After a car accident, my husband, Ethan, suffered temporary amnesia. He insisted I was the one driving the car that hit him, accusing me of attempted murder for his inheritance. Both our families knew the truth: the real culprit was his adopted sister, Chloe. Yet, they all silently permitted Ethan’s insane revenge. They pulled strings to have me extradited and locked up in a notorious overseas prison. While I was tortured and living in hell, he liquidated my company—the one I built from scratch—just to pay off the legal fees to clear his beloved childhood sweetheart's name. In the end, Chloe walked free, while I died in a foreign land without a proper burial. When the embassy notified him to identify my body, he sneered: "Is she done yet? Does she think fabricating a silicone corpse will fool me?" "That murderous witch... even if her body washed up in a sewer, I wouldn't spare it a glance!" Later, when he discovered I was truly dead, he went mad with joy. He held my bleached bones, laughing until he cried. 1 My body was repatriated to the States. My husband, Ethan Vance, was notified to identify the remains. Walking into the morgue, the stench of death hit him. He hesitated. His handsome face twisted in disgust as he cursed, "Does she think dying to 'atone' will make me forgive a murderer? Keep dreaming!" In the end, he had to be dragged in by Chloe, his adopted sister. My spirit floated behind them. I watched Ethan playfully bite Chloe’s neck, then lick the spot tenderly as if afraid he’d hurt her, chuckling low in his throat. My heart felt like it was being crushed. Ethan was flirting with his mistress in front of my corpse. The embassy official couldn't stand it and cleared his throat. Ethan let go of Chloe, spat on the floor in disgust, and finally lifted the white sheet covering me. Just one look. My breath would have stopped if I were alive. There was no other way to put it—my death had been ugly. "Emily, you think you're so smart, don't you? Creating a rotting silicone doll to fool everyone?" "You must be hiding somewhere right now, laughing at the Vance family's shame and at me, the victim you almost killed. You make me sick!" "You might fool everyone else, but you can't fool me, Ethan Vance!" "I wish you were actually dead! Dead and buried so deep your soul couldn't even crawl back to American soil!" No! I'm not lying to you! I tried to rush toward Ethan, to scream the truth. But my transparent body passed right through him. He turned and hugged Chloe, kissing her neck. "It's better if she fakes her death. Now we can finally be together openly." Chloe was carried in by Ethan and carried out by him. All the way to the administration desk, he touched her face and neck, kissing her repeatedly as if claiming compensation for his 'suffering.' At the desk, they collected the forensic report and DNA test results. A thick stack of data. If he had flipped even two pages, he would have known the body wasn't a fake. But Ethan swept the file into a trash bag without looking. Chloe snuggled into his chest, sighing wistfully. "Three years ago, I was almost dragged to prison because of Emily. If you hadn't worked so hard for me, my reputation would have been ruined. I owe you so much." Ethan shook his head. "No, it wasn't that hard. Just spent a little money... sold a few companies. Emily's companies. It was no loss to the Vance estate." The company I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into for three years... gone overnight? Sold by my husband to save another woman. The dead shouldn't feel pain. But why did it hurt so much? Even breathing felt like swallowing glass. Whatever. I built that company to pay for his medical bills anyway. I guess it served its purpose... Ethan gritted his teeth. "It's what Emily owed me. Selling her companies was letting her off easy!" Chloe looked back toward the morgue. "One last look? Once you sign the release form, Emily's body will be cremated. Are you sure you don't want to see her?" "Even if she made a huge mistake, she was your wife. She was good to you once." "We're both women. I can understand her." Ethan spat again, his face full of loathing. "Chloe, you are too kind. How can you speak for someone who hurt us both?" "She tried to kill me to inherit my money! She staged that car accident!" "You were the one who saved me, risking jail time for reckless driving!" "Her name doesn't even deserve to be spoken!" The heavy metal doors of the morgue began to close. The official reminded him to sign the papers. Ethan raised the pen, then suddenly stopped. His face darkened, and he turned to leave. "I don't want any connection to that woman!" "Fake death or real death, the line for 'Husband'..." "Will not have Ethan Vance's name on it!" The official, confused, chased after him. "Mr. Vance, you are legally married. Mrs. Vance has passed away; it is the husband's duty to claim the remains." Ethan paused. He sneered. "I don't have such an embarrassing wife! Let her rot there. Let the rats eat her. Suits me fine!" He slammed the door of his Maserati, revved the engine, and sped off. On the way, Chloe's phone rang frantically. He answered it, then shook his head. "Don't mention her. That woman just makes me nauseous!" "Every time I think about that dark road, how she ignored my begging and tried to run me over... I want to kill her myself!" My spirit trembled uncontrollably. Seeing the intense hatred in Ethan's eyes, hearing him rewrite history... It was bitter. Ethan was my husband, but he was convinced I was a murderer. But I wasn't! Shortly after our wedding, we were in Europe. Carjackers attacked us. Ethan was dragged onto the road. The gang laughed, planning to run over his hands, then his legs. When I found him, he was delirious, his hands mangled. The doctor said his hands were shattered. Even if they healed, he would never do fine motor work again. I was devastated. I wished I could trade my life for his hands! When Ethan woke up, he went berserk, screaming that I should die to atone for my sins. He had replaced the carjackers with me in his memory. I closed my eyes. As he wished, I was sent to a hellhole prison in a third-world country by him and his family. It was filled with the worst criminals. Murderers were at the bottom of the food chain. For three years, I suffered inhumane torture. The night before my release, I was finally set free. By death. I died in excruciating pain. My body didn't even look human anymore. ... Chloe chased him all the way to the villa. When Ethan got out of the car, she threw herself into his arms, kissing him deeply. "It's okay. It's all over..." They held each other in the pouring rain. I remembered my last moments. I had used my one phone call to dial him. "Please... please pick up! I'm dying. This is my last chance, the very last time..." If he had just picked up. Even if he cursed me. Even if he called me disgusting trash. I might have found the will to survive. But no one answered. I died in despair. I died the day before I was supposed to be free. I became a wandering ghost. Lost overseas, unable to return home... 2 My ghost followed Ethan home. I watched him live with Chloe as if they were a married couple. Feeding each other breakfast, tangling together at night. Once, Chloe brought a drunk Ethan home. I was jealous and glared at them. Ethan slapped me. "Chloe and I are just friends!" "Only people with dirty minds see dirt everywhere!" But— Do friends sleep in each other's arms? Do friends kiss like that? Under the warm living room lights, Ethan folded the dress Chloe would wear tomorrow. Just like a devoted wife. That used to be my job. Before every event, I picked his suits, matched his ties. Ethan used to scoff at it. "Only country bumpkins like you know these servant tricks! Some 'heiress' you are. Just a glorified maid!" But now he was doing 'servant work' for Chloe. That’s the difference between loving and not loving. Chloe held his hand, kissing his fingers. Ethan closed his eyes, humming in satisfaction. "Chloe, tomorrow I'll go with you to the Vance family estate!" "You are the true daughter of the Vance family!" "No one can hurt you. I support you taking back everything that belongs to you!" Listening to Ethan, Chloe had an expression I couldn't read. I suddenly remembered. For twenty years, the pampered princess of the Vance family was Chloe. The day I, the biological daughter raised in the countryside, was brought back... My parents looked at my cheap clothes with disappointment. They couldn't believe I was theirs. That day, Chloe dragged her suitcase out, looking pitiful. "Even though we aren't blood-related, I've always considered myself a Vance." "I wish Mom and Dad happiness forever!" We were switched at birth. The poor family I grew up in was actually Chloe's biological family. That was where she belonged. But when my parents looked at me with that hesitant hope... I blurted out, "If you miss her, let her stay! Another daughter to be filial, I'm happy with that!" I meant it then. But I regretted it quickly. Chloe became a ghost haunting my life with Ethan. No matter the event, if Chloe appeared, Ethan's eyes were glued to her. Standing next to him, I—the real heiress—looked like a joke. Ethan opened his eyes, love overflowing. "The one who grew up with me was always you!" "The one I was supposed to marry was you!" "If she hadn't come back, we would be married with kids by now!" "She ruined my life!" "It's not too late. No matter what, I will divorce Emily and be with you!" They gazed at each other deeply. The air grew hot. Soon, panting sounds filled the room. Watching them entangled on the sofa... I closed my eyes in self-mockery. I always knew Ethan didn't love me. His engagement was to the "Vance daughter." It just so happened that I was brought back then. I was the real daughter. The engagement fell to me. Ethan was proud, aristocratic. How could a country girl hope for his love? I never dared to hope. I naively thought if I was good enough, loyal enough... maybe he would like me a little. I was wrong. After the "accident," Ethan's parents knelt before me. "Please! Ethan is so proud. He can't handle the truth. If he knows what really happened, he'll kill himself! His mind is broken, he doesn't remember who the attackers were!" "Just admit it was you. If he thinks you hurt him, he can handle it... he can survive!" Selfishness is human nature. If I confessed, my life was over. I refused. But when I returned to the Vance home, my father locked himself in his study. My mother swallowed sleeping pills in front of me. In the hospital, my mother told me the truth. The attack on the road... it was linked to Chloe. Chloe had shady dealings with the gang, provoking the attack. My mother wept. "I raised Chloe. She's closer to me than blood! If she goes to jail, I'd rather die!" Under pressure from both families, I "confessed." In the end, I died to "atone." I tried to comfort myself. I died, so the truth is buried forever. Ethan will never know. He will never be in pain. But my heart still felt like it was being carved out. After the accident, Ethan developed a strange psychological condition. The doctor called it self-gaslighting. Subconsciously, he turned me into the villain. My parents allowed it. His parents allowed it. I did nothing wrong. But sacrificing me saved everyone else. In court, Ethan hired a dream team of lawyers to prosecute me for attempted murder. But the judge wasn't an idiot. Lack of evidence led to dismissal. So, the families used their connections. They had me sent to a hellhole prison abroad. Rats, malaria, violence. My parents sent me off personally. "Just endure it," Mom said, touching my face. "Three years max. We'll bring you back. You'll still be a rich heiress." "I suffered plenty when I was young," Dad added. "A little hardship builds character." The prison gates closed. I saw Chloe walking away with them, boarding a private jet. She looked back. Arrogance. Contempt. Mockery. She had everyone's love. And I was thrown into the dark to be eaten alive. It was a good ending. Everyone wanted me to be the sacrifice. 3 These days, I followed Ethan. I watched him live in our marital home with another woman. Every decoration, even the candle stand in the corner, was chosen by me. Chloe walked out of the bathroom and kicked the candle stand over. "What happened?" Ethan asked. "Oh, this is Emily's stuff, right? Kinda tacky. Sorry, I kicked it." Ethan glanced at the broken ceramic. "Emily was like that. Always wasting time on useless, flashy garbage to make herself feel special." "She only ever moved herself. She never thought about what I needed." I clutched my chest. Only moved myself? Ethan forgot his severe allergic rhinitis. Every spring, he could barely breathe. I spent months finding an old herbal remedy and had it made into a balm. Every night, I burned it in that candle stand to fumigate the room. Once, he had a high fever from allergies. I lit the candle. He thrashed around in delirium, cursing me. Afraid he'd knock it over and burn himself, I held the hot ceramic against my own arm all night. My arm blistered and scarred. A wife should care for her husband. I never bragged about it. But hearing him dismiss it... it hurt. Ethan kicked the pieces into the trash. He pulled Chloe close. "Emily is trash. Her stuff is trash." "That bitch doesn't even have the courage to face me! She made a fake corpse to hide!" "She knows my parents hate her. Her status depends on our marriage!" "If I dump her, she loses everything!" "But... does she think hiding will save her?" "Naive! I'll find her even if she's in a rat hole, and I will divorce her!" I smiled bitterly. In his eyes, I was a leech. A coward. An obstacle. Chloe's eyes flashed. "Ethan... have your people found anything?" "Is it possible... Emily is actually dead?" "Impossible!" Ethan shouted. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have suffered! Death is too easy for her!" "That body in the morgue was a cheap trick. She's hiding somewhere laughing at me!" "I wish she did die in some foreign ditch! It's disgusting that they called me to ID her!" He kissed Chloe aggressively. "Chloe, comfort me. I feel sick just thinking about her!" "Hahaha!" Chloe laughed and 'comforted' him. They rolled onto the bed. I covered my chest. It felt like being sliced by a thousand knives. I couldn't cry anymore. But why was the pain still there? 4 Ethan's men found nothing. My body was still in the morgue. The police and judges called him repeatedly. But Ethan only believed his own delusion. My parents visited. They didn't know I was dead. They thought I would come crawling back to Ethan after prison. After all, I loved him so much I "took the blame" for him. But Chloe served them tea, reminiscing about her childhood with them. My parents were swayed. They decided having only Chloe as a daughter wasn't so bad. "Kids grow up, they have their own ideas," Dad said. "Emily got wild overseas. Let her party for a few more years. She'll come back when she's broke." I was stunned. I was tortured for three years. But in their mouths, I was "partying with foreigners." Mom nodded. "We're old. Chloe is enough. She's filial and traditional." They left. They never asked about me again. Ethan got more erratic. During the day, his search yielded nothing. At night, he drained Chloe dry in bed. He even posted a bounty on social media for my location. After one session, Chloe lay in his arms. "Ethan... maybe she's not hiding on purpose. Maybe she's in trouble?" "Maybe she owes money?" "Impossible!" Ethan pushed her away. "If she needed money, she'd come back! The Vance family has money!" "She loves me too much to hide!" "She's just scared I'll divorce her!" "If she doesn't show up, I'll destroy everything she cares about!" "Doesn't she have foster parents in the countryside? I'll drag them here, lock them up, starve them! See if she regrets it then!" Chloe looked at him. "Ethan, did you fall for her? Do you have feelings for Emily?" Undeniably, a spark of hope—and fear—rose in me. "No way!" Ethan denied it instantly. "I just can't divorce her if she doesn't show up! I need to cut ties with that trash!" Chloe cupped his face. "Ethan, you're acting strange. If you love her, tell me. I'll leave." "Who the hell loves her?! Who would love a hillbilly like her?!" 5 Ethan screamed, then composed himself. He kissed Chloe's forehead. "I'll prove it to you." I found out how he planned to prove it that night. My foster parents were kidnapped. They were thrown on the floor, heads covered in black bags. "S... Sir..." My foster mom was a simple woman. She trembled before Ethan. "Who's your sir?!" Ethan threw a teacup. It smashed against her head. My foster dad threw himself over her to protect her. Ethan looked at my dad's rough, blackened fingernails with disgust. "Your unfilial daughter Emily is hiding because she doesn't want a divorce." "I'm putting it out there. The sins of the child are the sins of the father! Until she shows up, you don't leave!" My dad raised his head. "Emily is a good girl! She worked in the fields since she was little to help us! Don't talk about her like that!" Ethan stood up. "Emily is a murderer! She tried to kill me! I spent a fortune to send her to prison to reform!" "Three years later, she should be kneeling for forgiveness! But she's hiding like a rat!" "No! You're lying! My daughter isn't like that!" My dad, honest to a fault his whole life, lunged at Ethan. Ethan was startled. But the bodyguards were faster. They pinned my dad to the floor. Chloe arrived then. "Beat the trash," Ethan ordered. "Break every bone." Chloe looked shocked. "They're old..." "They raised Emily. They're garbage too! Killing them is a public service!" NO! DON'T HURT THEM!! Rage and regret exploded in me. I rushed to stop them, but passed through. I watched them break my dad's legs. White bone pierced through skin. My mom screamed until she vomited blood and passed out. Ethan watched without emotion. He ordered his assistant to record it. My anger consumed me. How could I ever have hoped for love from this monster? Suddenly, footsteps rushed in. "Mr. Vance! Trouble!" The villa doors burst open. Police with guns swarmed in. "Ethan Vance! Neighbors reported illegal detention and assault! You're under arrest!" My parents were rescued. My dad was sent to the ICU. My mom woke up, grabbing a policeman's hand. "My daughter Emily! Please... please bring my daughter back!" My parents didn't know I was in prison. The Vance family lied to them, saying I was missing. For three years, they lived in despair. The policeman looked at her with pity. "Ma'am... your daughter, Emily... she's dead." Ethan's face went white. "What bullshit are you spouting?!"
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