Chapter 1 I Died

• I was about to die.
• The cold, sharp blade pressed against my neck, ready to slice through my throat at any second.
• "Call your man. If he's willing to come here, I'll pretend this job never existed."
• The killer shoved a phone into my hand.
• Half an hour earlier, I had been kidnapped without even understanding what was happening.
• Behind me, a man pressed a dagger against my back, his low, chilling laughter sending shivers down my spine.
• "Your love rival stole your man and paid me to kill you. How pathetic. I don't care for her kind either. So, I'll give you one chance to stay alive."
• A love rival? Did Camelia really hire someone to kill me?
• Under the weight of a death threat, I dared not speak. My hands trembled as I dialed Kenneth Johnson's number.
• We had been together for six years. To everyone, Kenneth was the picture of perfection. He never missed my calls, no matter the hour or situation.
• I dialed, full of confidence.
• Less than three seconds later, the call was cut off.
• Why? In six years, Kenneth has never ignored me, not once. Is this really the first time and the last?
• Frozen in shock, I trembled as the phone was yanked from my hand.
• "Pathetic. Seems your taste in men isn't much better than hers."
• ...
• Kenneth had just arrived at the private lounge when his phone buzzed.
• The moment he saw the caller ID, a hand reached out from beside him and ended the call without hesitation.
• "Ken, Camelia's been back for three months and finally managed to throw this welcome party. Don't ruin the mood by dragging Rachel into this, alright?"
• The room was packed with familiar faces, old friends from Kenneth and Camelia Quinn's school days.
• In the middle of it all, Camelia sat in a flowing white gown, as flawless and innocent as Kenneth remembered her.
• "Kenny, it's fine if you invite Rachel," Camelia said with a soft, melodic voice. Compared to their classmates, now worn and weary with age, she remained the same delicate beauty from their youth.
• Kenneth gripped his phone tightly, hesitating. But in the end, he didn't return the call.
• "Forget it. Rachel and Camelia never got along anyway. It's better not to let her come," he muttered, slipping his phone into his pocket.
• To attend this welcome party for his first love, he had told Rachel he was stuck in a company meeting. She wouldn't find out.
• "Ken, come on, sit by Camelia!" someone teased.
• Camelia's cheeks flushed pink as she made space beside her, pulling Kenneth in closer.
• There was one empty seat left at the table, someone couldn't make it at the last minute.
• To everyone else, the chair looked empty. But in fact, it was not. I sat there, but they couldn't see me.
• My hollow, lifeless eyes were fixed on Kenneth and Camelia.
• The sharp pain in my neck had left me here, silent, invisible, watching as my fiancé ignored my call and let me die for the sake of his first love.
• Everyone in the room had been our old classmates.
• Kenneth and Camelia were the perfect pair, childhood sweethearts destined for each other.
• I had always known that.
• But that summer, when Kenneth pulled me away from a speeding car, saving me from certain death, I couldn't help falling for him.
• When Camelia rejected his feelings and left for abroad, I finally found the courage to confess my own.
• It took me three years to win over Kenneth, the man everyone thought was out of reach.
• And another six years before he finally proposed.
• Yet, just a week before our wedding, Kenneth ignored my call for Camelia.
• After nine years, I still couldn't compare to her in his heart.
• I reached for my barely-there baby bump, but there was no sign of life.
• Kenneth, do you even know that I was pregnant?
• ...
• The drinks kept flowing, and soon everyone was tipsy.
• Camelia's cheeks flushed as she leaned lazily against Kenneth's shoulder.
• I couldn't hold back a cold laugh, but no one heard me.
• I had been watching closely.
• Camelia hadn't even finished half a glass of beer. She was so fake.
• Camelia, did it feel good, pretending to be drunk while cozying up to someone else's fiancé?
• Slowly, my gaze shifted to Kenneth, who kept stealing glances at her.
• And just like that, my heart grew even colder.
• "Camelia, don't fall asleep yet. You just had some alcohol, be careful not to catch a cold."
• Kenneth adjusted his posture to let Camelia lean on him more comfortably.
• Then, he took off his jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders with thoughtful care.
• Every movement was soft and delicate, as if he were handling a rare treasure.
• Their old classmates couldn't help but tease them when they saw this.
• "Ken's always so considerate, even thinking about covering Camelia with his jacket."
• "Come on, be serious. Ken's only this gentle with Camelia. Try switching her out for Rachel and see if he's still so sweet."
• I couldn't hold back a cold laugh, and an icy chill spread through my already frozen body.
• If it were me, Kenneth would've been just as gentle.
• All these years, Kenneth had been flawless in every way, pampering me so much that I never had to lift a finger. My friends always said I must've done something incredible in a past life to deserve marrying a man like him.
• Kenneth even told me himself that, in this life, he would never treat another woman the way he treated me.
• What a joke. I actually believed him back then.
• But with Camelia, Kenneth was even more attentive than he ever was with me.
• The moment my name was mentioned, Kenneth's movements froze.
• Then, looking at Camelia resting on his shoulder, a flicker of guilt flashed through his eyes.
• I wondered if, at that moment, he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be a man about to get married.
• Camelia, cheeks slightly flushed, scolded their teasing, "Don't talk nonsense. Kenneth has always been gentle. If Rachel heard you, they might end up fighting when he gets home."
• Her soft smile and gentle voice were just like back in school, when she always played the harmless, kind-hearted girl who never competed for anything.
• If you really don't want us to fight, maybe start by getting your head off my fiancé's shoulder.
• Just as Camelia finished speaking, a male classmate spoke up, clearly annoyed. "So what if they fight? They might even break up. If Rachel hadn't interfered, you'd be the one marrying Ken right now…"
• "That's enough!" Camelia cut him off sharply, as if genuinely angry.
• "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Kenneth looked confused by the sudden turn in the conversation.
• So was I.
• I interfered? Wasn't it Camelia who abandoned Kenneth when his parents went bankrupt, leaving me the chance to pursue him? How is it my fault they didn't end up together?
• Fueled by alcohol, the classmate spilled everything he knew.
• "Stop it," Camelia pretended to intervene, half-heartedly trying to stop him. "Kenneth's getting married soon. Why bring this up and upset him now?"
• "Camelia, let it go. I just can't stand watching this anymore. Why should that manipulative Rachel be the one marrying Ken?"