Chapter 4His Death, My Freedom

David's ghost hovered beside me, reading every word of my conversation with Daniel.

He furiously questioned me, "When did you two reconnect?"

"Didn't you two unfriend each other ages ago? How did you add him back?"

"Have you no shame?"

Daniel was my first love. We were young then, and a small misunderstanding led to neither of us wanting to back down. The end result was an unhappy breakup.

When I was older, my family pressured me to go on blind dates, and that's how David and I met.

Our families were a good match, and he seemed decent enough. After less than six months of dating, we decided to get married.

A month before the wedding, Daniel sent me a message: "You were always so critical in relationships, agonizing over every little thing. How come you're not agonizing over something as big as marriage?"

I didn't reply to that message, but David saw it.

He angrily asked who it was. I told him everything, but he was still bothered. So, I deleted Daniel in front of him.

I thought I would never have any contact with him again.

Until Leo was one year old. I discovered David was cheating and posted on Ins, looking for a divorce lawyer.

Daniel sent a friend request. The verification message read: "My divorce lawyer is really good. I used him when I divorced my ex-wife. I'll recommend him to you."

That divorce didn't happen because there wasn't enough evidence of David's infidelity, and his family threatened me with Leo.

Everyone advised me to turn a blind eye, and ultimately, I swallowed my pride.

It was during that time that Daniel and I reconnected on SnapChat.

We hadn't chatted in years, until last month. He sent me a photo.

A young woman was walking hand-in-hand with David, looking intimate as they shopped.

He asked me, "Get a divorce."

Having learned my lesson from last time, I wasn't in a hurry. I waited to find more evidence, but I never imagined I wouldn't find evidence, and David would just die instead.

Daniel arrived quickly. Leo held his hand, looking up at me and asking, "Mom, what happened to Dad?"

I took Leo's hand. David's ghost anxiously said beside me, "Tell him I died in a car accident. At least let me keep my image as a father in his eyes."

"Serena, I know you can see me. Help me come up with an excuse."

But I didn't come up with any excuse for David. I told Leo the truth, every detail: "Your dad cheated, and his emotions got too intense, leading to sudden cardiac arrest."

He's five this year, and still a little confused. "So, I don't have a dad anymore?"

Then he tugged on Daniel's hand. "Can I have Mr. Anderson as my dad?"

As soon as he said that, Daniel gripped Leo's hand tightly, staring at me. David's ghost was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why his son wasn't at all sad about his death and was instead eager to call someone else his father.