When they performed the caesarean section, my husband was buying a gift for his ‘first love.’ When he hung up my desperate call, he said, “What new game are you playing? Get lost! Don’t even look for me if you die!” Seven days later, he was embroiled in the horrific case of a dismembered pregnant woman. To identify the victim and find the killer, he worked tirelessly, barely sleeping. But eventually, the clues began to point, step by step, to me. His most hated wife. 1 After the killer dismembered me, they audaciously dumped my remains into the police station's sewer system. Officers, clad in thick hazmat suits, spent a full day and night sifting through the foul-smelling sewage before recovering all the pieces. It took several forensic pathologists three days and nights to painstakingly piece my body back together, just barely forming a recognizable human shape. But… my left ear was missing. The police suspected this was a deliberate act of revenge by a criminal. My husband, Detective Captain Asher Rodriguez, was the youngest captain on the homicide squad, with countless complex cases solved under his belt. When his team first saw my remains, several officers were overcome with nausea, retching uncontrollably. Asher’s brows were deeply furrowed, his face ashen, battling the intense disgust. The forensic team handed them the reports and began detailing my condition. “Based on the autopsy results, the victim is female, between 22 and 25 years old. Cause of death was exsanguination.” “The victim had restraint marks on her wrists and ankles, multiple contusions across her body, and her head was repeatedly struck with a blunt object, resulting in a shattered and severely deformed skull.” “Additionally, the victim was pregnant and endured inhumane torture before her death.” Officer Rodriguez slammed his hand on the table with a loud smack. “They’re worse than animals!” The other officers echoed his outrage. “Such a brutal method of killing, it’s most likely a revenge killing!” “What kind of hatred could drive someone to be so vicious to a pregnant woman!” “The killer is too arrogant! Dumping the body in the sewer beneath the police station is a clear provocation to law enforcement!” “…” My husband, Asher, stared intently at the report. “It’s them.” The officers’ faces instantly grew grim. They—a massive international crime syndicate, a huge shadow looming over the minds of every officer. Countless colleagues had fallen each year because of them. But thanks to a decade of relentless effort by law enforcement, this transnational crime group had been entirely dismantled three months prior. Therefore, this case was highly likely the work of a few remaining members, committed for revenge and as a deliberate challenge to the police. 2 Just then, an officer walked in, carrying a shoebox-sized container. “Captain Rodriguez, it’s another one from… your wife.” Hearing my name, my husband’s face contorted with annoyance. “From now on, anything she sends, don’t give it to me. Just throw it out.” Officer Rodriguez sighed, patting his shoulder. “Still can’t let it go after all this time? Your father’s death… it wasn’t Emma’s fault… she was a victim too…” As he spoke, he took the box, opened it for Asher, revealing a transparent jar inside. Upon seeing its contents, everyone gasped in horror. Asher’s hand loosened, and the jar clattered to the floor. It was… a miniature doll. Even after hitting the ground, its pose remained unchanged; it even bounced slightly. The forensic pathologist carefully placed the doll into an evidence bag. With just a glance, he concluded, “It’s fake.” “Another one of her tricks to get my attention. She’s completely insane!” My husband’s single sentence condemned me. But this wasn't something I had sent. Perhaps the officers also felt that sending such a doll was too much, as they all fell silent. Officer Rodriguez sighed, “Emma doesn’t seem like the type to play such a joke. Could there be some misunderstanding? You haven’t been home in a while; why don’t you go check on her?” “Hmph! What’s there to misunderstand? Sending something like this is just her way of threatening me, trying to make me lose the baby!” My husband sneered. “That kind of woman, full of lies, will even invent a child to get off the hook!” “Even if she really was pregnant, there’s no way I’d let her keep it. A woman like her doesn’t deserve it!” “The sight of her disgusts me! I’d rather focus on the victim, find more clues, identify her, and solve this case quickly.” I floated in the air, transparent tears streaming down my face. So… in his heart, I wasn’t worthy of bearing his child. Who was, then? His ‘first love’ ex-girlfriend? Perhaps thinking of when I had told him I was pregnant, Asher disgustedly tossed the doll into a nearby trash can. Then he pulled out his phone, unblocked me, and spoke in a chillingly cold voice. “Threatening me with a child will only make me think you’re lower than dirt!” “Give up. Even if you die, I wouldn’t spare you a glance!” But… I am dead… And I wasn't lying… That dismembered body, it’s me… 3 My husband and the detectives gathered around a whiteboard covered with photos of my body, alongside their analyses and theories. Key points were circled. “The victim’s DNA hasn’t matched anyone, indicating she has no criminal record.” “There are no missing pregnant women in recent reports who match the victim’s age and height.” An officer remarked, bewildered, “How could a pregnant woman go missing for so long without any family looking for her? Does she not have family?” Asher twirled his pen, circling the word “child” on the whiteboard. “If we can’t identify the victim, finding the missing child for a DNA comparison might lead us to the father, which could then identify the victim.” I crouched by the trash can, desperately trying to pick up that fake doll, but my translucent hand passed right through it, unable to touch it. The clue you’re looking for right now is inside this fake doll… But you’ve thrown it in the trash… Then, he wrote “Dismemberment Scene” and circled it prominently. There was very little blood in the sewer, clearly just a dumping ground. Killers typically dismember bodies in places they are familiar with or consider safe and private. Most even return to the crime scene. If the dismemberment site could be found, the case would have a major breakthrough. Next, he circled “left ear” and added a question mark beside it. “We searched the entire sewer system, but couldn’t find the victim’s left ear or any remaining body parts.” “This means the killer didn’t dump those parts here.” “But why dispose of them separately? This particular part likely has a distinguishing mark that could identify the victim.” Asher paused in his analysis, his brows slightly furrowed, staring at the words “left ear.” I unconsciously touched my own left ear. On my left earlobe, there was a burn scar. It was from the first time I cooked for Asher; scalding oil had splattered onto my ear, forming a blister and leaving a scar. Asher was very apologetic and applied ointment for me every day. So, he knew perfectly well about the mark on my left ear. “The killer tortured the victim for several days before cruelly murdering her. There must be a grudge with the victim, or her family.” “Revenge…” An officer suddenly looked at Asher. “Captain Rodriguez, could the killer be a criminal we arrested, holding a grudge against us, and that’s why they tortured the victim and dumped her in our sewer, to provoke us…” “No, that doesn’t quite fit. None of our officers’ family members are pregnant… and how could someone go missing without it being reported?” Asher’s eyebrow twitched, as if something had occurred to him. But then he shook his head, as if dismissing his own thought. Asher, in that moment, did you remember? I once told you I was pregnant. But you only thought I was jealous of your ‘first love,’ lying about pregnancy just to manipulate you… Alas, you missed that clue again… If you asked which police officer those criminals hated most, Asher Rodriguez would definitely be number one. If he hadn’t been so cold to me, if he’d just gone home, he would surely have found the clues I left for him. He paused, then immediately plunged back into work, dividing the officers into several teams, each with assigned tasks. One team would conduct interviews, checking for any missing pregnant women. Another team would search for the primary crime scene and any remaining body parts. A third team would visit hospitals, as a pregnant woman like the victim would most likely have prenatal records. In addition, an expert was specifically brought in to reconstruct my skull. The expert could, based on principles of human anatomy and the characteristics of my facial bones, age, and soft tissue data from my body, sculpt my skin and hair onto a plastic model. Once my skull was reconstructed, it could be matched with ID records through the public security system, directly confirming my identity. However, this skull reconstruction would take some time. Asher rubbed his temples, his face etched with fatigue. Buzz, buzz, buzz. He pulled out his phone. Seeing the caller ID, a gentle smile appeared on his face. “Elara, I’m so scared…” “Where are you now? Okay, don’t move. Lock your windows. If you’re scared, turn on all the lights and wait for me to get back!” He hung up, checked the time. It was almost 10 PM. “Everyone, head home and get some rest. We’ll discuss anything else tomorrow.” My heart instantly shattered. Asher was a workaholic; he often disappeared for days on a case, and I never dared to disturb him. But now, a single call from her was enough to make him drop everything and rush back to her… In your heart, I could never compare to her… 4 I floated along, following Asher to a house. It was a residence he owned before we married. It’s ironic, I only learned after I died that the house he said he had rented out was actually occupied by her. Elara Rodriguez, Asher’s ‘first love’ ex-girlfriend. She was the hostage he rescued from criminals three months ago. And in those three months he spent away from home, he must have been living with her here, right? My heart started to ache again at the thought. Elara suffered from post-traumatic stress. He was afraid the criminals would seek revenge and find this hostage rescued by the police. He was even more afraid his beloved Elara would be harmed. So, he, usually so calm and collected, sped home, pushed open the door, his voice trembling. “Elara?” Elara was curled up in the corner of the sofa. Hearing Asher’s voice, she darted into his arms like a startled rabbit, clinging to him tightly. Asher’s body stiffened slightly, then he wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her soft hair, comforting her in a low, tender voice. “It’s alright, don’t be scared, I’m here…” Elara cried, tears streaming down her face, “Where were you? I was so scared without you…” Asher gently explained, “The dismemberment case, the autopsy results came out today. It’s been a bit hectic.” Elara’s eyes flickered, and she pulled away from his embrace. “Oh? Did you find any clues?” “Yes, the victim was a pregnant woman. It seems to be a revenge killing. Her identity hasn’t been confirmed yet; there are no leads.” “A pregnant woman… how truly pathetic…” She spoke with feigned sorrow, but her eyes glinted with hidden triumph. Her hypocritical demeanor made me want to vomit! She was clearly trying to glean details about the case! Asher, who had always been tight-lipped about cases when dealing with me, was completely unguarded with Elara. Was this the difference between love and not loving? Because he loved her, she was the ‘first love’ he once yearned for but couldn’t have, so in front of her, all his principles vanished. He seemed eager to share with Elara. “The killer brutally dismembered the victim, so we suspect it’s a remaining member from three months ago, deliberately provoking the police.” Elara gasped, seemingly terrified. “That’s… too horrifying… Did you find out who it was?” “Not yet,” Asher said, looking very worried. “It’s highly likely to be remnants of the crime syndicate. I’m afraid the killer knows you’re still alive and might target you.” “Don’t go out recently. If anything unusual happens, call me anytime.” Elara nodded obediently. She softly changed the subject. “Asher, you come here to be with me every day. Won’t she… be unhappy? After all, she’s your wife. Didn’t she say she was pregnant…” At the mention of me, Asher’s face instantly chilled. His expression softened again when he looked at Elara, as if afraid of frightening her. “Why bring her up? If it weren’t for her, my father wouldn’t have…” He frowned. “You should rest now, it’s getting late.” Elara said, “But I’m scared…” “Don’t be. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, then I’ll leave.” I floated in mid-air, watching my husband guard Elara’s bedside, gently coaxing her to sleep, with a tenderness I had never seen directed at me. They looked so perfect together. I had always been an outsider… But Asher, the person you’re now cherishing is a demon…
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