Elise Watson had died, yet her husband of eight years, Andrew Williams, remained unaware because his "first love" had just returned to the country, and he was too busy to notice.

When Elise was on her deathbed after a car accident, she called Andrew, hoping to see him one last time.

But he merely clicked his tongue impatiently and snapped, "What now, Elise? Stop making a scene."

"If you're going to die, just die already. At least that way, you'll make room for someone more deserving of the title Mrs. Williams!"

As he wished, Elise truly passed away.

Yet, the ever-proud Andrew would later humble himself before gods and spirits, begging to bring back the very wife he once resented so deeply.

——

Elise died, struck by a massive truck that ran a red light. To her surprise, after her death, she found herself transformed into a wandering soul.

The accident occurred on a remote suburban road. No one passed by, and no one discovered her lifeless body.

When her soul fully separated from her body, she saw fireworks erupting in the distant sky.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Brilliant bursts of color lit up the heavens, and after a spectacular display, large glowing words appeared.

"Welcome Back, Kim!"

Elise let out a bitter laugh, the corners of her lips curling in mockery. So, Andrew didn't come to see her one last time because he was busy throwing a grand welcome party for his "first love."

Two days later it would have marked their eighth wedding anniversary.

Recently, Elise had often seen Andrew preparing for a date. He stayed up late working to free his schedule, even postponing business trips by half a month, just to plan surprises.

The centerpiece of his elaborate plans was a grand fireworks display visible across the entire city.

Elise had foolishly thought it was for their anniversary and was brimming with joy.

She even had a surprise of her own to share—she was pregnant.

But as it turned out, it was all just her delusion.

Thinking about the child, who hadn’t even formed fully before perishing with her in the accident, Elise could no longer suppress her sobs and cried herself into unconsciousness.

When she woke up again, she saw Andrew.

Standing beside him, dressed in matching couple outfits, was Kimberly Ross, her smile radiant and sweet.

"Kim, welcome home. So, what do you think? Are you satisfied with what you see?" Andrew's face was as warm as a spring breeze.

This version of Andrew was one Elise hadn’t seen in years.

Kimberly clung lightly to his arm, her doe-like eyes gazing up at him.

"Of course, I’m satisfied!" she chirped. "But you surprised me with such grand manners... Won't Elise be upset if she finds out? I don’t want the two of you fighting because of me."

Her words sounded sincere, though her finger poking Andrew’s chest made them feel more like a provocation.

At the mention of Elise’s name, the smile on Andrew’s handsome face immediately darkened.

"Don’t bring her up!" he snapped.

"If it hadn’t been for her forcing you to leave the country back then, we’d never have been separated!"

Elise stood frozen, disbelief etched across her face. She trembled, on the verge of collapse.

Andrew actually believed that she was the one who forced Kimberly to leave the country?

How ridiculous. The truth was, it had been Kimberly who had begged her for help back then.

Kimberly had claimed that the Williams family had gone bankrupt, and her own family wouldn’t allow her to marry into a ruined household. Instead, they pressured her into an arranged marriage with a greasy, middle-aged man.

Desperate and with nowhere to turn, Kimberly had come crying to Elise.

When Elise initially refused, Kimberly even knelt and pleaded tearfully, begging for mercy.

Out of pity, Elise had relented and given her a sum of money to leave the country.

Unexpectedly, in Kimberly’s retelling, all those past events had been twisted into proof that she was forced to leave the country.

A hint of bitterness flashed in Kimberly’s eyes as she reached out to cover Andrew’s mouth.

“It’s all in the past, Drew,” she said softly. “We were simply not meant to be. Thank you for coming to pick me up, but you should go back. After all, Elise is your wife now.”

She lowered her gaze, her delicate face filled with sorrow.

Andrew grabbed both her hands, his voice urgent as he spoke, “Kim, you know that you’ve always been the only one in my heart. If it weren’t for her using the company’s troubles to threaten me, I never would have married her!”

“She even had the audacity to call me earlier, claiming she was dying in a car accident and begging me to see her one last time. What a compulsive liar!”

“She knew you were returning today but still tried to force me to leave you in front of everyone. How is she expecting you to hold your place in Los Angeles’s elite circles now?”

“I think she’s just jealous of you. Why did I ever marry such a bitter and petty woman?”

From an angle Andrew couldn’t see, Elise thought she caught a flicker of calculated malice in Kimberly’s eyes.

The sinister intent sent a chilling shiver down Elise’s spine. However, when she looked again, Kimberly’s face held nothing but guilt.

“Aren’t you afraid Elise will be upset if you don’t go home?” Kimberly asked, her tone soft and hesitant.

Andrew snorted coldly. “She won’t.”

“If she dares to complain, I’ll divorce her.”

“She even pretended to have a car accident. If she’s really dead, all the better—I’ve tolerated her long enough.”

Listening to the undisguised hatred and disdain in Andrew’s words, Elise’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

How had it come to this? How had her relationship with Andrew deteriorated to such an extent?

There was a time when their relationship was the subject of envy of everyone in their social circle. But everything changed three years ago, when Andrew reconnected with Kimberly overseas.

The memory of the truck slamming into her head-on was so harrowing that Elise had temporarily blocked it out after becoming a wandering soul.

It took her a long time to recall that her final phone call had been to Andrew.

At that time, his words were just as cold and cutting.

“Elise, what now?” He snapped. “Kim just returned, and here you are scheming against her again? What do you gain from driving her away?”

“Oh, you’ve been in a car accident? Why not claim a meteor fell from the sky and crushed you instead? If you’re going to lie, at least come up with something believable.”

Barely clinging to life, Elise had summoned every ounce of strength to whisper, “Andrew, I’m not lying... please, come see me one last time...”

Andrew frowned deeply, his voice dripping with impatience as he dismissed her. “Fine, fine, I get it—you were in a car accident and almost died. I promise I’ll be home by ten tonight, okay?”

“Elise, I have to pick up Kim. Be sensible for once.”

Her consciousness had already begun to fade, but she stubbornly kept calling his name.

“Andrew... Andrew...”

Realizing that his words fell on deaf ears, Andrew’s patience completely snapped. “Elise, if you’re going to die, just die already,” he said icily.

“Your death would finally free up the position of Mrs. Williams. I’ve had enough of you.” With that, he hung up. Elise no longer had the strength to call back.

As her life ebbed away, the last sound she heard was the crackle of fireworks exploding in the sky.

Elise thought to herself, 'The fireworks must be beautiful.'

After all, they were specially arranged by Andrew for Kimberly.

When she opened her eyes again, Elise had already become a wandering soul, homeless and lost.

She was trapped by Andrew’s side, unable to leave, forced to watch as he went on dates with Kimberly while completely ignoring the wife he had been married to for eight years.

Andrew had gone so far as to book an entire rooftop restaurant overlooking the river for Kimberly.

“...Drew, what do you think of my idea?” Kimberly asked softly, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at him expectantly. “Where do you think I should hold my art exhibit?”

But for some reason, Andrew seemed distracted. His eyes were fixed on his phone on the table, as though he were waiting for a message from someone.

The grip of Kimberly’s fingers on her knife and fork turned white, her jealousy distorting her delicate and innocent features.

Elise glanced at the clock—it was already past nine. At this time in the past, she would have been texting or calling Andrew, urging him to come home early.

Yet, more often than not, Andrew would either ignore her or respond coldly. “Elise, are you done? It’s only nine o’clock. Why are you nagging me to go home so early?”

“Do you want me to go back just to sleep with you, a boring, dull old hag?”

“Do I need to remind you that you’re nearly thirty? Why are you acting like some clingy young girl checking up on her boyfriend?”

“Tsk, you're still immature. I’m hanging up.”

It wasn’t because their relationship had soured that Elise started urging him to come home.

In fact, it was Andrew who had once asked her to check on him and insisted he return home.

When she had asked him why, twenty-year-old Andrew had kissed her gently on her eyelid and said earnestly, “Because it gives me a sense of security. I’m afraid that one day, you’ll stop loving me.”

“Elise, without your love, I wouldn’t survive.”

And so, it became a habit—every day at nine, Elise would call to remind him to come home.

But as time passed, Andrew grew increasingly impatient, his words turned sharp and cruel.

Elise stared blankly at him now, wondering. Was he waiting for her call?

But... she was already dead. How could Andrew expect a call from someone who no longer existed?

“Drew! Drew!” Kimberly’s voice grew louder, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You keep looking at your phone. Is it something important for work?”

“If it is, you should go. I mean, I’ve been gone for over eight years, but I still have my hands and feet—I’ll be fine,” she said.

Andrew immediately denied it. “Nothing of the sort. Work could never be more important than spending time with you.”

But Kimberly pressed on. “Then... are you waiting for your lover’s call? It’s already late. If you don’t go home soon, she’ll definitely be upset, right? Maybe we should wrap up for the night...”

Andrew’s face darkened in annoyance. “What lover? Elise is not my lover.”

“If she hadn’t lied to me for so many years, I would never have ended up with her.”

Elise’s heartache numbed her. She looked at him in confusion, wondering. 'When did I ever lie to you?'

But Andrew said no more, clearly keeping some unspoken understanding between him and Kimberly.

“The person I truly love is...” Andrew began, his gaze tender as it landed on Kimberly. Staring into her innocent, doe-like eyes, he hesitated before continuing, “Do you really not know who it is?”

Two delicate blushes crept onto Kimberly’s pale cheeks. She seemed about to respond, but Andrew’s phone rang, interrupting the moment.