Kendrick Fisher, the worst student in class, has worked extremely hard and ended up getting into a prestigious college just for my sake. But I choose to break up with him at that very moment.

I cling to the arm of Daniel Ziegler, the best student in class, as I mock Kendrick relentlessly in a high and mighty manner.

"It's not that I look down on you, Kendrick. The thing is, your family has gone broke. Right now, you don't even have a single penny in your pocket.

"On top of that, you also have a heart disease, which means you can't live for more than three months. What makes you think we can stay together, hmm?"

With a pallid face, Kendrick parts his lips, but he ends up fainting from the pain while listening to my mocking laughter.

Four years later, I curl up on the floor in a factory's dormitory while munching on a stale sandwich and scrolling through the news. It turns out that the AI company founded by Kendrick will be going public soon, and it's already worth ten billion dollars.

Meanwhile, Daniel is currently using my identity to apply for online loans just so he can continue gambling in Mireholm.

Everyone is waiting to watch the spicy drama of Kendrick getting his revenge on me. Thank goodness I've already died by then.

When Kendrick makes a glorious comeback by having his convoy drive into the city, my artificial heart has already stopped beating.

Unfortunately, his afterparty and my wake are held in the same hotel on the very same day…

It happened to be the day Kendrick Fisher's company went public, which also happened to be the day of my funeral procession. In front of the hotel, the funeral procession met his convoy head-on, and neither would give way.

I immediately recognized the man I had longed for over the past four years in the crowd. I was relieved to find that he was still alive—and that I could still see him again.

I forgot that I had already died at that moment, and I pushed through the crowd like I had lost my mind, trying to reach him.

It was then that I heard one of the staff members from the funeral parlor say, "I'm really sorry for interrupting your celebration, but could you please let us pass first, out of respect for the deceased, Mr. Fisher?"

He got shoved aside by one of the security guards. "How offensive! Do you have any idea what day today is? Do you even know who Mr. Fisher is? There's no way we're making way for you. Get the hell out of here if you know what's good for you!"

Mom suddenly staggered forward and grabbed the nearest security guard, asking, "Did you see my daughter? She was wearing a red dress—and about this tall. Please help me look for my daughter!"

That security guard impatiently shook her off and kicked away the white lilies on the ground. He then struck hard against my coffin with a baton the moment the wreaths were violently overturned. "Get the hell out of here; otherwise, we'll smash the coffin to pieces!"

"You can't smash my daughter's coffin! You can't smash it!" Mom suddenly threw herself onto the coffin and used her body to block the raining batons. She seemed completely oblivious to the pain amidst the heavy thuds, only holding onto the coffin desperately.

"Mom!" I shouted in a panic. I threw my arms open to block the blows, but it was all in vain as the batons passed right through my transparent hands, raining down repeatedly on Mom's hunched back.

It was then that the head of security spat on the ground and snapped, "You guys are truly a wretched lot! Do you really think no one knows how the Lawsons mistreated Mr. Fisher in the past?

"You ought to know that Mr. Fisher can now easily crush you! You should be lying low, yet you have the nerve to show your faces and provoke him here! Do you guys have a death wish?"

Kendrick's low, indifferent voice suddenly rang out from behind. "Stop it."

Those security guards instantly stepped aside, clearing a passage for a tall, handsome man who slowly emerged from the crowd.

In that instant, the Lawsons stood closely around the coffin with all of their heads lowered. They feared that even a moment of eye contact would provoke the wrath of Kendrick, the rising influential figure.

It was in the final days of the SATs that the Fisher family officially went bankrupt. Kendrick was also diagnosed with a severe heart condition, with the doctor saying that he had less than three months to live without an operation.

I also callously abandoned him for his rival, Daniel Ziegler, when he needed me the most.

It was raining heavily that day when Kendrick dragged his critically ill body to kneel before Mom, begging to see me one last time.

Mom raised her hand and slapped Kendrick hard across the face. "You weren't this desperate back when our families were social equals, Kendrick. You've suddenly learned how to kneel and beg now that you're bankrupt and on the verge of death, huh?"

Kendrick kneeled in the pouring rain, refusing to leave until he saw me.

I allowed him in since the doctor said he would likely die if he didn't return to the hospital.

I was sitting on Daniel's lap while he was standing there in a miserable state. I slowly read aloud the love letter he had written me, saying, "I'll provide you with the best future, Jasmine."

I let out a derisive laugh and tore his heartfelt letter to pieces. "You can't even afford your medical bills, Mr. Fisher. What kind of future could you possibly give me? Do you intend to give me your bloodied lungs, your failing heart, or that pocket change from moving bricks at a construction site?

"You can still walk out of here alive if you get lost right now; otherwise, you'll be leaving on a stretcher. Do you get what I'm saying, you pathetic loser?"

Kendrick raised his head and stared straight at me, his gaze terrifyingly chilly and his voice incredibly hoarse. "You'd better remember what you said today, Jasmine Lawson. I'll make you regret this one day."

He turned and left with bloodshot eyes, his frail silhouette unsteady in the downpour, stumbling repeatedly and nearly collapsing.

I was already completely numb with pain; I felt nothing at all, even as my fingernails dug deep into my palms. I yelled after him as he walked away, "I'll be waiting for you, then! I'd like to see just how long your miserable life can last!"

That sentence marked our final parting.

Kendrick hated me so much that he fought desperately to survive. He seized every single chance, and within four years, he successfully restored the Fisher family to its former glory, coming back even stronger than before.

He returned to Brindlehow once he was armed with enough capital to destroy the entire Lawson family.

It was said that Kendrick's first order of business upon his return was to exact revenge on the Lawson family, and now everyone was waiting on the sidelines, looking forward to the unfolding drama.

In the meantime, the head of security scurried over to Kendrick with a fawning smile and said, "T-That madwoman..."

Kendrick gestured for him to be quiet, his black overcoat brushing against the crushed lilies on the ground. He came to a stop three steps before the coffin, casting a shadow over Mom's hunched back.

I looked at him in panic, fearing that he would retaliate against Mom.

Mom suddenly looked up, her clouded eyes looking frighteningly bright. "K-Kenny?"

Those around immediately fell silent after hearing that long-forgotten nickname that hadn't been used for four years.

Mom's filthy sleeves were pulled back slightly to reveal needle marks, evidence of the forced sedatives administered at the asylum. She still smiled like a child catching sight of candy, asking, "You brought Jasmine back, didn't you?"

She pointed her emaciated finger toward the empty coffin and said, "Oh, wait. Jasmine is asleep right now. She's right here—right inside this coffin..."

Kendrick's pupils dilated sharply as he rushed toward the coffin in a few quick strides. "Did Jasmine really die?"

Mom smiled dazedly and reached out to pat the coffin. "Jasmine is right here. She's wearing her red dress right now. She looks so beautiful!"

Kendrick's breathing hitched. He pushed his hands forward in a panic, causing the coffin to crash heavily onto the ground and kick up a cloud of dust. He froze slightly after noticing that the coffin was empty, his breathing gradually easing.

Mom beamed with joy as she began talking to the empty space around her. "Kenny came to see you, Jasmine. You must be very happy now, right?"

Those around immediately grew restless, their whispers breaking out all around.

"That crazy old woman is acting up again. That coffin is obviously empty, yet she insists someone's in there!"

"Get her sent to a psychiatric hospital at once! She's such a harbinger of misfortune!"

That coffin was empty because my body hadn't been placed inside yet. That funeral was taking place that day, while the burial itself was set for the day after tomorrow.

It was then that a graceful woman approached in high heels and wrapped her arms around Kendrick's. She then said sweetly, "Those on the board are waiting for you to cut the cake, Kendrick. Why are you still here? Whose funeral is this?"

I recognized that woman. She was Yvonne Johnson, someone who had been by Kendrick's side for the past five years.

Kendrick's hardened expression instantly softened as he smiled gently. "It's no one's, so let's go."

I looked at Kendrick's gentle, affectionate gaze—an expression of deep devotion that used to belong only to me. I felt as if I were stabbed in the heart, though it could no longer bleed.

Kendrick turned to look at Mom before waving his hand, saying, "Get Mrs. Lawson to the hospital since she's unwell. She shouldn't be coming out unless necessary."

His bodyguards immediately moved into formation to pave the way.

In that instant, the Lawsons all sighed in relief, while Mom, in a dazed state, fell into one of my relatives' embraces.

It was only after Kendrick left that a cold command crackled through one of the security guards' walkie-talkies. "Mr. Fisher said the celebration can't be disturbed, so have the hearse take a detour."

In the end, the hearse was forced to turn back to the Lawson residence, where the wreaths were strewn across the floor in chaos, and the wake had been completely dismantled.

It was then that the assistant working for Fisher Group stood with his arms crossed and ordered coldly, "There's going to be a celebration banquet today, so orders have been passed down prohibiting any hearses within a five-mile radius."

He then kicked the coffin and said with a sneer, "Your family's empty coffin is an obvious attempt to bring bad luck to Fisher Group. It's a fake funeral anyway—if you haul it directly to the landfill, we might let this slide."

Upon hearing that, the elders from the Lawson family trembled with fury, clearly seeing through their blatant abuse of power. "You ought to know that we are really holding a funeral here! It's for Jasmine Lawson!"

That assistant walked away in disgust, clearly not believing them.

Mom was completely out of it, oblivious to the situation. She ran a hand covered in needle pricks over the coffin, speaking so softly it sounded like she was comforting me when I was a child. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Jasmine. I'm right here with you—and I'll even get you some candy."

I wept as I pressed close to Mom's ear, whispering my apologies. "I have failed you as your daughter, Mom, leaving you behind to mourn and bury your own child."

I couldn't resist drifting into the Fisher residence to see the man I had waited four years to meet again while Mom was asleep. I noticed that the Fisher residence was brightly lit as my soul passed effortlessly through layers of security until I finally found Kendrick.

Kendrick stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling window in the study. He was unconsciously tracing an old doll sitting on the ledge—a doll I had made myself four years ago.

"You've got quite a unique doll there," Yvonne said as she pushed the door open and walked in.

"You like it?" Kendrick asked as he turned around, smiling faintly.

Yvonne nodded.

Kendrick casually picked up the doll and handed it to her. "I'll give it to you, then."

"You sure about that, Kendrick?" Yvonne asked in surprise as she took it.

"It's just a trinket," Kendrick stated indifferently.

I stood behind them, feeling a sharp, tearing pain in my heart. I had spent several nights making that doll, pricking my fingers in the process. Kendrick looked at me with bloodshot eyes back then, promising to cherish it for a lifetime.

That day, after leaving the Fisher residence, my soul had already grown nearly transparent.

I knew my time was up. I slowly floated back to my bedroom in the Lawson residence, waiting for the moment I would finally fade away.

It was the middle of the night when Kendrick's car pulled up at the entrance of the Lawson residence. He proficiently climbed over the rusty iron fence under the moonlight—an action he frequently did during his university days, just to bring me some late-night snacks.

I hid behind the tree in the yard, watching his tall figure pace restlessly along the corridor.