My marriage with Hadden might have been a business arrangement, but for me, it was love at first sight.The first time I saw him was in high school. I was a transfer student, and that made me a target for bullying. I tried my best to defend myself, but I was heavily outnumbered.Just as I was about to give up, he appeared—my knight in shining armor.I was too excited to sleep when my parents told me I would be marrying him, but I didn't know he only agreed as a way to receive funds to save his company's capital chain.Perhaps he only stood up for me back then because Julia was the main perpetrator, and he did not want her to get in trouble.In the years of our marriage, I was always the one taking care of him. I cooked every meal because I was worried he would not like the food outside.Slowly, he warmed up to me as well and would surprise me with gifts. I thought we would have our happy ending, but I was too naive.I remembered telling him excitedly that we would be parents, on
After a while, Hadden seemed to have thought of something. He kicked the cover and shouted at his assistant, "You! You were the one who put this mannequin in here, weren't you? You helped Felicia escape!"His assistant was pretty much vomiting bile at this point, but ignoring Hadden was not an option."I didn't, Mr. Rowse! This has nothing to do with me. I'm pretty sure… that's Ms. Lowe's body…" His words came out in fragments as he continued to throw up.Hadden did not look pleased with his assistant's response and glared at the pool with contempt. Disbelief laced the words he said next."It's fake! This body has to be fake! I know she put that in there because she doesn't want to admit that she did something wrong. I knew she wasn't going to apologize so easily. Just wait! Once I get my hands on her, I'll make her apologize to Julia!"It was hilarious how delusional he was being. Laughing, I even did a twirl in front of him."I'm right in front of you, Hadden. Can't you see?
Hadden was insistent that I had escaped. He even went through the surveillance footage at the pool to prove himself right.Through the footage, he watched me struggle for my life after I was thrown into the pool… until I stopped moving.Despite this, Hadden still refused to believe that I was dead. Aggressively, he punched the monitor, cracking it."No! I don't believe this!" he yelled, pointing at the footage. "The cameras are frozen! Felicia must've tampered with them. I knew it, that bitch!"Hadden grabbed his laptop and threw it onto the ground.Seeing the laptop break into pieces must not have been enough to vent his anger because he proceeded to grab the cup beside him and throw it at the broken laptop.It took him a while to remember where he was. He turned to look at Julia, who seemed afraid by his outburst, and immediately apologized."Oh, Julia, I'm sorry. It's alright, I'm not angry at you. It's her I'm pissed at. How could she be so irresponsible? She hurt you! And i
"And? Who cares if you die? It's only fair after what you did to Julia! Your parents are dead anyway. So, if you die, you'll get to reunite with them. You should be thanking me instead."The more I struggled and fought back, the harsher Hadden tossed me around and the colder his glare."You pushed Julia into the pool. So now, I'm pushing you into the pool. An eye for an eye."I refused, so he broke my wrist and kicked my abdomen. Then, he tossed me into the pool."Die, you horrible woman!" I did not remember my last moments, but I figured I felt regretful. I should not have agreed to marry Hadden, and I should not have allowed myself to believe that I could make him fall in love with me. He was right about one thing, though. I was dead. I should be reunited with my parents.Yet, I did not see them anywhere.The next few days passed similarly, and Hadden had yet to find any leads on my whereabouts.However, he was also busy with Julia's concert—pre-ordering flowers, hiring ba
Sparks landed on the stage and on the audience, but none landed on me. Underneath the stage, I watched as Hadden gently wrapped Julia in his arms and slowly walked her to the limo. The engine started, and he tightened his hold on her."Thank you, Julia, for always being by my side."Julia smiled happily and hugged him back. Then, she turned her head to peck the tip of his ear."If you'll have me, Hadden, I'll always be by your side."…A long time passed after the concert before it crossed Hadden's mind to continue looking for me again.He spent a lot of manpower and resources to look for me, even going as far as to spread the word to all his employees that anyone who found me or found leads on me would receive a cash reward. Anyone who managed to bring me to him would receive a house in the city center.It was ridiculous, considering I was right here. I made my way to stand behind Hadden and huffed a breath at his neck. It was starting to get frustrating how invisible I was
Julia quickly got up from Hadden's body with a yelp and wrapped herself in the discarded clothes around. Hadden also snapped to reality and stood up to straighten his clothes, only to realize that the policemen were ignoring him and making their way to the pool.Likely remembering how he had left my body in the pool, Hadden quickly went to stop the police."Even if you're the police, you have no right to just barge into my house! Which precinct are you from? I'm going to lodge a complaint against you." The policeman he approached said nothing, and another policeman, likely the director, walked over."Mr. Hadden Rowse, correct? My name is Gerard Annable. We've received a call accusing you of the murder of your wife, Felicia Lowe. The informant also claimed that her body was still in your pool. We've come to confirm if the information we received is true."Hadden's knees buckled. He grabbed onto the couch beside him and forced a smile."You must be mistaken, officers. My wife pu
When we arrived at the police station, I tried to follow them inside. Somehow, I could not pass through the doors no matter how many times I tried. I had no choice but to wait outside the doors, hoping that someone would discuss any updates in my vicinity, but it was all too vague.I managed to conclude that Hadden had admitted his crime and was going to prison, but no one said how long he would be there.Julia was not completely innocent either. A police investigation found her guilty of tax evasion. They were both going to prison.I continued to wait outside the police station for days until it was the day of their trial. I followed the police car to court, and that was when I saw the two of them again, sullen and lifeless.They were staring out the window with a look of yearning.When we arrived at the courthouse, I tried to pass through those doors again. I failed, unsurprisingly, but after numerous attempts, I somehow managed to pass through them.I quickly made my way t
Because I made Sam Whitaker's "perfect girl" take a cold shower, he threw me inside a freezer and locked the door."Nancy caught a cold, so now I'm going to make you suffer with her!"I desperately clawed at the freezer door, screaming for help, but all I could see was Nancy Bullocks' lips moving."Sam cares too much about me, so there's nothing I can do to plead on your behalf. I'm afraid you'll just have to endure this one."She set the temperature to the lowest possible setting, and the last sliver of my vision faded as the dust cover slipped into place.When Sam returned from his honeymoon, he finally showed some mercy and said he would let me out."I'll let it slide this time, but let's see if you dare target Nancy again."'I won't dare to target her again because I have already become a massive block of ice. One touch and I will shatter into a thousand pieces,' I said to myself.On the twelfth day after my death, Sam Whitaker finally brought Nancy Bullocks home. Word had it they
When my grandmother heard the news of my death, she passed away that very same day.'Grandma, you've held on for so long. Are you finally reaching your limit? Leaving this world probably isn't as painful, right? At least you didn't suffer like my parents and I did. I wonder if we'll ever meet again?' I mused sadly.My parents perished in the flames, and I was frozen to death. Would I ever get a chance to be their daughter again in the next life? And as for Sam... I supposed I would never see him again.When Sam learned about my grandmother's death from prison, he arranged for a grand funeral in her honor. At least my grandmother left with some dignity. Yet, no one seemed to realize that if it weren't for the fire, she would have remained the largest shareholder of Sawyer Group. She would have had an honorable departure, just as she deserved.If it weren't for that fire, I would have been the beloved heiress of the Sawyer Family, surrounded by love and happiness....When Nancy was arr
I wanted to explain everything, to tell her that it wasn't just a preservation mode but the freezing mode. Nancy had secretly tempered with the settings, but even until the moment she left, I couldn't manage to form a complete sentence. It was too cold here, and I was gagged. All the words I wanted to say stayed trapped in my throat.I glanced at Sam, who looked mentally unstable, and found it almost funny in a twisted way.'Sam, I've given you back my life. What else are you dissatisfied with?' I mused.He had received two emails. One was the lab report for the pregnancy test he had sent in. The results confirmed it was my DNA on the test. He let out a bitter laugh before picking up the second report. Then it hit me. This was the investigation I had ordered back when Nancy first showed up in our lives. I never expected that the report would only be delivered after my death.The contents revealed Nancy's affair with Tom. They had conspired together, plotting to swindle money from Sa
He came down to the basement again. There were still traces of my blood in the basement. He lay there, eyes fixed on the intercom, lost in thought.'Sam, are you remembering what you said to me in my final moments? You told me I should understand the pain your beloved Nancy was going through, that I deserved a fate worse than death, that I should live a life lower than animals. But Sam, she only had a cold. I died, and you killed me with your own hands,' I thought bitterly. Suddenly, Sam sat up, his gaze hard and indifferent once more. "Katerina, this is all your fault. Why did you have to be so stupid and turn off the water heater?"'I'm not an idiot. I know you despise me, Sam. Why would I ever do something to provoke you on purpose?' I retorted inwardly.…That day, I was in the bathroom, nervously waiting for the pregnancy test results. I was hoping to surprise him with the news. How did things turn out like this?All I could recall was waiting for the test to end while standing
At that moment, a memory of that smell surfaced. The thought of it made me gag involuntarily. It was far worse than the stench of my own dismembered limbs lying there now.I thought of my grandmother again. 'Has she already used up most of the 500 thousand? Will Sam continue to give her money? Will she be heartbroken upon knowing I'm dead?'My mind was a storm of chaos....Meanwhile, Sam went to the hospital in a haze at Tom Zachary's advice. When he arrived, Tom's expression was grave."Nancy's baby... We couldn't save it," he said.Sam stared at him blankly as if the words had no meaning.Tom's brow furrowed. "Sam, are you still a man? Nancy had a miscarriage, and you're still mourning another woman?"Sam froze for a moment and stared blankly at Nancy. At that moment, she was lying weakly on the hospital bed, and her face was drained of color."Sam, you're here. Don't worry. We'll have more children in the future," she said.She leaned in to wrap her arms around his neck and said t
Sam had an alibi, so he was temporarily released. However, to everyone's surprise, he refused to leave.He stood at the door and pounded against it relentlessly. "I need to report a missing person! My wife has run away from home! I can't find her!" On the other side of the door, a piercing gaze fixed on him. "Do you love your wife?" He froze, then mumbled to himself, "I... I love her. Of course, I love her. I've loved her for ten years now..." Yes, that was right. I almost forgot that he had chosen to marry me of his own accord all those years ago. How could he not love me? Yet, it was also he who sealed me inside that freezer, all for the sake of another woman. How could he possibly love me? Our love began ten years ago and ended ten years ago. Back then, I was a shy young girl who blushed at the mere sight of his gaze lingering on me. He was also a boy whose eyes sparkled only for me, who blushed when he proposed. When I agreed to marry him, he was so happy he couldn't stop
"The victim's name is Katerina Sawyer. She's your wife, right?" the man asked again.So, Sam was finally going to find out I was dead? I almost felt a sense of anticipation.Hearing this, Sam sneered, and his eyes once again flared with anger."Katerina, you've really outdone yourself this time, haven't you? Now you're making scam calls? While I still have an ounce of patience left, get back here and apologize to Nancy. Don't push me to divorce you!" Saying that, he angrily slammed the phone onto the floor and stomped on its screen.At that moment, Nancy clutched her stomach and groaned, "Honey, honey... My stomach hurts..."I stood off to the side, crossed my arms, and smirked.That pregnancy test she used was mine, and I was the one who was pregnant. She wasn't, so why was she acting like she had a stomach ache?She was just stalling, trying to keep Sam from finding out the truth because she clearly knew I was dead."Hurry, call Dr. Zachary! The baby… the baby…" she wailed.Dr. Zacha
Sam's angry voice rang out, followed closely by Nancy's soft, soothing murmurs trying to calm him down.'Sam, have you completely forgotten I'm stuck in the freezer? You wouldn't even bother opening it to check, would you?' I sadly thought to myself.As if to confirm my suspicions, he suddenly spoke again. "It's probably Katerina throwing another tantrum and deliberately stuffing the freezer with spoiled meat. Don't worry. I won't hold you guys responsible this time."Just clean out the freezer and bring up some soup. I need to make sure Nancy is well taken care of."Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Someone from the first floor, if you're not busy, go and locate Katerina. Make sure she isn't causing trouble outside again. She's been throwing tantrums for long enough."I stared at the intercom broadcasting his voice, and for a moment, I felt the urge to smash it into pieces. 'Sam, if your brain is useless, why not donate it? What makes you so certain that I can escape by mys
My eyes were bloodshot as I shook my head and repeatedly slammed my elbows against the freezer door over and over, desperate to break free on my own.Above me, Sam's expression darkened with fury. He loomed over the freezer where I was trapped and looked down at me with disdain. "Then stay in there until you know what you've done wrong. Don't call for me until you've learned your lesson."Beside him, Nancy stood with a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips, though her voice trembled with false innocence. "Sam, I'm afraid… What if she tries to hurt me again tonight? Maybe I shouldn't stay here. I'll just go back home."Sam glanced at her with visible concern. He called for his men, and soon, two heavy iron chains were brought in to secure the freezer. They seemed to be guarding against an extremely ferocious beast."Even if she dies in there tonight, she won't get out," he reassured Nancy. "You'll be safe. Sleep here, and tomorrow, after you leave, I'll let her out. Alright?"That
Nancy was clearly displeased. She acted like a spoiled child and began to whine for Sam to buy her new ones.With a helpless smile, Sam reached out and gently patted her head. "Alright, alright, I'll buy you all new ones! How could I say no to my favorite little darling?"Immediately, her mood shifted. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly dashed into my room to smash all my belongings."I've hated these things for so long! Smash them all! I want everything replaced with new ones!"I trailed behind them, struggling to keep up. Perhaps my body had been frozen for too long, and the calcium in my bones had been lost. I was sore all over, and my bones scattered all over the floor with every step I took.At first, I panicked whenever I felt my bones scattering behind me. I would turn around, frantically trying to gather them up, only to remember I had been dead for a long time. What was the point of picking up the bones? All that remained of me was a hollow consciousness. A bitter smile tugged