Ghost of a Broken Heart: An Undercover's Tale

Vince Gates abandoned me, leaving me in the hands of kidnappers, as he plunged into an illegal scam operation, all for the sake of his beloved.

When I begged him for help, he mocked me instead.

"Marlee Quinn, stop trying to deceive me with fake photos. Why don't you just say your dad died? Seven thousand in ransom? You're not even worth seven cents!"

Later, I was tortured to death by the kidnappers, and my organs appeared at his beloved's promotion ceremony.

But Vince went mad.

With bloodshot eyes, he killed everyone, begging for my rebirth.

But I would never come back.

1

In the dimly lit basement, time ticked by slowly.

The kidnapper held my phone, waiting for Vince's reply.

I was gagged and tied to a chair, covered in blood, pinning all my hopes on the phone.

The next second, the phone vibrated.

The kidnapper read Vince's message aloud. "Are you so jealous of Julia that you'd go to such lengths to trick me into coming back? Must have cost you a pretty penny to hire someone for this stunt.

Marlee, stop trying to deceive me with fake photo trick. Why don't you just say the end of the world is coming? Seven thousand dollars? You're not even worth seven cents!"

Two minutes later, a message from Julia came through.

It was a large transfer slip of two million, along with a photo of the two of them feeding each other coffee.

"Marlee, you might not understand the romance of us young people. As a full-time mom who may not relate to our lifestyle, you probably wouldn't get it." Vince said he's staying in Ohio to start a business with me. In terms of your situation, we already reported to the police for you, no need to thank me~"

Immediately, an exclamation mark appeared on the screen.

The kidnapper froze but quickly removed the SIM card upon seeing the word "police."

The phone was smashed to pieces.

He and his accomplices approached me with sinister smiles.

"No ransom, and you dare to imply them call the police? Then you need to pay for this."

My clothes were torn apart, and countless devilish hands reached for me.

I knew my last hope was shattered.

Only despair was left for me.

Screams, pain, and struggle filled the basement.

In the end, I couldn't resist their overwhelming numbers.

Despair suffocated me, turning into numbness.

Before I died, someone grabbed my hair and whispered in my ear:

"Hey, don't be so jerk!

Don't blame us. Blame your disgusting husband for coveting someone he shouldn't. Our boss said to ensure he lives in perpetual misery!"

My pupils contracted.

The knife in his hand had already pierced my skin.

My blood mixed with the kidnappers' curses filled the filthy basement.

When I died, my lower body was torn, my organs shattered. I was like a broken doll, emptied of organs.

2

Perhaps my death was too tragic, and my spirit lingered.

I became a wandering ghost.

After some time, I drifted to Vince's side.

In a three-bedroom apartment, Vince was writing something with his head down.

Julia Morrison put away the paper and pen, leaned on his shoulder, and gazed at him affectionately.

"Vince, you didn't play along with Marlee's act that day and deleted her. If she finds out you invested two million in my business, won't she eat me alive?"

Vince paused, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain.

"She wouldn't dare! I earned the money, and I can spend it however I want. She's just a housewife who stays home watching the kids. What right does she have to boss me around?

And isn't it funny that she didn't even come up with a good reason to ask for money? She photoshopped and acted, and then asked for seven thousand. Does she think I'm a fool?"

"So this two million is... " Julia probed.

"This is our joint property after marriage, part of her dowry. Her card is at home, but she's too busy taking care of the kids to notice. I've already transferred the money to my account."

"But I'm still a bit worried. What if something really happened to her? Maybe you should transfer it to Marlee."

"What could possibly happen to her? She probably regretted our argument and is trying to reconcile."

Vince habitually tucked her hair behind her ear.

"But you, just graduated and already starting your own business, so pure and kind, always thinking of others. It's ironically touching.

Vince, as long as I can help you achieve your dreams, I'd sell everything I own and still be happy."

"Vince, you're the best."

Julia was deeply moved and kissed him on the cheek.

Witnessing the two of them being so affectionate with each other, I was overwhelmed by intense pain and fury, leaving nothing but disgust within me.

How pathetic.

I gave up my career to raise children and do housework, only to be labeled a housewife by my husband.

Meanwhile, Julia, through deceit, became an independent woman in his eyes.

Truly ironic.

I never wanted to have children during my career peak.

But Vince constantly hinted that his mother wanted a grandchild, even kneeling to me.

I couldn't bear to see him troubled, so I prepared for pregnancy.

During childbirth, he cried outside the delivery room, promising to treat me well for life.

When our daughter was weaned, I wanted to return to work.

But he pleaded, "Jenny is still young and close to her mom. We can't let her become a child without parental presence. I'm about to get promoted and can't take time off. I'll work hard to support you and our daughter, okay?"

After countless nights of struggle, I finally had to compromise with reality again, giving up a high-paying job to become a full-time mom.

Living as if single, dealing with endless chores, not daring to spend more than five minutes in the bathroom.

Compared to my peers, the fatigue and hardship on my face grew heavier.

But to him, I was just a worthless parasite, always asking him for money.

Indeed, only education and work wouldn't betray me.

3

Vince and I met on campus.

He was a top student in law and public security from a rural area, while I was a dance student from Texas.

Once, we had love.

He would work part-time overnight to buy me a dress and attend classes during the day.

I would give up my travel plans to buy him sneakers.

I accompanied him from having nothing to becoming a company supervisor.

Finally, we walked down the aisle together.

Married life was plain but secure.

But everything changed when Julia appeared.

Julia was a college student he had been sponsoring.

She came from a rural family that favored boys over girls and nearly dropped out many times.

Perhaps because they both came from rural areas, Vince paid special attention to her.

Out of affection for him, I treated her like a little sister, offering extra care.

But Julia confessed to Vince in her junior year.

At first, I didn't take it seriously because Vince rejected her, and they were ten years apart.

Later, Julia sincerely apologized, saying it was just a dare during a truth or dare game at a class gathering.

I believed her.

But then, she would call Vince to bring her an umbrella when she forgot hers.

She'd ask him to buy sanitary pads during her period.

Gradually, Vince's initial resistance turned into a habit, and he became increasingly absent-minded.

I could no longer deceive myself.

Vince was truly moved.

After confronting him, our relationship gradually shifted from warmth to endless arguments and cold war.

During those times, he would sternly scold me:

"Is misleading advice online so easy to brainwash you? How did you become so unreasonable?

If you don't trust me, there's nothing I can do. The truth will prevail. My feelings for Julia are like a brother's for a sister. Only those with dirty minds see everything as dirty!"

The worst argument led me to seek a divorce.

He panicked, threw away the birthday gift Julia gave him, and deleted all her contacts.

For years, it seemed as if Julia had never been part of his life.

Until three months ago, they reconnected on a dating app called "First Love."

Sparks flew between them, and their relationship grew deeper and it was unstoppable.

Vince seemed possessed, working late every night, constantly on video calls.

Finally, our war erupted again.

But this time, it wasn't just about emotions; it was also about a post on Julia's undergraduate school forum.

The poster was her roommate, who went to Ohio for a job at Julia's invitation, only to be scammed out of seven thousand dollars.

The school was abuzz with rumors that Julia, now a graduate student, was recruiting people for an illegal scam operation.

Due to my suspicion of scams, I warned Vince that Julia might just be using dating apps for fraud.

But he refused to believe me.

He thought I was slandering her.

That time, all his pent-up dissatisfaction with me over the years exploded in an instant, with curses and accusations following one after another.

"Are you out of your mind? Can't you stop listening to those nonsense? Rumors can destroy a person. She's just a hardworking young girl, earning money through her own efforts. What's wrong with that?

Julia is the purest person I've ever met. She's young, beautiful, educated. She understands me, and supports me. There's no way she could do such things.

Marlee, you're overly sensitive and domineering, always suspicious. You're just like the trash at her school, full of jealousy and greed. You're a damn unloved lunatic, old and ugly!"

I stared at him, unwavering.

In a fit of rage, I smashed his phone and told him to get out.

That night, he went to Ohio to find Julia.

The very next day, while I was on my way to pick up our daughter from school, I was kidnapped by thugs.

And judging by what that murderer said to me before I died, my death was well planned.

The mastermind was his boss.

It might also have been someone related to Julia.

If one day Vince realized that it was his so-called pure and kind Julia who pushed me to my doom, would his conscience ache?

4

Julia took Vince around various neighborhoods for three days.

Seeing that he was completely off guard, she finally led him into another upscale neighborhood.

"Vince, have you truly made up your mind to join the team along with me? However, you've merely been observing for three days. Do you genuinely have faith in this high-profit investment?"

"Silly, I trust you. Nothing else matters."

Vince affectionately tapped her nose.

"Joining the team to promote you to the top in a few days is enough. Besides, this is an opportunity for myself too. You're just sharing information, no need to feel burdened."

"Then you better keep your word. I'll take you to the assessment now."

The two laughed and joked like a couple.

But when I heard Julia mention "high-profit investment", chills ran down my spine.

It wasn't a rumor.

It was indeed a marketing scam.

Years ago, Vince's father got involved, became a top leader, and wrote many articles of deceit.

But eventually, his team collapsed overnight, leaving him in debt by hundreds of thousands.

The people he had deceived came to their doorstep every day, harassing them daily.

His mother couldn't take it anymore, divorced his father, and took Vince to Texas.

Later, everyone involved with his father was arrested and imprisoned.

Because of his father's influence, Vince faced many restrictions and discrimination when looking for work.

Whenever he talked about these past events, his eyes would redden with anger.

Yet now, he was about to walk the path he despised.

When I followed them into a room on the first floor, three seemingly respectable managers were sitting inside.

With a little attention, one could tell from the details that this house wasn't theirs.

Men's shoes, women's underwear.

It was clear they were cohabiting, at least six people.

Just as Vince was about to stamp his fingerprint on the "assessment agreement, " I rushed over.

"Don't do it, Vince-"

Once he stamped it, he would become a full-fledged member of the marketing scam. Our daughter's future would be ruined.

Vince seemed to sense something and glanced around.

But Julia clenched her fist, enticing him, "Vince, my dear, what are you hesitating for? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich. If you miss it, it won't come again. Why would Marlee Photoshop to deceive you? Why did you come to me overnight? Have you forgotten? Because she always looked down on your rural background, looked down on you for still being a supervisor. In her eyes, you're just a loser! Think about it, if we do business together and become millionaires, would she still dare to be so arrogant in front of you?"

Vince hesitated for a moment, but then he was completely swayed by Julia's words.

He stamped his fingerprint, and the transfer receipt was submitted.

Two million dollars was gone in an instance.

As he left, he was still thanking Julia.

"Julia, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the chance to turn my life around. Once I rise higher, I want those old bastards to kneel and apologize to me!"

The "old bastards" he referred to were my parents.

I felt both sad and angry.

Even as a spirit, the overwhelming pain and anger in my heart suffocated me.

The most terrifying thing about marketing scam members was that they knew how to exploit every aspect of human nature, using the simplest words to break through the most vulnerable parts of heart.

I knew that deep down, Vince was always insecure and resentful.

When he married me, my parents tested him by asking if he could buy a house through his own efforts.

But Vince held onto those words for over a decade.

Every time we argued, he would sarcastically say, "I'm just a poor boy from the countryside, unworthy of you, the pampered princess. Isn't that what you've always wanted to say?"

So over the years, as he rose to a supervisor position, his ambition grew, always wanting to be someone who truly mattered.

Every time he dined with friends, he would boast about his spending on social media, subtly proving something to others.

But my parents just wanted to see his attitude.

My poor daughter was still in kindergarten...

From the moment he joined the marketing scam, everyone associated with him would be ostracized, bearing a lifetime of infamy.

Vince, how could you be so heartless!

5

With two million in hand, Julia set her sights "far ahead."

She didn't embezzle and run away but instead replicated the scheme, inviting different people to "assess" every day.

During this time, a scar-faced man became the mentor of Vince.

The scar-faced man was one of Julia's three partners and her most trusted accomplice.

Initially, he warmly called Vince "family."

But after a few days, realizing Vince had no more money beyond the two million, his attitude drastically changed, calling him a loser every day.

The scar-faced man, especially when he saw Vince still favored by Julia, his resentment towards Vince peaked.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, he lured Vince into a dense forest.

After a few punches, Vince was knocked to the ground.

"Don't think that joining the industry makes you one of us. I can make you disappear without a trace! You pathetic loser."

The scar-faced man grabbed Vince's hair fiercely, pressing a knife and phone against his face.

"See this female corpse with her organs removed? If you continue to covet Julia, I will make you the next one!"

After kicking Vince a few more times, the scar-faced man left.

But the words "organs removed" echoed like a haunting threat in my ears, lingering for a long time.

I couldn't help but touch my chest.

But there, it was already empty.

How could I forget again?

I died from a ruptured liver, with my organs removed.

Vince's forehead bled profusely.

After a long time, he finally crawled up from the corner.

Perhaps he couldn't accept the scar-faced man's change in attitude.

Perhaps he was truly scared.

The first thing Vince did after getting up was to pick up his phone and search "Earning project."

Investigation process, brainwashing, money-sharing games, scams, and all sorts of information flooded in.

Vince showed a pained expression, about to turn off his phone when a news alert popped up in the top left corner.

Curious, he clicked on it.

It was a horrific murder case.

The news showed a female corpse with her organs removed, her body mutilated, stabbed over eighty times.

That was- my corpse, which was torn apart..

"The identity of the female corpse has been largely confirmed as a mother from Texas. She was kidnapped on her way to pick up her child from school. Her family refused to pay the ransom, and she was brutally assaulted and had her organs removed. The case is still under investigation."

Seeing this, Vince's breathing became rapid, his face pale, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

The phone slipped from his hands onto the grass.

Because the report mentioned our neighborhood as a suspect location.