On a luxury cruise in the Maldives, while everyone was celebrating, I refused to give up my spot next to my husband for his secretary in the group photo. He didn't say a word—just let her kick me straight into the ocean.

"Look at you, reeking of poverty. If you've got what it takes, swim back on your own. If you can't, then just die out there and feed the sharks!"

Half a month later, when news broke about hostages taken by pirates, he finally remembered the wife he'd left behind. "It's been two weeks—she still isn't done making a scene? Does she really plan to spend the rest of her life floating in the ocean?"

"Mr. Dolan, about Mrs. Dolan... They found her body."

"That's impossible! I was just angry—I didn't mean it! I had the rescue team on standby, 24/7! There's no way she could be dead!"

His staff looked uneasy. "Mr. Dolan, it was Ms. Mortimer who called off all the rescue teams. She said it was your decision.

"And, Mr. Dolan, among Mrs. Dolan's belongings, we found a manuscript. The core code for the billion-dollar project—it was written by her, not Ms. Mortimer."

The project manuscript was thrown to the floor, pages scattering everywhere.

"So you've grown bold lately, huh? You dare try to fool me with a forged manuscript?"

The staff's face went ghostly pale. "Mr. Dolan! This really was found with Mrs. Dolan's things, I swear it's true!"

Edgar Dolan ground a page of the manuscript beneath his heel, jabbing a finger at his trembling staff. "Let me tell you something—she could claim she wrote the code just to win some sympathy, but the one thing she can't do is steal Gina's work and take the credit.

"Do you have any idea how many nights Gina pulled all-nighters for this project? She worked herself into a bleeding ulcer. Did you not see that?

"What does Maisie know about code, anyway? She's just a clueless gamer. And now she wants to claim someone else's blood, sweat, and tears as her own? She doesn't deserve it!"

The staff's shoulders shook ever so slightly.

My soul, now halfway across the world, couldn't help but laugh.

Even now, he still believed that Georgina Mortimer—the woman who couldn't even write a single line of code—was the genius who'd saved the day.

His staff knew there was no point arguing further.

But he couldn't bear to see his boss deceived.

Hesitating, he lifted another document with trembling hands.

"Mr. Dolan, this is an email from the International Patent Office... The core patent for the 'Skydome' project was registered three years ago by someone with the codename 'J'—and Mrs. Dolan's maiden name is Joyner."

"Oh?"

Edgar let out a weary laugh. "Seems she really went all out to keep up this lie.

"Well, she'd better keep the lie going and never come back."

With that, he strode away without a backward glance, crushing the scattered manuscript pages beneath his feet.

Edgar stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his top-floor office.

The last rays of sunset stabbed at his eyes, and though he was usually composed, tonight he was so irritable he yanked the blinds shut.

He kept replaying that patent email in his mind.

"'J'..."

He couldn't help but sneer, lifting a glass of red wine to his lips, the crimson staining them.

His gaze was full of contempt. "Maisie, oh Maisie, you really have no shame when it comes to taking credit, do you?"

Suddenly, the office's projection wall flickered on by itself, broadcasting breaking international news. "A pirate gang in the Gulf of Aden has been completely wiped out. Reports say the key breakthrough in this operation came from an American engineer who'd been taken hostage.

"While being held captive, the engineer hacked into the pirates' communications system and sent precise coordinates to the international fleet.

"To cover the escape of the other hostages, she deliberately detonated the ship's reserve fuel, taking the ringleader down with her.

"Let us pay our highest respects to this hero."

Edgar was stunned for a moment.

He reached out and pressed the remote, shutting off the news.

Swirling the wine in his glass, he let out a quiet sigh. "She must have done it to protect her family on board, or maybe her friends..."

My shattered soul hovered above the Indian Ocean, smiling bitterly.

No, Edgar.

I just couldn't bear to watch that honeymoon couple get executed right in front of me.

I just thought, if someone had to die, better it be me alone than innocent people with me.

So I hacked their system, sent out the coordinates, and blew up the fuel tank.

I thought maybe I could jump into the sea and escape too.

But...

The blast was too powerful.

My body couldn't take it...

Edgar's hand paused, still holding his wine glass.

"The Gulf of Aden..."

He frowned.

That was right along the route where he'd left me behind.

He drained the rest of his wine in one gulp, then yanked the blinds open again with a cold laugh. "No way. Someone like her—if she didn't team up with the pirates to save her own skin, that alone would be a miracle."

I'd been missing for half a month.

Edgar had been busy, celebrating with Georgina after landing a new project. It was only during the victory party that he suddenly remembered me.

I hadn't bothered him in ages.

"What, is she really planning to spend the rest of her life fishing out there in the ocean?

"Tell her to drop the act. I've had the rescue team following her—she's not going to die. If she's trying to win sympathy, childish tricks like this won't fool me."

His staff hesitated for a moment.

But in the end, he decided to risk speaking up. "Mr. Dolan, that day, Ms. Mortimer dismissed all the rescue teams. She said... it was your instruction."

"Oh?"

Edgar's smile turned icy. "Are you saying Gina would joke around with my orders?"

The staff couldn't help but swallow hard.

It seemed Edgar had forgotten that his private rescue network had emergency access granted to one other person besides himself.

And it wasn't his wife, me.

It was Georgina.

"Impossible."

Edgar's tone was calm but unwavering. "Only Maisie would come up with such a low move to smear Gina's name.

"I specifically gave Gina control over the rescue team because I was worried Maisie would use her position to bully Gina, since Gina doesn't have much experience at sea."

"But..."

His gaze darkened. "Gina would never be the type to abandon someone in need.

"Tell Gina to stop wasting her energy worrying about you all. She should focus on writing better code!"

"Mr. Dolan!"

The staff was getting desperate. "Mrs. Dolan really hasn't contacted us at all!"

Edgar raised his hand, cutting him off. "You've worked with me long enough. You should know what can be said and what shouldn't. Think carefully."

A bead of cold sweat trickled down the staff's temple.

Edgar called me as soon as he got back to the hotel.

But how could I possibly answer?

After a dozen satellite calls vanished into silence, he switched to leaving messages on my voicemail. "Enough with this sympathy-seeking stunt.

"The billion-dollar project is Gina's achievement. She deserves to be the star of the celebration—that's only right.

"This is business, not some petty rivalry. Don't make a scene.

"As a longtime employee, you should think about what's best for the company's key contributors."

Before hanging up, he hesitated, then added, "Maisie, this time you've gone too far."

He set his phone down and stepped out onto the suite's balcony, gazing up at the sea of stars scattered above the equator.

His hand rested on the cold metal railing.

It almost felt like he'd been transported back to the college rooftop seven years ago.

He was dressed in sharp business attire, fresh from a grueling round of negotiations with investors.

And I was dreaming out loud—saying that if I ever had money, I'd rent out an entire planetarium just to watch the stars.

Back then, we sat side by side, in love with each other.

But later, Georgina appeared in his life.

And we drifted further and further apart.

He probably remembered that I loved the night sky.

And my birthday is coming up next week.

He called for the manager, ready to reserve the telescope.

He was planning to spend the evening stargazing with me.

But then his phone rang. It was Georgina. "Mr. Dolan, my head hurts so much. I don't feel well."

Edgar's expression tightened instantly. "Don't move. I'm on my way!"

In the hotel suite, Georgina lay weakly against the couch.

Edgar was gently massaging her temples, trying to ease the tension headache she'd developed from "working too hard" on the project.

"Thank you, Mr. Dolan. I never imagined the legendary titan of business could be so gentle."

Edgar didn't stop his careful movements, though his voice was tinged with concern. "That depends on who's willing to give everything for the company—even their health."

Even though I was already dead, just a wandering soul now, a strange ache still gripped my heart.

After all, that woman wasn't me.

Georgina's gaze drifted toward a beautifully wrapped handheld game console sitting nearby, and she smiled. "I heard this retro console was meant to be Maisie's birthday gift. Are you sure you want to give it to me?"

Edgar's hands paused for just an instant, then he chuckled. "She's not here, is she? Besides, you like it too."

I laughed to myself.

Georgina actually hated those pixelated games, always said they were a waste of time.

She only claimed to like it after hearing Edgar bought it for me.

Didn't you notice, Edgar?

I closed my eyes.

I was nothing more than a restless ghost, with no place to call home.

There was nothing I could do.

All I wanted was to move on to heaven as soon as possible.

That way, I wouldn't have to watch my husband being so tender with another woman.

The story of the heroic engineer's rescue spread across the globe.

The International Maritime Organization held a memorial service of the highest honor and invited Edgar, a leading figure in the tech world.

Edgar agreed without hesitation.

As an industry representative, he even announced the launch of a Hero Fund, personally financed, to support the families of all victims from the incident.

No cap on the amount.

All to pay tribute to the greatness of a fellow professional.

On the day of the memorial, he stood before the Wall of Remembrance.

He stared at the words on the screen "In memory of the brave American engineer," his expression distant.

"An American, too..."

He murmured to himself.

Then he gave a bitter smile. "If Maisie had even half the guts of this hero, things between us wouldn't have gotten so ugly." It was supposed to be a celebration—why did it have to turn into a fight over a spot in a photo?

He just couldn't understand.

After bowing in respect before the flowers, an organizer approached their largest donor. "Regarding the hero's remains, someone has requested further identity verification—a DNA comparison. Mr. Dolan, what do you think?"

"Who made the request?"

Edgar frowned.

The organizer looked uncomfortable. "Well..."

Edgar snapped, "That body's been through an explosion and soaked in seawater for ages. She's already swollen and unrecognizable. Who would insist on putting her through more indignity? How could anyone disrespect a hero like that?"

The organizer wiped a sheen of cold sweat from his brow.

I smiled bitterly.

Edgar still didn't know.

It was because he refused to believe the autopsy report that his staff risked everything to suggest this final test.

In the morgue, Edgar gave the order. "Cremate her. Let the hero rest in peace."

"Mr. Dolan, are you sure you don't want to confirm one last time?"

"No."

Edgar's voice softened. "No hero would want their broken body to be scrutinized again and again. Give her some final dignity."

My body was pushed into the crematorium.

After Edgar paid his last respects, he left the venue. "What's the latest on retro game consoles?"

His staff was caught off guard, then quickly replied, "Ms. Mortimer's been into the newest VR gear lately, the immersion is—"

"I meant Maisie."

The staff froze again. "Mr. Dolan, you want to buy a gift for Mrs. Dolan?"

"Yeah."

Edgar sighed. "We've been at odds lately—just a misunderstanding.

"It's not just for her birthday. I want to apologize."

He patted his staff's shoulder. "Handle it for me. No budget limit. Make it perfect."

"Yes, Mr. Dolan!"

Behind him, my ashes were gently sealed into a box.

Edgar's staff managed to track down a rare, limited-edition handheld game console from a hardcore collector.

But the device wouldn't even power on, and a crack ran right across the screen.

"Mr. Dolan, Mrs. Dolan loves retro games, but this one... It's way too damaged. Maybe I should just custom-build her a top-of-the-line gaming PC instead?"

"No."

Edgar stared at the scratched-up console. "Anything you can buy with money isn't really precious. This—the world's very first handheld game console—is priceless. Maisie would absolutely love it.

"Don't worry about it. I'll fix it myself."

"Mr. Dolan?!"

The staff's eyes widened.

Edgar actually had the skills for this.

Because Maisie loved tinkering with gadgets.

Back when he loved her most, he'd learned a good bit of electrical engineering just to share her hobby.

Edgar didn't leave his workshop for five straight days.

When he finally emerged, the console's screen glowed, and the familiar start-up music played.

It looked brand new, as if it had just rolled off the assembly line.

"Hearing that sound... she'll probably come home."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than his phone rang.

Georgina's voice was frail. "Mr. Dolan... my head... it feels like it's splitting..."

When Edgar found Georgina, she was curled up in a cold, shadowy corner of the underground parking garage.

Blood streamed down her forehead.

Shaking all over, she clung desperately to Edgar's jacket. "Ma...Maisie... she's trying to kill me..."

My soul jolted—she really knew how to put on a show!

Georgina's eyes were red as she pointed to the bruises around her eye. "I know it's because of me that you and Maisie have been fighting.

"These days, you've been so distracted over her birthday, barely eating or sleeping—I've seen it all... I couldn't stand watching you so upset, so I thought, no matter what, I'd convince her to come back so you two could be happy together.

"It took a lot of effort, but I finally tracked her down to a private club's presidential suite.

"But when I got there and opened the door... she was in bed with some strange billionaire, both of them naked..."

Her voice broke.

Edgar gripped her hospital gown tightly. "And then?"

Georgina shook her head, trembling. "I begged her to come home, told her you were waiting... but she just saw me as a nuisance. She had her bodyguards beat me up, said I was getting in the way of her climbing the social ladder..."

Edgar's eyes narrowed sharply.

"She said... If I dared breathe a word to you, she'd make me disappear from this world."

"Mr. Dolan, look at my eye... I'm really scared... If I hadn't run fast enough, I'd never have seen you again..."

Georgina clung to him, sobbing.

I watched her anxiously. "Edgar..."

Edgar, you know me, don't you?

Edgar, you know I'm not that kind of person, right?

She was caught embezzling company funds and panicked!

She's terrified you'll learn the truth!

Edgar gently pried Georgina off, brushing his fingertips over her bruised eye. "Just focus on getting better."

Then he turned and left, heading home.

In his workshop, he stood before the restored game console.

He dialed my satellite number.

Ten times.

Twenty.

Thirty.

A hundred.

No answer.

His eyes grew red at the corners.

The blisters from days of soldering circuits still throbbed on his hands.

Bang!

He hurled the game console against the wall.

"Maisie, you bitch!"

The console shattered, and the wounds from repairing it split open again, blood seeping out.

Droplets splattered on the broken screen.

He gasped for breath and flung open the door.

Outside, his staff watched nervously.

Tears streaked down his face. "Get the word out—I'm marrying Georgina.

"Make it big. Broadcast it citywide."

He nearly crushed the doorknob in his grip.

The wedding of the century rocked the entire tech world.

Even overseas forums streamed it live.

People online said the last time a ceremony caused this much buzz was when Edgar married the genius programmer, Maisie Joyner.

What a shame about Maisie—such a brilliant mind, and yet she somehow managed to drive Edgar away.

Edgar read those comments, listened to all the chatter.

Dressed in a bespoke suit, just before the wedding began, he dialed that familiar satellite number one more time.

As always, there was no answer.

"Smack!"

He slammed his phone down on the vanity.

His chest rose and fell with restrained emotion. "Maisie, if you can be so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too!"

With that, he headed for the door, ready to join the bridal procession.

The lead car, draped in ribbons, hadn't even started when a somber motorcade, each vehicle tied with black silk, slowly approached.

Edgar frowned. "Who's trying to kill the mood on a day like this?"

"Mr. Dolan, today is the memorial for that American hero engineer—the one who saved the ship. The chairman of Global Shipping's older brother was among those rescued, so the chairman arranged the service personally. Said today was the best date."

Edgar paused, his grim expression softening a little.

"Fine, let the hero go first."

The wedding convoy pulled aside to clear the way.

The funeral procession passed by.

Edgar glanced up, almost by accident.

"Wait!"

He stopped the lead car.

His gaze locked onto the scrolling photos on the electronic display.

Because there, among the images, was my memorial portrait.