The Day I Died, He Married Her

Chapter 11

That night, Ethan Winters came to me drunk.

He held me close, kissing me while whispering "I'm sorry" over and over.

He said, "Rachel, I was wrong."

"Give me another chance. Let's start over."

I pushed him away and looked at him calmly. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I've found someone else."

He froze, the emotions in his eyes slowly hardening.

I smiled at him, smoothing the crease between his brows the way I used to when we were in love.

"No one waits forever, Ethan. I don't love you anymore."

"He adores me—just like you once did. He cherishes me."

"He's certain I'm the one."

"He wouldn't mistake a fleeting feeling for love."

I took out a photo and handed it to him. "See? Don't we look perfect together?"

He stared at the picture, silent for a long time, his expression twisted in pain.

Those usually cold eyes were filled with suppressed sorrow and regret.

What was he grieving?

What was he regretting?

Wasn't he the one who left me first?

We could have had the kind of love people envied.

Childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were young.

Yet he threw me away—the girl who loved him most—for someone he'd known barely a month.

I spent the entire night in Ethan Winters' new home, yet I still couldn't enter his dreams.

Because after Lily Evans fell asleep, he left.

I didn't follow him. Instead, I stood by the window, watching the city's countless lights flicker out one by one.

Just like my life.

Burned out. Drained dry.

By dawn, Ethan returned.

A layer of snow dusted his shoulders, exhaustion etched deep in his eyes. He looked far more weathered than I remembered.

It seemed he hadn't found me.

It had snowed all night. My body was probably buried beneath the white blanket by now.

The old family estate was so remote, and Ethan rarely went back.

By the time my corpse was discovered, spring would likely have arrived.

By then, my body would have rotted beyond recognition.

Suddenly, I regretted dying there.

I should have died in my own home.

At least then, when Ethan found me, I might still have resembled the beautiful memory he held of me.

Ethan Winters returned home and plugged in his dead phone. The first thing he did was call me.

This time, the call went straight to voicemail.

I pouted.

Fruit phones really are trash—freeze for a second and they die.

Ethan grew increasingly agitated. After hesitating for a long moment, he finally dialed another number.

I was surprised when I saw the name.

Kevin Johnson?

My fake "boyfriend" who had played along with my act.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Where's Rachel?" Ethan demanded impatiently.

"Bro, how should I know?"

"Aren't you her fiancé?"

"Seriously, I have a wife. Who even are you?"

"Rachel and I are just classmates. Stop spreading rumors, okay?"

Ethan froze. "...Then what about that photo of you two together?"

Kevin thought for a moment before answering. "Oh, that one? Three years ago, she came to me and asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend for a picture."

"She said she had this scumbag ex who got his new girlfriend pregnant but still wanted her back. She just wanted me to play along and take a photo with her."

"That's all there was to it. We're completely innocent, so don't go spreading lies. My wife would get jealous."

Ethan hung up in a daze, his entire body slumping.

He clutched his hair in agony, as if recalling something painful, then suddenly slammed his fist against the wall in fury.

"Ethan..."

Lily Evans stood at the bedroom door, her face pale as she watched him.

Ethan looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Lily, you're despicable."

"You'd better pray Rachel is okay. I'll deal with you later."

He stormed out, leaving Lily to collapse weakly to the floor.

I didn't understand.

What's wrong with Ethan?

Didn't he love Lily? Didn't he abandon me for her?

Then why is he blaming her for me now?

I floated behind Ethan as he got into his car.

The morning news played on the radio.

"At 6:30 this morning, the body of a young woman was discovered in an old house in the Yonkers suburbs."

"The remains were found intact. Preliminary forensic examination suggests no signs of foul play..."