He Loved Me in Her Body

In the fifth year of our marriage, I died saving Ethan Matthews.

The only thing I left him was our four-year-old son.

After that, Ethan raised our son alone, living with memories of me.

Until he met Sophie, who pursued him relentlessly.

No matter how many times Sophie confessed her feelings, Ethan gently refused.

"I promised Charlotte that I would love her forever, and she would be my only wife."

I watched from the sidelines.

Silently praying that Ethan would keep his word.

But not long after, Sophie fell into a coma after risking her life to save our son from a fire.

Ethan could no longer hold back. He knelt by her hospital bed, begging her to wake up.

But Sophie didn't wake up.

Instead, my soul uncontrollably attached itself to her body, opening her eyes in her place to see Ethan.

Of course he didn't recognize me. He only choked out a confession:

"Sophie, I love you."

For a split second, I thought I'd heard him wrong.

But Ethan immediately repeated it.

"Sophie, I love you."

"I've told my parentsonce you're out of danger and wake up safely, we'll start preparing for the wedding."

He pressed my hand against his face, looking at me with devotion.

But I didn't know how to tell him that I wasn't Sophie.

I was his wife, Charlotte.

And I had no idea how to face the fact that he had truly fallen in love with Sophie.

Seeing my silence, Ethan apologized frantically.

"I'm sorry, Sophie. It was all my fault before. I fell for you but was too afraid to admit it."

"I swear, from now on I'll love you with all my heart. Is that okay?"

Those words were exactly the same as what he'd said when he proposed to me years ago.

Back then, I'd hugged his arm and playfully said:

"Then it's a promise! If you ever change your heart, I won't forgive you even if I die!"

Yet now, at this moment.

I could only dig my nails into my palm, holding back tears as I told him.

"But I'm not Soph"

Before I could finish saying "Sophie," someone burst into the hospital room.

"Mom! You're finally awake!"

My whole body trembled.

I watched helplessly as my son's small body embraced me, crying until his eyes were red and swollen.

Feeling his warm body temperature, I was momentarily overwhelmed by immense joy, my voice even trembling.

"You... what did you call me?"

"Say it again, please?"

It had been so long since I'd heard little Henry call me Mom.

However, before Henry could speak again, Ethan covered his mouth and patiently corrected him.

"Henry, you can't call her that. Your Aunt Sophie hasn't agreed to marry Daddy yet!"

"She's not your mom right now."

Those words hit me like cold water, snapping me back to reality.

Right now, I was "Sophie."

Even Ethan hadn't noticed anything unusual.

How could my young son know that I was his mother?

My nose suddenly stung.

I lowered my head and tried to explain again.

"Actually, I am Henry's mom..."

But Ethan misunderstood my meaning and grabbed my hand excitedly.

"So, does this mean you're agreeing to marry me?"

I froze, about to shake my head.

But Henry happily hugged me.

"That's great! So from now on, Aunt Sophie will be my mom, right?"

I looked at the joy in their eyes.

The truth on the tip of my tongue could no longer be spoken.

In the three years since my death, this was the first time the father and son had been this happy.

They truly liked Sophie.

As for me...

A person who'd been dead for three yearsno matter how unwilling, how could I take away the happiness they wanted?

My eyes grew hot. I hurriedly turned my face away and nodded.

"Yes."

I didn't know when I would disappear.

Since they only wanted to see Sophie.

Then I would be as they wished.

Hearing my answer, father and son both embraced me excitedly.

Ethan's voice choked up again.

"Sophie, thank you..."

"Thank you for being willing to forgive me, and thank you for being willing to be Henry's mom."

Henry was still young and only knew to burrow into my arms, thanking me along with his dad.

Smelling the scent on them, I felt dazed.

After all these years, they still had the gardenia fragrance.

It was my favorite scent from before.

I used to buy laundry detergent with this scent to wash their clothes.

Henry would always cling to my legs when I hung up the laundry, acting cute:

"Mommy smells so good! So nice!"

Ethan would also tell me:

"Every time I smell the gardenia scent on you, it makes me feel so at peace."

This was a scent that belonged exclusively to our family of three.

Now, they were holding another woman's body with this scent.

An indescribable revulsion and rejection welled up inside me.

I pushed them away and held my breath.

"What's that smell on you? It's too strong."

Ethan sniffed his sleeve, then his whole body stiffened.

Henry explained for him.

"It's gardenia fragrance. Dad said it was Mom's favorite before..."

Before he could finish, Ethan covered his mouth.

"It's just ordinary laundry detergent. If you don't like it, we'll change to a different one tomorrow."

Ethan carefully explained it to me.

The next day, the scent on them had changed.

It was the fruity fragrance I used to hate most.

But Henry kept asking me if I liked it.

Looking at his innocent smile.

I could only nod against my will and persuade myself once again to let go of the past.

I wasn't Charlotte anymore.

I had to work hard to play Sophie well, until the day she came back.

Coming quietly, leaving quietly.

That way, I could still deceive myself.

At least in memories, our family was still as beautiful as ever.

For Ethan and Henry now.

"Sophie's" feelings were the most important.

Because he thought "Sophie" didn't like it.

Ethan took off his wedding ring, leaving a white ring mark.

Because he thought Sophie didn't want to see anything related to Charlotte.

Henry also put away the bracelet on his wrist and never wore it again.

Slowly, the father and son erased all traces of me from themselves, bit by bit.

And I could only watch helplessly.

Close to my discharge date, my period came, and I lay in bed trembling with pain.

Henry ran into my arms and hugged me, using his warm little body to warm my stomach.

Ethan specifically took leave from the company and went home to make me almond milk.

Everything was just like before.

But I knew they still hadn't recognized me.

Ethan brought the milk to my lips.

"Be good, drink it while it's hot. The pain will go away after you drink it."

It was clearly sweet milk, but it stung my eyes.

I turned my face away. "I don't want it."

Ethan's hand holding the cup froze, his tone anxious.

"Wasn't this your favorite drink before? Why don't you want it suddenly?"

"Is your stomach upset?"

As he spoke, he turned to call a doctor.

But my words interrupted him.

"Ethan, I'm allergic to almonds. I never drink this stuff."

"Who is this person you're talking about?"

My dead heart was reignited.

God knows how much I hoped Ethan would discover the truth.

I hoped he could find evidence from the subtle clues that he still loved me.

However, after his lips moved for a long time, he still didn't say a word.

I was allergic to almonds.

But in my memory, Sophie was allergic to almonds and had told Ethan many times.

Now he'd forgotten about this.

Did that mean he still had me in his heart?

Henry looked back and forth, tugged Ethan's sleeve, and quietly reminded him.

"Dad, the one who loved almond milk was Mom."

My eyes grew hot, and I bit my lip hard and turned away.

I couldn't describe what I was feeling.

Ethan put down the bowl in his hand and hugged me, apologizing repeatedly.

"I'm sorry, Sophie... I forgot."

"Charlotte really did like drinking this before. Every time she drank the almond milk I made during her period, she'd be happy for a long time."

"I just haven't adjusted yet. I'm really sorry."

"Give me a little more time. I promise I'll remember your preferences and forget Charlotte completely, okay?"

I bit through my lip, letting the blood flow into my heart.

So be it...

Stop hoping for anything from Ethan and torturing yourself.

I leaned on his shoulder and nodded lightly. "Don't let it happen again."

Henry also snuggled over, saying sweetly, "From now on, I'll supervise Dad to remember everything about Mom."

The father and son kept their word.

They never got Sophie's preferences wrong again.

After leaving the hospital, Ethan brought me home.

In the years after my death, I'd been by their side.

I also knew that Ethan couldn't bear to throw away the things I'd left behind. He'd maintained the house's original appearance and didn't allow anyone to damage it.

Once, Sophie had the nerve to visit our home and threw away a puzzle I'd been working on with Henry. Ethan got really angry.

Later, regardless of his image, he personally went to the trash to find the puzzle pieces, put them back together with Henry one by one, and returned them to their original place.

But now...

I looked around the living room.

The puzzle that had been on the entryway cabinet was gone.

The vase I'd bought for the table was nowhere to be seen.

And the family photo of the three of us that should have been hanging on the living room wall had also been put away.

All traces of me had been completely removed by Ethan.

An empty, uncomfortable feeling filled my heart.

I unconsciously spoke out loud. "This house... is missing a lot of things."

Ethan hugged me from behind and said softly.

"You're right. This house is missing a lady of the house. Sophie, will you marry me?"

As he spoke, a diamond ring came into my view.

Even though I'd known this day would come, I couldn't stop trembling inside.

Should I say yes?

If the real Sophie were here, she would definitely agree, wouldn't she?

While my thoughts were in chaos.

Ethan walked in front of me with the ring and knelt on one knee.

"Sophie, I'm serious."

The next second, countless people rushed out of the room, releasing countless party poppers with a "bang," cheering loudly.

"Marry him! Marry him!"

For an instant, I thought I'd returned to long ago, when Ethan proposed to me.

Back then, there were also so many people blessing Ethan and me, wishing us a long life together.

Ethan had also declared his love publicly just like now.

He thanked Sophie for lighting up his world, thanked Sophie for pulling him out of the abyss.

And thanked Sophie for saving him and his child.

"Charlotte was the love of my first half of life, but Sophie, you are the redemption of my entire life."

"Marry me."

The fire reflected from the ring stung my eyes.

I knew Sophie would agree.

I should choose to accept too.

But at this moment, I couldn't say a single word.

What woman could hand over her own husband to someone else?

I couldn't do it.

Seeing that I still hadn't moved, Ethan's parents approached me with red eyes, saying carefully:

"Sophie, we know any woman would mind that Ethan was married before."

"But after that person died, Ethan was depressed until he met you and finally showed signs of life."

"As parents, our greatest hope is for our child to be happy. We also hope Ethan can move on from the past and live well."

"Sophie, are you willing to grant our request?"

I looked at my former in-laws, inexplicably feeling unable to breathe.

Even they had accepted Sophie as a matter of course.

Ethan's friends also came over, telling me not to mind his past.

"Ethan is devoted. Once he's committed to someone, he'll love them forever. You don't need to worry at all about him changing his heart."

I stood there in a daze, pulling at the corner of my mouth.

Love forever?

Won't change his heart?

Then why didn't he love me anymore?

My fingertips had gone numb with pain.

I knew I had to make a decision.

I reached out my hand to Ethan, using all my strength to say.

"Okay, I'm willing."

His eyes lit up, and he immediately grabbed my hand and put the ring on me.

It felt heavy on my ring finger.

But I felt something inside me was empty, with nothing there.

A group of people clapped with red eyes, blessing us.

Henry jumped around us happily.

"Great! Mom and Dad are together! I have a mom again!"

Ethan also hugged me excitedly, crying and laughing.

"Once your body fully recovers, we'll have the wedding together."

"I promise I'll give you an unforgettable wedding..."

Like a controlled puppet, I stiffly pulled at the corner of my mouth.

"Okay..."

Before I could finish speaking.

Two people burst in from outside, roaring at Ethan.

"What wedding! We don't agree!"

I was startled and quickly came back to my senses, looking at them.

Dad... Mom?

Henry rushed over and hugged them happily.

"Grandma! Grandpa! I'm going to have a mom again!"

Hearing this, my parents' faces darkened so much they could drip ink.

"What do you mean your mom!"

"In this world, your only mom is Charlotte!"

With that, Mom walked over and slapped Ethan across the face.

"Back then you insisted on taking Charlotte mountain climbing with you, and you got into a car accident on the way. It was Charlotte who risked her life to protect you!"

"We only had one daughter! She wasn't even 30 years old! And she died for you!"

"What did you promise us at the funeral?"

"You said you'd guard Charlotte for life and raise Henry well!"

"But how long has my daughter been dead, and you want to remarry and find a stepmother?"

"Then what about my daughter? What is she to you?"

"How do you think her soul in heaven feels?"

"I'm putting it out there todayif you want to remarry and find Henry a stepmother, no way!"

I looked at my parents' aged wrinkles and gray hair.

My heart ached unbearably.

In this world, probably only my parents still cared about my feelings.

Ethan lowered his head without speaking, probably also remembering the car accident that led to my death, his face full of guilt and helplessness.

His mother and my mother started arguing directly.

"My son is in his prime. He's kept faithful to your daughter for so longwhy can't he remarry?"

"Besides, Henry needs a mother right now. What's wrong with remarrying? Don't you see that he also wants a new mom?"

"Are you trying to force my son and grandson to death?"

Mom's face turned livid with anger, her trembling finger pointing at her.

The next second, she closed her eyes and fell backward.

My heart jumped, and I rushed over to catch her, blurting out:

"Mom!"

In the chaos, no one noticed my slip.

Except Ethan, whose pupils dilated in shock, looking at me in disbelief.