Home / My Dead Bestie's Online Boyfriend Is My Fiancé / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of My Dead Bestie's Online Boyfriend Is My Fiancé: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Shay, the water is just right. Get in and soak for a while. I'll be there after I finish drying my hair."Ashton Steele's voice came from the bathroom. Through the steam, he sounded gentle and considerate.I froze in place.I stared at the profile picture on the screen and at that account. I had used it for three whole years."We shouldn't stay in touch anymore. Let's break up."I'd just typed every single word moments ago.The bathroom door opened. Ashton came out wrapped in a bath towel, drying his hair. When he saw me standing stiffly in front of the coffee table, his footsteps faltered."What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?" He walked over and habitually reached out to put an arm around my waist.I stepped back. My lower back slammed into the armrest of the couch. The pain made me wince. His hand stopped in midair. "Shay?"His gaze followed mine and fell on the phone lying there with its screen still lit. The next moment, his entire face stiffened.The phone vibrated

Chapter 2

"Ms. Lourd, is your husband still unavailable today?"At the bridal store, the shop assistant wore a professional smile, but the implication behind her words was obvious.I sat alone in front of the full-length mirror.This was the second time.The whispers from the employees around me kept finding their way into my ears."That's her. She's an illustrator. I wonder how she managed to get her hands on a renowned designer like Mr. Steele.""Mr. Steele hasn't accompanied her here even once. I doubt this marriage is going to happen."I ignored them.Inside the dressing room, I took out Melody's phone. The screen was filled with hundreds of unread messages from Ashton."Mel, why aren't you answering me?""Did I do something wrong? Tell me, and I'll change.""Please answer my call, even if it's just for a second.""Mel, are you going to leave me?""Please, don't leave me."There was also a one-minute voice message. I hesitated for a long time before pressing play.Ashton was t

Chapter 3

After returning from the bridal store, I felt completely drained and went to bed early.In the middle of the night, a sudden cramping pain tore through my lower abdomen. Cold sweat soaked through my pajamas, and my vision went black.I fumbled for my phone and called Ashton.It rang for a long time before he answered."Hello?" I could hear an airport announcement in the background.My heart sank as I pleaded, "Ashton... My stomach hurts so badly that I can't get up... Can you come and take me to the hospital?"Ashton fell silent for a few seconds before he said, "Shayna, I have something urgent to take care of right now. You're an adult. Can't you just take a cab to the hospital yourself?"Something urgent, huh?His precious Mel wanted to break up with him. Of course, that was the most urgent thing in the world to him.My hands and feet went cold as I lay on the floor.Like I was making one last bet, I picked up Melody's phone and typed a message. I wrote, "I want to see

Chapter 4

I started packing my things. I didn't cry or make a scene. The clothes he had bought for me went back into the closet, neatly folded. The clothes I had bought myself went into my suitcase.In the study, I covered the art supplies he had given me with a dust-resistant cloth. In the living room, I slowly erased every trace of myself.When Ashton came home, this was the scene he saw.He had waited at the airport for three days without seeing his beloved Mel. He looked haggard and disheveled. He hadn't shaved, and his eyes were bloodshot.When he saw me zipping up my suitcase, he froze."What are you doing?" he asked hoarsely.I didn't answer. I bent down to move the monstera from the coffee table to the floor. Then, I took off the engagement ring on my finger.It was a pink diamond ring. He had put it on my finger himself when he proposed.He had said, "Shay, marry me and let me take care of you for the rest of our lives."I placed the ring and the keys side by side in the cent

Chapter 5

I walked out of the apartment building with my suitcase in tow. It was still raining, and I didn't bother to use an umbrella.I moved into the small studio I had rented a long time ago. It wasn't big, but the windows faced south. So, sunlight would spill into the entire room in the afternoon.After Melody passed away, I had barely touched any of my pens or brushes. Now, I picked one up again.I shut myself in the studio and drew tirelessly, whether it was day or night.A week later, I landed an illustration project for a gaming company. The pay wasn't much, but it was the best job I could get at the moment.The project lead was named Zach Sargent. He looked a few years younger than me."Ms. Lourd, our art director saw your set of illustrations and approved them on the spot! I'm looking forward to working with you."He held out his hand.I paused for a moment before shaking it. "Likewise."Ashton probably thought I wouldn't last three days. He was certain I couldn't live withou

Chapter 6

Ashton didn't come back, but he didn't sit around idly either. He searched for Melody frantically. He used every connection and resource he had to find someone who no longer existed.Milo was the one who told me all this.One day, he somehow got hold of my studio address and came straight to my door.He asked, "Shayna, did you and Ashton really break up?"I was working on coloring my illustrations.Not even bothering to look up, I asked, "Do you need something?"Milo looked annoyed as he rambled, "You should go back and talk to him. He's so obsessed with finding that woman he met online that he's stopped caring about work. He's practically lost his mind. I heard he even hired a top hacker to trace that account's IP address and login history."My hand paused. A drop of paint fell onto the paper, spreading into a small blotch."Did they find anything?" I asked.Milo ran a hand through his hair and replied, "I don't know, but let me give you some advice. You should know when to s

Chapter 7

I thought Ashton would come looking for me, but he didn't.For two whole days, my phone was unusually quiet. There were no calls and no messages. Ashton didn't send Milo over to plead his case either.On the third day, I worked until it was nearly midnight. When I pushed open the door of the studio where I worked, a torrential rain was pouring outside.And then, I saw him.Under the streetlight, his suit was soaked through and clung to his body. Water dripped from his hair in strands. He had lost weight. His entire body looked a size smaller.When he saw me come out, he walked toward me. His shoes splashed through the puddles, but he didn't seem to notice."Shay..."His voice was absolutely hoarse. It sounded as though his vocal cords had to scrape themselves raw just to get the words out of his throat.Holding my umbrella, I stood still.He stopped a step away from me. Rainwater flowed down his face from his forehead.His voice was thick with emotion. "It was you all along,

Chapter 8

I never saw Ashton again.The game Zach and I had worked on became a huge hit. My character designs were reposted countless times across social media. In just one night, offers came pouring in from all directions.I expanded my studio and hired more people.Three months later, I held my first solo art exhibition. I named it "Rebirth".A lot of people came to the opening. There were industry professionals, various media outlets, and people who admired my work.Zach squeezed his way through the crowd with a huge bouquet of sunflowers. "Congratulations, Shay!"I took the flowers and was about to speak when a commotion broke out from somewhere beyond the crowd.People were being pushed aside, and I heard someone ask, "Who's that?"It was Milo.As he rushed over, I noticed that his clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was a mess. It looked as though he hadn't washed it in days. He looked like a completely different person from the man I'd seen three months ago."Shayna!" He pushed

Chapter 9

In the end, I went to the hospital.It wasn't because my heart softened, nor was it because Greta had begged me through tears over the phone. I just wanted to see Ashton one last time and finally turn the page for good.Ashton wasn't in the hospital because of his depression. He was there because of severe burns.He had a private art studio where he kept the paintings I had given him. After our breakup, those paintings had remained there untouched. He didn't move them. He didn't allow anyone else to touch them either.Three days earlier, the studio had caught fire because of faulty, aging wiring. The moment Ashton discovered the fire, he had ignored everyone's attempts to stop him and rushed into the flames like a madman.When the firefighters pulled him out, he had suffered severe burns over his entire body. Those burns left his face completely disfigured.He clutched something tightly in his hand and refused to let go.The ring he held was burned out of shape and blackened by

Chapter 10

One year later, I opened my own graphic studio, which I named "Summer Light Studio".Many people came on its opening day. I had flower baskets lined up from the entrance all the way to the corner of the street.Zach stood beside me in a sharp suit. As my partner, he took glass after glass of wine from the guests on my behalf.From an angle no one else could see, his hand quietly and firmly found mine. The warmth of his touch spread through my palm. I turned and smiled at him.His smile was bright and radiant, just like the one he'd given me when we'd first met.The sunlight was warm and beautiful. Everything was just beginning.In a corner of my studio, Milo stood watching from a distance with a complicated expression on his face. Beside him was a caregiver pushing a wheelchair.Ashton was sitting in it.He hadn't recovered well. The fire hadn't only destroyed his appearance, but it had also left one of his legs permanently damaged.The once confident heir of the Steele family

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