Watching Him Break

Congratulations, Bennett. Valerie is dead. You don't have to worry about her being jealous of your precious Krystal ever again.

Ive been in the ground for six months.

Six. Months.

But my husband, Bennett? He still thinks Im just throwing a tantrum. Hes actually convinced Im hiding out somewhere, waiting to crawl back and beg for his forgiveness.

That delusion lasted right up until he couldn't find the battered watch his childhood sweetheart gave him.

He rage-dialed my number, screaming into the receiver, "Valerie! Are you done with this bullshit? Get your ass back home!"

He had no idea it was my sister, Riley, on the other end.

And he certainly didn't know that I was right there, floating above him, watching the color drain from his face the moment he realized I was never coming back.

Chapter 1

A car wreck killed me.

That last day started with a fight. I had the ultrasound photo in my hand, trembling with excitement, ready to share the news. But Bennett? He was too busy rushing out the door to celebrate Krystals birthday.

I blocked the doorway. I begged him to stay.

He looked at me like I was insane. He called me delusional.

Then he threw the same cold line in my face that he always used: "If I wanted to be with Krystal, I would have done it years ago. You wouldn't even be in the picture."

Something inside me snapped.

I started smashing things. Vases, frameseverything I could get my hands on. Years of suppressed anger and swallowed pride just exploded in the living room.

Bennett couldn't take it. His hand connected with my cheek.

Slap.

"Valerie! Have I been too nice to you? Is that it? Youre acting like a psycho."

I didnt feel the sting on my face. I didn't feel anything. In that split second, my heart didn't break. It just stopped caring. It went numb.

I spun on my heel and walked out.

"Valerie!" Bennetts voice chased me down the hall. "If you walk out that door, don't you dare come back!"

He got his wish.

I never did.

I was driving away, blinded by tears, when the truck hit me.

Massive trauma. Two lives, gone in an instant.

Me, and the baby he never knew about.

Riley, my sister, identified the body. She handled the burial. She was so consumed by ragea protective, burning furythat she made a choice: she wouldn't tell Bennett. Not a word.

But death wasn't the end.

For some godforsaken reason, my spirit didn't move on. I was tethered to Bennett. Maybe it was unfinished business. Maybe it was a curse.

I watched him leave our wrecked house that night and go straight to Krystals party.

I watched him celebrate every holiday with her for the last six months, meticulously picking out gifts while I lay cold in a grave he didn't know existed.

I watched him drop everything the second Krystal called. Hell, he would have driven through a hurricane just to hold her hand.

Sometimes, Krystal would play the innocent victim, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Is Valerie still not back? Bennett, did I cause a rift between you two? I feel so terrible. Maybe I should call her and apologize."

"It has nothing to do with you. She's just being dramatic," Bennett would say, his voice ice-cold. "Let her be. Lets see how long she can keep this up."

Seven years of marriage. Seven years of my life.

And I hadnt left a single scratch on his heart.

Maybe I was the glitch in their perfect story all along. With or without me, his world kept spinning.

I was just dead weight. A burden he was finally free of.

I thought he would just go on like this forever, completely unbothered.

Chapter 2

It wasn't until Krystal asked about the watch she gave himthat battered, sentimental piece of junkthat Bennett finally remembered I existed.

His name flashed on my phone screen. I knew that ringtone. It was the sound of impatience.

"Valerie, are you done with this drama yet?" His voice grated against the speaker. "If you're so miserable, just file for divorce. Who are you performing for? Quit the act."

He didn't wait for an answer.

"Where is the watch? The one I told you to get repaired. Did you hide it?" A scoff. "God, youre pathetic. After all these years, youre still that obsessed with Krystal? Youre still that jealous?"

Riley held the phone. She didn't speak.

The silence stretched. It was heavy, suffocating. She was trembling, the rage locking her jaw tight.

"Speak!" Bennett barked. "What, are you dead or something?"

"Dead."

Rileys voice was barely a whisper. Cold. Hollow.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I said, Valerie is dead." Riley enunciated every syllable, slicing through the air. "Congratulations, Bennett. Shell never be jealous of Krystal ever again."

Silence on the other end.

Bennett paused. He finally realized who he was talking to.

I saw ita flicker of panic in his eyes, a momentary glitch in his arrogance. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a sneer.

"What kind of twisted game is this, Riley? Does she think playing dead is going to make me regret anything? You tell her this: either she crawls back here right now, or she can go die on the streets for all I care!"

"She is dead! I said Valerie is dead!"

Riley snapped. She screamed into the phone, her composure shattering.

"She doesn't need your regret! She doesn't need anything from a heartless bastard like you!"

"Enough, Riley! Im not doing this with you. Keep your nose out of my marriage. Put Valerie on the phone. Now."

Riley didn't argue. She just tapped the red button.

Click.

I watched Bennett in the living room.

He stared at his phone, disbelief warring with fury. A thick vein pulsed on his forehead. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the device.

He wasn't used to this.

For years, he had never hit a wall with me. Every fight, every argument, I was the one who folded. I was the one who apologized.

He took a breath, forcing the rage down, and dialed again.

Riley answered.

"Ask Valerie," Bennett said, his voice tight, controlled, "where the watch is. The shop said she picked it up. I need it. Now."

"I don't know," Riley said. Ice cold.

"I said ask her"

"Bennett, you really deserve to rot in hell."

Rileys voice shook, thick with venom. She knew everything. She saw every bruise on my heart, every sacrifice I made for this man. And hearing him now? It was twisting the knife.

"You"

"In the end, its just about Krystals watch, isn't it?" Riley laughed, a dry, broken sound. "To you, a second-hand watch matters more than Valeries life?"

Bennett opened his mouth, but Riley cut him off.

"Valerie is gone. Believe it, don't believe it, I don't give a damn. But don't call this number again."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with finality.

"You are dirtying her road to the afterlife."

Chapter 3

Riley hung up on him again.

The line went dead, but Bennett didnt look worried. He didn't look devastated.

He just looked pissed.

Even after hearing the words "Valerie is dead," his pulse didn't spike with fear. His brain was stuck on a loop, obsessed with one thing and one thing only: Where the hell did I hide Krystal's cheap watch?

Priorities, right?

To him, a piece of metal from her weighed more than my entire existence.

My mind flashed back to the crash. The screech of tires. The crushing impact.

I remembered using the very last ounce of strength in my bleeding body to dial his number. I needed him. Just once.

He hung up on me without hesitation.

Click.

No hesitation.

He was probably too busy lighting candles on Krystal's cake to be bothered by his dying wife.

Its laughable. Truly.

I looked at him now and wondered how I survived seven years of this. How did I swallow that much poison and call it love?

But theres a silver lining to being a ghost.

Maybe when the heart stops beating, it stops breaking.

No matter how cruel he was being, I didn't feel that familiar, ripping pain in my chest. I just felt light.

I hovered in the air, watching him with a detached, cold curiosity.

I watched the rage slowly drain out of him, leaving him standing there, empty. He froze. A statue in the middle of the room. Motionless.

I didn't know what he was thinking. I didn't care. I had zero expectations left.

Then, his phone rang.

Krystal.

They had a hiking date planned.

The transformation was instant. The second he saw her name on the screen, the tension in his jaw evaporated. The scowl was wiped away, replaced by a soft, tender smile.

I let out a dry, phantom laugh.

See? If you expect nothing, you cant get hurt.

"Krystal," he said. His voice was liquid velvet.

For the past six months, Ive had a front-row seat to their conversations. Id almost forgotten that he was capable of sounding like this. Id almost forgotten how cold he sounded when he spoke to me.

"Bennett, are you leaving soon?" Her voice was sickly sweet, dripping through the speaker. "I'm all packed. I'm waiting for you."

"Heading out now. Give me twenty minutes."

"Drive safe, okay?"

"I will."

Bennett hung up, energized. He pivoted and marched into the walk-in closet.

He started rifling through the racks. Hangers clattered. He shoved suits aside, looking for something specific.

Minutes ticked by. He couldn't find it.

Frustration crept back in. He stormed out of the room to the landing and shouted down the stairs.

"Gladys! Where is my Gucci tracksuit?"

Gladys, our housekeeper, scrambled up the stairs, breathless.

"Sir? I put all the laundry away in the cabinets. Which set are you looking for?"

Bennett rolled his eyes, his patience snapping.

"The brown one! With the signature stripes and the monogram print. How hard is it to keep track of my clothes?"

Gladys looked blank. She hesitated, confusion written all over her face.

Chapter 4

Gladys shuffled into the walk-in closet, her hands trembling slightly as she scanned the rows of designer fabric. She pulled out a hanger. "Is this the one, Sir?"

"No." Bennett slapped the hanger aside. "I already looked. It's not here."

Liar.

The tracksuit was literally sitting on the bottom shelf. I could see the logo from here.

He just didn't have the patience to bend down and look. That was Bennett. If it required more than a second of his timeor if it didn't benefit him directlyit didn't exist. Just like me.

"Well, I don't know where else it could be," Gladys murmured.

Bennett spun around, his voice rising, bouncing off the cedar walls. "Youre the housekeeper, Gladys. You live here. Youre paid to handle my life. And you can't find a damn set of clothes?"

His temper was shorter than usual today. A live wire.

Was he that desperate to get to Krystal?

Gladys flinched. Shame colored her cheeks. She fiddled with her apron, the silence stretching before she finally gathered the courage to speak.

"Sir Mrs. PembroValerie always handled your wardrobe. She said you were particular about your outfits, and she didn't want me to mess them up. Maybe maybe you should just ask her?"

"No! Why the hell would I ask her?" Bennett barked, cutting the air with his hand. "Let her sulk. In fact, she better have the guts to stay away forever."

Hah.

So that was it. To Bennett, my "death" was just another manipulation tactic. Another plea for attention.

He didn't believe I was gone.

He thought I was hiding in a hotel somewhere, waiting for him to call and beg me to come home.

Fuming, Bennett snatched a random grey set off the rack, changed, and grabbed his car keys. The front door slammed behind him.

He picked Krystal up, and they headed out to the trails on the outskirts of the city.

They hiked. They laughed. They flirted.

Dead or alive, I didn't even register as a blip on his radar.

Halfway up the trail, Krystal stopped. She pouted, leaning against a tree. "Bennett, slow down! Why are you walking so fast today? I cant keep up with those long legs."

Bennett stopped and turned back.

"I need a break," she whined.

"Alright. Sit for a minute."

Without thinking, Bennett pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped the dust off a flat rock before gesturing for her to sit.

He didn't sit with her. Instead, he walked to the railing, staring out at the view, his back to her.

"Bennett, whats going on?" Krystal asked, watching him closely. "You seem distracted. Is something bothering you? You know you can tell me anything. We can share the burden."

"It's nothing," Bennett replied, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Just work stress. Been a heavy quarter."

"I knew it!" Krystal beamed, looking pleased with herself. "Thats exactly why I dragged you out here. You need to decompress."

She waited for the praise. She waited for him to tell her how thoughtful she was.

Bennett stayed silent.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Krystal's face, but she smoothed it over instantly.

After a few minutes, Bennett checked his watch. "It's getting late. Let's move."

"My legs are jelly," Krystal groaned, giving him puppy dog eyes. "Carry me? Please?"

She giggled, tilting her head. "Come on, Im barely a hundred pounds. I bet Im a feather compared to Valerie."

I looked down at myself.

Yeah. I was heavier than Krystal.

But once upon a time, I was thin, too.

Chapter 5

I ruined my body for that baby.

I force-fed myself for months, packing twenty-five pounds onto my frame just to boost my fertility. I hated looking in the mirror, but I did it. I did it for the family he claimed he wanted.

When I finally got that positive test, I thought it would all be worth it.

But Bennett? He didn't see the sacrifice. He didn't care about the miracle.

He just looked at the extra weight on my hips with undisguised disgust.

"Why the hell are you bringing her up?"

Bennetts voice cracked like a whip, snapping me out of my memories.

Krystal froze. Her eyes went wide, shimmering with sudden tears. He had never raised his voice at her. Not once. Not in all the years they had known each other.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, shrinking back like a kicked puppy. "I didn't mean to did you two have another fight?"

"No," Bennett cut her off, his jaw tight. "If you're tired, we're done here. Let's head down."

"But we're barely halfway up."

"I have work piling up. I need to get back to the office."

He didn't wait for a debate. He turned on his heel and started descending the trail, leaving her standing there.

I hovered close enough to see Krystals mask slip. Her face twisted into a look of pure, ugly frustration. She gritted her teeth, glared at his retreating back, and then scrambled to catch up.

By the time they reached the car, Krystal had reset her expression.

She slid into the passenger seat, buckling up with a soft sigh. "Bennett, let's grab lunch before you go back."

"I told you, I'm in a rush. I'm skipping lunch."

"But I hate eating alone," she murmured, turning to look at him with those big, pleading eyes. "Its so lonely. Please? Just a quick bite. I promise I'll go straight home after. I won't disturb your work."

Bennett gripped the steering wheel. He sighed, the tension in his shoulders dropping.

He could never say no to her.

"Fine."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Krystals mouth. She knew she had won.

Bennett drove to her favorite Chinese restaurant. But as he killed the engine, he winced, his hand instinctively pressing against his upper abdomen.

Krystal noticed immediately. "What's wrong? Your stomach again?"

He nodded, his face pale. He reached over and popped the glove compartment open, groping for the familiar orange pill bottle.

He pulled it out.

Empty.

Bennett froze, staring at the hollow plastic container.

Years ago, the Pembrooke empire almost collapsed. Bennett worked himself to the bone to save itskipping meals, sleeping in the office, surviving on black coffee and adrenaline. It destroyed his gut.

When we got married, I made it my mission to fix him. I cooked stomach-friendly meals, I timed his eating, I nursed him back to health.

But I knew he was stubborn. So, I always kept a stash of emergency meds in the glove box. I checked it every week. If it was low, I refilled it.

But Ive been dead for six months.

No one is there to remind him to eat. No one is there to refill the prescription.

His pain is his own fault.

"Here, let me help." Krystal leaned across the center console, her hand reaching out to rub his stomach. "Maybe a massage will help."

Bennett flinched.

He pulled back sharply, pressing himself against the door to avoid her touch. "No. Don't. I'm just hungry. Food will fix it."

Krystals hand hovered in the air for a second before she retracted it.

"Okay then! Let's go eat," she chirped, acting as if the rejection didn't sting.

Bennett pressed his lips into a thin line, and together, they stepped out of the car.

Chapter 6

At the table, Krystal chirped at the waiter, ordering enough food for an army while occasionally tossing a question at Bennett.

Bennett sat there, gripping the edge of the table. His knuckles were white.

His face was a sheet of paper. Cold sweat beaded at his hairline. His stomach must have been eating itself alive, but Bennett Pembrooke doesn't show weakness. He especially doesn't show it to his "perfect" childhood sweetheart. He had to maintain the facade. The invincible man.

I floated near the ceiling, watching him suffer.

A dark, twisted satisfaction curled in my chest.

Good. I hope it feels like swallowing glass.

Krystal finished ordering, completely oblivious to the fact that Bennett looked like he was about to pass out. She was beaming.

"Bennett, I ordered the Spicy Sichuan Pork for you! Extra chili oil. I know it's your absolute favorite. You have to eat a ton of it, okay?"

I saw Bennetts jaw tighten.

Spicy pork on an ulcerated stomach? Thats not a meal. Thats a death sentence.

Krystal didn't have a clue. She didn't know his body. She didn't know his pain.

I thought back to when we first got married. I used to carry hot sauce in my purse. I lived for spice. But to help Bennett heal his gut, I quit cold turkey. I ate bland chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables for a year just to keep him company, to make sure he didn't feel deprived alone.

I finally understood.

When you are the "favorite," you can be careless. You can be selfish.

I was just the idiot who tried too hard. I was pathetic.

The food arrived. A bowl of angry red oil and peppers sat in front of him.

Bennett stared at it like it was poison. He pushed it around with his fork but didn't take a bite.

Krystals smile faltered. "Bennett? Why aren't you eating? Do you hate what I ordered?"

"My stomach is acting up," Bennett said, his voice strained. "I can't do spicy right now."

"Oh my god" Krystal gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Her eyes filled with instant tearsher signature weapon. "I didn't know! I'm so stupid. I'm so sorry, Bennett! I'm terrible!"

Usually, this is the part where he folds.

If Krystal so much as sniffled over the phone during a thunderstorm, he would drive through a flood just to hold her hand. By all logic, he should have shoveled that burning pork down his throat just to stop her from crying.

But he didn't.

"It's fine," he said. His tone was flat. Dismissive. "I have no appetite anyway. You take your time. I'm heading back to the office."

Before Krystal could even process the rejection, Bennett signaled the waiter, paid the bill, and walked out.

He left her there.

Back in the car, the silence was heavy.

He started the engine, but before he shifted into drive, his eyes drifted to the passenger seat. To the empty pill bottle I used to fill.

He stared at it for a long heartbeat.

Then, he slammed his foot on the gas. The tires screeched.

He didn't go to the office.

He drove straight home.

Was he actually angry at her for not caring? Maybe.

You only get angry at the people you expect something from. I knew that feeling well. I spent years being angry at him for acting like I didn't exist when I was sick.

Now, he was getting a taste of his own medicine.

Chapter 7

You get used to the neglect. It becomes a dull ache, like a bad knee when it rains.

"Sir? You're back." Gladys hurried to the foyer, wiping her hands on her apron. "Did you eat lunch?"

"No." Bennetts face was a mask of gray exhaustion.

"You have to eat," Gladys scolded gently, her maternal instincts kicking in. "Valerie always said your stomach acts up when its empty. Let me make you some congee. Something warm and easy to digest."

Bennett paused, his hand on the banister. He didn't argue.

He collapsed onto the living room sofa.

Thirty minutes of dead air.

He stared at the TV, but the screen remained black. His thumb mindlessly clicked the remote buttonsclick, click, clicka nervous tic filling the silence. He wasn't watching anything. He was spiraling.

"Sir. Careful, its hot."

Gladys set a steaming bowl on the coffee table.

Bennett grunted. He picked up the spoon, blew on the steam, and took a tentative sip. The thick, savory congee coated his throat.

He froze.

"How is it?" Gladys asked, hovering.

Bennett swallowed slowly. His eyes lost focus for a second.

"It tastes like Valeries."

"She taught me," Gladys confessed, a sad smile touching her lips. "She made me memorize the recipe. She said, 'If I'm ever not here, you have to make this for him.'"

Gladys clasped her hands. "She knew exactly how you liked it. Thick, but not gloopy. And she told me you hate leafy greens but love broccoli, so I used broccoli instead of greens, just the way she did."

"She said, 'Bennett has a sophisticated palate.' Which, between us, just meant youre picky."

"She paid attention to everything, Sir. Every little detail."

I floated there, wanting to cover my ears.

It wasn't that Gladys was lying. It was that she was telling the truth. And hearing it out loud? It was humiliating.

My "love" sounded less like romance and more like servitude. I had turned myself into a doormat, and I had polished his shoes while I was down there.

"Sir," Gladys whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, just call her back. Bring her home. There is no one on this earth who loves you like she does."

Bennetts spoon clinked against the bowl.

I expected him to snap. I expected him to tell her to shut up.

But he didn't.

He sat in silence, finishing the bowl.

The food settled his stomach. The color returned to his cheeks as he walked upstairs and lay down on the bed.

But the peace didn't last.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

His phone vibrated against the nightstand. A barrage of notifications.

Krystal.

I leaned in to read the screen.

[Im so sorry, Bennett. I feel terrible. I didn't notice you were in pain. Are you okay? Do we need to go to the ER? Ill drive you.]

[I had no idea about your stomach issues. I always thought Valerie took such good care of you. I just assumed you were healthy.]

[Bennett? Are you mad at me? Why aren't you answering? I'm scared.]

The manipulation was masterclass level. Gaslighting wrapped in concern.

Bennett read the messages.

The hesitation from downstairs? Gone.

He bolted upright. The pain in his gut was forgotten. He grabbed his keys and sprinted out of the room like the house was on fire.

I watched him panic, and a dry, bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat.

For years, I told myself lies. Oh, hes just being a good friend. Shes lonely. Her parents are cold. Hes just sympathetic.

I was the punchline of the joke.

He wasn't running to comfort a friend. He was running to his obsession.

Chapter 8

He drove like a maniac.

Weaving through traffic, running redshe was a man on a mission. And I knew exactly where that mission led.

Krystal.

When you love someone, you don't let them suffer, right? Even a text message of "distress" is enough to send the white knight charging.

I floated in the passenger seat, resigned. I had the script already written in my head: Hed burst through her door, scoop her up, and whisper apologies into her hair. Maybe this would be the night they finally crossed the line.

For the last six months, they had danced around it. No sex. No physical cheating. Just a massive, emotional affair that suffocated my marriage. Bennett was too obsessed with his reputation to be an adulterer, so he kept it "clean."

The car screeched to a halt.

He didn't park; he abandoned the vehicle. He sprinted into the lobby, mashed the elevator button, and tapped his foot impatiently as the numbers climbed.

He stormed down the hallway and pounded on the door.

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

The lock clicked. The door swung open.

I froze.

The woman standing there wasn't Krystal.

It was my sister, Riley.

I looked around, disoriented. This wasn't Krystals bachelorette pad. This was Rileys apartment.

He wasn't here to comfort his mistress. He was here to hunt down his runaway wife.

Riley saw Bennetts face and her expression went dark. She didn't say a word. She just grabbed the handle and slammed the door shut with everything she had.

Bam.

Bennett moved on instinct. He jammed his hand into the closing gap. The heavy wood slammed onto his fingers.

He grunted, his face contorting in pain, but he didn't pull back. He shoved the door open with his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Riley hissed, blocking the entrance. "Get the hell away from my house."

"I'm here for Valerie." Bennetts voice was low, strained through gritted teeth. He was cradling his throbbing hand.

"Are you deaf?" Riley stepped into his space, her eyes blazing. "I told you on the phone. Valerie is dead. You want to see her? Go jump off a bridge. You can catch up with her in hell!"

"Enough, Riley!" He snapped. "Stop with the theatrics. My marriage is none of your business."

He still didn't believe it. He physically couldn't process the concept of a world without me waiting for him.

"Then why are you here? Get lost!" Riley screamed, her voice cracking. "You have the nerve to talk about marriage? You weren't a husband; you were a curse. Get out before I vomit."

"You"

Bennett choked on his words. He wasn't used to this.

In our fights, he was the king of the silent treatment. He held the power. But Riley? She was a flamethrower. She was stripping him down, and he had no defense.

"Leave, or I'm calling the cops!" Riley pulled out her phone.

"Fine. I was wrong."

The words hung in the air.

I gasped. Riley stopped dead.

My jaw would have hit the floor if I had a body.

Bennett Pembrooke apologized?

In seven years, he had never admitted fault. Even when I was sobbing on the bathroom floor, he would tell me I was overreacting.

"Let me see Valerie," Bennett said, his voice eerily calm now. "I just want to talk to her."

"Talk?" Riley let out a short, broken laugh. Tears welled up in her eyes, hot and angry.

She looked at him with pure pity. "Talk to who? A ghost?"

"Bennett, do you really think you did right by her? Do you think you deserve to talk to her?"

"I have a clear conscience," Bennett replied. He stood tall, adjusting his cuffs, looking her dead in the eye.

"A clear conscience?!" Rileys voice rose to a shriek. "Youve been emotionally cheating with Krystal for years and you have a clear conscience?"

"Krystal and I are strictly platonic. We are innocent"

Chapter 9

"Innocent? Is that the hill you're dying on?"

Riley stepped closer, her voice vibrating with rage. "Does it only count as cheating if you're naked in her sheets?"

She started counting off on her fingers, each one a strike against him.

"When Valerie was burning with a fever, you were spoon-feeding soup to Krystal."

"On Valerie's birthday, you left her blowing out candles alone because Krystal had a 'bad dream.'"

"Valerie was pregnantcarrying your childand you walked out the door to celebrate Krystals birthday!"

Riley was screaming now, tears streaming down her face. "You prioritized her jealousy over your wifes dignity! And you have the audacity to stand there and say you were a good husband? That your conscience is clear?"

Bennett opened his mouth, but Riley bulldozed right over him.

"You conveniently forgot who was there when you had nothing! Who stood by you during the darkest days of your life? It was Valerie! Not Krystal! In the end, what did you give Valerie? And what did you give Krystal? Nothing but humiliation!"

"I gave her a home!" Bennett roared back, his composure finally snapping.

"A home?" Riley let out a jagged, terrifying laugh. "You gave her a cell. You made her a widow while you were still alive. Living with a man whose heart is in another womans pocket is worse than being alone!"

"Enough!"

Bennett slammed his uninjured hand against the wall. His face was flushed with defensive anger.

"I admit it. Valerie stuck by me when things were tough. I never denied that. But Krystal sacrificed for me, too! You act like she's a villain, but when I was bankruptwhen I was drowning in debtKrystal sold her car. She sold her condo. She liquidated everything she owned to fill the hole in my finances. I owe her my life. Is gratitude a crime?"

"What?"

Riley froze. Her mouth fell open.

I froze, too.

Excuse me?

Since when did Krystal sell a damn stick of gum for him, let alone a house?

My ghostly form flickered. Confusion swirled through me.

I tried to dig through my memories. Death was already starting to erode them, turning the edges of my past into fog. But I forced myself to remember. I had to remember the beginning.

I went back to the start.

I was a fresh graduate, landing a job at Pembrooke Corp.

Bennett was there, too. But he wasn't the CEO then. His parentsThe Pembrookeswanted to test his mettle, so they threw him into the trenches. Entry-level. Just like me.

I thought he was a nobody.

But even in a cheap suit, he was different. Calm. Sharp. Dangerously handsome.

We were assigned to the same team. We pulled all-nighters, shared cheap takeout, and solved problems. I felt that first flutter of attraction, that dangerous crush developing.

But the moment I actually fell for him? The moment I handed him my heart?

It was the night he walked me home after overtime.

I stepped out of the car, and a hand shot out from the shadows, grabbing my hair.

It was Buck. My uncle.

He was drunk, smelling like cheap whiskey and rot. He yanked me back, screaming for money, threatening to beat me to death if I didn't pay up.

My parents died early in an industrial accident. Buck was the only "family" I had left, and he was a nightmare.

Chapter 10

He was young, useless, and entitled. My mother had coddled him, and when she was gone, he turned his sights on Riley and me.

We gave him cash at first. Guilt money. But his appetite for booze and gambling only grew. When we finally cut him off, he turned violent. We moved apartments just to escape him, but he sniffed us out like a bloodhound.

That night, Bennett didn't just intervene. He went to war for me.

Buck had me cornered, screaming for cash, his hand raised to strike. Bennett stepped out of the shadows and grabbed his wrist.

"Touch her, and I will kill you."

"Stay out of family business!" Buck spat, shoving Bennett.

Bennett didn't flinch. He shoved back, hard. Buck hit the pavement with a thud.

"Valerie's business is my business," Bennett snarled, standing over him like a titan. "And I'm making it my problem."

He meant it.

For weeks, he walked me to my door every single night until Buck got the message and vanished back into the gutter.

In that moment, standing under the flickering streetlights, Bennett wasn't just a coworker. He was my hero.

Ouch.

My chest gave a sharp, phantom throb.

It turns out, even dead hearts can feel pain. But its a dull, distant thing now. It doesn't matter anymore.

I fell in love with him then. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to scream it. But then the truth came out: Bennett wasn't just a hardworking employee. He was the heir to the Pembrooke empire.

He was a prince. I was a pauper living off an insurance settlement. The gap was too wide. So, I buried my feelings.

Then came the crash.

A bad investment strategy nearly wiped out the Pembrooke fortune. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Rats fled the sinking ship. Executives resigned. Staff walked out.

I stayed.

I stood by him when everyone else turned their backs. I thought, This is it. This is how I can be close to him.

I became his armor. I went to every dinner, every negotiation. In the US business world, deals are closed over drinks, and Bennett couldn't handle the liquor. So I took the hits. I matched the investors scotch for scotch, smiling while my stomach burned, drinking until I was vomiting blood in the ER.

I worked until my body started to eat itself.

For two years, I ran on caffeine and devotion. Im 5'4", and at my lowest, I weighed less than ninety-five pounds. I was a ghost long before I actually died.

And then came the final blow. The company needed a cash injection to survive the week.

I didn't hesitate.

I took the insurance settlement from my parents' deathevery cent of it. Five hundred thousand dollars. It was blood money. It was Rileys future and mine.

Riley fought me on it. She screamed, she cried. But she saw the desperation in my eyes. She saw how much I loved him. Eventually, she gave me her share, too.

I paid her back double years later, but at that moment, it was a blind gamble. I transferred the money to his account anonymously to fill the gap.

It worked. The company stabilized. Bennett pulled it back from the edge.

I remember the night we celebrated. He picked me up and spun me around, shouting in victory. The adrenaline, the alcohol, the reliefit all collided. We fell into bed together.

We became a couple. Then, we got married.

I always assumed he knew.

I thought he saw the transfer. I thought he loved me because he saw my sacrifice, because he knew I had given him everything I had.

I never brought up the money. I didn't want it to be a transaction.

But now

I stared at Bennett, horror washing over me.

He thinks Krystal gave him the money?

He thinks she sold her assets to save him?

Chapter 11

"Let me get this straight," Riley said, her tone dripping with disbelief. "You actually believe Krystal sold her car and her apartment to cover your debts?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Bennett shot back, defensive. "She fought her own family to get that money for me! She turned her back on everyone to save my company. Don't I owe her a debt of gratitude for that? Valerie is the one who never understood! She blew everything out of proportion because shes petty!"

"Hah."

Riley laughed.

It wasn't a happy laugh. It was the sound you make when you're staring at a complete idiot.

"So that's the story she fed you? That she sacrificed everything and became a social pariah just for your sake?"

"Stop looking at me like that," Bennett snapped, unnerved by her amusement. "Valerie isn't the only saint in the world, Riley. You don't have to look down on everyone else just to lift her up."

"Oh, I look down on Krystal because she's a manipulative snake," Riley spat. "But right now? I look down on you even more."

She stepped closer, invading his personal space.

"Let's put aside the fact that you're an idiot for a second. Did you ever tell Valerie? Did you ever explain to your wife, 'Hey, I'm taking care of Krystal because she saved my financial life'? Did Valerie know you were just repaying a debt?"

Bennetts mouth snapped shut.

Silence.

He had never told me.

I hovered there, staring at him. I never knew.

If he had just opened his mouthif he had just communicatedI would have realized immediately that he had mistaken my money for hers. I would have cleared it up years ago.

But then again maybe it wouldn't have mattered.

Maybe Bennett just needed a noble excuse to keep Krystal close. Without the "debt," he would have found another reason.

"Is Valerie a psychic?" Riley screamed, her voice echoing in the hallway. "Is she supposed to read your mind? All she saw was her husband running around, playing house with another woman! And when she got jealouswhich any normal wife wouldyou gaslighted her! You called her crazy!"

"I I told her we were just friends," Bennett stammered, his defense crumbling.

"Every cheater in history says 'we're just friends'!" Riley countered. "And you know what the saddest part is? Valerie still trusted you. Despite everything, she stayed."

"If she trusted me, she wouldn't have started all those fights"

"If she didn't trust you, she would have divorced your ass years ago!" Riley cut him off. "Why do you think she put herself through hell to carry your child?"

Bennett froze. He looked at Riley, stunned by the raw intensity of her grief.

"Do you have any idea how destroyed her body was from those years of overworking with you?" Rileys voice dropped, trembling with suppressed tears. "The doctors told her her body was too weak to conceive. They told her she had to gain weight."

"People think losing weight is hard? Try force-feeding yourself when your stomach is shut down from stress. Try gaining twenty-five pounds when you can barely keep food down. She did that for you. She suffered in silence for you."

Bennetts lips pressed into a thin, white line. He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

He remembered the weight gain. He just never asked why.

He just assumed I let myself go.

He didn't know I was fighting a war with my own body just to give him a family.

Chapter 12

I hated meat. The texture, the greaseit made me gag.

But I choked it down. I ate until my stomach cramped, ran to the bathroom to heave it all up, and then forced the fork back into my mouth. Rinse and repeat.

For the baby. Always for the baby.

"Forget it."

Riley cut herself off. She waved a hand, physically brushing the conversation aside. She looked exhausted, like the fight had drained the marrow from her bones.

"Im wasting my breath on you. It doesn't matter anymore. Valerie is gone. Go play house with your precious 'savior,' Krystal."

"Just give me one chance."

Bennett lunged, gripping Rileys arm. His grip was tight, desperate. His eyes, usually so cold and composed, were wide with panic.

"I need to talk to her. Please. Just let me see her."

Riley hesitated. She looked at his hand on her arm, disgust warring with pity.

She clearly wanted to kick him out. But something shifted in her eyes. A dark resolve.

"Fine," she said, her voice hollow. "Wait here."

"Okay."

Riley disappeared into her bedroom. Moments later, she emerged in a black coat. She didn't look at him. She walked past him, straight into the elevator.

"Is she is she downstairs?" Bennett stammered, following her like a lost dog.

Riley didn't answer.

She drove him to the outskirts of the city. The silence in the car was suffocating.

When she finally parked, the gravel crunched loudly under the tires. Bennett looked out the window, and his confusion snapped into anger.

He slammed the car door. "Why the hell are we here? If this is some kind of sick game"

Riley didn't speak. She just started walking.

She led him down a narrow, paved path.

I knew this place. My parents were buried here. Bennett had been here once, years ago, squeezing a visit into his busy schedule to pay his respects. He knew where we were.

I watched him stomp after her, his fury radiating in waves.

I thought he would turn around and storm off. But he didn't. He followed.

Riley stopped.

She stood in front of a fresh plot.

"What are you doing? Why bring me to your parents'"

Bennetts voice died in his throat.

He saw it.

A grey stone. New. Clean.

Valerie Pembrooke.

And right there, laser-etched into the granite, was her portrait. My face.

Bennett turned to stone