Chapter 3

Seraphine had been living abroad all this while. Perhaps because I had hurt her too deeply, she had cut off all ties with everyone in the country.

It was reasonable that she didn't know I had died a long time ago.

However, our other former classmates had attended my funeral before.

Everyone looked at each other and exchanged glances. They seemed to be debating whether they should tell Seraphine the truth or not.

In the end, Ivan spoke up. "Seraphine, there might have been a misunderstanding back then."

"What misunderstandings can there possibly be?" Seraphine took a deep breath as she retorted, "Are you speaking up for that wretch, Ivan?"

Ivan tried to calm her down. "I mean, Leo was—"

"He abandoned me at our engagement party!" Seraphine cut him off. "Thanks to him, I have to put up with ridicule and scorn even to this day!"

Seraphine was obviously enraged by the mention of the incident back then, her breathing grew fast and unsteady.

Grabbing a glass from the table, she proceeded to throw it onto the floor. With a crash, the glass shattered into pieces. Some of the shards even cut the back of her hands.

My heart ached a little.

Drops of crimson blood oozed out, but Seraphine was completely unaware of them. She said in trembling anger, "I've seen the photos and heard the recordings. Even Leo himself had admitted it to me. How can it possibly be fake?"

Ivan didn't say another word. After all, he wasn't sure of the exact details back then either.

Still, the dead were always given special respect. Ivan just didn't want Seraphine to speak too badly of me.

However, Seraphine was completely consumed by anger. He couldn't get through to her.

Around 30 seconds later, Seraphine composed herself. "I lost my appetite. I'm leaving now."

Grabbing her purse, she got up and left the private room without even a backward glance.

My soul naturally followed her.

Seraphine didn't call her driver to pick her up. Instead, she strolled along the streets lined with ginkgo trees, all alone.

I followed her, keeping her company. I drifted along as she walked, and stopped when she paused in her tracks.

For a moment, I felt as if we had returned to the past.

It was late autumn, and some golden leaves had fallen on her long hair. I instinctively reached out to pick the leaves out of her hair.

I had done it many times in the past, so it came naturally to me.

I had picked fluffy catkins out of her hair, tidied her hair messed up by the sea breeze, and even tied her hair into a bun with self-made accessories. I had caressed her head countless times.

I could almost feel the sensation when I touched her head.

However, in the next second, my palm passed right through her. I couldn't touch her at all.

I froze.

At the same time, a piercing pain welled up in my soul. At that moment, I realized more clearly than ever that I had died.

I had been dead for an entire decade.

By the time I recovered my senses, Seraphine was already walking into the distance.

Just then, she stopped abruptly in front of a stall, stunned. Her figure exuded loneliness and arrogance, and her hands were clenched into fists by her sides.

Even without looking at her face, I could imagine how foul her expression must be at that moment.

Following her gaze, I looked at the owner of the stall. I immediately felt my chest tighten.

The stall owner was none other than my elder sister, Rose Wilder. She was also the one who had taken me away from the engagement party back then.

Sensing that she had a customer, Rose looked up and spoke in a tired and hoarse voice. "Pick whatever you like."

Lowering her gaze, Seraphine glanced at the plastic accessories on sale. She scoffed. "What's the matter? Did Leo not treat you well?"

The mention of my name caught Rose off guard. The light returned to Rose's vacant eyes, and she began to study her customer with a confused stare.

After a moment of stunned silence, she murmured, "Seraphine? You're back?"

It had been ten years since then.

There was no trace of familiarity on Seraphine's face.