The bar was dimly lit, and it took me some time to locate Nicole among the crowd. Eventually, I found her sitting in a corner, her face flushed from drinking excessively.

She leaned into Owen's arms and pleaded, "Owen, I can't drink anymore. I'm about to vomit."

Across from them sat a group of people who appeared to be Owen's friends. Their eyes gleamed with impure intentions as they shamelessly ogled Nicole, whose appearance was slightly disarrayed, and laughed without restraint.

One of them handed her a glass of wine and remarked, "Today is Owen's first day in business. As his girlfriend, you should have a drink, shouldn't you?"

Nicole's face lit up at the mention of being Owen's girlfriend. Without any hesitation, she accepted the glass of wine and downed it in one go.

Anger surged within me, and I wished I could confront these men, but my ethereal form passed through Nicole's shoulder, leaving me helpless as I witnessed her being compelled to drink one glass after another.

The intention of this group of people was so obvious. How could Nicole not see it at all?

A bitter appeared on my lips; she would do anything for Owen. After all, they had once been deeply in love.

Soon, Nicole was so drunk that she could hardly open her eyes. Lying in Owen's arms, she said shyly, "Owen, I want to rest."

Owen glanced at the few remaining bottles of wine and impatiently replied, "Finish them and then we'll leave."

"But..." Nicole looked hesitated.

She couldn't hold her liquor and once complained about how drinking made her stomach uncomfortable. So, after we got married, I would drink on her behalf at various parties.

Yet now, she allowed herself to get drunk simply because of Owen's words.

After all, I meant nothing to her.

Owen's face turned cold, and his impatience grew evident. He snapped, "You don't want to? There are plenty of people who would be willing.

"Nicole. Don't forget that you owe me this."

Hastily, Nicole grabbed a bottle and emptied it. "I'll drink. Please don't be angry, okay?"

Only when the last bottle was finished did Owen's smile return.

He patted Nicole's unconscious face and whispered, "Do you want me to take you home?"

The intention was so obvious that Nicole quickly responded with a yes.

I followed them back to our home, consumed by anger but powerless to intervene.

They had sex all night, while I listened in silence from beyond the closed bedroom door.

I had long known that Nicole never married me out of love.

On the day we obtained our marriage license, she changed. She revealed the truth, confessing that she was bound by a System and tasked with conquering me, or else she would die.

Thus, she had to abandon Owen, whom she loved, and seduced me into marrying her. On our wedding day, as soon as the task was declared complete, she shattered my illusion of love.

She showed a disgust she had never had before and said, "I have never loved you, Adrian."

But I had fallen in love with her.

As time passed, she grew colder each day, and my heart became lifeless.

Divorce crossed my mind, but every time I brought it up, she would become angry, insisting that the marriage would remain until she said it was over.

However, I died before it was over.

My thoughts drifted back to the day, and I found that it was already dawn.

I saw Owen and Nicole lying on the bed that once belonged to us, their clothes scattered across the floor, a testament to their passionate night together.

Suddenly, the door was opened, and the nanny came in and informed Nicole, "Mrs. Deleon, there are reporters outside waiting to interview you."

The nanny's words were abruptly cut off by the sight of the intertwined figures on the bed.

Nicole, awakened by the disturbance, scolded, "So noisy! Get out of here!"

The nanny stood there in a daze, gazing at Owen on the bed, hesitating momentarily before speaking, "There are suddenly many reporters outside..."

"Reporters?" Nicole appeared perplexed. Owen, who had also been woken up, buried himself beneath the blanket and grumbled impatiently, "Go out and check. I can't even get a good sleep."

Nicole quickly offered a comforting smile and assured him, "I'll handle it immediately. You go back to sleep."

She got out of bed, changed her clothes, and shot a stern glance at the nanny. "If you dare breathe a word about what happened here, I'll make sure you regret it."

The nanny quickly left. Nicole walked towards the door, opened it, and found herself encircled by reporters.

"Mrs. Deleon, rumors suggest that you were seen entering and leaving a bar with an unidentified man yesterday. Is this true?"

"You brought this man home. Does Mr. Deleon know about this?"

Nicole's face froze. She hadn't anticipated the news spreading so swiftly. She quickly concealed her expression and replied, "These claims are entirely baseless. The man is just a friend.

"All will be clarified by Mr. Deleon himself."

Regardless of further inquiries, she refused to provide any answers, closed the door, and returned to her room.

Meanwhile, Owen had already woken up and was leaning against the bed, scrutinizing Nicole. He taunted, "Mrs. Deleon, your identity is quite extraordinary. Is that why you're reluctant to divorce Adrian?"

Nicole recognized the mockery behind his words. In order to please Owen, whom she had once abandoned, she climbed onto the bed and retrieved a card.

"This is a gift from Adrian to me. You can use it for now. If it's not enough, let me know. You're just starting your career, and you'll need money."

Owen took the card, kissed her on the cheek, and asked, "I'm feeling sleepy. Do you want to rest a little longer?"

Nicole immediately laid down beside him, and the two resumed their intimate encounter.

Hearing their conversation, I finally understood why Nicole didn't want to divorce even though she didn't love him.

It was all about money.

As an orphan, I had struggled for over a decade to become a successful entrepreneur, with no children of my own. Being my wife, she would naturally live a life of wealth and glory.

But why should I give my wealth to someone as insignificant as Owen? It was never my fault.

The bitterness within me continued to accumulate. Standing by the bed, I watched them have sex until Owen's phone rang.

Initially in high spirits, he grew irritated after being interrupted and snapped, "Who is it?"

After listening for a moment, he handed the phone to Nicole, a puzzled expression on his face. "It's Mia. She said she wants to speak with you about something."

Mia was the staff member of the escape room.

I watched as Nicole answered the phone, her face turning pale.

Then, a voice filled with fear emanated from the other end. "Ms. Adams, your husband has been found dead in our store."

Nicole stood momentarily stunned, then erupted in a barrage of curses. "You bitch! Are you colluding with Adrian? Tell him to answer the phone!

"I simply went to meet another man, yet he acts so petty and convinces you to lie to me!"

She yelled into the phone, "Tell him to return immediately and handle those reporters, or we will get a divorce!"

Since Owen's return, she had frequently mentioned divorce. Perhaps she truly desired to leave.

After five years of marriage, was I really no more than a stranger to her?

Mia, overwhelmed by Nicole's reaction, choked, "It's true, Ms. Adams. I didn't lie..."

"Cut the crap and tell Adrian to come back!" Nicole abruptly hung up before Mia could respond, turning to complain to Owen, "What's wrong with your employee? She colluded with Adrian to deceive me and said he was dead.

"How ridiculous! How could he suddenly die?"

Owen appeared unconcerned, lost in his thoughts.

Observing this, Nicole grew dissatisfied and shook his shoulder. "Owen, are you listening to me?"

Owen snapped back to attention and nonchalantly smiled. "If you don't like her, I'll just fire her."

Nicole's smile grew wider, and she asked. "Then why did you open this store after returning? Is it because I like playing escape room games?"

Owen lowered his gaze, concealing his emotions as he responded, "Maybe."

At that moment, I looked at his somewhat gloomy expression and the faint needle marks on his arms, and all my suspicions seemed to be confirmed.

I first encountered Owen at an auction. He had recently returned home, but it was evident that he was trying to get close to me.

Upon investigation, I discovered his involvement in smuggling contraband abroad. It seemed that his return was an attempt to expand his operations into the local market.

At the time, I believed he and Nicole were merely classmates, so I kindly warned her, "Be careful with Owen. My sources have uncovered his ties to contraband."

Unexpectedly, my remark ignited Nicole's fury.

She slapped me and cursed angrily, "Adrian, stop being so petty! I simply grew closer to him, and you slandered him by mentioning contraband.

"You are just jealous of him! That's why you purposely defame him. You truly disgust me."

That slap shattered my good intentions, leaving me no choice but to bury the matter deep within my heart.

Nicole's curiosity persisted, questioning Owen. This quickly wore down his patience, causing him to retort, "Why do you talk so much? You could use this time to ask your husband for more money.

"I'm gonna go. Don't bother looking for me unless there's something important."

With those words, he turned and left, ignoring Nicole's pale face.

It appeared that Owen still harbored resentment for being abandoned.

After Owen left, Nicole pounded the blanket in frustration. She then took her phone and made a call, but the other party never answered.

Nicole muttered, "Fine, Adrian, you got the nerve now and even didn't answer my call!

"I gave you a chance, so don't blame me for taking all your money."

Having said that, she angrily threw her phone onto the bed and went to freshen up.

Looking at her from behind, I could only offer a bitter smile. How could I possibly answer her call when I was already dead?

Actually, back then, I was aware of the existence of the System.