When the avalanche roared down the mountainside, my fiancé chose to abandon me, clutching his first love, Saoirse Epigone, as he hurried into the shelter.

I begged him, my voice trembling with desperation, not to leave me behind.

"Saoirse has a fever," he said, his tone almost pleading for my understanding. "She can't survive on her own. You’re stronger and more experienced. I’ll get her to safety and come back for you."

Their silhouettes vanished into the swirling snow, leaving me with nothing but the bitter cold and a broken leg. A thunderous crash followed, and the white expanse consumed everything in its path.

Including me.

A week after my demise, Altair Armani saw the news of my death and shattered completely.

The tragedy began with Saoirse Epigone, Altair's first love, insisting on joining me for a trek up the snow-covered mountain.

A week later, he saw the news of my death and completely broke down.

I had warned her firmly beforehand that there was no leisurely stroll. It was a highly demanding and professional expedition, and I had to follow my instructions without exception.

But just moments ago, she and Altair had been shamelessly flirting, their careless antics resulting in the bag containing the GPS device tumbling off the edge of a cliff.

“Sister, it wasn’t on purpose,” Saoirse said, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "You’re the expert here, aren’t you? You’ll lead us back safely, right?"

I clenched my fists, barely restraining myself from lashing out, and snapped, "Do you have any idea what you’ve done? It’s terrifyingly easy to get lost up here. That GPS was our lifeline, and you threw it away! We could freeze to death because of your stupidity!"

Saoirse shivered, her body trembling with the weight of her own tears. She broke down into sobs, her cries echoing through the stillness of the mountain air.

Altair pushed me from behind, his voice laced with frustration. "Maliah, Saoirse didn’t mean to. Why are you being so hard on her? You’re the expert. You still have the map in your bag. Worst case, we can use that."

He wiped the tears from Saoirse's face, his worry evident, his hands gentle as he tended to her.

Every time Saoirse cried, Altair was powerless, unable to resist her.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the frustration that had begun to build up, and led them forward without a word.

"Wait, Altair, look at this place. It's so beautiful. Can you take a picture of me?"

Saoirse stopped, holding out the camera to Altair.

I couldn’t help but pause, watching them as they happily snapped pictures of each other.

"Altair, it’s getting late. We need to reach the summit soon and start descending. Once the sun sets, the temperature will plummet, and we have to be back at the base before it gets too dangerous."

I tugged at his sleeve, but he barely seemed to hear me as he kept focusing on the camera.

When we went on trips before, I’d ask Altair to take pictures for me, but he always mumbled something about not being good at it.

"Saoirse is so pretty. She should be in more pictures," he said, guiding her into different poses.

"Altair, let’s record a video too. If I submit it, I’ll get promoted," Saoirse said, pulling something from her bag.

It had only been three months since she returned to the country and became an intern at the TV station where Altair worked.

The boss had insisted on a high-quality interview video. When Saoirse heard I was part of the polar exploration team, she asked Altair to take her to my workplace.

The team, always kind and eager to cooperate, welcomed her with open arms. But Saoirse, as usual, began to complain about the environment and bombard my colleagues with endless questions, making everyone feel uncomfortable.

For Altair’s sake, I decided to take them up the mountain alone, just wanting to finish the task and send her off quickly.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. I spun around, startled, only to find Saoirse holding a sparkler, glitter dancing in the wind.

"What are you doing?"

My anger surged, and without thinking, I slapped her across the face.

Setting off fireworks on a snow mountain, what was going through her foolish head?

"Saoirse!" Altair shouted, his voice full of concern as he rushed to steady her. Then, without warning, he turned on me, eyes flashing with anger.

"Maliah, you should know your limits!"

With a furious kick aimed at me, I lost my footing and tumbled down the slope, my knee slamming hard against a jagged rock.

A sharp, searing pain shot through me, and I couldn’t help but groan in agony.

Altair held Saoirse in his arms, his gaze cold and unfeeling as he looked down from above.

No one could have guessed that this detached man was set to marry me in just one day.

Forcing my sorrow aside, I mustered every ounce of strength I had to crawl up and said firmly, "There’s an avalanche ahead. If we retrace our steps, there’s a shelter nearby. We should head there."

Altair’s eyes softened ever so slightly as he glanced in the direction I pointed.

With tears streaming down her face, Saoirse whimpered, "Oh, I’m so weak. What do I do, Altair?"

Without a word, Altair scooped Saoirse into his arms.

"I’ll carry you."

He tossed the backpack at my feet, signaling for me to hurry up and follow.

Climbing earlier had drained what little energy I had left. Gritting my teeth, I mustered the strength to beg, "Altair, can’t you let her walk? I’m injured and can barely move."

Altair glanced back at me, his gaze sharp.

"You’re the expert here. Just push through; you’ll make it. Saoirse is different; she’s never been here, and she’s running a fever. Stop pretending, Maliah, and move!"

Without another glance, he quickened his pace, heading toward the shelter.

Reluctantly, I grabbed the backpack and stumbled after him.

Altair moved swiftly, and before long, he disappeared from sight.

Then, the ground rumbled, and a deafening roar filled the air; the avalanche was upon us.

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but then I was jolted awake. The darkness had already settled in.

My colleague, Ravenna Roswell, was slapping my face, her tears falling freely.

The night had fallen deep, and the medical team couldn't make it up, but my colleagues had finally arrived.

"Your fiancé came back with that woman, saying he didn’t see you. We knew something had happened. We searched with the detector for hours before finding you. Maliah, hang on; we’ll get you down for treatment."

The team leader’s voice was thick with emotion as he gripped my hand.

By then, I was barely able to breathe.

"Ravenna, do you have the voice recorder?" I whispered, my voice weak. "I need to say something."

I had been buried in the snow for so long that hope had already slipped away.

Part of my soul seemed to float away from me, watching as Ravenna performed CPR, her face streaked with tears.

I followed them back to the base, but Altair had already taken Saoirse to the town below.

The remaining colleagues were unnerved, their unease hanging in the air like a storm about to break.

"Maliah’s fiancé said that woman had a fever and insisted on taking her first. He doesn’t care about Maliah at all. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was someone else’s fiancé."

A heavy silence fell over the group, the words hanging between us like a cloud of uncertainty. They held a simple funeral for me and arranged for my body to be sent back home.

An inexplicable force gripped my soul, pulling me away, and I found myself next to Altair.

He sat beside Saoirse, feeding her tenderly, blowing on the spoon to make sure it wasn’t too hot before bringing it to her lips.

"Altair, we’re leaving like this? What about Maliah?" Saoirse’s voice was laced with guilt.

"Maliah’s the expert. She trained for a year before joining the team. I’m sure nothing happened to her," Altair replied, continuing to feed Saoirse. She pretended to be delicate, pushing the spoon away with a feigned reluctance.

Altair smiled indulgently, finishing the last bit of cereal straight from the bowl. It struck me as odd; he had a near-obsessive need for cleanliness and would never eat leftovers.

Just then, his phone pinged, a message flashing across the screen.

He opened it, and my faint voice echoed through the room.

"Altair, I’m dying. I will hate you for the rest of my life."

His expression shifted in an instant, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face before he swiftly turned off the phone.

"Altair, is something wrong?" Saoirse’s voice broke through, her tone laced with concern.

"Maliah always likes to play these little tricks to get my attention. Just ignore her, let her act out. If she’s able to send messages with her phone, she’s probably already back at her workplace. Why should we worry about her?" Altair patted Saoirse’s head before walking out with the dishes, ready to wash them.

I followed, watching him move with the same skill he always had, his hands effortlessly gliding over the plates. My emotions twisted inside me like a storm.

When we were together, he’d claimed he didn’t know how to do housework, so I’d taken it all on myself. For eight long years, he’d finish his meal and head straight to the bedroom to rest, leaving me with the mess. I had believed him, but I thought he was incapable. But now, watching him wash dishes without a care, I realized the truth—he hadn’t been unable; he just hadn’t cared.

Saoirse only had a mild cold, and after a quick dose of fluids, she was well enough to leave. Altair helped her adjust her clothes, casually mentioning he had already bought train tickets back to Neotopia City.

"Altai, aren’t we going to wait for Maliah?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"No need," Altair replied without missing a beat. "She knows the way home, and she’s got her own feet. She’ll be fine."

Back in Neotopia, Saoirse submitted her video, and as expected, she was swiftly promoted. Her face lit up as she turned to Altair. "Altair, I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks to you, I got promoted. Let me treat you to dinner tonight."

"Of course." Altair smiled, opening his phone to make a reservation, but his eyes caught a message from one of my colleagues. Without a second thought, he swiped it away.

One of the anchors noticed the diamond ring on Saoirse’s hand and gasped. "Saoirse, are you engaged? That ring is gorgeous!"

Saoirse blushed, her gaze turning shy as she looked at Altair, a small smile tugging at her lips.

She nodded, her heart fluttering.

Altair and I had been together for eight years. Just a month ago, we were deep in the wedding plans, and our families were already discussing the details. Then, five days ago, I found a box with a diamond ring in Altair’s pocket. My heart soared; he was about to propose.

But days went by, and the proposal never came. Then, I saw Saoirse’s social media post.

"Thank you to my childhood sweetheart! This lifetime, I finally got my diamond ring."

The very same ring.

When I confronted Altair, he explained that Saoirse had asked him to buy it for her, insisting I had misunderstood. Seeing my frustration, he promised we’d get our marriage certificate next week. I wanted to believe him, so I did, just for a moment.

"Keep it quiet. The people at the station are too nosy," Altair chided Saoirse.

"I’m just so happy! You kept your promise, and I’m finally where I’ve dreamed of being. Of course, I want to shout it to the world!" Saoirse clung to his arm, her smile wide and bright.

Altair didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

After their meal, Saoirse claimed she’d drunk too much and needed to rest. Without a second thought, Altair escorted her to what was meant to be our marital home.

This house had been a gift from my parents, part of my dowry. Newly renovated just a few months ago, it was supposed to be the place we’d call home after getting our marriage certificate.

As soon as they entered, Saoirse leaned weakly against Altair.

"Altair, can you wait for me..." She edged closer, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Altair froze, his breath hitching as their faces drew nearer.

Then, the shrill ring of a phone broke the spell. Annoyed, Altair answered.

It was Ravenna, one of my colleagues, telling him that my body had been transported back to Neotopia and that my family needed to sign for it.

Altair’s laughter was cold. "I have to say, Maliah’s colleagues sure have too much time on their hands. She must’ve worked hard to get you all to play along with this nonsense.

Tell Maliah that if she keeps this up, I won’t marry her."

The line went quiet for a moment. Just as Ravenna began to respond, Altair cut the call.

Saoirse was much more sober now. She rested against him, her voice soft and uncertain. "Altair, are you really not going to marry her anymore?"

Altair hesitated, his gaze distant for a moment.