Four years into our marriage, I discovered that my husband, Dr. Elias Vance, had a "white moonlight"—a first love he could never forget. Every year, Elias would leave a bouquet of platycodon flowers on her grave. In the language of flowers, platycodon means eternal love. When I confronted him, he dismissed my pain with a single sentence: "Why do you have to compete with Seraphina over everything?" Even when drunk, Elias would call out her name. For Seraphina, he smashed up our home and tore my dresses to shreds... But later, when the usually composed medical examiner Elias Vance saw me lying on his autopsy table, he broke down completely, unable to even hold his scalpel. 1 I unfolded the test results in my hand, then folded them again. After several hesitations, I finally dialed Elias's number. Elias always said he was busy, and I was always afraid to disturb him. But this time was different. I was sick. After a long, agonizing ring, Elias's voice came through, tinged with exhaustion. "What is it?" I nervously picked at the hem of my shirt. "I'm sick..." He cut me off before I could finish. "If you're sick, see a doctor." "I have important matters to handle. I'm hanging up." His tone was thick with impatience. I didn't miss the sound of a woman's playful laughter in the background before the line went dead. I sat there, dazed, gripping the phone. The screen went dark, then lit up again. A notification from Maya. She had just posted a moment on social media. The background was a cemetery. Elias was in the photo, showing only his profile. He was staring intently at the portrait on the tombstone, his eyes rimmed with red. But the most striking thing was the bouquet of platycodon flowers. Eternal love. As Elias's wife, I had never received flowers from him. Not once. Yet Seraphina, who had been dead for five years, received platycodon flowers regularly, rain or shine. Maya's caption read: Five years since my sister left us. I hope my brother-in-law can finally find peace. I stared at that sentence, my head spinning. Suddenly, a warm rush filled my nose. Blood began to pour out, staining my clothes crimson. I wiped it away, again and again, my hands covered in red, but the flow wouldn't stop. That's when the System's voice echoed in my mind, filled with pity: [Are you really not going to tell Elias?] I shook my head, letting the blood flow. I have leukemia. I don't have much time left. For four years of marriage, I reported every detail of my life to Elias, even though he never cared. But this time, I suddenly didn't want to tell him anymore. It wasn't until midnight that Elias came home. I was sitting in the living room with the lights on, drifting in and out of sleep. In my haze, I felt Elias pick me up. After a brief, bumpy journey, he placed me gently on the bed. "Luna, why were you sleeping on the sofa again?" "Didn't you say you were sick?" "You don't look sick at all." "Next time you miss me, just say so. You don't have to beat around the bush." He gently rubbed my ear, his words soft and slow, like the murmurs of a lover. Hearing his voice, I snapped awake. "Did you give Seraphina platycodon flowers today?" I stared straight into his eyes. Under the dim yellow lamp, the softness in his eyes vanished instantly. "Seraphina just liked platycodon flowers, that's all," he explained, his tone stiff. I pressed him. "Do you know what platycodon means?" Elias stood up abruptly. The tenderness in the room shattered, replaced by anger. "Luna, why do you have to compete with Seraphina over everything?" "I just want to make it up to her." "When did you become so petty?" "I'm so disappointed in you." He slammed the door and left. The room fell silent. I sat there, dazed, looking down at the bloodstains I hadn't fully washed out of my collar. Was it really that hard to notice? Elias. Dizziness hit me again, and blood dripped onto the sheets, blooming like dark red flowers. My whole body ached. I grabbed a wad of tissues and pressed it hard against my nose. Outside, the moon was bright, but inside, it was dark. My phone was playing a cheerful cartoon. [Host, do you want to choose to leave now?] I paused, turning off the phone. Memories flashed through my mind. Elias's trembling hands when he confessed his love. Elias clumsily making soup for me. ... After a long time, I whispered, "Let's wait a little longer." 2 Since that day, Elias seemed to restrain himself. He apologized sincerely, promising to visit Seraphina less often. He hugged me, smiling, and whispered in my ear, "Luna, you know..." "I just feel guilty about her." "You are the one I love most." Seraphina was the most vibrant chapter of Elias's youth. Everyone told me about their epic romance. Skipping class to go to the arcade, bold confessions on the school stage, secret kisses during power outages... Whenever these stories came up, the corners of Elias's mouth would lift in nostalgia. But Seraphina died in a car accident. Since then, she became the white moonlight he could never reach. I curled into Elias's arms and nodded silently. After that, it seemed like we returned to normal. He came home early for me, watched movies with me. Sometimes, he even braided my hair. Until one day, Elias came home drunk. Instead of the usual faint scent of antiseptic, he reeked of alcohol. He hugged me tight, as if trying to merge me into his body. His voice, aggressive and desperate, fell from above. "Seraphina..." He called her name over and over, and my face drained of color. "Where... are you?" "Why did you leave me?" Hot tears fell onto my neck, burning their way into my heart. I couldn't break free, so I let him carry me to the bed. He stroked my hair gently, his eyes unfocused, looking through me to see someone else. As his hot kiss was about to land, nausea surged in my chest. I turned my head away. Elias kissed the air. "Elias, I am Luna." After a long silence, I reminded him. The man pressing down on me froze. "Sorry... Luna." "I'm just too tired today." He pulled back, avoiding my eyes. I lowered my gaze and silently adjusted my clothes. My thoughts were a mess. "You mistook me for Seraphina again, didn't you?" It wasn't the first time. Elias rubbed his temples, his eyes clearing but filled with annoyance. "It won't happen again," he said, patience wearing thin. I deliberately provoked him. "But Seraphina is already dead." Why should I be the only one in pain? I wanted Elias to hurt too. The moment the words left my mouth, he turned into a raging lion, pinning me down again. He gripped my wrists hard, glaring at me. "Isn't this what you want? For me to take you?" "Then I'll give you what you want." He tore my clothes open, his kisses falling aggressively. No matter how much I cried or struggled, Elias acted like he couldn't hear me, venting his anger on my body. "Do you have to be jealous of Seraphina?" he demanded, eyes red. But I was in too much pain to speak. The illness caused enough agony. Elias didn't want to spare me either. I don't know how much time passed before he pulled away. I was left alone in the large bedroom. Cold moonlight spilled across the floor. The System, silent for so long, finally spoke: [Why didn't you choose to leave?] I curled up slowly, smiling bitterly. "I can't let him off that easily." Four years ago, I was a "Strategy Agent." My mission was done, and I was supposed to leave. But Elias begged me to stay. I gave up everything for him. Was it just to witness his betrayal more clearly? He didn't know yet. The System had given me one chance to regret my choice. Elias... those who betray hearts don't get happy endings. 3 Elias didn't come home for days. He seemed to be giving me the silent treatment. In the past, I would have been the one to apologize and smooth things over. But now, I felt nothing. My doctor called me, urging me again and again to check into the hospital for treatment. But I just wanted to go home. To my real home. On the sixth day of the cold war, Elias returned. But he brought Maya with him. I had seen Seraphina's photo in Elias's wallet. Maya was her biological sister; they looked alike. Especially the eyes. As soon as she walked in, Maya smiled. "Hi, Luna." Elias stared at Maya's smile, lost in a trance. I knew Maya's smile looked exactly like Seraphina's. I responded coldly. After dinner, Maya suddenly suggested looking at my room. "I heard Luna is a designer. Can I see your work?" Maya was only twenty, her almond eyes blinking playfully. Elias softened first. He patted my head with a smile. "Show her around." Maya cheered and hugged Elias's arm. "Thanks, brother-in-law!" For a second, Elias's eyes filled with longing. In my room, Maya touched everything, acting curious. Elias held my hand tight, whispering in my ear, "I was wrong last time." "I even brought help today." "Wifey, will you forgive me?" He looked at me expectantly. I wanted to laugh. Just as I was about to make a sarcastic remark... A scream pierced the air. Maya was pointing at my closet, her face pale with terror. "Bro... brother-in-law!" she cried. Elias let go of me and walked to the closet. Inside lay a cloth doll, covered in needles. Elias picked it up and saw the name written on the back—Seraphina. 4 Thud. The doll hit the floor. The room was dead silent. Slowly, Elias turned around. His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving. He reached into the closet and ripped down all my dresses, screaming at me. "Why would you hurt Seraphina?!" "She's dead, and you still won't let her rest!" Maya was trembling, tears streaming down her face. "My sister was so kind..." "To be cursed like this after death..." She sobbed, gasping for air. She cried just like Seraphina. Hearing this, Elias's rage exploded. He reached out and grabbed my throat, squeezing slowly. My vision blurred from lack of oxygen. Tears fell uncontrollably. Even through the haze, I could see his twisted face. Memories flashed before my eyes. "Is your name Luna? It's a beautiful name." "Luna, will you be with me?" "Luna, will you stay for me?" "Luna, why do you have to compete with Seraphina?" "When did you become so petty?" The face in my memories became stranger and stranger, yet more real. I realized I would never mean as much to him as Seraphina. But it didn't matter. I stopped caring a long time ago. My neck burned with pain. My limbs started to shake. Finally, Maya stopped him. Elias threw me aside. I hit the hard floor, pain shooting through my arm like needles. Before I could recover, Elias spoke, his voice icy. "Maya always told me to watch out for you." "I didn't believe her." "Now I see. You really are a viper." His words were frozen daggers. Elias smashed everything in my room. "I won't allow anyone to hurt Seraphina," he raged. He didn't even spare the ceramic cats on the corner of my desk. Shattered porcelain littered the floor. Elias seemed to forget that he made those cats for me. When I was younger, I raised stray cats, but they all passed away one by one. When Elias found out, he took me to a pottery studio. He clumsily made those ceramic "Cat Gods" for me, getting covered in mud but not caring. That day, he held them up, smiling tenderly. "Luna, they are just keeping you company in a different way." By the time I snapped back to reality, my face was covered in cold tears.
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