She Loved Me Beyond Death

The accident four years ago really came out of nowhere, and I died protecting Sena Stilton.

Even as life drained out of my veins, I could feel her clinging to my blood-drenched body, refusing to let go.

Soon, my ghost hovered by her side, yearning to wipe her tears and tell her that I wasn't hurting anymore, only for my fingers to pass through her body entirely.

I knew then that I had shuffled off this mortal coil.

However, I wasn't going to heaven or reincarnating, as an angel informed me that my spirit's obsession was too strong and bound me to Sena and thus this mortal realm.

And so, I stayed as a ghost, persistently hovering around Sena.

Over those four years, she never became involved with anyone else. She often shut herself away in her study.

But whenever I started to lecture her, telling her to eat and sleep properly, she would do exactly that.

I was starting to think she could hear me, but she would walk through my ghost without even looking at me, not even reacting when I hid in the dark to give her jumpscares.

That was why I grew bolder as I was sure now that she couldn't see me—I'd caress her cheek in her sleep, blow on her food so it wasn't too hot, and scold her for not looking after herself well if she worked long hours.

I was under the impression that I could stay with her forever, even if she couldn't see me… only for her to tell me now that she had been seeing me for four years.

As a ghost, I shouldn't have feelings and should definitely not get hurt, but Sena's sharp words left my heart clenching.

My silhouette seemed to fade a little as I turned. "Why didn't you tell me that you could see me?"

"I just wanted to see how long you'd stay," she replied flatly.

So I was just… bothering her.

"I'm sorry," I said very softly as my ghost drifted further from her, all while feeling cold all over as if my heart was just ripped apart.

She didn't argue further and turned to leave, while news of her engagement spread everywhere in just thirty minutes.

I hovered outside her bedroom, afraid to get too close.

Even so, I could hear Sena's giggles from inside, while Yves breathed words of affection.

I was shocked as I felt like I was tearing up, while also seeing my ghost turn fainter.

I was really leaving—not fading into oblivion, but moving on.

At that moment, everything made sense.

Sena was my obsession.

I was convinced she still loved me, and I didn't want her to be alone and sad and wanted to stay with her even after I died.

But she had Yves now and didn't need me…

"It's early, but I wish you a blessed marriage…"

I smiled wryly and moved, lurking in the shadows to avoid Sena's eyes.

The next day, she headed to church like she always did.

She had first gone there with my ashes the day after my cremation. Unable to stray too far from her, I'd had no choice but to follow.

But some unseen force kept me from entering the private room where she met the priest. I had never known what she did inside.

This time, she came with Yves, even asking for a blessing from the priest.

I remembered asking to do the same with Sena for a blessed marriage, but she told me, "I don't believe that stuff… Only that I love you."

But now, she was doing just that with Yves, and I had to wait until sunset before Sena finally returned.

She didn't even look at me as she walked past me, and I saw that my fingers were fading too.

It seemed that I didn't have much time left with her, but I wished her a long, happy life.

However, as she got home, she didn't even sit down as she quickly told her servants, "Clear the east bedroom on the second floor. Yves needs a study."

My eyes widened in disbelief.

That was my bedroom! Everything inside had been personally set up by Sena!

She had decorated it with everything that I liked, and we both painted a rose on the wall together.

She'd once held my arm and told me that this would always be our home, and my room would always be mine alone.

Those times were the happiest times in my life.

But now, she was telling the servants to take everything apart herself.

I had to withstand the pain of my heart breaking as I stood, but I eventually gave in and went upstairs to look.

I had never gone there since I died, as I was worried I would feel worse being reminded of the good times.

Never could I have expected that this was happening to that familiar room instead.

The servants were even less sentimental as they opened the closet and threw out the first tailored suit that Sena had given me.

Staring at all those watches and neckties dropped carelessly around my feet, I closed my eyes.

She would always buy me presents on her business trips, saying that it was a token of our love and how much she missed me.

But now, she wanted none of those memories as she no longer cared for me.

I watched in dismay as everything in the room was taken apart by the servants, who scraped off the old paint as well.

They worked really fast, taking barely a day to refurnish the bedroom into a minimalist study.

Sena took Yves's hand and opened the door herself, revealing that everything inside was completely different and devoid of any traces of me.

It seemed that she really wanted to erase all of me from her life.

I watched as Yves smiled warmly and gathered her in his arms, while she leaned against his shoulder as they talked about the future, never once looking at me while she did.

There was no way I could keep watching them. All that I saw left me suffocating, even triggering a flight response—the further I got away from here, the better.

But I just turned when Sena's assistant, Bob Smith, came running. "Ms. Stilton? The acquisition of Whig Corp is successful, and the agreement has been signed. We own them now."

My body stiffened all over, thunderstruck.

Yves was still admiring the interior design while Sena took the papers from Bob and headed to her study.

Fighting against the foreboding sensation I felt inside, I followed her.

It was not until I saw my father's familiar signature on one of the documents that I learned in no uncertain terms that Sena had just acquired my family company.

My parents had worked decades for it, and never did I expect that Sena would come after my parents even if she never loved me!

As I stood there, staring fixedly at her, she kept working as if she never saw me.

Finally, I couldn't help but ask hoarsely, "Don't you think you should say something? Why did you acquire my family's company? Even if I am at fault for clinging to you for four years, that's my fault and mine alone. What does this have to do with my parents?"

Sena paused, but she didn't look at me as she returned flatly, "That's my call to make. You don't get to question me."

I was dying inside as I cried, "What has gotten into you, Sena? Why are you doing this to me—"

She looked up sharply right then. "Because you're a bother!"