Chapter 1

Tags: Identity Theft, Cheating Wife, Ghost POV, Karma

My new novel won the top literary award and took the entire publishing industry by storm.

To make sure Julian—the man she had always pined for, whose writing career had been dead in the water for five years—could become an overnight sensation,

my wife tied me up in our study on the eve of the gala to stop me from accepting the award.

I never expected a burglar to break in. With my life hanging by a thread, I dialed her number.

When she picked up, she just screamed at me:

"Logan, you're talented! You'll have plenty of chances in the future. Winning an award is just a matter of time for you."

"Julian is different. He's worked his ass off for five years without making a name for himself. Standing on that stage tonight will completely change his life!"

"You're a grown man. Can you stop being so damn petty?"

Her words chilled me to the bone.

What my wife didn't know was that a split second before she hung up, the intruder's blade slashed clean through my carotid artery.

Blood sprayed across the room.

After my death, the truth about Julian stealing my identity was blasted to the world.

Both he and my wife were dragged down into utter ruin.

"Logan, it's just a trophy! Why do you have to be so dramatic?"

"On our wedding day, you swore that what was yours was mine, that you'd give me anything I asked for."

"We've only been married for two years, and you're already going back on your vows?"

I never imagined that right before I died, my wife would twist the sacred vows I once made to push me into my grave.

Almost the exact second she hung up, hot blood erupted from my throat.

My hands were bound tight, leaving me to watch helplessly as my life poured out like water.

I watched my own death with wide-open eyes.

When I opened them again, I couldn't believe what was happening.

I was floating in midair!

Thunderous applause echoed below me. I followed the noise, only to find Julian standing behind the podium, delivering an acceptance speech.

And my wife was sitting in the front row, tears welling in her eyes.

"Honestly, standing here today, the person I want to thank most is my dearest friend, Lily. Without her, this book wouldn't exist."

"She gave me inspiration and confidence. She stayed by my side for five years, keeping my dream alive."

The camera instantly cut to Lily. A blush crept across her cheeks. The host walked over and handed her a microphone.

Lily froze in surprise for a few seconds.

"Miss Lily, would you like to say a few words?"

She acted shy, but she took the mic anyway. "Julian's success comes down to his relentless hard work every single day. Literature takes years of dedication. He has that grit. That's why I kept telling him never to give up—and I've stood by him through all five years."

The moment she finished, the room burst into applause. Someone in the crowd even murmured, "Sticking with him through rock bottom all the way to the top... they're truly made for each other."

Listening to the whispers, I balled my spectral hands into fists.

She was a married woman, yet she let the rumors spread without correcting anyone. She bathed in them.

I was the one who was supposed to be standing on that stage!

Now, all I could do was float like a ghost, completely powerless. And the person who did this to me was the woman I loved most.

Looking back, the signs had been there all along.

Ever since my book became a bestseller, reporters had been begging for interviews, but Lily turned every single one down.

She even canceled the book signings my editor set up.

Her excuse? I was a newcomer, so I needed to keep a low profile.

When the committee of the National Book Award reached out to me, her first reaction wasn't joy. It was asking me to step down.

I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Why would she want me to throw away such an incredible opportunity?

I poured two whole years of blood, sweat, and tears into polishing that manuscript to earn this honor.

"Lily, don't joke like that. Aren't you happy for me?"

She gave a hollow laugh, her eyes full of hidden motives. "Logan, if I asked you to give up the award, would you listen to me?"

I went silent.

I couldn't understand why she was so obsessed with making me give it up.

Now, the brutal truth hit me square in the chest. Lily wanted me out of the way just so Julian could have my moment.

Julian was her first love, the golden boy she never got over. He had zero achievements after years of writing. Seeing a rookie like me surpass him had bruised his fragile ego.

Lily wanted to use this award to rebuild his shattered confidence.

So, the night before the ceremony, she tied me up in our study to pull off this sick switch.

Yet, as a literary editor, Lily supposedly despised nothing more than plagiarism and ghostwriting!

Years ago, an author under her plagiarized someone else's work and framed her, claiming she told him to do it. It almost wrecked her career.

From that day on, she claimed she despised literary thieves.

She swore to keep the publishing world pure.

Until Julian came along. Every single principle she claimed to have evaporated into thin air.

She would stay up late into the night discussing drafts with him. Whenever I questioned her, she brushed me off. "Am I not even allowed to have friends? Logan, we're married, but we still need our own space."

"As an editor, inspiring my writers is literally my job!"

I tried to be understanding. But when someone works round the clock with another man 365 days a year, anyone with eyes would get suspicious.

Her heart had stopped belonging to me long ago.

Lily returned to her seat after her speech, and all eyes shifted back to Julian.

After the gala wrapped up, Lily unlocked her phone. The apartment complex group chat on SnapChat suddenly blew up with over ninety-nine unread messages.

She opened it, and the color instantly drained from her face.