We were married for six years, and Julian Thorne never loved me. But after I died, he went insane with grief. His devotion moved heaven and earth. On the first anniversary of my death, the King of Hell released me. "I hate to break up such a loving couple," he said. "Go bring him down here." 1 Before I died, I called Julian, wanting to see him one last time. He snapped at me impatiently. "Harper, are you done yet?" "Today is Scarlett’s birthday. Do you have to pick today to bring everyone down?" I smiled bitterly. "Julian, I told you many times. The cancer diagnosis isn't fake. I feel terrible today, I— cough, cough—" "Julian! Come over here! Help me blow out the candles!" Scarlett’s voice rang out in the background. "I'm too lazy to deal with you. If you want to die, just go die." Before I could finish, the line went dead. Julian hung up without hesitation. If you want to die, just go die. Those were the last words he ever said to me. I stared at the black screen of my phone and pulled the corners of my mouth into a silent smile. I couldn't say I was heartbroken. Maybe after all these years, I was just numb. We were high school sweethearts, together from prom to the altar. We were supposed to be the couple everyone envied. But last year, I found out that Julian’s love letter back in high school was meant for someone else. He liked my best friend, my deskmate, Scarlett. Scarlett lived up to her name—big eyes, porcelain skin, dimples that popped when she smiled. She was the prom queen everyone wanted. Julian said Scarlett was too beautiful, too hard to get. He didn't have the confidence. Coincidentally, I received his love letter and nodded yes, blushing. "Harper isn't bad looking either. Plus, she's close with Scarlett. If I date her, I can be around Scarlett every day. It's great." "I thought I'd just date her for a while and then break up. Who knew... sigh, Harper is kind of dumb." "You guys saw how much she did for me over the years. I really couldn't bear to hurt her." "So I had to marry her. A man's responsibility, you know?" Julian held his whiskey glass, feigning a look of潇洒 (carefree) melancholy as he said this to his frat buddies. His friends all sighed in admiration. "Julian, you're a good man!" "Loyal and responsible!" Julian smiled bitterly. "I guess this is my life now. If I could do it over, I wish I had been brave enough." Someone tried to comfort him, saying that marrying Scarlett might not have been better. At least I helped him build his business empire from scratch. My ability and character were impeccable. The smile faded from Julian's lips. "Do you know Scarlett?" "Harper can't compare to her in any way. Don't let me hear you say that again." I stood outside the private room, clutching the cancer report I just got. I didn't know which news hurt more. 2 I’m emotionally slow. In six years of marriage, Julian lacked any sense of romance. He never bought me gifts for holidays. I convinced myself he was just practical, not into flashy things. He was often busy with social engagements, staying out all night. I told myself it was for our business. He had a sharp tongue, often criticizing my outfits, mocking my waist for not being thin enough, my skin for not being pale enough. I laughed it off. Just a typical guy, not good with sweet words. I made countless excuses for him, covering up the fact that he didn't love me, pretending I was happy. But the body is more honest than the brain. Doctors say cancer, besides genetics, is also an emotional disease. Six years of marriage, day after day of suppression and cold treatment, wore away my feelings for him. And along with it, my body was destroyed. Now that everything was ending, I felt a sense of relief. Julian said if he could do it over, he would be brave. I thought, if I could do it over... I never want to meet Julian Thorne again. I closed my eyes with regret. Unexpectedly, when I opened them again, I saw Julian. He stood there with his arms crossed, watching Scarlett cut the cake with adoration. His phone rang again. Julian’s smile vanished, his brow furrowing. "Harper, you—" "Hello, is this the family of Harper Vance? This is South City General Hospital. Harper Vance passed away at 6:07 PM. Please come handle the paperwork." Julian froze for a moment, gripped the phone, and sneered. "Did Harper tell you to say that? Hah, she's getting creative. Hiring people to help her lie now." "Lie my ass! I'm busy as hell, who has time for this?" "If you don't come, I'm calling the police. Abandoning a corpse is a crime, you idiot." The hospital worker hadn't eaten dinner yet and had more resentment than a ghost. Julian got chewed out, and panic flashed across his face. He turned and fled the hotel in a panic. Scarlett chased after him, calling his name, but he didn't hear. 3 In the hospital corridor, Julian ran frantically, losing a shoe along the way. When he saw the body under the white sheet, he suddenly recoiled, taking two cowardly steps back. "This is a prank, right?" "Harper, come out!" "You're crazy!" The orderly whipped off the white sheet. "Family of the deceased, come identify and sign. Hurry up!" Seeing my face. In the next second, the color drained from Julian's face. He stumbled, collapsed on the floor, crawled forward a few steps, and grabbed my hand. Julian broke down wailing. "Harper! Harper! Wifey! Wifey, wake up—" "Heh—" A disdainful scoff sounded in my ear. I turned to look. A tall man in ancient black robes stood beside me. His features were cold and handsome. He nodded at me indifferently. "Black Impermanence. Just call me Officer Fan." What the hell? The Grim Reaper is real? I clenched my hands nervously. "Officer, am I dead?" Officer Fan: "Yep." "Let's go." Aloof attitude, not a wasted word. I looked back at Julian with regret. He didn't love me, so why was he so sad now that I was dead? Did this mean he actually had some feelings for me? Then my six-year marriage wasn't entirely a joke. Officer Fan saw through my thoughts and sneered. "Normal people feel bad if they lose a chicken." "Crying for a few days is normal. He'll forget you in a month." 4 Officer Fan was wrong. After I died, Julian went crazy. The first day, he held my body all night. No one could pull him away. The second day, he vomited blood from crying. The third day, Scarlett came to see him. His eyes were red. He grabbed a kitchen knife and tried to kill Scarlett, saying she should pay for my life with hers. "It's all you, you bitch! You kept telling me Harper's diagnosis was fake! It's you! You killed her!" Scarlett screamed and ran. "Don't be impulsive! If you kill me, you'll go to jail!" "If I kill you, I'll kill myself. I'll go with her. It's what we owe her." People nearby rushed to stop him, wrestling the knife away. Julian was pinned down, banging his head on the floor, weeping tragically. On the seventh day, he gradually accepted reality. He spent a fortune on a prime burial plot for me. Day ten, day twenty... Every night, Julian slept in front of my tombstone. In the morning, he prepared breakfast for me, patiently wiping the tombstone with a towel. "Wifey, I wanted to buy what you like to eat. But I thought about it, and I realized I don't know what you like." In front of the tombstone, a feast was spread out. Soy milk, churros, dumplings, sandwiches, rice balls, bagels. A chaotic mix of East and West. Julian covered his eyes, bright tears slipping through his fingers. "I really wasn't a good husband." "If we could do it over, I'd make you breakfast every day, okay?" No one answered. The breeze lifted a dead leaf onto his shoulder. The crowd in Hell... oh wait, the ghosts... watched with sighs. "So devoted. It's so moving." "Yeah, I'm about to cry." 5 Birth rates have dropped significantly in recent years. More people die than are born. The line for reincarnation is huge. My ticket number is for fifty years from now. Hell has a giant screen. If anyone living still thinks about you, your image scrolls on the screen. The deeper the longing, the higher the ranking. The ghosts have nothing to do, so they squat in front of the screen every day, watching it like TV and chatting. Old Man Lin has been dead for twenty years, but his daughter still cried for him this year. Such a filial daughter. "Why isn't Old Man Lin happy?" "Why should he be? When he was alive, he was sexist. Only cared about his son, sucked his daughter dry. Now that he's dead, the daughter still handles his memorial. Every time this plays, it's a slap in his face." A withered old man squatted on the ground covering his face, sobbing. "I was blind! Sarah, don't think about Daddy anymore. Daddy doesn't deserve it." The screen switched. Julian sat in his office chair, staring at my photo. His secretary stood respectfully. "Mr. Thorne, as per your request, we built a residential complex near the cemetery. It has a kindergarten. The price is 50% off market value. People will definitely buy." Julian nodded. "Good. She liked kids. She liked lively places." "Build a park across the street. Plant it full of cherry trees. She loved cherry blossoms." The secretary hesitated. "Mr. Thorne, aren't cherry blossoms what you like? You liked them because Miss Scarlett she—" Julian suddenly exploded in rage. "Don't mention that bitch's name!" He went mad, sweeping everything off his desk, then carefully touched the photo. "Harper, I'll get revenge for you. The Scarlett family will go bankrupt soon. Just watch." The ghosts in Hell applauded emotionally. "Wow! Devoted! A true lover!" "Yeah, it's been almost a year, and his life is still only about Harper. That's deep love." Over the years, Hell's currency has inflated. But one thing has deflated severely. Human emotion. In ancient times, a man mourning his wife for decades was common. In the modern fast-paced world, let alone years, lasting a few months is considered deep. But after arriving in Hell, I topped the charts for a whole year. As the ghosts marveled, a black wind surged. Everyone stood up respectfully. "Officer Fan." "Mm. Harper Vance, come here." Officer Fan kept his eternal poker face, glancing at me. "Let's go. Come with me to the mortal realm." I was shocked. "The mortal realm? I can go back?" Officer Fan was concise. "The King of Hell has been watching that screen lately too." "He's feeling benevolent. He told me to bring Julian down to keep you company."
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