Deadly Devotion: Betrayed by Love

My name was Eugene Locke, and I was a detective in the major crimes unit prior to my death. After dying, I became a spirit and followed my fiancée, Ruth Goldman, around.

"Ruthy, I'm in a spot of trouble. Hurry up and come help me!"

When Ruth received a call from Ivan Stuart, she dropped everything and hurried to him. He was her first love, and they were something of childhood sweethearts.

Whenever Ivan asked her for anything, she would agree, no matter what it was.

I'd asked her whether Ivan was all she cared about, but she always said impatiently, "Ivan and I are just friends. Could you stop getting jealous over the smallest things?"

This time, Ivan had murdered someone. He asked Ruth to help him deal with the corpse, and she'd agreed.

What she didn't know was that the corpse was mine.

...

"This is the last time I'm helping you, Ivan!" Ruth wore her gloves and grabbed a tool to smoothen my corpse's fingerprints.

She saw a scar on my corpse's right arm. Afraid my family would recognize me based on that, she used acid to burn it away. Then, she checked my corpse for other recognizable features.

"There's a scar on the left of his abdomen. It looks like it's from a surgery." It was part of Ruth's job as a forensic doctor to state her observations when checking corpses. She did it out of habit.

Ruth and I had dated for a few years but had never slept together. She'd once told me that she was against intimacy before marriage, and I respected that. That was why she had no idea I had scars on my arm and abdomen.

A trace of panic flitted across Ivan's face when he heard her words. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound. He only relaxed after Ruth destroyed the scars with acid.

"He seems to be missing a kidney." Ruth pressed a spot to the left of my abdomen, verifying her guess.

Afraid that she would notice something, Ivan hurriedly changed the subject. "Where should I dispose of the body after you're done with it?"

"Anywhere as long as no one finds it," she said.

He made a sound of acknowledgment. Then, he looked at her and asked, "Are you and your fiancé still having a cold war?"

Ruth snorted. "Why are you suddenly bringing someone like him up?"

Ivan could tell from the look on her face that she and I were still having a cold war. After getting his answer, he didn't say anything else. He'd only wanted to confirm whether Ruth knew I'd gone missing, anyway.

A month ago, Ruth and I had gotten into a huge fight. We'd been in a cold war since. She refused to reply to my messages, no matter what I wrote. She even refused to return to our home.

Ruth got up and removed her gloves after dealing with my corpse. She looked at my head and saw my face had been destroyed beyond recognition. Naturally, she had no idea the corpse was mine.

She asked Ivan, "How much did you hate this guy to make his face end up like that? He's not someone you know, is he?"

These words got Ivan in his weak spot. He smiled diffidently.

"I'm not the only forensic doctor in this city—this is as far as I can help. You should be careful."

"Got it." Ivan nodded. Then, he pulled Ruth into his arms, feeling aroused. "I really missed you, Ruthy. I think about you every day, you know. I'm almost going out of my mind."

Ruth was moved when she heard that. He held her hand and said, "Don't go, Ruthy. Can you stay with me a little longer?"

He leaned in for a kiss. She couldn't resist him and threw her arms around him before my corpse. As they descended into the throes of passion, I charged at them, shouting, "Don't do such disgusting things beside my remains!"

However, my soul went through their bodies. They couldn't hear me, no matter how loud my screams were. I couldn't do anything.