I died, but somehow, my spirit ended up shadowing James.

James was white-knuckling the steering wheel, his body tense, eyes glued to the road ahead, his brows furrowed, yet he was slowing down.

"James, what's the deal? Feeling wiped from driving at night?"

Ella was wrapped in James' jacket, her big eyes brimming with worry and trust.

James thumped the steering wheel once, then leaned back, trying to ease up.

"Maybe, I don't know... got this nagging feeling something's off."

Ella dropped her gaze, her face hidden in the shadowy car interior.

"James, I can hang tough, but maybe we should swing back for Emma. Just in case, you know?"

James glanced out the window, his lips pinched tight. After a brief pause, he scoffed coldly.

"Out here in the boonies, and she's feeding us a line. No way."

"What's the worst that could happen to her? Luke's still with her, that lapdog."

Luke is not a lapdog!

Grandpa chose to support Luke, an orphan, worried I'd be left without an ally after he passed.

Luke's always been grateful, treating both Grandpa and me like his own family.

James would often say he and Ella were nothing more than childhood buddies; if they'd wanted more, it would've happened already. He told me not to worry.

Luke and I were always straightforward with each other, and never crossed a line. It stung to think James suspected otherwise.

His own words rang true, "A filthy heart sees dirt everywhere."

"Forget about her. How's your belly? Still aching?"

James rarely showed me this kind of attention. I used to think it was just how he was, but clearly, he just didn't care enough.

Ella pouted, resting her head lightly against James' shoulder.

She coaxed his hand to rest on her stomach.

"James, warm me up a little? It really helps."

James tensed up for a second, then subtly shifted to accommodate her, his hand steady on her stomach.

The silence in the car was thick with unsaid things.

From above, I felt an inexplicable pang in my chest.

I had been in agony from my periods before, twisting in pain, hoping he would hold and comfort me.

But he had shoved me away, disgusted.

"It's just a woman thing! Other girls deal with it; why can't you?"

"Keep your distance. Don't get any blood on my pajamas—it's bad luck!"

He always accused me of being paranoid, but their actions clearly went beyond mere friendship.

The car soon reached the city.

James rushed into a pharmacy, thoroughly consulting with the pharmacist about which pain relievers worked best with minimal side effects.

Turns out he could be considerate and attentive—just not towards me.

Later, at the supermarket, they were all smiles in the feminine products aisle, chatting about which brand was better.

In all our years of marriage, James had never once shopped with me like that.

Whenever I went to buy my sanitary products, he'd steer clear of the aisle.

"That's women's business. Why should I hang around there? It's embarrassing!"

Watching them now, I regretted all the tears I'd secretly shed over him.

James even took Ella straight back to our place.

"James, you think Emma will mind us crashing here without her okay?"

He paused as he swapped his shoes, then casually fetched a pair of women's slippers for Ella.

"This is my house. She can suck it up! Hurry up and change. I'll whip up some ginger soup for you; the doc said it's good for you."

My heart had shattered too many times that day.

Now, all I wanted was to be far away from them. But fate's a funny thing—in life, I couldn't get away from him, and in death, I couldn't either. How ironic.

After cleaning up, Ella emerged in his white shirt, holding his jacket from earlier, looking tentative.

"James, sorry about the mess. Should I take it home and wash it before giving it back?"

James casually took the jacket, heading towards the bathroom.

"The doc said no cold water for you now. I'll handle it. You just go and enjoy your ginger soup."

Look at that—he didn't mind the mess, remembered all the period dos and don'ts, but never cared to show me that concern.

When they finally settled on the sofa, Ella sipped her soup, looking up at James admiringly.

"James, you're incredible. If I ever snag a husband like you, I'd be the luckiest girl alive."

James' ears reddened, the air between them charged with an undefinable tension.

Right then, the phone rang, shattering the moment.

Ella snapped up from her phone and practically leaped into James' arms, ecstatic.

"James! You won't believe it, awesome news!"

"The hospital just called—they found a perfect kidney match for me, and they've even got my rare blood type ready. Surgery's set for tomorrow!"

"James, it's like our prayers up on that mountain really worked!"

James, caught up in the excitement, lifted her and spun around, laughing.

Ella had been struggling with kidney disease that worsened over the past few years, without a matching donor in sight.

Her blood type was exceedingly rare, complicating her chances for a timely surgery.

Recently, she'd heard rumors about a chapel deep in the mountains said to grant miracles to those who sought them.

James had reluctantly planned a trip to visit my grandpa with me, but that was cut short when Ella called, lost in the mountains.

That's why Luke and I ended up accompanying James on a rescue mission.

Unbeknownst to me, that trip would cost me my life.

While they celebrated, a sharp pain of doubt and suspicion stabbed at my heart.

How convenient it seemed—my kidney and blood were lost, and suddenly, the hospital had exactly what Ella needed.

I, too, had that rare blood type, but only a few close to me knew, including Grandpa and James.

I wondered if Luke had managed to get me to a hospital or if he had alerted the authorities.

Unable to stomach their sickly-sweet display, I retreated to my bedroom to brood.

Eventually, James wandered in alone.

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at our wedding photo on the nightstand.

When James was an unknown medical intern, I met him while I was delivering lunch to Grandpa at the hospital.

He seemed hesitant at the door, reluctant to seek surgical advice from Grandpa without a formal introduction.

I took him to Grandpa, and afterward, he thanked me by adding me on social media. Our conversations grew from there, and eventually, we ended up together.

Our marriage had its ups and downs, but things took a turn when his childhood sweetheart, Ella, moved back to town.

Absentmindedly fiddling with his wedding ring, James checked the time.

He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed my number.

—Beep, beep.

The call was cut after just two beeps.

A shadow passed over James' face, and he immediately tried again.

Still, no response.

Annoyed, he opened my chat and started venting into his phone.

"Emma, playing hard to get now? Dodging my calls—are you with your lover or what?"

"You better haul your ass back here within an hour, or we're through!"

He slammed his phone down on the bed, then lay back and stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Suddenly, Ella burst through the bedroom door, her face clouded with worry.

"James, the hospital called again. There's an emergency patient who needs that kidney and blood urgently. They're asking me to wait."

James jumped to his feet and hurried to reassure her.

"No tears now, we'll head down and sort this out."

"We were first in line, after all."

As he was getting dressed, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, snorted dismissively, and answered.

"Now you remember you have a husband? Too little, too late."

"Emma, you'd better have a good reason for blowing off my calls."

He was gearing up to lecture me further when a male voice cut him off.

"James, you need to get to the hospital now. Emma's in emergency surgery, and we need you to sign off on it!"

Could it be that I wasn't completely gone? Was Luke still fighting to save me?

Hearing Luke's voice, James glanced at the phone, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, playing house with your boy toy, huh?"

"Surgery? What kind—something kinky? Need me to book a room for you two?"

Without waiting for a reply, James hung up in a huff.

When Luke tried to reach out again, James blocked him.

"James, we need to go now, it's getting critical!" Ella urged.

James stuffed his phone into his bag and rushed out with Ella towards the hospital.

The hospital corridors were deathly silent in the wee hours, nothing like their usual daytime bustle.

They rushed in to find Luke pacing frantically in the hallway, desperately trying to make a call.

He spotted James and Ella instantly and dashed over, grabbing James urgently.

"Hurry, sign the papers, man! We're seriously out of time!"

James jerked his arm free and smoothed out his crumpled shirt.

"Really laying it on thick, huh? You guys should take this act to Broadway!"

Luke looked momentarily lost.

"What act?"

"James, whatever your problem is with me, can we shelf it for now? Just sign the surgery consent. Emma can't wait any longer."

James' expression darkened as he smirked bitterly.

"What's her rush? Trying to skip the line to the afterlife?"

Yeah, James, I am dying, and I'd rather pass on than see your face again!

I tried to punch James but my fist just phased through him, grasping at nothing.

Luke, ignoring James's sarcasm, tried to pull him again toward the surgery ward.

"Emma urgently needs a kidney transplant. She's got to go into surgery right now."

At the mention of "kidney", Ella's eyes widened, her panic setting in. She clung to James' arm.

"James, Emma isn't trying to snatch my kidney, is she?"

James slowly calmed Ella down.

"Don't sweat it. Even if she tries, she'd need the chops to pull it off!"

He then turned back with a frosty look at Luke.

"So, Emma needs a kidney, huh? What next, you'll tell me she needs the same rare blood type too?"

Luke, caught off guard, blurted out, "How did you know?"

James' sneer deepened as he scoffed.

"Using jealousy to try to cut off Ella's lifeline, huh? Is that humane?"

"You want my signature that bad? I'll sign, but it's to refuse treatment!"

Behind him, Ella smirked slightly, a look I caught clear as day.

If I was only suspicious before, now I was dead sure that kidney was mine.

Luke, utterly bewildered by James' harsh stance, grasped his arm again.

"Don't be rash, James. Emma's your wife, for heaven's sake. You're gonna watch her die without lifting a finger?"

"If you have an issue with me, let's hash it out later. Just sign the form. I'll do whatever you ask."

Luke, who had no blood ties to me but regarded me as his sister, was showing his true colors—I was moved.

James, seeing the genuine desperation and pain on Luke's face, wavered for a moment.

"Is she really that bad off?"

"James... I'm scared. Maybe I should just die now." Ella broke into dramatic sobs, pulling James' attention back to her.

Resolved, James stormed into the surgical prep room, shouting.

"I'm Emma Moll's family, and we're opting out of treatment!"

The medical team, busy preparing, stopped and stared at him in disbelief.

At that moment, a nurse rushed up.

"Who's here for Emma Moll?"

Luke stepped forward as the nurse looked on apologetically.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but Emma, due to severe injuries and blood loss, was declared dead at 3 a.m."

James froze, his mouth agape, barely able to whisper.

"What did you say? Who's dead?"