The following afternoon, I returned to the entertainment company, Stellar Group.

My intentions were cloaked in the quietude of packing up my belongings and slipping away unnoticed.

As I stepped into the dressing room, the atmosphere was thick with whispers and pointed glances.

Just as I began to gather my things, the murmurs of two girls at a nearby workstation reached my ears.

"Hey, you're the new makeup artist, right? Let me spill the tea. She's the one who started the rumors about Yvonne's downfall out of sheer jealousy."

"Really? That's some deep-seated envy, honey. Doesn't she know her place? Spreading rumors is a legal no-no. Isn't she scared of losing it all?"

"Exactly. Yvonne is still unattached and scandal-free. It's just not plausible!"

It seemed the events of yesterday had spread like wildfire.

I found the whole situation rather amusing.

Yvonne knew better than anyone if she had indeed had sex with the dead.

She could have departed this world with dignity, yet here she was, disgraced posthumously.

I continued packing, ready to depart.

But my boyfriend, Max Morgan, who had been absent from our home all night, emerged from the restroom.

His appearance was accompanied by a message.

At the sight of him, I froze in my tracks.

The same faint, eerie scent of ghostly resentment that had clung to Yvonne was lingering about him!

Recovering my senses, I strained to hear his words.

"Katherine, you've really gone too far. Apologize to Yvonne and plead for her forgiveness. Ask her not to let you go. Why are you just standing there?"

As he spoke, Max reached out to grasp me.

But I responded with a sharp slap.

His shock was palpable as he clutched his reddening cheek.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? I asked you to apologize to Yvonne because it's in your best interest. Once we're married, we'll need the money for a house and kids. Why are you acting so irrational?"

With that, he even tried to reach out and pull me.

His words were met with another slap.

"Married? What a joke! Keep your filthy hands off me! They disgust me!"

I pulled out a tissue to wipe my hand, revolted.

"Katherine, what do you mean?"

I pulled out a chair and sat.

"What do I mean? You claimed to be broke and saving up for our future. You ate my food, wore my clothes, and lived in my house. That's okay because I could cover your expenses." My gaze shifted to Yvonne, who watched with a cold, detached interest. "But what exactly do you mean by sleeping with Yvonne?"

Max's body jerked involuntarily at my words.

His expression, a mix of guilt and panic, made me feel both amusing and heartbreaking.

I had known him for three years, and we had been a couple for two years.

I had pursued Max because he was strikingly handsome, far from the average. He was a sharp-faced man.

He worked late nights as a delivery driver, insisting it was all to save for a house and marry me.

So, I had used my connections to discreetly secure him a job as an artist assistant, a position that earned at least 50,000 dollars a month.

I had taken up a job as a makeup artist to be closer to him.

And now, to my horror, I saw the same aura of ghost on him as on Yvonne.

The aura around him wavered slightly. If it wasn't direct contact with the dead, then it could only mean his contact with Yvonne.

Last night, they had sex!

"Last night," I stated, my eyes locking onto his.

Max was visibly flustered and began stumbling.

"No, that's not it. Kathy, please, let me explain. There's nothing between me and Yvonne..."

"Katherine, I graciously let you off the hook yesterday, and now you're defaming me again. What is your intention? Do you want to face legal action?" Yvonne chimed in, but her composure was far steadier than Max's.

I had no desire to engage in a battle of words; I simply wished to depart.

At that moment, a check fell on the floor. It was a check for a hundred thousand dollars.

The entire staff in the dressing room turned. Their faces were a mosaic of confusion and intrigue.

It was Max's paycheck. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Max, you only get a mere 100,000 dollars? You sold yourself for a single night with her for just 100,000 dollars? Indeed, that's all you're worth!"

As I made my way towards the exit, passing by Max, I whispered a taunt that only he could hear.

"I forgot to mention that I orchestrated your job. My fortune exceeds 100 million dollars."

Just as I was about to step out of the dressing room, Yvonne's voice sliced through the air.

"Katherine, just you wait. I'll have Lily sue you! For defamation and slander!"

I glanced at her indifferently.

"Feel free to sue me. Because..."

I trailed off and lifted my gaze to the ominous black aura of ghostly resentment that enveloped her. A slight smile played on my lips.

"Because your days are numbered."

I came back to the home I had rented for our convenience, which was now tainted by Max's betrayal. Therefore, I no longer wished to linger.

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror.

I murmured, "Yes, I'm beautiful."

I possessed both wealth and allure, and countless men were drawn to my charm.

Now, all I desired was a swift shower, a departure from this place, a forgetting of Max, and a fresh beginning.

I bathed for nearly two hours, my fair skin reddening from the heat.

The act of cleansing felt necessary, purging the disgust I harbored.

Emerging from the bathroom, I halted abruptly. My brow furrowed at the emptiness of the room.

"Come out, Scott Fox. Stop hiding," I called out.

In an instant, a man in a crimson ancient costume materialized before me. His face was half-concealed by a ghostly mask.

Yet, even though the mask, his features were striking, youthful, and vibrant, akin to the eternal spring.

Scott leaned indolently against the doorframe with a smile.

"I've wrapped up my work and came to check on you. Hey, Kathy, why do you seem different today?"

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"It looks like you're having a bit of a romantic encounter today."

I rolled my eyes at him with exasperation.

I thought, "What did he know of romance? My love had withered away."

"Here it comes." His eyes lit up.

The door swung open with a key.

It wasn't a romantic encounter that arrived but a calamity.

It was Max.

"What are you doing here?" I asked impatiently.

"Kathy, I..."

"Don't call me that. It repulses me."

"Kathy, I didn't know you were wealthy. She promised me 100,000 dollars, and I was blinded by the prospect of marrying you sooner. I don't love her. I have no feelings for her. I only love you. Kathy, please forgive me. Please give me one last chance."

Max pleaded, his eyes brimming with tears.

The onlooker, or rather, the ghost, chuckled.

Yet, I only felt a deeper revulsion.

"Once unfaithful, always discarded. This house's lease expires in a year. Return after I've left tomorrow. I don't wish to see any refuse in my sight. Thank you."

With that, I closed the door.

"Kathy, please..."

Max seemed unwilling to relent, and his knocks and shouts were persistent.

I felt only weariness and thought, "Why had I ever fallen for such a person? Was it because I had spent so long among the dead that I could no longer discern the living clearly?"

My lingering fondness for Max vanished in an instant.

The ghost, Scott, beside me stretched and sneered, "How dare you harass my Kathy? I'll teach you a lesson."

"What? What does he mean?" I exclaimed.