Chapter 3

From that day on, Nelissa began to meet Jared frequently.

At first, she would try explaining it to me, even though she would seem a little embarrassed. Later, she stopped trying to explain at all.

In order to have her spend less time with Jared, I even used my connections to help Jared find a stable job in his field. However, it all turned out to be in vain.

I had only been away from home for half a month, but Jared had already made himself at home in my house. He said to the bathroom, "Nelissa, I'm going to open a bottle of wine."

After he finished speaking, he did not stare at the wine. Instead, his gaze went to a certain place, exuding malicious intent. I felt a bit uneasy as he reached straight for the award plaque on the wine cabinet.

He held the plaque in his hand, contemptuously observed it for a while, and then suddenly threw it down on the ground! The glass plaque shattered instantly, breaking into pieces.

"No!" I rushed over anxiously to stop him. "That's my father's last award plaque!"

It was not until I fell to the ground that I realized I was already dead. In my spirit form, I could not even protect my father's last award plaque. It was an honor bought with my father's life.

My father... died during a mission.

My mother wept for many nights, clutching this plaque. "Ethan Graham, why did you die so young? You claim you have no regrets and lived up to the police uniform, but did you do right by your son and me? Ethan... You're gone. How shall I live..."

Later, my mother gave me this plaque, which I treasured and kept in my liquor cabinet. Now, that bastard Jared had deliberately smashed it! I wanted to kill him!

Nelissa heard the noise and came out. Looking at the broken pieces of the plaque on the ground, her expression changed.

Jared immediately apologized with a forced smile, "I'm sorry. I accidentally knocked it over... Nelissa, Marcus won't be angry with you, will he? How about I apologize to him? I don't want to drag you into this."

After he finished speaking, Nelissa waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay. It's just a piece of glass. So what if it's broken? It doesn't matter."

I stared at Nelissa in disbelief, my eyes wide with fury as I wondered. I know she did not love me, but how could she treat the honor my father earned with his life like this? To her, was my father's life just a piece of insignificant glass? What kind of woman had I loved for the past ten years?

Suddenly, a phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Nelissa composed herself and answered the phone.

A frantic female voice came from the other end of the line. I recognized her voice immediately. It was my junior from the police academy and my current partner, Hannah Lewis. "Hello? Is Marcus with you?"

Nelissa frowned. "No, I don't know where he fucked off to. He hasn't been back for more than half a month."

Hannah ignored her unpleasant tone. Her voice kept shaking with nervousness. "Oh no... Our informant can't get in touch with him. It must be because of that news report. Something must have happened to him..."

Most of the color on Nelissa's face suddenly faded. "What do you mean? What does it mean that the informant can't get in touch with him? What does it have to do with the news report?"

"Didn't he tell you? Some damn paparazzo wrote about his undercover mission in the headlines, and he lost contact not long after that. According to the informant, he hasn't appeared in the organization for several days... We suspect that he may be in danger."

Nelissa looked dazed as she stammered. "I-Isn't it just news? There were no photos, or even his name... Is it that serious?"

"You have no idea how vigilant the gangs are now! That information is enough for them to dig out the mole! Why would they need photos?"

After Hannah finished speaking, she hung up angrily without waiting for Nelissa to say anything else.

Nelissa paled as she reached out and pulled Jared's sleeve. "Didn't you tell me that the news report was just like a story and there'd be no problems?"

Jared held her hand nonchalantly. "Why do you believe everything you hear? They say something happened, and you immediately believe them? Who knows if they're just spooked and imagining the worst?

"Oh, don't worry. How can they find him without a name or a photo? These people like to make a fuss and scare themselves."

Jared pulled the somewhat flustered Nelissa to sit on the couch. "By the way, when are you divorcing Marcus?"

I froze. My heart, which had long since become still as stagnant water, surged with an endless wave of bitterness and sorrow. The heart that had already gone numb began to ache once more.

Nelissa paused. "I haven't found the right opportunity to tell him."

Jared immediately replied in displeasure, "Is it that you didn't find the right opportunity or that you simply don't want to tell him? I was forced by my family to go abroad, and after fighting against them for so many years, I was finally able to come back to you. I never expected you... to be married!

"Do you know how heartbroken I am? Am I the only one who values our relationship?"

"No!" Nelissa's eyes immediately reddened as she hugged him. "I value it. I care! I've never stopped loving you all these years. You know that!"

Jared was finally satisfied. "Alright, ask him for a divorce when Marcus is back."

Nelissa studied his expression and eventually nodded.

Looking at Jared, who was racking his brains to get Nelissa to divorce me, I just found it laughable.

He no longer needed to treat me like an enemy. One masterstroke from him had managed to kill me, so he did not need to pressure Nelissa into divorcing me.

Jared brazenly moved into my house, acting as if he were the master of the house.

Even in death, I could not find peace. I was forced to watch my wife and her lover have sex right in front of me!

For some reason, my soul seemed to be bound to Nelissa, unable to escape or leave. It was the most agonizing torture!

One day, Jared was cuddling with Nelissa at home when he suddenly received a phone call. "What? Such a bizarre thing happened? Someone died? Okay, I'm coming right away!"

After he hung up, Jared said excitedly, "Nelissa, I have to go out. I have big news!"

Nelissa asked curiously, "What is it?"

"They said someone was tortured and left on the roadside. They seemed to have died. Hey, I don't have a car. Can you give me a ride?"

Nelissa nodded, grabbed her car key fob, and went out with Jared. Arriving at the location his colleague had mentioned, Jared hurriedly got out of the car to take pictures.

Nelissa was a little scared and did not follow him. My soul could not leave her, so I stood with her on the outside.

However, the chatter of the onlookers inevitably reached us.

"What a gruesome death..."

"Yeah, I think that young man must have been quite handsome when he was alive."

"Yes, yes, look at that mole at the corner of his eye. How gentle-looking. What a pity... His eyes were gouged out. What good are his good looks now?"

Hearing this, Nelissa suddenly froze. A terrifying premonition completely overwhelmed her, sending a chill down her spine.

Uncontrollably, she turned and walked toward the scene of the incident. She forcefully pushed through the crowd and finally saw the corpse surrounded by them. Then, her breathing paused completely.