The bar throbbed with deafening music. Under the strobing kaleidoscope of lights, a sea of bodies swayed to the rhythm of the night on the dancefloor.

Sebastian was leaning against the bar, swirling the glass in his hand. He frowned as he glanced at the call he just ended.

It was odd that Felicia didn't call him back. He knew she was lying when she said she was going to bury the hatchet. It was all just lies.

Even so, his fingers tapped on the surface of the screen rather anxiously, while he looked a little annoyed. 

Suddenly, his phone vibrated amid the loud music. He waited for it to ring for a while before calmly picking up the phone.

"Felicia, I already said I'm not going back. I don't care what you're going to say. I'm going to torture you for the rest of your life. Do you hear me? Or perhaps you've come up with some new tricks to trick me? I won't fall for it!"

The police off

The police officer felt extremely helpless. They made a few more calls to other people and sent them messages and photos, but left the rest up to fate.

If no one came to collect Felicia's body, they would have no choice but to send her straight for cremation.

"Poor thing. Neither her parents nor her husband is willing to come and collect her body. I really don't know what they're thinking about. Why wouldn't they believe us even after we've explained so much to them?" One of the police officers sighed and shook his head helplessly.

Sebastian's gaze darkened as he saw the messages and photos. He was clutching his phone so tightly he was about to crush it.

Felicia's lifeless body was a little terrifying to see. Even if he refused to believe it, the fact was right in front of him.

He gritted his teeth as panic grew in him.

"Felicia, is faking your death your new trick? Don't think tha

"Late stage of cancer?" Sebastian sneered, his eyes sharp with mockery as he looked at Felicia. "You're something else, Felicia. Even the nurse is in on it."

Felicia opened her mouth to speak, but he pushed her down into the chair and ordered the nurse, "Draw it!"

The needle pierced Felicia's vein, and a sharp pain made her fingertips tremble.

Blood slowly ran through the tube. Her vision blurred.

"Draw more." Sebastian's voice sounded distant, almost echoing. "Zoey needs it."

Felicia watched helplessly as bag after bag of her blood was drained. Darkness crept at the edges of her sight.

Before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was Sebastian walking toward Zoey's ward, not once looking back.

When she opened her eyes again, a nurse was changing her IV drip.

Seeing that Felicia was awake, the nurse sighed and said, "Ms. Lane, why didn't you tell him you have cancer? Drawing that much blood will only make things worse."

Felicia stared at the ceiling. Her voice was barely audible. "It is not necessary."

Because he wouldn't believe her, nor would he care.

Felicia spent an entire day in the hospital, surrounded by the nurses' hushed gossip.

"Mr. Fuller really cares about Ms. Little. He hasn't slept a wink all night…"

"I know, right? He even fed her and wiped her face himself…"

Felicia couldn't bear to listen anymore. Pulling out her IV drip, she checked herself out.

After she arrived home, her phone buzzed nonstop.

Zoey sent over a dozen photos—Sebastian carefully wiping her face, feeding her spoonfuls of oatmeal, even tucking her in gently.

Felicia looked at the photos and suddenly smiled.

In his life, Sebastian had only truly cared about three people—Fiona, Felicia when he first tricked her into marriage, and now this stand-in.

Felicia didn't reply. Instead, she pulled out a lighter from the drawer and began tossing everything connected to Sebastian into a brazier.

Gifts he had given her while deceiving her, their couple photos, matching necklaces—everything.

The flames consumed these false memories, as if burning away the last remnants of her life.

When Sebastian pushed the door open, he saw Felicia kneeling before the brazier, the flickering flames highlighting her pale profile.

"What the hell are you burning?" He lunged forward and grabbed her by the neck, pressing her against the wall. "Who said you could touch anything that belonged to Fiona?"

Felicia gasped for air, her fingers weakly clawing at his wrist.

He then threw her to the ground. The brazier tipped over, sending sparks flying.

"Listen, Felicia! If you touch a single thing of Fiona's, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

With that, Sebastian grabbed her wrist and pressed it into the still-burning fire.

"Ah!"

The stench of burning flesh filled the air instantly.

Felicia convulsed, darkness creeping into her vision.

Desperate, she moved her free hand around and finally grabbed a decorative stone. She swung it with all her strength and struck Sebastian squarely on the temple. He cried out in pain and released her.

Felicia pulled back her arm and saw her blistered wrist and forearm.

"Look…" Her voice trembled with pain. She pointed at the half-burned photos on the ground and said, "I'm burning my own things. Sebastian, are you blind?"

Sebastian froze. His gaze fell on a half-charred photo of them together. Her smiling face was being devoured by flames.

His chest tightened. "You…"

Before he could speak, his phone rang.

Zoey's sobbing voice came through the phone. "Sebastian, my wound opened up. It hurts so much."

Sebastian's expression changed instantly. He then turned to leave.

"Burn them. Burn all your worthless trash," he uttered without looking back.

At the door, he paused. "Every single moment I pretended to care for you, I felt disgusted!"

Sebastian slammed the door shut. Felicia stared at the smoldering ashes in the brazier and closed her eyes.

She sat there all night.

At dawn, she slowly rose, dragging her exhausted body to the bathroom.

Her reflection in the mirror looked emaciated, her wrist marred by burns that twisted across her skin like dark, jagged scars.

In the following days, Sebastian never returned.

The news, however, was flooded with stories of him and Zoey.

It was reported that the CEO of Fuller Group had spent lavishly on a new mansion for his new flame. Journalists had also taken photos of Sebastian attending charity events with Zoey.

Felicia turned off the television. She picked up her phone and called Sebastian.

It rang a long time before he answered.

"What?" His voice was cold and distant. Zoey's faint laughter could be heard echoing in the background.

Felicia tightened her grip on the phone. "Come back."

"I'm busy."

"Half a month has passed. I'm ready to give you the answer I promised," she said softly.

Silence hung for a few seconds before Sebastian let out a cold laugh. "Felicia, how long do you think you can keep using that excuse to fool me? Do you really think I'd believe you again?"

"I'm telling the truth—"

"Enough!" He cut her off harshly. "Zoey and I are on vacation. I don't have time for your games!"

Sebastian hung up abruptly. Felicia held the phone to her ear, the busy signal buzzing in her ear. Then, she laughed.

Moments later, however, her eyes brimmed with tears.

It seemed that she and Sebastian would never see each other again.

The sky was getting dark. Felicia changed into a bright red dress. She took one last look around the home she had lived in for five years and gently closed the door.

The taxi stopped in the middle of North Brook Bridge. She paid the fare and stepped out onto the center of the bridge.

The wind was cold, lifting her dress and long hair.

The river shimmered, reflecting the lights from both banks, beautiful as if it were a dream.

This was the place where Fiona and Steven had the accident.

Leaning on the railing, Felicia could almost see that day play out.

Steven was gripping the wheel. Fiona had been calling her frantically. "Fel, pick up the phone!"

The rain poured. A truck lost control and barreled toward them.

"I'm sorry… If I hadn't run away, none of this would've happened…" Felicia whispered.

A sudden, sharp pain twisted in her stomach, and she doubled over, retching blood.

Crimson blood stained the folds of her red dress, spreading like fiery blooms.

Felicia knew her time was running out.

"Steven… Fiona… I'm coming." She let go of the railing, the red dress fluttering in the wind.

The sunset burned like blood in the distance, and the river shimmered with golden light.

Felicia closed her eyes and stepped forward. Her body gave way, plunging into the cold river, the icy water surging around her and swallowing her completely.

At last, she had let go of Sebastian and all the pain he brought. She hoped he could do the same as well. From that moment on, they would be separated by life and death, owing each other nothing.

The bar throbbed with deafening music. Under the strobing kaleidoscope of lights, a sea of bodies swayed to the rhythm of the night on the dancefloor.

Sebastian was leaning against the bar, swirling the glass in his hand. He frowned as he glanced at the call he just ended.

It was odd that Felicia didn't call him back. He knew she was lying when she said she was going to bury the hatchet. It was all just lies.

Even so, his fingers tapped on the surface of the screen rather anxiously, while he looked a little annoyed. 

Suddenly, his phone vibrated amid the loud music. He waited for it to ring for a while before calmly picking up the phone.

"Felicia, I already said I'm not going back. I don't care what you're going to say. I'm going to torture you for the rest of your life. Do you hear me? Or perhaps you've come up with some new tricks to trick me? I won't fall for it!"

The police officer on the other end of the line was silent for a while before saying tentatively, "Mr. Fuller, are

Chapter 9