Chapter 2

When Gaylen first mentioned the prison, a flicker of unease, a hint of guilt, danced in Serena's eyes.

Gaylen didn't notice. That very night, he brought Serena back to the home *we* once shared.

As they entered, Gaylen opened the shoe cabinet and glanced at my pink slippers.

Those were the matching slippers Gaylen and I bought together at the supermarket years ago.

Mine were pink, his gray. The designs, when put together, formed a heart.

Gaylen pulled out my slippers, and I expected him to offer them to Serena.

But to my shock, he tossed them outside, an unconcealed look of disgust on his face.

"Belongings of a criminal. They're tainted."

I had thought that after death, I wouldn't feel pain anymore.

Yet, in that moment, a thousand tiny needles pricked my chest.

He took his own gray slippers and handed them to Serena.

"Let's go to the supermarket tomorrow. We can buy two new pairs of slippers, and some other essentials. Everything in this house needs replacing."

I understood Gaylen's implication.

It wasn't just the things in the house that needed replacing; the mistress of the house had already been replaced.

Gaylen went to shower first, while Serena wandered through the house.

Her warm smile had vanished, replaced by a cold, sneering expression.

A contemptuous smirk played on her lips as she looked at the row of gold trophies displayed in the glass cabinet.

I was a professional race car driver, a global champion.

Each of those trophies was earned by risking my life, trading heartbeat for victory, racing on the edge of death.

But Serena, without a blink, smiled and pushed the cabinet.

With a sickening crash!

The cabinet toppled, glass shattered everywhere, and the trophies broke in half.

No—!!

My phantom self screamed and lunged, wanting to stop her, but it was utterly futile.

Hearing the commotion, Gaylen, wrapped in a towel after his shower, rushed out.

He stared at the wreckage, momentarily stunned, then quickly walked over, his expression tense.

A sliver of hope flickered within me. Gaylen knew how much those trophies meant to me.

He had even been present at a few of my races, witnessing firsthand the danger and thrill of the sport, knowing how incredibly hard I fought to win those awards.

More importantly, the first thing I did after winning a championship was to hold the trophy and propose to him!

He had laughed so happily back then.

Those were *our* most precious, shared memories.

Would Gaylen show any displeasure?

Even a simple word?

Gaylen walked past me, his eyes seemingly only seeing Serena.

"Oh my god, are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?"

He took Serena's hand, examining her carefully, and still not satisfied, asked, "Should I take you to the hospital right now for a check-up?"

My spirit sank, heavy with sorrow.

Right. Gaylen had forgotten everything about me.

He only remembered Serena.

He would never remember me again.

"I'm fine," Serena said, feigning guilt. "I was just curious about these trophies and wanted to pick one up, but I accidentally knocked the cabinet over. I'm so sorry, Gaylen."

Gaylen shook his head.

"You don't need to apologize to me. They're not my things anyway, they're unimportant."

"Oh, I see."

How could Serena not know they were mine? My name was still engraved on the base of each trophy!

But she acted innocent, and Gaylen didn't suspect a thing.

Serena continued to pretend remorse.

"So they were hers. It's all my fault for breaking her things."

"What if she's unhappy when she gets out of prison?"

Gaylen wouldn't dream of blaming her.

"Don't worry about that scumbag, Avery Shaw."

"She was so jealous of our relationship, she drove and killed your patient and even tried to frame you. I must have been blind to ever be with her."

Serena was a therapist.

Her patient, the so-called victim, had severe mental health issues and depressive tendencies. He was a vulnerable young patient abandoned by his parents, which was why Serena represented him in court.