He Slept With Her Beside My Lifeless Body

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At my own wedding, Chloe, the charity student Ethan had been sponsoring, accidentally pushed me.

The fall put me into a vegetative state.

The doctors announced that I might never wake up.

But I was actually conscious.

I could hear everything, and I could see pictures in my mind.

Ethan absolutely hated Chloe.

On my first day in the hospital, Ethan forced her to her knees right in front of my bed to beg for forgiveness.

Forced to kneel, she suddenly pulled out a knife, pressed it against her own neck, and confessed her love to him:

"I'm sorry. I only did it because I love you so much."

"Since you don't love me back, I might as well just die."

Ethan panicked. He knocked the knife out of her hand, and from that moment on, he couldn't bring himself to say another harsh word to her.

On my seventh day in the hospital, she kissed Ethan.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, but he didn't push her away.

...

By the first month of my hospitalization, Ethan moved my limp body to the very edge of our luxurious, oversized hospital bed.

Right in front of me, he pressed Chloe down on the other side of the bed.

The bed shook violently. The wild movements shook me right off the edge, and I crashed onto the cold floor. Yet, the two of them didn't stop.

Nobody noticed me lying motionless on the floor, a single, silent tear slipping from the corner of my eye.

It wasn't until six years later that I finally woke up.

Just the night before I fully regained consciousness.

Ethan and Chloe were still messing around on my hospital bed.

Chloe lay completely naked beneath him.

Ethans shirt was hung wide open, his suit pants low on his hips. With his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his thrusts were deep and relentless.

Her moans were sweet and clingy, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

...

Maybe their heavy panting was just too disgusting, because the next day, I actually woke up.

My hands and feet could move. I could sit up.

My attending physician called my husband, Ethan, five times before he finally showed up.

He kicked the ward door open, but then froze at the entrance, hesitating to take a step forward.

My face was pale as I propped myself up slightly and smiled at him.

"Long time no see, Ethan."

Ethan stumbled back, his eyes instantly turning red. He rushed forward, grabbed my hand, and began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Olivia... the doctor said you were awake, but I couldn't believe it. It's really you... You're really..."

I looked up at his familiar face.

The nurse on duty had just told me that I had been in a coma for six whole years.

Six years hadn't left many marks on Ethan's face.

He had just changed his hairstyle. His once-passionate eyes were now hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, and the casual grey hoodies he used to love had been replaced by a sharp, tailored suit.

He looked as polished as a male lead in a drama.

To me, he just felt a little like a stranger.

Before I could speak, another figure darted into the room, throwing herself to the floor right at my feet, weeping hysterically.

"Olivia, you're really awake! This is amazing! What happened back then... I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

I froze. But Ethan had already frowned, stepped forward, and pulled her up without hesitation.

"The floor is freezing. Why are you kneeling? Stand up and talk."

He glanced at me. "Olivia is kind-hearted; she won't hold it against you. Chloe, don't do stupid things like this ever again."

Chloe looked up at him with tearful eyes, and Ethan awkwardly averted his gaze.

I opened my mouth, but swallowed the words back down.

Ethan seemed to have forgotten to ask me if I actually chose to forgive her.

He poured me a glass of warm water and shot Chloe a look.

"Go handle Olivia's discharge paperwork. Hurry up."

As she turned to leave, he frowned again and called her back. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it over her head.

"Look at the weather today. Why are you wearing such a short skirt? Chloe, do you even have a brain?"

Once the room was quiet again and it was just the two of us, Ethan sat silently beside me.

I looked out the window. The empty lot in my memory was now filled with towering skyscrapers.

Just like Ethan, who used to share everything with me, but had now given all his emotionshis anger, his pity, his resentmentto someone else. Leaving only endless silence between us.

After finishing the discharge process, I followed Ethan quietly. I listened to him complain with a frown about how many mistakes Chloe made at work and how careless she was.

He stopped in front of a completely unfamiliar car and unlocked it.

Chloe naturally opened the passenger door and slid inside. It wasn't until both of them had buckled their seatbelts that Ethan seemed to snap back to reality.

Panic flashed across his face as he opened the back door for me. "Our old car was ready for the scrap yard. I found a good deal, so I replaced it."

A pink dreamcatcher hung from the rearview mirror.

The car air freshener was no longer my favorite freesia. Even though the scent was faint, I recognized it instantly. It was Chloe's perfume.

The car drove quietly through the streets. The cabin was filled with suffocating silence.

I stared at the unfamiliar street views until he pulled up to my apartment building. He turned to me with an apologetic expression.

"Olivia, you just got discharged. Go home and rest first. I have to run and meet a client. This case is extremely important, and I really can't delay it. I'm sorry."

I stood on the pavement, watching him drive off with Chloe. Looking up at the tall building in front of me, my eyes finally burned.

This was the penthouse we had renovated together right before the wedding.

I had fantasized countless times about walking hand-in-hand with him through this neighborhood, carrying groceries back to cook a nice dinner.

If only that accident hadn't happened.

I unlocked the door. Everything inside was arranged exactly as it had been six years ago. Even the calendar on the table was still turned to that exact date six years ago.

It was as if nothing had changed.

Except the fridge was unplugged, and the master closet was completely empty.

At 2 a.m., I woke up from a nightmare. I reached out, but the space beside me was ice-cold. The living room was pitch black.

I pulled out my old phone and dialed the number I knew by heart.

"Ethan, where are you?"

On the other end of the line, his voice was muffled and groggy, as if he had just been woken up.

"What? I'm at home."

My tears finally spilled over.

"Which home?"

Half an hour later, Ethan rushed through the door, panting.

He knelt by my feet, his eyes filled with apology and pain. After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I..."

"After your accident, I was in too much pain. I couldn't live in this apartment. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you standing next to me, talking about the renovation."

He gently took my hand and pulled me into his arms.

It sounded like a promise, but also like he was trying to convince himself.

"Olivia, tomorrow Ill take you to our law firm. Ill stay with you, and together, well get back those six years you lost."

I caught the scent of Chloe's perfume on his collar.

Suddenly, I realized this was the first hug we had shared since I woke up.

The next day, Ethan drove his new car, catching me up on how the firm had grown over the last six years.

His phone kept ringing throughout the drive. He had long lost his youthful innocence and now talked and laughed with clients like a seasoned professional.

Ethan and I used to be the top two students at Columbia Law School.

After graduation, we founded Vanguard Law Firm with a few friends.

Back then, we huddled in a shabby, rented office. The nameplate on the door was handwritten by me.

Ethan's eyes had been so bright back then. He had hung that paper nameplate up with absolute care, holding my hand and whispering,

"Olivia, we are going to make it big."

But now, standing in this luxurious high-rise, looking at the gleaming metal plaque and a sea of completely unfamiliar faces,

I finally realized that everyone had moved on.

Only I was trapped in the past.

Ethan ruffled my hair. "I kept an office reserved just for you when we moved here. I knew destiny wouldn't be so cruel to me. Finally, you're back."

Before he could finish, he noticed the wide-open office door and the people busy moving boxes inside. He frowned.

"What are you guys doing?"

Chloe froze with a stack of case files in her arms. But it was the round-faced girl next to her who spoke up.

"You promised this office to Chloe last week, Ethan. Don't tell me you forgot."

Chloe's face went pale as she looked at him with a miserable expression.

Ethan looked away and said coldly, "Olivia is back. This office belongs to her."

Chloes voice shook, almost crying. "Why? You promised..."

Ethan cut her off coldly.

"No whys, Chloe. You're the one who begged to stay at Vanguard. If you don't like it, you can leave anytime."

Chloe covered her face and ran out crying. The round-faced girl stomped her foot in anger and couldn't help but snap,

"Ethan, everyone saw how much Chloe did for you over these years. You're being way too harsh. You're breaking her heart!"

She glared at me fiercely, then chased after Chloe.

I saw Ethan's feet instinctively twitch as if to follow her, but he forced himself to stop. He stood there, his right hand clenching into a tight fist.

The remaining strangers in the office shot me looks of obvious disapproval.

They didn't say anything, but their eyes said everything.

I could barely hold back the urge to scream.

I'm just taking back what was originally mine. Why does it feel like I'm the villain here?

I looked at Ethans tense face and asked softly,

"Where are Harper and Julian?"

The room went dead silent. Ethan kept a heavy expression for a long time before speaking.

"Harper and Julian left Vanguard a while ago to start their own firm."

"I told them you woke up. We're having dinner together tonight."

He looked down at me. "Olivia, rest here for a bit. I have to take care of something."

With that, he walked out with long strides.

I stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window and let out a bitter laugh.

No wonder Chloe wanted this office so badly. It was spacious, bright, and had an incredible view. It was so clear that, even from up here,

I could see the man and woman embracing in the rain downstairs.

They looked so familiar.

We met up at our old favorite spot. The moment I pushed the door open, my best friend, Harper, threw herself at me,

crying and laughing at the same time.

"Olivia! You're awake! You're really awake! He didn't lie to me!"

She punched my shoulder playfully but hard.

"Olivia Vance, how could you? Six years! How dare you make me wait that long!"

When she saw Ethan walking in behind me, her expression instantly soured. She wiped her tears.

"Julian is in Europe handling a case, but he already knows. Hes wrapping things up and will fly back immediately."

She held my hand tightly, as if I would vanish if she let go.

My eyes welled up. This was what a reunion was supposed to feel like.

The door opened again, and Chloe stood there timidly, holding a gift bag.

Harper's face dropped instantly. "Ethan, what the hell is this? Why did you bring her here? Are you trying to disgust us?"

Ethan frowned. "Chloe wanted to apologize to Olivia face-to-face for what happened. She made a mistake, but shes spent these years trying to make up for it."

Harper let out a cold laugh.

"Make up for it? The person she put in a coma for six years is Olivia! If she wanted to make up for it, she should have been kneeling by Olivia's hospital bed day and night! Instead, she begged to crawl into Vanguard, using 'atonement' as an excuse to hover around you every day, playing your little assistant and taking care of your daily life. Ethan, you keep saying you hate her and want to make her life miserable. Did you say those lies so many times that you actually started believing them?"

The reunion dinner ended in a disaster. I gave Harper an apologetic hug before leaving.

On the way home, Ethan was completely distracted while driving and almost rear-ended the car in front of us.

His phone kept buzzing. He picked it up and put it down several times, and finally, "accidentally" unlocked it. Chloe's sobbing voice filled the car through the speaker.

"I know shes back. I should leave. But I just can't accept it, Ethan. I only did it because I love you. Why does it have to hurt this much?"

"If I was the one who got hurt six years ago, would you have remembered me?"

"Maybe everything was a mistake. I wish I had died in that accident instead."

Ethan slammed on the brakes. The screeching of the tires made my heart skip a beat.

His face was terrifyingly dark. He turned to me, hesitating.

"She was really treated unfairly in the office today. I'm worried she might do something stupid..."

My face was pale, but I forced a smile.

"Go ahead. A life is on the line, after all."

Ethan looked relieved. He pulled over, let me out, and sped off into the night.

I called a cab and went to Green-Wood Cemetery.

My dad's and Ethan's mother's photos smiled back at me from their headstones.

Ethan and I had been neighbors since we were kids, growing up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood.

Ten years ago, a devastating building collapsed in Manhattan.

My dad and Ethan's mother used their last breaths to shield us under the rubble, staying buried forever.

Ethan had refused to cry back then. He held me tightly, repeating over and over: "Olivia, from now on, we are each other's only family. We will never be apart."

I sat quietly in front of the headstone, talking to them in a soft voice.

"It's been a while since I visited. Don't be mad at me. I had a good excuse, so don't be petty."

The night wind blew past, and I felt a sudden chill on my face.

I reached up and realized my face was covered in tears.

The wind carried my quiet whisper.

"What should I do, Dad? I don't think I have a home anymore."

On my first official day back at Vanguard, Ethan handed me the firm's most important case.

But staring at the endless files on the screen, I felt completely lost.

Six years had passed. Laws had changed, new precedents had been set, and even the filing software had been upgraded three times.

I held a red pen, proofreading every single word, terrified of making a mistake.

The round-faced girl walked past my desk carrying some folders. She glanced at my screen and rolled her eyes.

"Olivia, what year are we in? Just upload it to ChatGPT. Why waste your time like this?"

My hand froze. I looked up, confused.

"What is... ChatGPT?"

She gasped, then burst into laughter as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world, walking away with a smirk.

My hand started to tremble as I held my phone. Feeling like an absolute clown, I typed that name into the search bar.

Six years ago, Ethan and I huddled in that drafty office with two secondhand laptops.

When the power went out, we lit candles, using the dim light to find loopholes in contracts line by line.

He would ruffle my hair and say, "Don't worry, Olivia. We have all the time in the world."

But now, time had marched on and left me behind.

I looked up to find Ethan, only to see him standing side-by-side with Chloe.

With just a single glance from him, she knew exactly what to do.

After a phone call, Ethan smiled gently and patted her head encouragingly, just like he used to do to me.

"We won the case for Horizon Tech. Chloe did an amazing job. Sushi is on me tonight!"

The entire office erupted into cheers. Chloe blushed, looking shyly at Ethan.

Everyone gathered around to discuss where to eat.

Only I stared at the blinking cursor on my screen, letting out a bitter laugh.

Chloe broke away from the crowd and walked into my office, holding a cup of coffee with a sweet smile.

"Olivia, have some coffee and take a break."

I reached out to take it, but her hand suddenly slipped. The boiling hot coffee spilled all over the case files I had just proofread.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia! It was an accident..."

Right then, Ethan pushed the door open. His face darkened instantly as he snapped,

"Chloe, I praise you once and you get sloppy. Can you do anything right? Get out."

But when he looked at me, he only gave a brief nod, saying nothing more.

After that, "accidents" like this happened constantly.

My files would mysteriously disappear, evidence would go missing, and clients would complain that I never replied to their emails.

Every single time, Chloe would stand in front of Ethan with red eyes, admitting her mistakes.

And every single time, Ethan would scold her with a cold face, but ultimately let her off easy, leaving me with no ground to stand on.

Until she made another "accident." I couldn't help but look at her coldly.

She suddenly broke down, covering her face and running toward the door.

"I know you all blame me! I'm just a nuisance anyway! I'll leave..."

This time, Ethan didn't even look at me. He ran after her instantly.

I stood by the window and watched them screaming and arguing in the pouring rain.

Then, as if he couldn't hold back anymore, Ethan pulled her into his arms,

bending down to kiss her passionately.

They looked like star-crossed lovers in a drama who had finally overcome everything to be together.

And I, the "ghost from the past" who was supposed to have died six years ago, touched my eyes.

There were no tears left to cry.

I silently packed my few belongings and walked out of this place that was once so familiar, yet now so foreign.

Whether Ethan hated Chloe or loved her, I didn't care anymore.

I would let them have their twisted love story.

It was raining lightly outside. As I hesitated to step into the rain,

an umbrella appeared over my head, and a deep voice sounded from behind.

"I'm sorry I came back so late."