My Wife Saved Him, Not Me

For the final three minutes before my death, my soul drifted to my wife's side.Cassandra Beaumont sat beside Miles Rowland's hospital bed, hands clasped tightly as she stared at him with fear written across her face."Miles, don't scare me. Please wake up."My father, who had always treated Miles like his own son, stood beside her, furious."If that bastard Elliot had protected him properly, Miles wouldn't be lying here. Wait until I get my hands on him."I stood a few feet away and felt something bitter twist through me.Dad, you don't have to.I'm already dead.I died because none of you cared enough to look at me.Doctors crowded around Miles's bed. After confirming that he'd suffered nothing worse than a bone bruise, one of the senior physicians finally gathered enough courage to mention me."Dr. Beaumont... are we really not treating Elliot? His injuries from the crash looked severe."The concern vanished from Cassandra's face.Disgust replaced it."What is he doing

I begged Dad to stop.The more I cried, the more convinced he became that I was pretending, and the harder he swung.Mom and a young Cassandra only stood at a distance, watching.Their faces were so cold that, even as a child, I understood something terrifying.If Dad had beaten me to death right there, some part of them might have thought I deserved it.From then on, any time I made Miles cry, my parents cursed me and beat me for it.Eventually, I stopped fighting him for anything.Attention.Affection.Possessions.Even the right to explain myself.And now, after all those years, they had left me on a cold operating table.When everyone arrived home, Miles dropped onto the couch and announced that he was hungry.Mom hurried into the kitchen, eager to show off a recipe she'd just learned.Cassandra, a woman who barely knew how to boil water at home, sat beside him scrolling through high-protein recovery meals, terrified he might be the least bit uncomfortable.Dad pulle

"Yes," Cassandra said, thrown.Detective Halloran held up the warrant."Then you'll need to come with us. We've received a report that you diverted medical resources and caused a patient's death through criminal negligence."Miles immediately stepped in front of her."That's ridiculous. Cassandra has given everything to that hospital. You can't arrest someone without evidence."He spun toward the crowd."Who reported her? Which one of you reported Cass?"The nurse who had been standing in the corner stepped forward.Her voice was small."I did."Miles grabbed her collar and drew back his fist.An officer caught his arm before he could swing."Sir, I need you to calm down. We're doing this by the book.The warning was sharp."Interfere again and you'll be coming with us too.Halloran nodded once."You asked for evidence. I'm happy to show you."He pulled out his phone.There were records showing years of Cassandra using her position to direct staff and resources for pe

"When he comes home, I'll bring him to meet you. He's tall and handsome, and he loves me more than anything."Every so often she surfaced for a few minutes at a time, and in those stretches she would sit on the edge of her bed and look out the window without speaking.Maybe because we'd once been husband and wife, I could almost feel what was happening inside her then, the way she hovered on the edge of something she couldn't bear. Every year that had slipped past had turned into guilt with no end to it.Before I moved on to my next life, I went to see her one last time.She was sitting quietly by her bed, the way she always did.Only this time, she seemed to see me.She reached for my face with both hands, tears spilling down her cheeks."Elliot, you're back. Did you come to see me? I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."Then she reached under her pillow and took out two pieces of chocolate."I remember chocolate was your favorite. I saved these for you."I had loved chocolate as