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.

After finishing up the case files, David asked William, patting his growling stomach, “Emily hasn’t been to the office for a few days. She usually brings you those homemade meals. Why hasn’t she shown up?”

William slammed the keyboard and scoffed, “She only knows how to bring those useless meals. Does she think a little bit of food can make me forgive her? It’s pathetic, really.”

I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt, realizing that my efforts were seen as worthless to him. I thought I’d be more upset, but instead, I felt a strange sense of relief.

David, clearly sympathetic, said with frustration, “You’re being unfair. Emily isn’t like that. She’s a good person, kind and brave.”

“Enough!” William shot back, clearly irritated. “Don’t talk about Emily anymore. It just makes me sick.”

David was taken aback. He clearly didn’t expect William, who was usually so mild-mannered, to react with such anger when my name came up.

Just then, William’s phone rang. The caller ID showed Serena’s name.

He answered the call, and Serena on the other end was throwing a fit, demanding his attention. Without hesitation, William dropped everything and rushed to her side.

Watching him leave so quickly, I felt a wave of relief. I had loved him for so long and put myself at risk to save him during the worst moments. But all he cared about was Serena and her parents.

He had forgotten that I had saved him. Instead of being grateful, he blamed me for everything. Even on the night I was dying, I called him for help, but he coldly told me to stop bothering him and complained that I was interrupting his celebration of Serena’s birthday.

I should have realized long ago that William wasn’t worth my sacrifices.

I followed William to Serena’s house. As soon as the door opened, Serena threw herself into his arms. She was as gentle as a little rabbit, speaking softly, “I dreamed about my mom again. She said it hurts so much. I’m so sad, but there’s nothing I can do.”

She broke down in tears, saying, “It’s all my fault. If you hadn’t picked me up that day, this wouldn’t have happened.”

William kissed her forehead and gently wiped her tears away. “Serena, sweetheart, don’t think like that. It’s not your fault.”

Their tender moment was interrupted by a call from David. Though he kept his tone calm, I could hear a hint of urgency.

“We found a second location where the body was dumped, and we also found the victim’s phone. There’s only one contact in her address book, and it’s you.”

William stood there, stunned and speechless, for what felt like an eternity.