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.

It was then that the light in my former bedroom lit up.

It was Diana Chadwick, my family's former housekeeper. She had insisted on coming to clean my bedroom every week for years. She must have been exhausted from the wake during the day and accidentally fell asleep in my bedroom.

Diana yawned as she went to open the door.

I, on the other hand, looked at Kendrick in a panic. He had already stopped in his tracks, staring fixedly at the silhouette on the window. He then asked coldly, "Do you regret it, Jasmine?"

Diana's hand stopped mid-motion on the doorknob.

"I came today to tell you that I'm getting married," Kendrick said as he took out a photo from his pocket, and under the moonlight, one could see clearly that it was Yvonne.

"She was the one who stayed with me through every heart attack during these past five years. Her father even mortgaged his property to fund me when the Ziegler Group went after the Fisher family."

He lightly touched the photo and asked with a faint chuckle, "Do you think I should marry her, Jasmine?"

I suddenly recalled who Yvonne was. Kendrick had been poisoned by Daniel in the past, which had caused his heart condition. Mom had arranged for Yvonne to work as a secretary in the Fisher family, protecting Kendrick while covertly replacing the counterfeit medication supplied by Daniel.

"Why aren't you congratulating me, Jasmine?" Kendrick asked, his voice snapping me back to reality.

I was in a daze, thinking that since Mom had arranged for Yvonne to be there, she would at least remain faithful to him.

"Did you lose your tongue, Jasmine?" Kendrick suddenly took a large stride forward and tried to push the door open after not getting a reply for a long time.

He could have learned the truth once he opened the door. He, however, paused the instant his hand made contact with the door panel. He smiled wryly, his knuckles pressing hard enough against the doorframe to leave deep indents in the wood.

"I hated you with everything I had, Jasmine. I hated that you walked away, and I hated that you kept provoking me even though you knew perfectly well that a heart attack nearly killed me. It's all in the past now, though."

He hesitated slightly before saying softly, "It's completely over between us, after all."

He withdrew his hand and turned away, the hem of his coat brushing across the scattered white lilies on the floor. "I will live a good life, and I hope you will, too."

I felt something in my soul shattering in that instant as I cried uncontrollably. I had so much I wanted to say, but I could only bring myself to say a few sentences. "You'll live a good life, Kendrick. You're going to achieve great things and make it to the top."

Diana collapsed onto the floor inside the bedroom. She waited until the sound of Kendrick's car receded before crawling frantically over to my memorial photo, her hands trembling as she lit a candle for me.

"That man you've been waiting for four years finally came over, Ms. Lawson. He looks so healthy now. He's doing so well now, so your heart wasn't wasted on him."

She smiled as she wiped away her tears, unable to bring herself to repeat his words about it being completely over between us.

Kendrick invited all of our former classmates to the banquet the morning after the celebration party, specifically emphasizing that Daniel and I had to be there.

Those former classmates of mine had no idea that I was already dead, so they kept murmuring among themselves, anticipating the moment Kendrick would publicly tear down "that materialistic Jasmine" who used to look down on the poor.

I had no business being there, but I couldn't stop myself from drifting toward the place. I saw Kendrick holding hands with Yvonne, looking perfect together.

That sight mirrored the exact scene I had pictured in my dreams a thousand times—only someone else was playing the part.

Daniel, holding his glass of wine, sidled up to Kendrick's side like a lapdog. "Jasmine acts all proud and aloof on the surface, but she's actually just a whore, Mr. Fisher. She'll sleep with anyone as long as she gets paid.

"She was truly infatuated with me, though. She hauled cement at construction sites by day and worked lines at bars by night until she was throwing up blood just to pay off my gambling debts, Mr. Fisher!"