Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Jasmine Clark's client had showed up before us out of the blue, wielding a dagger and demanding his money back. In the scuffle, the intruder accidentally slashed my forearm. The wound was not deep, but the threat shocked me nonetheless. Even the two guards shuddered when they saw what had happened. Life was usually peaceful, and that was their first encounter with such a ruthless assailant! The intruder seized the brief moment of stupor to kick me hard, sending me crumpling to the ground. "Get out of my way!" The searing pain took hold of me as I fell to the ground, my knees having given out beneath me. After he was sure I was out of the way, the intruder turned and aimed his dagger toward Jasmine. Suddenly, a silhouette darted into the room, shoving the intruder aside just in time so that the blade brushed Jasmine's skin. It was my boyfriend, Connor Sanders, having shown up just in time with his guards. There were so many of them that it took only a few seconds to restrain and disarm the intruder. "Connor, help me…" I whimpered, my breath coming in short bursts as I struggled to breathe against the pain. A glimmer of worry flashed through Connor's eyes. He turned toward me, and Jasmine's hand flew to her heart in that split second. She screamed, "Connor, my arm hurts so much! And my heart…my heart!" She even extended her bloodied arm to him, which she had scraped against the ground upon being pushed out of the way. I could feel the blood on my lips. I was getting more and more breathless by the second. In desperation, I reached an arm out to him, hoping against all hope that he would grab it. Connor scowled when he saw me reaching toward him after Jasmine had. With his brows furrowed, he extended an arm toward me, but just as I thought he would take my hand… He swatted my hand sharply, sneering. "Jasmine was right about you. You can't go a day without competing against her for attention. Do you honestly think I'll fall for your tricks again?" I shook my head. The pain bloomed in my heart so excruciatingly that I could not utter even a single word. Connor watched me coldly for a moment. Then, he knelt, gingerly picked up Jasmine in his arms, and turned to me with a look of scorn. "Get up, Rosie! Cut the crap! I know you're just faking, and you better stop, or karma will come back to you! "You've been causing Jasmine misery since day one, and I'm going to make everything up to her! You can stay here and take care of all this. Jasmine has a heart condition. I need to send her to the hospital right away!" My breath caught in my throat. I felt as if my heart was crushed and then torn into shreds. He wanted to make it up to her? I had never done anything to hurt her! Jasmine's biological mother had been a maid in my family. When she got knocked up, she gave birth to the child and disappeared without a trace, leaving her daughter behind. My parents took pity on the baby and raised her as their own. That was how I acquired an adopted sister, whom my parents treated like the apple of their eye. I loved Jasmine like a sister, and I had never bullied her! Unfortunately, I was born with a heart condition, and I had grown up in the center of my parents' affections, primarily out of pity. I felt terrible for Jasmine, so I tried to make it up to her by sharing everything I had with her, and sometimes more. Jasmine had a heart condition? Oh, Connor, if only you knew! I was the one with the heart condition, not her! I would admit I should have been more truthful with you, but I had my reasons for keeping that a secret. I had always felt insecure about my health, and I assumed you would leave me once you found out. Worst of all, I was scared you would look down on me for that. My vision blurred as I watched Connor leave the room, carrying Jasmine in his arms. If only you had chosen me, Connor… If only you would show up and make things right again… If you changed your mind, I would still forgive you… I did not know that would be the last time I would ever see Connor Sanders before my death.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My soul was torn from my body due to immense sorrow. I hovered, invisible, above the heads of the people who had the misfortune to discover my corpse. One of my colleagues and closest friends, Zoe Sullivan, was at that moment bent over my stiff body, weeping like there was no tomorrow. I could not help but sigh. "I'm sorry, Zoe. I'm not worth your tears." I glanced at my body, wincing at my own swollen, bruised face. Goodness, I'm ugly even in death! What would Connor say if he saw that? Would he cry for me? I let my thoughts trail to the possibilities. Or perhaps he would hug Jasmine and say, "See? I knew she'd get payback!" I forced out a bitter smile at that. That possibility weighed on my shoulders like a sack of rocks. Before that day, I had not thought deceased souls could feel sorrow. Suddenly, I felt an immense pull, and when my vision cleared, I found myself sitting in a car, zooming through the traffic. I turned around and saw Connor and Jasmine sitting in the back seat. Connor's arms were around Jasmine. It was one of the rare times I saw him so flustered. He screeched at the driver, "Don't be scared, Mr. Lloyd! Just cut through traffic! We have a convoy, and these cars will surely let you pass! Go faster! Jasmine's in a lot of pain!" With a sigh, Mr. Lloyd reluctantly pressed his foot against the gas. The car picked up speed and weaved through the traffic. I looked out the window. Connor was right; about eight luxury cars surrounded our car in all directions, serving as a convoy to open up a path. Connor had pulled out all the stops. I would be surprised if that did not headline the next day. Suddenly, I felt a pricking sensation in my eyes, but no tears fell. It seemed I had exhausted them. When we arrived at the hospital, Connor sprang out of the car and carried Jasmine into the building. Eventually, we ended up in a VIP ward on the topmost floor. Connor had always been composed, but at that moment, he was so on edge that beads of sweat had collected on his forehead. He turned to the doctor and asked, "Doctor, will she be alright?" The doctor pushed his glasses against his nose and replied, smiling, "Ms. Clark is fine. She needs to get the wound on her arm bandaged, but that's all it takes." Connor visibly relaxed but said, "Is her heart alright?" I rolled my eyes and shouted in his ear, "Her heart is perfectly fine!" Too bad he could not hear me. The doctor froze, seemingly perplexed by that, but replied, "Ms. Clark's heart didn't seem to be affected by the incident." A smile finally broke out over Connor's face. "Thank you, Dr. Wilson." He shook hands with the doctor and bade him goodbye. I followed Connor into the room. That was my first time scrutinizing Connor up close. He was a finance consultant and earned a fierce reputation as Hawk-Eye and a steady fanbase due to his astute predictions. Aside from his talent, he was also incredibly handsome. He always seemed to hold himself with such dignity, and his confidence was such that he could always stand out, no matter where he went. Alright, albeit with shame, I must admit that his handsome looks kept me to him, for the most part. I snapped out of my stupor and glanced at the two people curled up on the bed in an embrace. Jasmine's face was pale, and her eyelashes fluttered as she gazed down, trying her best to look ill. Shadowed in Connor's broad frame, she looked tiny, and that seemed to make him soften even more. All of a sudden, something occurred to me. A memory I had attempted to shove away in a corner of my mind finally blossomed. One night, I ran a high fever and had to visit the hospital, but as luck would have it, the hospital did not have any empty beds for me. I had no choice but to call Connor for help, hoping that he could pull some strings and get me a bed for the night. However, Connor's reply was not what I had hoped for. He snapped at me to stop pretending and that there were plenty of people who needed medical attention more than me. He called me a shame for wishing him to help put in a favor at the hospital for a mere fever. At that time, I had been so naive as to write his indifference up to great integrity, and I applauded him for being so righteous. However, I finally realized that his indifference was just that—indifference. He was cold to me because his affections were reserved for someone else. It felt like my whole world was crashing down around me, and a twinge of pain shot through my heart. Suddenly, Connor's phone blared a familiar ringtone. "Rosie is calling! Rosie is calling!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I watched Connor hesitate before slowly reaching for his phone. Tears slid down Jasmine's pretty face as if on cue, and she whimpered, "Connor, why aren't you picking up Rosie's call?" I snuck a glance at Connor. I was just as intrigued as she was. Connor's reply was cold and indifferent. "Jasmine, this was all Rosie's fault. She was in charge of overseeing you at work, and if she had warned you not to enter the stock market without prior experience, you wouldn't have lost that client's money and ended up in this predicament." Damn it! There was no talking sense into that man! He would always somehow find fault in whatever I did! I was utterly infuriated by that. I had already warned Jasmine a thousand times beforehand that she needed to seek a consultant's opinion before proceeding with any stock trading. Our company had a solid financial team under our belt, and it would be easy to pursue one of their professional opinions. I even made it very clear that she had to sign a contract with every client and notify the company immediately if things were to go south! Alas, she ignored my advice! Not only did she deceive our clients into thinking she was more experienced in stock trading than she was, but she even breached professionalism and engaged in personal relationships with a few of them! Indeed, things had come crashing down all at once. The client ended up losing his hard-earned savings, and his wife found out about the affair and threatened to divorce him! It was then that Jasmine finally told me what she had done, weeping and insisting that it was a naive mistake! I set up a meeting with the client to pitch a solution, but the client was so dead-set on revenge that he would not listen to a single word I said. Things had turned south, and I ended up floating above Connor's and Jasmine's heads as a disembodied ghost. Jasmine seemed delighted to hear that, but she disguised her glee with an innocuous smile, flashing her dimples at Connor. "Connor, please don't blame Rosie for this! It wasn't entirely her fault. She's always been cold to me. So, I didn't have the guts to ask for her advice." Connor scowled at that. Sensing his displeasure, Jasmine said slyly, "That client was in love with Rosie at one point. Perhaps she had done something to annoy him, so he flew into a jealous rage." I was so furious that I swung my fists at Jasmine's pretty face. What did I expect? My hands flew straight through Jasmine like they were made of thin air, in which case, they actually were. I clenched my fists, trying to curb the intense rage and sorrow that was rising within me. That woman was slandering me, and there was nothing I could do about it! Connor's furrowed brows relaxed. He seemed to be stifling his rage as well. It felt like the entire world had come crashing down around me. Something shifted within me, and my love for him suddenly turned to despair. 'I don't understand, Connor! 'You and Jasmine have known each other for less than six months, but we've been together for four years! Is this how you treat the woman you claim to love? 'Connor, they called you Hawk-Eye. Yet, how are you blind to this witch's deceiving tricks? Do you have not a single ounce of trust in me? 'Or perhaps you've ceased to love me a long time ago. Maybe Jasmine's youthful and innocent appearance is like a ray of sunshine in your dull, monotonous life, which is why you've fallen for her. 'Just admit it, Connor. Admit you're a cheating, lying scum!' … Connor's phone rang again, but he finally picked up. Zoe's voice blared through the speaker, sharp with fury, "You bastard! What on earth is wrong with you? Where's your conscience? How can you leave Rosie for dead like that?" Zoe's rage conjured up a comical image in my mind, one of her extending her hands through the phone to throttle Connor, demanding an explanation. My amusement, however, soon turned to a pricking ache. My adopted sister, the girl I grew up with, turned out to be a backstabbing traitor who stole my boyfriend from me. My boyfriend, whom I had dated for three years, was cold and indifferent to me until the very last moment of my life. Zoe was the only person who believed in me and shielded and supported me in everything I did. If it were not for her, I would have fallen into a deep depression long ago. Connor scoffed and replied curtly, "Ms. Sullivan, I assume you're calling to defend Rosie. In that case, what gives you the right to speak to me so uncouthly?"

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Zoe froze, stunned by Connor's audacity to question her. Sensing her moment of weakness, Connor said, "If anything, you should be ashamed of your behavior right now! You and Rosie are in charge of overseeing Jasmine's work, and yet you've allowed such a heinous crime to occur right underneath your noses. This screams a lack of professionalism, and if I were you, I'd resign immediately! "Not only that, but as close as you are with Rosie, I'm still her boyfriend. You should be ashamed of yourself for allowing her to flirt with other men during work. Moreover, her indecency has caused the company great misfortune. Worse, Jasmine got hurt due to your neglect. Shame on you!" I could hear Zoe take a deep breath from the other end of the line as if steadying herself. I cocked my head, trying to listen. 'There's no way you can argue against him, Zoe! He's too far gone! There's no persuading him anymore!' Zoe's tone was icy when her reply came. "Do you know what happened to Rosie?" Connor said, eerily calm, "Now listen here, Zoe. Consider this a last warning to you—and Rosie. Cut all the crap. Rosie has to get her shit together and take care of this mess. "If you've learned from your mistakes, I will gladly help you smooth everything over, and you two will still be able to keep your jobs. If you do not turn over a new leaf, however, and cause even more harm to Jasmine, I will have no choice but to resort to harsher measures!" Zoe let out a derisive snort. "Wow! How courageous of you, Mr. Sanders! You swooped in and rescued the damsel in distress. We must all applaud your generosity! You won't be smiling for long, I can guarantee that!" Then, she hung up so abruptly that Connor and I were left gawking at the phone. A wave of sorrow washed over me once I snapped out of shock. 'Zoe, oh, Zoe! Only you and my parents would weep for me!' Connor furrowed his brow and said, as if trying to convince himself, "Rosie has always been smart and independent, and she's in perfect health, so there's nothing wrong with how I handled this. What did she mean by that?" Jasmine stared at him and said warily, "Rosie has told me before that she wanted to break up with you. Perhaps she's going to use this as leverage over you?" That seemed to set Connor off, and he shouted, "She's an idiot if she thinks I'll be scared of that!" His sudden anger made Jasmine jump. She softly replied as though trying to tame a lion, "Rosie told me you don't contribute much to the relationship. She's young and smart and certain that she will have plenty of suitors at her heels!" A vein throbbed in Connor's forehead, but he said nothing. It looked like he was trying his very best to remain calm. I watched in indifference as he breathed hard to get a grip on himself. If I had seen him in that state while I was alive, I would have panicked and tried to do everything I could to cheer him up again. However, in death, I realized how naive I had been. I had trapped myself in a toxic, suffocating, one-sided relationship. That was not love! The love I thought existed between Connor and me had all been in my head! Suddenly, Connor's phone rang once more. He picked up the phone, barking his greeting impatiently, but his tone perked up when he realized who it was. His tone was steady as he said, "Hello, Mrs. Clark." It was my mother! My mother sounded heartbroken, even over the phone. "Where are you, Connor?" Connor picked up on the pain in her voice and replied warily, "Mrs. Clark, Jasmine isn't feeling too well. I sent her to the hospital and pulled some strings to get her admitted into a VIP suite. She's doing fine now." My mother wailed, "Why…why weren't you with Rosie?" I fell to my knees, clutching my head as my body racked with noiseless sobs. My mother's pain was so contagious that I felt her sorrow blossom through my body as though she was right next to me. Connor glanced at Jasmine, who blinked at him innocently, and said to my mother, sounding annoyed, "Mrs. Clark, although Rosie is my girlfriend, and I respect you very much, I still feel obliged to speak up about this. "Your treatment of Jasmine is very unfair! I know she's adopted, but even then, you should've paid more attention to her, especially since she's in poor health!" My mother froze, momentarily stunned, then continued sobbing. "This is all my fault! Rosie, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have allowed her to step foot into our house! I should've just left her for dead! I wish I could change everything… Rosie, oh, my darling Rosie!" My eyes pricked with tears again, but none fell. I was dead. My parents cherished me like the apple of their eye, giving me the absolute best of everything, and tried their best to protect me from harm. What did I repay them with? I neglected myself. I gave myself away to win a scrap of other people's affection, but at what cost? Connor pursed his lips and said calmly, "Please calm down, Mrs. Clark. Rosie and Jasmine aren't the same. Jasmine is young, naive, and fragile because she has a heart condition. Rosie, on the other hand, is strong, healthy, and independent. In all the years I've known her, she hasn't so much as caught a cold. She can fend for herself." That seemed to snap some sense into my mother, whose tone sharpened as she replied, "You'll regret this!" "Mom! I'm sorry! I made a terrible mistake!" I tried to scream, but it was too late. She had already hung up. I shot Connor a vengeful glare. He was still clutching his phone, looking puzzled and a little amused. "What did Rosie tell them? Why did they sound like something terrible had happened to Rosie?" Jasmine whimpered, "She must've told my mother about this! Rosie always spreads lies about me to everyone, including Zoe and my family. She's been trying to get me expelled from the family and the company for years. She's jealous of me and can't stand having me steal her spotlight. She's shameless—" Connor turned and shot her a look so sharp that Jasmine clamped her mouth shut. She let out an innocent giggle as though the words that hung in the air were from the mouth of another. Connor stood there, looking a little perturbed. After a moment, he strode toward the door, his footsteps bearing a hint of fear. I could hear him mutter, "Rosie, you'll be fine! You're the strongest woman I know!"