Chapter 1
Five Christmases after my death, my doctor husband Nathan Morgan once again wanted me to take responsibility for his first love Maria Price’s medical malpractice.
He stormed into my old apartment with a forged agreement, only to find a room full of dust.
In his panic, Nathan grabbed Adam Davis, the convenience store owner downstairs, demanding to know where I was.
But Adam told
Caroline Wall, “Caroline? She died five Christmases ago ”
was my name.
After a pause, Adam added, “I heard it was because the family from that medical dispute wouldn’t let it go. They cornered her in the alley at midnight and stabbed her over a dozen times.”
Nathan didn’t believe it, convinced that Adam must have been paid by me to lie for me.
He let out a cold laugh.
He said, “I only suspended her for two Christmases. And she’s still throwing a tantrum?
“Please tell her that if she doesn’t show up within three days, I’ll stop paying for her sister Liliana Walker’s cancer treatment.”
With that, Nathan cursed under his breath and stormed out?1:19
Watching Nathan’s retreating figure, Adam shook his head and sighed.
He said, “Liliana? Liliana died long ago because she couldn’t afford treatment.”
*****
In the hallway, the security door rattled as keys turned in the lock.
My soul floated near the ceiling, watching Nathan burst into my old apartment clutching the forged agreement.
He covered his nose, waving away the dust in the air, his shoes making urgent sounds against the floor.
Nathan shouted, “Caroline, get out here! Maria’s about to lose her medical license, and you’re still hiding?”
I laughed bitterly behind him.
After that medical dispute five Christmases ago, I had cut all contact with Nathan.
I never expected that this time he was looking for me to take responsibility for Maria’s new medical malpractice.
I had to admire how deep his feelings for Maria truly were.
Nathan circled the room twice, his gaze sweeping over
over the dust–covered sofa and spider–webbed windowsill.
21:20
He said, “What’s with this act of suddenly disappearing? Where could someone who got fired from the hospital possibly hide?
“Maria just texted that the police have started investigating. You want her to go to prison, don’t you?
“I’m giving you ten seconds. Get out here now.”
Looking at his impatient face, I thought to myself that after five Christmases, he still had that attitude of expecting everything to go his way.
But no matter how many “ten seconds” he gave me, I would never obediently appear before him like I used to.
Because I was already dead.
Nathan shouted again, “Caroline, did you hear me? I’m just asking you to help out. Why do you keep making excuses?”
He suddenly turned and kicked the bedroom door, the door panel making a dull thud.
But the bedroom remained empty.
Nathan clicked his tongue impatiently and searched the place again, still finding no one. Only then did he finally realize that there really was nobody there.
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
3/6
21:20
The convenience store door was yanked open as Nathan grabbed
Adam, who was ringing up a customer.
He asked, “Have you seen Caroline? She’s the woman who lives on the third floor.”
Adam paused, wiping the dust off his hands.
He said, “Caroline? She died five Christmases ago.”
I saw Nathan’s movements freeze for a moment.
Then he laughed coldly and said, “Who are you trying to fool? How could someone like her possibly die?”
“I’m not lying to you.” Adam pointed toward the alley entrance. “Five Christmases ago, she was cornered in that alley by the family from a medical dispute and stabbed over a dozen times. She died on the way to the hospital. What’s your relationship to her?”
Adam’s answer was so matter–of–fact that a flash of surprise crossed Nathan’s eyes.
He frowned, and his expression actually showed a hint of pain that I couldn’t understand.
But soon, his attention was drawn to a message on his phone.
The message was from Maria: [Forget it, Nathan. Caroline must still resent me and will find excuses to refuse. Don’t trouble yourself for me anymore. I can go to prison. Without me, you 20 need to take care of yourself.]
This message convinced Nathan that “my death” was just an excuse for me to refuse to help them.
His fingers trembled as he replied.
[What right does she have to refuse? Back then, I gave her such a large sum of money. Now, when I need her, she has to show up. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely drag her back to take the blame for you. I absolutely won’t let anything happen to you.]
The message sent successfully.
Nathan glared at Adam and said, “Stop acting with me. She’s definitely hiding somewhere, Did she pay you off?”
Adam sighed and said, “How could anyone joke about something like this? At the time, the news reported on it.”
Nathan unconsciously raised his voice, saying, “Can news reports be trusted?”
Taking a step forward, his eyes were full of threats.
He said, “Please tell her that if she doesn’t show up within three days, I’ll stop paying for her sister Liliana’s cancer treatment.”
Adam opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but Nathan cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.
Nathan said, “Don’t give me any nonsense. She either gets out hore, or she can wait to collect Liliana’s body.”
21:20
With that, Nathan turned and left.
The convenience store door slammed shut with a bang. Adam watched his retreating figure, shook his head, and sighed into the empty air.
He said, “Liliana? Liliana died long ago because she couldn’t
afford treatment.”
I floated nearby, looking at the water bottle that had been kicked aside on the floor, my soul feeling as if it had been soaked through by that icy liquid.
Back then, that money never reached my hands. While Liliana lay in her hospital bed waiting for money to save her life, Maria was using that money to buy imported medical equipment.
And while I was stabbed and left bleeding in the alley, Nathan was accompanying Maria to a medical conference.
Now, he was actually using a dead person’s name to threaten another person who had long since left this world.
6/6
