Chapter 3

The next day, Cedric sent his driver to bring Nicole back, by force if necessary.

The moment she walked in, Harriet, who had been curled up on the carpet watching television, scrambled to her feet and ducked behind Cedric.

Her eyes widened timidly, like those of a startled fawn, and she spoke in a small, cautious voice. "Nico, I'm sorry. Ced told me this was your favorite rug. I shouldn't have eaten chips on it."

But Nicole clearly caught the flicker of satisfaction Harriet had failed to hide. She couldn't help but laugh.

So this was the kind of woman Cedric had kept hidden and cherished for 10 years.

The laugh tugged at the wound on her back, and she doubled over slightly in pain.

"It doesn't matter." Nicole looked straight at Cedric. "You can have everything in this house. When we divorce, just pay me the cash value."

Cedric's eyes darkened. "Nicole, what are you trying to say?"

"Nothing in particular." Nicole's voice remained flat and even. "I'm just done."

An eerie, deathly silence settled over the living room. Even the ghost, who had followed Nicole in constant grief, suddenly fell still.

A flicker of clarity appeared in her clouded eyes. The centipede-like scars that twisted across her face slowly began to fade, and her skin grew smooth and unblemished once more.

As Nicole watched, bitterness welled up in her chest. 'So that's it.'

In her previous life, her father had died at this exact point, and she had been dragged back there by force. The confrontation had ended in a fight that neither of them had escaped unscathed.

There was no telling how much suffering had left such terrible scars on the ghost's face.

What if she made a different choice this time? What if she continued to make different choices, every single time, from now until the end? Could she and the ghost both have a second chance? Could that ruined, broken body become whole again?

The next moment, Cedric dragged her back into the bedroom and threw her to the floor.

"Nicole, are you putting on a show again? You love me so much it drives you mad, and now you expect me to believe you can just walk away with a divorce? Are you trying to hurt Hattie again? I'm warning you..."

"It's not a show." Pain tore through her back, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

She let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "I'm just scared. Mr. Grisborne, 100 slaps, 99 lashes, and then what happened to my father on top of it all.

"I've thought it over, and I don't love you enough to throw my life away for it. So… let's get divorced. I'll let you go, and I'll let myself go, too."

His grip on her chin tightened without warning as his anger flared. "Nicole, do you think you can still order me around like you used to? Whether we get divorced is my decision, not yours.

"And don't think you can threaten me with divorce, either. Hattie is someone I intend to take care of for the rest of my life. She's kind by nature. As long as you don't provoke her, nothing will happen to you."

The ghost flew into a frenzy once more.

She screamed through her tears, "Nothing will happen to her? Cedric, you're dreaming! My father built his entire company into a ladder for you to climb, and you let him die for it!

"I'll never let this go, not even in hell! I'll drag you down there with me! Both of you are filthy and shameless, and you'll both come to a terrible end!"

Nicole wanted to comfort the ghost, to tell her not to cry and not to be afraid.

Only six days remained.

Peter had already arranged everything. Her father was still alive. They could both walk away from this without further harm.

But her tears fell anyway, beyond her control.

Her chin throbbed as though it might shatter, but she didn't so much as furrow her brow.

When she spoke, her voice was obedient. "Fine. If you say we're not getting divorced, then we won't.

"Since Miss Jennings is so kind by nature, I'll treat her like my own sister from now on. Whatever room she wants, whatever clothes she wants, even if she wants me to serve her beverages or kneel and apologize to her, I'll do it. I'll go along with whatever she wants.

"Just stay away from my father. Can you do that?"

Nicole couldn't remember what Cedric said in the end that night.

But the next morning, the moment she opened her eyes, she found Harriet in her bedroom.

Harriet was crouched in front of Nicole's jewelry case, rummaging through it as she pleased. She tossed anything she didn't like straight onto the floor.

The ghost clawed at her helplessly with her transparent hands, desperate to snatch the pieces back. "Put that down! Don't you dare touch my things! Get out of my room! That belonged to my mother! It's the only one of its kind in the entire world! Put it back right now!"

Nicole slowly sat up in bed.

Harriet smiled. "Nico, you're awake. The jewelry in here is so pretty. Can I have some?"