I fell ill, Chloe would only complain about how inconvenient it was. If she was in a good mood, she’d toss a bottle of pills at me. If she was annoyed, she wouldn't even ask.

Watching her tend to Julian with such devotion, my heart suffered a slow, dull ache. So, she did know how to care for someone. She just never wanted to care for me.

After finishing the soup, Julian asked with feigned concern, "It's been a week now. Still no word from Ethan?"

Chloe's face darkened, and she slammed the bowl onto the nightstand. "Don't bring him up. Just thinking about him ruins my day. He's a grown man, yet he's so incredibly petty! He’s probably hiding somewhere, refusing to call just to make me feel guilty."

"Could something have happened to him? The ocean can be so unpredictable," Julian said, his eyes gleaming with hidden satisfaction.

"What could happen to him? He’s a strong swimmer, he had a lifebuoy, and we already reported his location to the rescue teams. He's fine," Chloe replied, though she sounded slightly agitated.

Chloe wasn't done venting. "Ethan is getting completely out of hand! Whether he's alive or not, he should have at least sent a message. He's definitely throwing a tantrum because I left him behind. I don't get it. How can a grown man be this spiteful?"

I let out a hollow laugh. I was dead. How was I supposed to text her? Through a Ouija board?

"If Ethan were even half as considerate as you, Julian, my life wouldn't be this exhausting," she sighed.

There it was again. In her eyes, Julian was a saint, and everything I did was a crime.

Because of her job, Chloe spent long hours in front of a computer, which gave her chronic back and eye strain.

Worried about her health, I bought her the best massage chairs and wellness supplements, constantly reminding her to use them.

My reward? Angry outbursts. *"Can you stop nagging me, Ethan? Don't you have your own life? Stop suffocating me, I'm not your prisoner!"*

Yet, Julian only had to offer a few cheap, empty words of comfort, and she would beam with joy.

"Don't say that, Chloe. He only acts that way because he loves you so much. Since his whereabouts are still unknown, maybe you should call the search and rescue team again?" Julian suggested.

"There's no point," Chloe dismissed coldly. "If he's dead, it's his own damn fault."