Frozen in Heartache

On the twelfth day after my death, Sam Whitaker finally brought Nancy Bullocks home.

Word had it they had gone to Nathlis to see the auroras. It was a spontaneous trip, which was filled with romance.

Nancy curled up as if she still hadn't shaken off the cold from Nathlis.

Sam frowned at her, a hint of reproach in his voice. "You were already weak, but you insisted on going to Nathlis. Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"Achoo!" Nancy, gentle and lovely, nestled closer into his arms as she sneezed. Her face was a mix of sweetness and stubborn pride. "It's not bad at all! I'm really strong!"

He affectionately tapped the tip of her nose, and his expression softened. "Stop pretending. Have you forgotten how you got sick from that cold shower?"

Just two weeks ago, I had turned off the water heater while Nancy was in the shower, leaving her to endure an ice-cold bath. She ended up with a fever that spiked to over 40 degrees, and she almost died that night.

His expression hardened as the memory surfaced, and impatience flickered across his face.

He turned to his assistant and said, "Nancy will be staying here tonight. Go and tell that other woman not to try any more tricks."

The assistant, who had also accompanied them on their trip, was busy at that moment, gathering their scattered luggage.

Upon hearing this, the assistant paused what he was doing and looked up in surprise. "Mr. Whitaker, isn't your wife still locked in the freezer?"

Nancy jumped up from the couch, her eyes wide with shock as her hands flew to cover her mouth. "It's been this long, and she's still in there? Won't she be dead by now?" she exclaimed.

He seemed to have completely forgotten about locking me in the basement freezer. The brief flash of surprise that crossed his face was quickly replaced by an amused smile at Nancy's words.

With a cold laugh, he said, "She's too cunning to just sit back and take her punishment. Do you really think she'd stay put like that? I'm sure she found a way to sneak out long ago."

'Is that so?' I said inwardly with disdain.

I glanced at my own translucent shadow hovering in the air, and a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

If he hadn't ordered his men to seal the freezer shut with chains, maybe I would have found a way to escape. After all, I did want to live.

Yet, back then, he was more interested in pissing me off. He had taken all the villa staff along with him and Nancy on their honeymoon.

"Katerina Sawyer, I want you to understand your place. You don't even rank above the servants in my heart. Stay home and accept your punishment. Maybe, once you've realized the difference between you and Nancy, you can come out."

It was laughable, really. How was I supposed to come out when no one was there to help me?

They seemed to quickly forget this minor incident and were soon back to cuddling on the couch.

That was, until the assistant came rushing down the stairs frantically and nervously uttered my name.

"Mr. Whitaker, it's Miss Sawyer. She appears to have run away. There's no sign of her in the house, and she didn't take anything from her room."

Sam waved him off dismissively.

"She thinks I'm still the fool who'd chase after her like before? If she doesn't want to come home, then she should never come back! The things she left behind will be perfect for Nancy anyway."