The Forensic Scientist Dissects His Dead Fiancée

When my fianc proposed to the woman of his dreams, they finally found my body.

I had been dead for three long years.

My remains had been hacked into pieces, and my face was destroyed beyond recognition.

Not a single person who once loved or knew me could identify me.

Not even him.

Everyone who saw my body felt a chill down their spine.

What kind of deep-seated hatred would drive someone to do this?

The killer had mutilated me so badly that I didn't even look human anymore.

They didn't even spare the unborn life inside me, cutting me open to discard my tiny hope like trash.

My fianc, fueled by a sense of justice, picked up his scalpel.

He intended to dissect me, piece by piece, to uncover the truth for a stranger.

Suddenly, his eyes turned bloodshot.

The truth oh, the truth!

I laughed, but he finally lost his mind.

1

Did you guys hear?

Officer Jace took over half of the restaurant today just to propose to his sweetheart!

That sounds like Jace. Hes the rising star of the forensics world, after all.

I stood under the sunlight I hadn't felt in years, staring at the man in front of me.

Everything felt like a blurred dream.

Jace was dressed perfectly, looking sharp as he led Serena onto the stage.

They looked like the perfect golden couple.

He always had a face that could charm anyone.

It was no wonder Serena had been driven to madness for him.

His colleagues from the police academy were cheering and whistling.

Give her a kiss! Give her a kiss! they shouted.

Jace frowned almost imperceptibly, but he didn't pull away.

Instead, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against Serenas cheek.

The room erupted in applause, and Serena buried her face in his chest, blushing deep red.

This scene should have belonged to my wedding.

Unfortunately, I was already dead.

2

The atmosphere on stage was electric.

They were about to exchange two sparkling rings.

Suddenly, a sharp ringtone pierced through the romantic music.

It was Captain Miller, and his voice was frantic.

Jace, Im sorry to bother you right now, but we just found a horrific crime scene.

Can you can you get back here? We need you immediately.

Jace, whats going on? Serena asked, struggling to hide her frustration.

Jaces expression turned cold and professional.

He patted her shoulder to comfort her.

Theres an emergency at the precinct. I have to go check it out.

Serena grabbed his sleeve, her eyes filling with tears.

Do you really have to leave? Look at all these people. What about me?

Jace looked at her with guilt.

Im sorry, Serena. You promised you would support my career.

Serena wasn't having it.

There are so many people on the team. Why does it have to be you?

Jace, do you even realize what day it is?

Jace quickly began stripping off his formal decorations.

Serena, Im a forensic pathologist. I have a responsibility to the deceased.

Ill be back soon, he promised.

Then, he abandoned a room full of guests and turned to walk away.

Serena broke down, her face covered in tears.

I watched the whole farce from the void.

It was just like beforeDJace had abandoned me in public for Serena.

Now, finally, he was abandoning her for me.

Too bad I was already dead.

3

Jace and I grew up in the same neighborhood.

We were childhood playmates until our parents both died in the line of duty during a mission.

After that, he went to live with his uncle, and I was sent to my grandmothers house.

We lost contact for years.

It wasn't until college that we met again.

I was studying forensics, and he was at the police academy right next to my school.

He told me he recognized me the moment he saw me.

Reconnecting with a childhood friend in a strange city felt like fate.

We were incredibly close.

It didn't take long for him to tell me how he felt.

Jace was magnetic back thenDcold, handsome, and the target of every girls affection.

I fell for him, too. It felt natural to become his girlfriend.

But then, Serena appeared.

She was different from the rest of us.

She came from a wealthy family and knew exactly how to use her fragility as a weapon.

Even worse, she had her sights set on my boyfriend.

The first sign of trouble was at a department party.

Jace wanted me to meet his friends.

Serena showed her hostility toward me immediately, dropping snide remarks throughout the night.

I wasn't the type to take her crap, and I shut her down every time she opened her mouth.

By the end of dinner, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

I didn't think much of it until Jace spoke up afterward.

Serena is just young and spoiled. You should be more patient with her.

Why did you have to argue with her like that?

He thought I was being paranoid and dramatic.

He saw nothing wrong with Serenas behavior.

I was furious that my own boyfriend was taking someone elses side.

That day, we had our first real fight.

It took three months for us to make up.

After that, we had countless cold wars because of her.

We almost broke up several times.

Things only got better when she finally moved abroad.

4

I snapped back to the present. Jace was already walking into the autopsy room.

He hesitated at the door for a moment before stepping inside with a blank expression.

My mangled body lay on the table.

The colleagues were already debating the cause of death.

The victim has multiple lacerations and friction burns.

Preliminary judgment is death by torture. We need the lab report to be sure.

Someone couldn't help but curse under their breath.

Dammit. What kind of freak does this?

To torture someone to death and then dismember them hes a goddamn animal.

Jace didn't say a word.

He sat to the side, maintaining his usual stoic silence.

Everyone was used to it.

Suddenly, someone called out to him.

Hey, Jace. You learned so much from Lyra back in the day.

Now that shes gone, why dont you come take a look?

It was true. He used to be my most prized student.

Even though he was a cop, I loved teaching him weird forensic details.

I never imagined those lessons would be used on my own corpse.

We had been moved to the Chicago department for two years by then.

Because of my lonely childhood, I craved a stable family more than anything.

After six years together, I asked him to marry me.

To my shock, he said no.

He claimed his rank was too low and he couldn't give me the life I deserved.

But I didn't care about money or status.

Then Serena came back.

She returned to the states and somehow got herself assigned to Jaces team.

Watching them get closer made me lose my mind.

I pushed for us to get our marriage license even more frequently.

Jace would just get annoyed and brush me off.

We fought constantly.

Lyra, can you stop being so paranoid every single day?

My relationship with Serena is strictly professional.

Are you only happy if you have me chained to the house?

Is this it? You just want to see me fail so you can feel superior?

I couldn't believe he thought so poorly of me.

He had no idea that I had turned down a promotion at the state level just to stay with him.

I thought having a home here and doing the job I loved was enough.

I thought my parents would be proud of me.

But Jace only cared about his status.

After that, I stopped talking about work to save his ego.

But we still fought over Serena.

Over and over, Jace compared me to her.

I was exhausted by this love.

I really wanted to knowDif Jace liked delicate girls like Serena, why was he so determined to chase me back then?

5

My memories were cut short by Jaces voice.

He grew irritated just hearing my name.

Shes been gone for five years without a single word. Why are you still bringing her up?

He looked like he didn't want to talk about it, so the others went quiet.

But Devon, who had always been a close friend of mine, couldn't take it.

He grabbed Jace by the collar and hissed, What the hell are you saying?

You were together for five years. You don't know what kind of person Lyra is?

Some boyfriend you are!

See? Even a regular friend cared more about me than he did.

Jaces eyes were like ice.

What happens between us is none of your business.

Devon wanted to throw a punch, but the others pulled them apart.

Jace, its been five years. Aren't you even a little worried about her?

If something actually happened to her, youll regret it for the rest of your life!

Captain Miller saw the tension and tried to play peacemaker.

You young people have too much fire. You let a small fight turn into a disaster.

If you really think about it, was it really that big of a deal?

I know youve moved on, but you should try to find out where Lyra went.

Five years is long enough for any grudge to fade.

Jace remained silent.

Seeing that he wasn't listening, the Captain gave up.

He couldn't force Jace to care, so he went back to the case.

These pieces were found on the outskirts of town.

Theyre building a theme park there. One scoop of the shovel and this nightmare came to light.

The cuts are clean and professional. The killer knows what theyre doing.

Check it out, Jace. See if you can find anything new.

Jace walked calmly toward the table, put on his gloves, and examined every piece of me.

Suddenly, a phone rang, shattering the silence.

A panicked voice filled the room.

Jace! Come to the hospital quickly! Serena collapsed!

Jace panicked instantly.

He looked at his colleagues, his voice trembling with urgency.

Serena is in trouble. I have to go.

Devon was fuming.

Jace, are you even a cop? Do you remember your duty to the dead?

If Lyra were here, shed be ashamed of you!

Jace screamed back at him like a cornered animal.

Serena just got engaged to me! I can't just leave her!

Lyra was your girlfriend once, too! Why dont you give a damn about her?

Get it through your head! Shes the one who wanted to play games!

Shes the one who ran away for five years because shes selfish! Jaces eyes were bloodshot.

I wondered why he was so convinced that I had disappeared just to spite him.

Devons eyes welled with tears as he glared at Jace.

Did you ever stop to think that one day, you might be the one performing her autopsy?

Jace completely snapped. He shoved Devons hand away and roared.

Devon, shut the hell up! Are you seriously wishing death on her right now?

6

In the end, Jace left anyway.

I followed him into the hospital room.

Serena was lying in bed, looking pale and fragile.

Jace always fell for this. He immediately rushed to her side to tuck her in.

He carefully dabbed water onto her dry lips.

Serena seemed to be having a nightmare.

She groaned and whispered, Jace please don't leave me.

She looked like she would break at any moment.

She was the complete opposite of the strong, independent woman I used to be.

Jace used to tell me not to try so hard.

He said I acted too much like one of the guys.

Looking back, I guess she was always his ideal type.

Jaces heart softened.

He looked at her with such devotion and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

But Serena woke up suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her movement caused his kiss to land on the corner of her mouth instead.

They began to kiss passionately.

Watching them was pure agony.

How could it not hurt? We lived together for six years.

Aside from my grandmother, he was the closest person to me in this world.

I tried to close my eyes, but the sound of their breathing seemed to haunt me.

The air in the room grew heavy with desire.

Jace, breathing hard, finally pulled away.

Youre still sick. Stop playing around.

He settled her back down and asked softly, Serena, what happened?

Serena didn't say anything at first.

Instead, she placed a hand over her stomach with a blissful smile.

Jace Im pregnant.

Jaces first reaction wasn't joy.

He looked stunned, almost horrified.

Serena, what did you just say?

I said Im carrying our baby. Youre going to be a father.

Jace couldn't process the news.

He looked lost.

Thats impossible. We were careful.

Serena grabbed the hem of his shirt, tears welling in her eyes.

Jace, did you forget? That night at the hotel

Jace didn't respond.

He started pacing the room, rubbing his palms together in agitation.

Suddenly, a breeze blew through the open window.

It caught the loose red cord around his wristDthe keepsake my grandmother had given us.

Jace froze. He probably remembered where it came from.

He lunged toward the floor to catch the cord as it drifted away.

But Serena didn't want him to have it.

She threw herself into his arms to stop him.

This time, she didn't get what she wanted.

In his desperation, Jace shoved her aside hard to reach for the string.

It was too late. It flew out the window, gone just like our relationship.

Serena had been pushed into the nightstand.

Her eyes flashed with pure hatred.

Jace! All these years are you still thinking about Lyra?

Jace closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

His voice was cold and devoid of emotion.

No.

Hearing him admit it out loud felt like a physical blow to my heart.

Serena didn't believe him.

Then why do you still have her things?

Jace, how am I not good enough for you? Im your fianc now!

She grew more hysterical.

Lyra has been gone for five years! She probably forgot you ages ago.

Shes probably married to some loser by now!

Jace couldn't take it anymore.

Shut up! Just shut up! he screamed.

Serena went silent, staring at him in shock.

He realized hed lost control and rubbed his temples.

Im sorry, Serena. I need some space to think.

He ignored her cries and walked out of the room.

He didn't leave the hospital, though.

He ran downstairs and searched through the grass on his hands and knees.

Eventually, he found it.

But the cord was covered in mud and ruined.

Even so, he carefully tied it back onto his wrist.

I didn't understand.

Jace, youre getting married. Why are you still holding onto my ghost?

Jace didn't go home. He went to the cemetery.

He hadn't set foot here once since I died.

He stood before his parents' headstones, drinking bottle after bottle of booze.

When he was sufficiently drunk, he stumbled toward my parents' graves.

The site was covered in fresh flowers.

There were even dewdrops on the petals.

He knelt down to pay his respects.

Im so sorry. I couldn't make things work with Lyra.

Then, he started complaining to me.

But Lyra I stopped being angry a long time ago.

Why couldn't you just come back and apologize?

Why did you have to find so many boyfriends just to piss me off?

His voice broke.

Its over now. Serena is pregnant. We we can't go back anymore.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Id been dead for five years. Where would I get boyfriends?

Suddenly, he stopped talking.

He stared intensely at one of the bouquets.

I followed his gaze. It was a bunch of bright pink carnations.

They were beautiful and clearly chosen with care.

But I hated those flowers.

On Mother's Day years ago, I had bought a huge bouquet of carnations for my mom.

Instead of giving them to her, I was called to identify her body.

Jace knew that.

He stood up abruptly, whispering to himself.

No this is impossible. If these aren't from Lyra, then who?

Finally, I realized what was wrong.

I had no living relatives left. Who would be visiting these graves for me?

The flowers were only there to create the illusion that I was still alive.

No wonder Jace never suspected I was dead.

He frantically pulled out his phone.

He went to my social media page and saw a list of daily updates.

The last photo was from a week ago.

It looked like a vacation on some tropical island.

In the photo, a couple was walking along the beach, holding hands intimately.

The caption read: Enjoying the sea breeze with you. You watch the view, and I watch you.

I felt a chill go through my soul. I didn't know that man.

But the girl in the photo she looked exactly like me from behind.

Jace scrolled through the mysterious account, his fear growing with every page.

For three years, the updates never stopped.

They detailed my entire life.

Who was working so hard to pretend to be me?

In an instant, a name popped into my head.

The last person I saw before I died was Macy.

Had she been using this account for three years to weave this lie?

I didn't understand why.

Shouldn't she want Jace to forget me entirely?

I wanted to scream the truth to Jace.

But when I reached out, my hand passed right through him.

We were in different worlds now.

Jace kept analyzing the photos and videos from the last three years.

Finally, he found a clue in one of the clips.

It was an announcement of my new relationship.

The girl was smiling at the camera, and for a split second, her collarbone was visible.

The caption was: Through the storms, finally together. Day one of loving you.

The words made my skin crawl.

I was always a private person. I would never write something so cheesy.

Jace seemed to realize something too.

He replayed the video, pausing it and zooming in on the detail.

I had a very distinct red mole on my collarbone.

Jace used to love kissing it. He treated it like it was sacred.

In the video, that mole was missing.

He checked again and again, his eyes filled with a growing panic.

Suddenly, his phone slipped from his hand and hit the ground.

The screen shattered.

His cold, handsome face was now a mask of pure terror.

His breathing became shallow and fast.

He shook as he reached for the phone, but his hands were too weak.

It fell again.

He didn't bother picking it up.

He stayed on his knees like a stray dog, desperately calling the precinct.

When the call finally connected, Jaces voice was broken.

Devon Devon, don't touch that body. Im coming back right now!

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