Chapter 4

Maybe when your heart breaks completely, you just go numb.

Staring at Ethan's second phone, I didn't even feel a spark of anger.

The phone rang again. This time, it wasn't my number.

Ethan stared at the screen for a moment before pressing answer.

"Is this Nora Mitchell's next of kin? The patient passed away yesterday, and her body is still in the morgue. When can you come claim her?"

Ethan frowned, checking the number again.

"Are you guys ever going to stop? How much did Nora pay you to pull this stunt? I'll pay you double if you just stop harassing me!"

"She was calling and texting me yesterday, and today you're telling me she's dead?"

"Until she learns how to behave, I don't care if she's dead or alive!"

Yes, he never cared about anything to do with me.

Even when I was actually dead.

But that was fine. I was used to it anyway, wasn't I?

By the time he finished speaking, Ethan's voice was shaking with anger.

He slammed the phone down, his face flushed with rage.

Chloe asked softly, "What's wrong? Did something happen to Nora?"

Ethan shook his head. "Nothing. Just another one of her dramatic stunts."

"Get some rest. I'm going to check on the lab."

Chloe nodded obediently and watched him leave.

When Ethan pushed open the lab door, he found a group of researchers huddled together.

He frowned, his voice cold and sharp.

"What is everyone doing? Is this free time? Are your tasks finished?"

The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving a single piece of paper fluttering to the floor.

When no one spoke, Ethan sneered, "Don't you know we're at a critical phase of launching the A9 drug?"

"Chloe risked her life to test this drug for us, giving us the chance to deepen our research. And this is how you make use of it?"

He knelt down and picked up the paper, grabbing a young researcher who was trying to slip away. "What is this?"

The young man, terrified of Ethan, lowered his head. "It's... it's a case file related to the A9 drug..."

"This disease is so rare, so we were just studying it..."

Ethan frowned, looking at him suspiciously.

"I haven't heard of any similar cases recently."

The researcher pointed at the paper. "It was sent over by the local hospital."

"Apparently, the patient spent her final days desperately searching for a cure, but she couldn't find one."

"She passed away yesterday..."

Ethan looked down at the paper. When his eyes landed on the name in the patient box, he froze.

Nora Mitchell.

My name.

Ethan's grip on the researcher's arm tightened violently, but his eyes kept scanning down.

When he read the words *Cause of Death: Multi-organ failure*, his pupils dilated in shock.

"Did the hospital mention the exact time of death?"

The researcher shook his head.

Looking at his pale face, I felt nothing but cold amusement.

What? Was he finally starting to believe it?

It seemed he only believed me when I was presented to him in the most brutal, tragic way possible.

Just like before, when I hadn't heard from Ethan all night. Even his lab colleagues didn't know where he was.

I had driven through a torrential downpour, checking every place he could possibly be. The rain was so heavy I lost control of the car and crashed into a street lamp.

And yet, just that morning, he had promised he would come home to celebrate my birthday.

At dawn, I dragged my bruised, bleeding body back home, only to see Ethan lovingly placing a fresh plate of breakfast in front of Chloe.

In that moment, my mind went entirely blank.

Seeing my wretched state, Ethan had only frowned in disgust. "What happened to you?"

I stared at him blankly. "Where were you last night...?"

Chloe looked at me with faux guilt. "I'm so sorry, Nora. I didn't mean to make you worry. I just got back to the country last night and asked Ethan to pick me up. He didn't mean to ignore you."

Ignoring Chloe's chatter, I walked up to Ethan. "Yesterday was my birthday."

Ethan stiffened, pressing his lips together.

"Sorry. I forgot."

He forgot.

Ethan didn't even bother making up a decent excuse. He just dismissed my entire existence with a simple "I forgot."

That day, we had another massive fight.

"Ethan, I searched for you all night! I even got into a car accident! And what were you doing?!"

Ethan lost his patience. "Enough! I just forgot!"

"A car accident? If you were in a car accident, why are you standing right here? Why aren't you in a hospital bed?"

In the middle of our shouting, Ethan shoved me hard. I fell to the ground while he immediately shielded a trembling Chloe behind his back.

I felt like some villainous woman in a cheap drama.

My wounds from the crash reopened, bleeding through my clothes, and my chest felt like it was tearing apart.

I coughed up a pool of blood. Through the haze of pain, I finally heard Ethan scream my name in panic.

Only then did he believe I was actually hurt.

Ethan's trust in me had always been pathetic.

I watched Ethan run out of the research center and speed toward the hospital.

Once there, he clutched the case file, desperately asking every nurse and doctor until he finally found the physician who had filed the report.

It was Dr. Harrison, the doctor who had treated me.

Dr. Harrison looked up in surprise. "Dr. Carter? What brings you here?"

Ethan slammed the paper onto the desk, panting heavily. "Did you submit this case file?"

The doctor glanced at it and nodded. "Yes. The patient's body is still down in the morgue."

"Did you find something new, Dr. Carter?"

Ethan's hands shook violently as he gritted his teeth. "Take me to her."

Though confused, Dr. Harrison led the way.

I followed close behind Ethan as the elevator descended into the cold basement. Dr. Harrison led him to the metal freezer drawers.

The doctor pointed to a drawer. "She's in here. Do you want to see her, Dr. Carter?"

Ethan ignored him, his hand already gripping the cold metal handle.

As the drawer slowly slid open, the color drained completely from Ethan's face.

Until he finally saw me.

My face. Gray, cold, and entirely lifeless.