Chapter 2

I was stunned.

Ethan was still my legal husband when I died. Two years after my death, he had married the culprit who had murdered me, and they even had a baby together.

I was curious, though. I wondered what expression Sophia would have on her face when she saw my corpse after two years. After all, this would mean that the truth behind my death was about to surface.

That fateful afternoon, I was researching a group of virus samples with genetic codes we hadn't deciphered yet.

My superior had told me that the virus was extremely dangerous and that it could survive even in high-temperature environments. Our top priority was to figure out ways to inhibit it.

No one was working at the lab that day. After getting special permission from the leader, I was all alone in the lab as I repeatedly compared the boring data. I was determined to speed up our research progress.

It was then that Sophia entered the lab.

As soon as she walked in, she started shouting and insulting me. She was furious that I had taken Ethan away from her.

With my work interrupted, and for such petty reasons too, I had immediately flown into a rage.

"This is a restricted area. How did you get in?" I had asked.

Noticing that I had my full attention on the test tubes, Sophia announced that she would destroy everything I cared about. Right before my eyes, she flung the test tube rack onto the floor, and the test tubes containing the virus samples instantly shattered.

In an instant, my face had turned pale. Meanwhile, Sophia was still looking gleefully at me.

She had said, "Serves you right for putting on that hardworking front. What are you going to research now, huh?"

I had retorted, "You idiot! Do you know what's inside the test tubes? Those are virus samples of a highly contagious disease! You'll be put behind bars!"

Sophia had looked panicked briefly. She didn't believe it at first, but when she saw my stern expression, she had decisively grabbed the rag on the table and held it tightly against my nose and mouth.

I had been doing research overnight, so I was quite weak then. I had fainted from the diethyl ether on the rag, and my body had slumped onto the floor.

Sophia didn't seem satisfied yet. She had proceeded to hit my head with a hammer until my head caved in. Then, she had finally stood up, exhausted. "I don't care about highly contagious diseases. How dare you take my man from me! I'm already showing you enough mercy as it is!"

To cover up the evidence of her crimes, she had secretly brought in two barrels of gasoline. Then, she had set fire to the whole lab.

My spirit had watched as she slapped herself several times. She had perfectly controlled her strength to look like a pitiful flower destroyed in a storm—broken but still beautiful.

Then, she dialed Ethan's number.

With everyone watching, Sophia had thrown herself into Ethan's arms and sobbed pitifully.

"Ethan, I just wanted to explain to her that nothing is going on between us, but I accidentally saw her putting away the samples and research data. I didn't understand what she was doing, so I asked her a question, but she slapped me! Then, she grabbed some test tubes on the table and ran away!"

The staff members who had rushed over suddenly had stern looks on their faces. They urgently called the leader over the phone.

"Those test tubes contained virus samples of a highly contagious disease!" they had said.

Ethan hugged Sophia as he comforted her. His eyes were filled with worry and care.

I had hovered in the air, looking hopefully at Ethan.

"Will you believe me, Ethan?" I had thought. "Will you clear my name and avenge me?"

With Sophia in his arms, Ethan had put on a cold expression.

He had said, "I can't believe Charlotte would be so bold as to steal those virus samples! Report this case immediately. A researcher named Charlotte Smith was working with foreign powers to steal important samples, and she's currently missing. Go and request an arrest warrant."

The light in my eyes had slowly faded, taking my last shred of hope with it.