My Last Breath, His Eternal Regret

Chapter 1

On the day of my husband's ten-year anniversary pact with his childhood sweetheart, I had a fatal heart attack.

I begged him to take me to the hospital.

Instead, he looked at me with pure disgust and sneered. Wren, can you stop using these pathetic tricks to get my attention?

A selfish, narrow-minded person like you would be doing the world a favor if you actually kicked the bucket.

Later, when he returned from his date and found my cold, lifeless body, he knelt and wept, begging me for just one more look.

I died. It was a massive heart attack.

The feeling of my heart suffocating remains etched in my mind, making my soul tremble even now.

For some reason, I didn't move on. I became a ghost, tethered to my husband, Zane.

Zane was wearing a crisp white shirt, his handsome face lit up with a smile as he chatted with the woman across from him.

"Jianna, are you planning to stay in the States for good this time? Are you moving your career back here?"

The woman, Jianna, smiled back warmly. Her eyes were full of a quiet, predatory confidence.

"Yes. There's someone here I just can't let go of."

Zane's cheeks flushed a deep red. Looking at them, there was nothing left to wonder about.

It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my non-existent heart. Sharp, phantom pains flooded my spirit.

I knew this woman. Jianna was Zane's childhood sweetheart, the one he could never truly forget.

I watched Zane with bitterness, but the tenderness in his expression was what really cut me deep.

We had been married for five years. He had always been distant, and I had foolishly assumed it was just his personality.

Now I realized he just didn't want to be tender with me.

With me, he was always cold and composed. We were more like roommates than a married couple.

Jianna curled her lips into a smile. "Thank you, Zane. Thank you for coming to see me and for remembering our ten-year promise."

Zane's smile widened. "Jianna, we made a pact. Even if the world were ending, I wouldn't stand you up on this day."

With those words, they shared a tight, lingering embrace.

He was a completely different man from the stoic husband I knew at home.

It was as if Jianna's return had breathed color back into his soul.

Even though my heart had stopped beating, I felt a swarm of stinging needles in my chest.

So this was the "urgent matter" he had to attend to. He didn't hesitate to slam the door on me while I was collapsing on the floor.

That morning, my chest had felt tight. I leaned against the sofa, drenched in a cold sweat, eventually becoming paralyzed by the pain.

Zane had finished getting ready, his leather shoes clicking sharply on the hardwood floor as he walked out of the bedroom.

I weakly gasped for help. He poured me a glass of lukewarm water, tossed two boxes of pills on the table, and turned to leave.

I couldn't breathe, let alone speak, but I managed to grab his sleeve with a pleading look.

Zane simply peeled my fingers off, his voice flat and indifferent.

"I have a very important meeting today. You've had heart issues for years; just take your meds and lie down."

I exhaled a ragged breath, trying one last time. "Zane I I really don't feel right."

He frowned, his eyes flashing with irritation.

"Enough! Wren, since when did you learn to play the victim like this? I told you I have something important. Stop acting out."

With that, he slammed the door and left without a backward glance.

I watched his shadow disappear, and the last shred of my hope collapsed.

I fell to the floor. The pain didn't subside with the medication; it became a drilling, agonizing torture.

I struggled to prop myself up and reached for my phone on the coffee table to call 911.

Sadly, I didn't last long enough for the ambulance to arrive. I took my last breath in that empty living room.

Now that I'm dead, I suppose Zane can finally be with Jianna without any obstacles.

Chapter 2

I met Zane five years ago during a brutal winter. My mother had just passed away, and I was in the darkest period of my life.

My relatives were circling like vultures, trying to snatch my parents' estate. They were family, but money turned them into monsters.

The stress was so high that my younger sister, Cassie, failed her college entrance exams.

Under the crushing pressure, I fell into a deep depression and had to seek professional help at the hospital.

That was where I met Zane.

He noticed how low I was and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

He told me that nothing in the world is insurmountable as long as you're still breathing.

Zane was so gentle. Even though it was our first meeting, every word he said made me feel safe.

After that, I made excuses to find him every time I went to the hospital. Eventually, we became close, and I confessed my feelings.

Dating, the proposal, the weddingDit all felt natural and steady.

I thought I had found the love of my life. I felt so secure and happy.

But I was wrong. Zane wasn't emotionally stunted; he just didn't want to return my love.

Seeing him now, I finally understood. Jianna was his obsession, the girl he loved in his youth, the only one who could move his heart.

My spirit felt heavy. I forced myself to look away from them.

I had failed to kick Jianna out of Zane's heart.

I first found out about her during our third year of marriage.

While cleaning, I found a box tucked away in the back of the closet.

It felt like Pandora's box, practically begging me to open it.

Inside were stacks of photos and letters.

Every letter was addressed to "My Love, Zane." The photos were mostly of one woman.

On the back of the photos, in Zane's familiar, bold handwriting, were the words: "My dearest Jianna."

I recognized his handwriting instantly. There was no mistaking it.

Back then, I wanted to confront him, but I lacked the courage. I was already so in love with him that I feared making him angry.

Later, I hired someone to look into his past. That's how I learned Jianna was his first love.

They had grown up together. They even went to the same university.

But in their sophomore year, her family suddenly moved abroad, and they were forced to break up.

Chapter 3

Thinking back on these things felt like being flayed alive.

Watching Zane and Jianna walk together, I had to admit they looked perfect.

As they passed a bakery, Jianna playfully tugged on Zane's arm.

"Zane, I want a slice of that strawberry cheesecake. Please?"

"I knew you didn't eat much at dinner. You were saving room for dessert, weren't you?"

Zane looked at her and let out a soft, indulgent chuckle.

Jianna pouted at him, and Zane immediately threw up his hands in mock surrender before heading inside.

It was such a cozy, intimate scene. It felt like a physical weight on my chest.

I didn't know he could be this attentive. I didn't know he could show such open affection.

It's just a shame that I was never the one he wanted to show it to.

The bitterness spread through my soul like poison.

I couldn't help but mock myself. Wren, you're so pathetic. Six years of marriage didn't even earn you a spot in his heart.

Actually, I should have seen this coming the moment I heard Jianna was back.

Last weekend was the anniversary of my parents' death. Zane had promised to go to the cemetery with me.

But at the last minute, he told me there was an emergency at the hospital. I told him I understood. Doctors don't own their own time.

But Zane didn't come home until well past midnight. I was worried, but he wouldn't answer his phone.

I called the hospital. The nurse on duty recognized my voice immediately.

"Oh, hi Wren. Is everything okay with Dr. Zane?"

During our marriage, my main job was taking care of him. He was always busy and had a sensitive stomach.

My job was flexible. Between the rent from the properties my parents left me and my own investments, I made over fifteen thousand a month.

So, besides housework, I spent my time bringing him home-cooked meals.

The nurse sounded confused. "Dr. Zane clocked out hours ago. I thought you picked him up."

"I saw him get into a car with a woman in a red trench coat. She looked a lot like you from behind."

I went silent.

I wasn't a magician. I couldn't be in two places at once. I had spent the whole day at the family plot in the suburbs.

Right then, my tablet buzzed with a notification for a trending gossip piece.

"Famous photographer Jianna caught on a late-night date with a handsome stranger."

The moment I saw her name, my heart lurched.

So she was famous now. So she was back.

Driven by a morbid curiosity, I clicked the article. I recognized the man in the photo instantly. It was Zane.

I don't know what I felt. Maybe the pain had gone beyond a certain threshold and turned into numbness.

I stared at that intimate photo for a long time.

The nurse's voice finally brought me back. "Wren? Are you still there?"

I forced a long, shaky breath. Every inhale hurt.

But I was too cowardly to face the fact that my husband lied to me to go on a date. It was too humiliating.

I feigned a casual tone. "Oh, it's fine. I'm out of town on business. I just wanted to make sure his ride showed up."

The nurse sighed in relief. "You're such a great wife, Wren. Dr. Zane is lucky to have you."

After I hung up, I stared at the ceiling.

To everyone else, we were the perfect couple. We never fought, never even raised our voices.

But if you truly love someone, do you really stay that calm and indifferent?

Chapter 4

Soon, Zane walked out of the bakery holding a small, elegant box.

Light snow began to fall as they shared the cake, laughing and whispering.

Suddenly, Zane's phone rang. He looked annoyed at the interruption.

When he saw the caller ID, his brow furrowed in deep irritation.

I floated closer. The caller was "me." Or rather, the hospital calling from my phone after finding my body.

Jianna looked at the screen and put on a saintly expression.

"Zane, is your wife calling? Maybe it's an emergency. You should answer. I don't want to come between you."

She made a move to step away. "Go ahead, I'll wait for you over there."

Zane panicked. "Jianna, wait."

Without hesitation, he declined the call and blocked the number. He rushed back to her side.

"Don't worry about her. Even if she is my wife, she doesn't own me."

"She's just bored. She stays at home all day with nothing to do. She's not like youDa world-renowned photographer."

Hearing him vent to Jianna made my spirit go cold.

Is that how he saw me? As a useless person with too much time on her hands?

For six years, I had treated him like a king. Everything revolved around him.

His parents only had him. Since he was busy, I was the one who visited them, brought them gifts, and made sure their house was maintained.

To make his commute easier, I used all my savings and sold a property to buy a luxury apartment right across from the hospital.

I cooked for him every single day.

He didn't want kids, so I got an IUD and started a retirement fund for just the two of us.

I entered this marriage thinking it was for life. I thought no one could be closer than a husband and wife.

I thought I would eventually win him over.

But in the end, I realized that no matter what I did, I could never compete with Jianna. He loved her from the start.

He didn't love me. All my efforts were for nothing.

The pain was overwhelming. I looked at them again.

I wish I had never fallen for him.

Jianna stopped walking and looked at Zane with eyes full of regret.

"Zane, if I had known you were this unhappy, I would have come back sooner."

"These years without you they've been terrible. I missed you so much."

Zane stood frozen for a moment as she embraced him. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed.

"Jianna, I missed you too."

Even in that moment, a tiny part of me hoped he would push her away and tell her he was married.

But he didn't. I watched them hold each other, torturing myself with the sight.

Chapter 5

After a while, Zane and Jianna finally pulled apart.

Jianna held his hand. "Zane, tell me. Do you still love me?"

Zane nodded, looking at her with a look of absolute determination.

"Jianna, I've decided. I'm going to end things with Wren"

Just then, his phone rang again. Zane didn't even look before silencing it. But it started ringing again almost immediately.

The romantic atmosphere was ruined. Zane snatched the phone out of his pocket and answered with a growl.

"Cassie, what could possibly be so important that you and your sister have to call me right now? I'm busy."

A shaky, raspy voice came through the line. "Zane my sister something happened"

Hearing my sister's voice broke my heart.

Our father died when she was only a year old. Our mother worked herself to the bone to protect the family business and raise us.

I was the one who practically raised Cassie. When Mom died, I promised to look after her.

And now, I had left her all alone.

Zane went stiff for a second, but then he let out a cold laugh.

"Cassie, can you stop being as manipulative as your sister? Just because I'm meeting a friend doesn't mean you have to lie to get me home."

"I gave her heart meds this morning. This pity play is getting old."

"Zane, listen to me! My sister is"

Zane didn't want to hear it. He hung up and turned back to Jianna.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing. Wren is just being ridiculous. She actually got her sister to lie and say there was an emergency just to ruin our night."

Zane looked disgusted.

Jianna played along. "She must be really insecure to go to such lengths."

Then, she looked at Zane suggestively.

"So, are you going back? Because tonight"

She let her hand linger on his shoulder. Her meaning was crystal clear.

Zane's face turned red, and a look of lust crept into his eyes.

They headed to a nearby hotel. I watched my husband kiss another woman's neck.

"Jianna, I want you so much."

The man who was always so cold to me was suddenly a bonfire of passion for her.

I floated out of the room. Looking at the moon, I felt wave after wave of agony.

It's strange how a soul can feel so much pain.

I listened to them, feeling utterly exhausted. I finally saw how obvious the difference between love and indifference was.

In six years, Zane had rarely initiated a kiss. If I tried to kiss him, he would often flinch away.

I thought he was just not a physical person.

Now I knew he just saved that side of himself for Jianna.

Suddenly, the force tethering me to him snapped. I was free to leave his side.

Chapter 6

The moment I could move freely, I flew to find my sister.

To my shock, she was still at the hospital. My body was lying on a gurney.

Cassie stood there, staring blankly at my corpse.

Only when the doctor officially declared the time of death did she snap.

Tears poured down her face, splashing onto my cold hand. The heat of her tears felt like they were burning my soul.

She grabbed the doctor, frantically begging him to save her sister, her last living relative. The doctor could only offer his condolences.

Condolences? Condolences

Grief swallowed Cassie whole. She stumbled, her world blurring.

"No. My sister can't be dead."

"Doctor, you're wrong. She promised she would never leave me."

She started whispering to herself, then shouting. Finally, she collapsed by the bed and gripped my hand.

"Wren, wake up! You told Mom you'd take care of me forever! You can't break your promise!"

She cried until her face was a mess of tears and snot. And there was no one there to wipe them away.

I felt like my soul was being shredded.

Without me, how would she deal with those greedy relatives?

Suddenly, a man rushed into the room and caught Cassie as she began to faint.

It was my close friend, Sterling.

When Cassie saw him, she sobbed harder. "Sterling, she's she's gone"

Sterling looked at my body, his eyes instantly turning red. He helped Cassie to a chair.

"I heard the news and drove straight back from out of town."

Cassie stayed silent, her tears never stopping. Then, her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke up, it was the next day.

She had spent the night calling my name in her sleep, begging me not to leave.

I watched over her all night. The little girl who used to follow me around was now going to have to bury me.

By the time she fully woke up, she seemed to have accepted the reality. She didn't cry anymore, though her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

She sat on the bed for a long time before asking for Sterling's phone to call Zane.

"Zane"

She barely got his name out before he interrupted impatiently.

"Cassie, are you guys done yet?"

"I know what your family is trying to do. Just because I married your sister doesn't mean I've lost my freedom. ID"

"Zane, didn't your parents teach you not to interrupt people?"

"What?"

Zane was stunned. Cassie repeated herself, enunciating every word.

"I said you have no manners. You're an ungrateful, spineless piece of trash. You've lived off my sister's money for years, and now you're acting like this?"

"I'm telling you one last time. My sister is dead. Come or don't, I don't care."

She hung up immediately.

In the past, Cassie had always been polite to Zane because she knew I loved him. She even spent her part-time job money on gifts for him just to make me happy.

But Zane had always treated her with the same coldness he showed me.

Sterling, who had never seen Cassie this angry, looked stunned.

But remembering Zane's attitude, his face flushed with rage.

"What is wrong with that guy? Wren did everything for him, and now he won't even show his face?"

"He doesn't deserve to be called her husband."

Cassie looked at him, her voice cold and hard.

"My sister didn't die of a simple heart attack. I don't believe it."

"I'm going to find out the truth."