I Died, But He Didn’t Believe It

The night I died, William was out celebrating his old love’s birthday.

I was in excruciating pain and managed to make one last call to him. But all I got from him was a cold, dismissive response: “Can you stop pretending? If you really want to die, do it far away and don’t interrupt me celebrating Serena’s birthday.”

The sounds of fireworks were ringing in my ears as I closed my eyes in despair.

Later, after my murderer dismembered me and tossed me into a meat grinder, my body was discovered three days later.

As I watched William open the grinder and realize that the victim was indeed murdered, I couldn’t help but laugh. The person I loved the most would finally stop hating me.

This time, I was really gone.

——

My body was found by a scavenger three days later. When the police received the report, they rushed to an abandoned factory where they found a rusty meat grinder.

When they opened the grinder, even the most seasoned police were taken aback by what he saw. My limbs were mangled and torn apart by the machinery, with bits of flesh, broken bones, and hair all mixed together, making it hard to even recognize it as a human form. The stench of blood was overpowering, and many of the officers had to fight the urge to vomit.

“What kind of grudge or hatred could drive someone to be this ruthless?” Captain David, the head of the police team, said. “This is the most brutal murder case I’ve encountered in my twenty years on the job.”

David was someone I knew. I used to bring dinner to William when he worked late and would bring a portion for David too. We’d gotten to know each other well over time. He’s experienced and competent, with all the traits of a great detective. I’m sure it won’t be long before they uncover the truth about my tragic death.

I wondered what William’s reaction would be. Would he be relieved that I was truly dead? Or would he feel pain and regret for my death, even just a little bit?

I was curious about his reaction when he saw my body.

The investigators were meticulously combing through the scene, and William arrived in a rush, still wearing a birthday hat.

David shot him an impatient glance and said, “Whose birthday are you celebrating? Emily’s birthday is in December. Let me remind you, Emily is a good person. You should appreciate her and not take her for granted.”

William’s face darkened. He crumpled the birthday hat in his hand and gripped it tightly. “Emily isn’t my wife! In my heart, Serena is my only wife. If it weren’t for her scheming, I would never have married Emily!”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred. “Emily is up to no good. She knows I don’t love her, so she killed Serena’s parents to make Serena suffer and make us live with the guilt for the rest of our lives!”

David noticed the anger on William’s face and tried to calm him down. He patted William’s shoulder and said, “Look, in that situation, she could only save you first. The fire spread so quickly that there wasn’t time to save anyone else. She’s just a weak girl who did her best to rescue you. You really can’t blame her for this.”

William sneered, “David, you don’t need to defend her. I know her better than you do.”

David hesitated. Seeing that William wasn’t listening, he focused on the investigation.

William figured that the murder was an act of revenge. He put on gloves and examined the mangled remains in the meat grinder.

He quickly determined that the victim was a woman, around 5.25 feet tall, and between 28 and 30 years old. But when he picked up the body parts, he realized the head was missing.

William frowned and asked, “Where’s the head?”

David replied, “There’s probably a second crime scene. The killer likely took the head somewhere else to dispose of it.”

Looking at the body parts laid out, David suddenly had a troubling thought. “This body looks a lot like Emily. Could something have happened to her? You never pay much attention to her. Don’t wait until it’s too late and then regret it.”

William scoffed, “Emily’s a coward who runs away when trouble starts. How could she have an accident? If it weren’t for her cowardice and fear, Serena’s parents wouldn’t have died. The one I should be concerned about is Serena, who lost her parents. Emily doesn’t deserve my concern!”

William’s hatred toward me started with that car accident.

A year ago, William was driving Serena’s parents to the airport while I followed quietly in my car. William was so excited to see Serena that he kept speeding.

On a rainy day, the slippery road caused us to rear-end a large truck, and the impact sparked a fire. Without thinking, I parked on the emergency lane and ran toward them.

William, in the driver’s seat, was unconscious but less injured. The airbag had protected him.

Serena’s parents were trapped in the wrecked car. I tried everything to get them out—opening the car door, smashing the windows—but despite my hands being cut by broken glass and bleeding, nothing worked.

Eventually, I decided to get William out first. I used a piece of broken glass to cut his seatbelt and dragged him from the car with all my strength. When I finally got him to safety, he woke up.

Seeing Serena’s parents still trapped and unresponsive, William went wild, trying to get back to them. But the fire had already engulfed the car, and it was about to explode.

I clung to William’s waist, refusing to let him go no matter how much he struggled. “Don’t go! It’s too dangerous! Please.”

Just then, the car exploded, and all my efforts and feelings for William went up in smoke.

Since that day, everything had changed. William hated me, resented me, and tried to humiliate me in every way. But I still held onto hope that one day he’d understand, love me again, and let go of his hatred.

I never expected his hatred to run so deep. Can eight years of love really disappear in an instant?

David’s voice broke my thoughts.

“We found a severed finger from the victim.”

William took the finger and noticed the faint ring mark on the ring finger. He seemed stunned.

Eight years ago, right after we graduated from college, we lived in a basement together. It was a time of fresh love, and he proposed to me, promising a lifetime together. But he couldn’t afford a real diamond ring, so he crafted a simple one from a soda can pull tab. He promised he’d replace it with a diamond ring once he could afford it.

I wore that makeshift ring for eight years. Now, the ring made from a pull tab was gone, leaving just its imprint on my finger. He would surely recognize that unique mark.

I floated nearby, eager to see his reaction when he realized the body was mine.

After a moment, he coldly placed the severed finger in an evidence bag, not wanting to look at it again. I felt crushed, realizing that years of love had been wasted. The man who once made such promises had died in that car accident.

After the investigation wrapped up, they headed back to the police station. I was drawn along by some unseen force, forced to follow William.

On the car ride, he called Serena, speaking in a gentle tone, “Serena, make sure you take care of yourself. I’ll come back and be with you as soon as I’m done with work.”

He used to speak to me like that too. When I was pregnant and had a bad temper, he’d say, “Emily, you need to eat properly. I’ll fly back to be with you as soon as I can.”

“Emily, I’ve ordered your favorite seafood porridge. Take care of yourself and don’t worry me.”

Now, he’s giving that same care to someone else. I don’t want it anymore.

I used to think it would be hard to let go of William. But now, even after death, I realize he stopped loving me a long time ago.