Chapter 1

On April Fools' Day, my boyfriend said he wanted to propose to me in a haunted house.

But the moment I stepped inside, he yanked out all the electrical switches and locked the door from the outside.

The claustrophobia from my childhood kidnapping erupted. A suffocating sensation gripped my throat.

I collapsed on the floor, pounding desperately on the door.

"Oliver, open the door! I'm scared..."

Then I heard a woman's voice from outside, playful and sweet.

"I can't believe she actually fell for your nonsense about proposing in a haunted house on April Fools' Day."

"You won this bet. I'm all yours tonight."

My blood ran cold. That voice belonged to Lily Carter, the streamer Oliver had been obsessively watching lately.

So this was what ten years of friendship meant to him—a tool to win over another woman.

But if I really died in that pitch-black haunted house, what was he crying about?

My heart stopped beating. I lay on the cold floor, watching my soul leave my body.

Outside the door, Oliver was still laughing carelessly.

"Eve, you're just too timid. Stay in there and toughen up a bit."

"Once you get over your fear, you can join Lily and me for all kinds of extreme sports."

I floated beside Oliver, tears streaming down my face.

He had forgotten I had a heart condition. I could actually die.

Lily turned on her livestream, pointing the camera at herself and Oliver, smiling as she greeted her fans.

"This is today's male guest."

"Lily bet him that if he could trick his girlfriend with a heart condition into a haunted house on April Fools' Day..."

"I'd be his for the day."

The comments flooded in with praise:

"This guy's got creativity!"

"Are you two gonna put on an adult show tonight?"

...

Lily glanced shyly at Oliver and said coyly, "What are you all saying? This is just an April Fools' challenge. If Lily loses, can she back out?"

Oliver kissed her full on the lips.

"No backing out."

I watched them kiss passionately. My heart had already stopped beating, yet it still ached uncontrollably.

Half a month ago, both sets of parents urged us to get engaged.

Oliver knelt at my feet, promising he'd give me a home soon.

I had thought today would be the happiest day of my life.

The boy next door I'd loved since childhood was proposing to me, with flowers, applause, and blessings...

But what greeted me was his April Fools' joke.

Oliver glanced at the haunted house. He could no longer hear my bloodcurdling screams.

He raised his eyebrows at Lily and gave her a thumbs up.

"Your desensitization method really works. Eve isn't scared anymore."

Lily lifted her chin proudly.

"Of course. She's probably already enjoying it, falling in love with the thrill of the haunted house."

The livestream chat started urging Lily to take them on a haunted house adventure.

Oliver proactively took the phone and carefully adjusted the angle.

As they moved forward, I was pulled along by an invisible force.

I tried to go elsewhere, but the moment I drifted away, I was immediately pulled back to Oliver's side.

Oliver and Lily, fingers intertwined, pushed open another haunted house room.

A bone-chilling scream suddenly rang out. I instinctively threw myself into Oliver's arms, but passed through his body without resistance.

I smiled bitterly.

Right. I was already dead. What was there to be afraid of?

I looked up and saw Oliver gently covering Lily's eyes.

"You don't have to act tough today. I'll protect you."

And I stood behind Oliver, watching him hold Lily's hand tightly, carefully shielding her with his body.

Once upon a time, he had protected me the same way.