Paid My Life For Her Fake Debt, Now She Weeps At My Grave

My wife, Chloe Miller, allegedly went bankrupt, leaving behind a staggering debt of ten million dollars.

To help her pay it off, I sold my house, sold my car, quit my job, and subjected myself to highrisk clinical drug trials as a human guinea pig.

Over four years, my liver and kidneys slowly failed. My body was covered in ugly needle marks, and even the strongest painkillers could no longer dull the agony.

Right before my heart stopped, I was still clutching a freshly earned check of five thousand dollars, hoping the nurse would give it to her.

But outside my hospital room, Chloe was leaning into the arms of her exboyfriend, Marcus Vance, laughing. "He’s finally dying." "That pathetic simp took on all my debts for four years.

I guess he was useful for something." Marcus asked her in a low voice, "So, when are you going to tell him that your company never actually went bankrupt?" Chloe sneered. "No rush." "Once he draws his last breath, I’ll take the cashedout money and move abroad with you." It turned out that my four years of excruciating pain and crushing debt were nothing but a massive scam.

A final tear slid down my cheek. Chloe. This time, I wish you "happiness." …… I died at 3:17 AM. The monitors in the room let out a sharp, continuous, deafening beep.

When the nurse rushed in, my hand was still deathly tight around that bank card.

She tried to pry my fingers open but failed. "Ethan." "Where is your family?" "Didn't you say your wife was on her way?" I floated right next to the bed, staring down at my emaciated body, which was now nothing but skin and bones.

It felt incredibly foreign. For four years, I had been wheeled into countless laboratories. I drank bitter experimental concoctions. I was injected with chemicals of unknown names.

I signed waiver after waiver. The doctors once asked me, "Are you sure you want to keep going?

Your body can't handle these trials anymore." I always gave the same reply: "I need the money." "My wife is waiting for me to save her." But only now did I realize.

She didn't need me to save her. She just wanted me dead. The nurse sighed, picked up my phone, and called Chloe. It rang for a long time before she finally picked up.

Chloe’s voice was filled with annoyance. "What is it now?" The nurse was taken aback. "Hello, is this Chloe? Your husband, Ethan Cole, just passed away after failing resuscitation.

Please come to the hospital immediately." Silence fell over the other end of the line for a few seconds.

Then came a soft chuckle. "Is your hospital helping him put on a show now?" The nurse frowned. "Ma'am, please take this seriously.

The patient is indeed deceased." Chloe said coldly, "Tell him to cut the act." "He just messaged me two days ago saying he earned five thousand dollars, and now he’s dead?" "If he’s really dead, tell him to come tell me himself." The nurse’s face turned white with anger. "How can you speak like that?" Chloe hung up.

I stood in the room, feeling an empty void where my heart used to be. I thought there would be no pain after death, but it turned out even a soul could ache.

The nurse stared at my phone and muttered a curse. "What kind of wife is she? Her husband is gone, and she thinks it's a joke." I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't.

An hour later, my mother rushed into the hospital. Her hair was a messy nest, and she had put her shoes on the wrong feet.

The moment she saw my body covered by the white sheet, she stumbled. "Ethan?" "Mom is here." "Don't scare me." The nurse held her up, her eyes red. "Ma'am, please stay strong." My mother threw herself over my bed, pulling back the sheet.

When she saw my pale, lifeless face, all the strength was sucked out of her. "Didn't you say this was just a routine checkup?" "Didn't you say you'd come home soon?" "Why did you lie to me again?" I stood beside her, desperately trying to hug her, but my hands only passed right through her shoulders.

I could only repeat over and over, "Mom, I'm sorry. I was a terrible son. I shouldn't have ruined myself for Chloe." But she couldn't hear me.

The nurse handed her the bank card. "He was clutching this tightly until the very end.

There should be money inside." My mother covered her mouth, sobbing so hard she couldn't make a sound. "He went to do those clinical trials again, didn't he?" "I begged him not to go." "He told me Chloe was in debt, and that people would kill her if she didn't pay." "But look at him now..." "He died first." The young doctor beside her said softly, "Ma'am, he took on too many experimental drug trials over the years." "His liver and kidney damage was severe." "Honestly, it's a miracle he held on until now." My mother suddenly looked up. "Where is Chloe?" "Why isn't she here yet?" The nurse gritted her teeth. "We contacted her.

She didn't believe us." My mother's eyes turned freezing cold. "She didn't believe it?" "Fine." "I will make her believe it myself." She grabbed my phone and dialed Chloe's number again.

This time, the call was answered quickly.

Chloe's tone was incredibly irritated. "Ethan, are you done?" "Do you think faking your death is fun?" My mother spoke clearly, word by word. "It's Mary." Chloe paused. "Mary?" My mother's voice trembled. "Don't speak to me." "Ethan is dead." "Come to the hospital to claim his body." Chloe fell silent for a few seconds, then sneered. "Mary, are you helping him lie to me too?" "Is he trying to make me feel guilty again?" "Let me tell you, I have no money right now, and I’m in no mood to baby him." My mother shook with rage. "Chloe!" "He literally gave his life for you!" Chloe mocked, "For me?" "He did it voluntarily." "I didn't hold a knife to his throat and force him to do those drug trials." As soon as she finished speaking, a man’s voice came through the phone. "Chloe, stop wasting your breath on them." "We have to look at the yacht today." My mother froze, and so did I.

I knew that voice all too well. Marcus Vance. Chloe’s college sweetheart. The man she swore she had cut ties with a long time ago.

My mother asked in a shaking voice, "Who are you with?" Chloe replied impatiently, "Does it have anything to do with you?" "If Ethan is really dead, mail me the death certificate." "It’ll make filing for probate easier." She hung up.

My mother held the phone, looking as though she had been violently slapped.

She looked at my corpse, crying so hard she could barely kneel. "My son..." "What kind of monster did you fall in love with?" Standing beside the bed, I finally realized something.

The person I had failed most in this life wasn't Chloe. It was my mother. And myself.

The day my body was sent home, it was pouring rain. My mother held my urn, looking as if she had aged ten years overnight.

The place was a tiny twobedroom apartment we rented after I sold my house. The paint was peeling, and the windows let in drafts.

My mother placed my framed photo on the table. "Ethan, stay home for a couple of days." "Mom will arrange your funeral." "Don't worry, I won't let your death be in vain." Floating beside her, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.

I knew her too well. She had been honest, conflictavoidant, and terrified of owing anyone anything her whole life. But for me, she would do anything.

In the afternoon, Chloe showed up. She wore a stylish creamcolored coat, flawless makeup, and carried a designer handbag. Marcus followed behind her, holding an umbrella.

Seeing the white funeral flowers at the door, Marcus scoffed. "He really died?" Chloe didn't say a word.

She stepped into the apartment, and when she saw the blackandwhite photo on the table, her steps halted abruptly.

In the photo, I was wearing an old white shirt, smiling like an idiot. We had taken that photo on the day we got our marriage license.

Her throat tightened. "Who put this photo up?" My mother blocked the table. "What are you doing here?" Chloe stared at the photo, her voice strained. "Where is he?" My mother's eyes were redrimmed. "Cremated." "You're too late." Chloe’s face turned instantly pale. "Who gave you the right to cremate him?" "I am his wife!" My mother slapped her across the face.

The sharp crack shocked even Marcus. "Now you remember you're his wife?" "Where were you when he died?" "What did you say when the nurse called you?" Chloe held her cheek, anger flashing in her eyes. "I thought he was faking!" "It’s not like he hasn't used selfharm to get my attention before!" My mother let out a bitter laugh. "Attention?" "When he was hospitalized for stomach bleeding, he was still thinking about transferring money to you from the ER!" "When he had a hundredandfourdegree fever, he still went to do those clinical trials because you told him debt collectors were blocking your company doors!" "His arms were covered in needle scars!" "His liver failed, his kidneys failed, and he was spitting up blood at dinner!" "And all of that was just 'attentionseeking' to you?" Chloe’s lips trembled.

But Marcus quickly stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "Mary, I understand you're emotional right now." "But whatever Ethan did over the years, he did of his own free will." "Chloe hasn't had it easy either." My mother looked up at him. "And who the hell are you?" Marcus’s expression hardened.

Chloe said coldly, "Marcus is my friend." My mother pointed at the door. "Take your friend and get the hell out." But Chloe suddenly stared at the box on the table. "Where are his documents?" My mother grew guarded. "What do you want them for?" Chloe said, "To close his accounts." "His bank cards, his insurance... as his spouse, I have the legal right to handle his estate." My mother rushed to block the drawer. "In your dreams!" "You killed my son, and now you want his money?" Chloe frowned. "Mary, stop being unreasonable." "I paid off a lot of his debts too." Hearing this, I almost laughed out loud.

I had been paying off her debts for four years. Yet she had the audacity to claim she paid off mine.

My mother laughed too, tears streaming down her face. "Chloe." "Look at yourself in the mirror." "Who was the one paying off the debts for the past four years?" Chloe averted her gaze. "Why do we have to draw such a sharp line between husband and wife?" Marcus chimed in, "Respect the dead.

Let's not make this ugly." My mother grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it straight at him. "Get out!" The glass grazed Marcus's shoulder and shattered on the floor.

Marcus's face darkened. But Chloe was still staring at my photo.

She suddenly whispered, "Ethan, you're so cruel." "Even in death, you won't let me have peace." I stood in front of her, looking at the late panic in her eyes, feeling nothing but disgust.

I was already dead. And she still thought I was doing this to spite her.

Chloe didn't get my documents.

Before she left, she threw down a cold threat. "Mary, if you don't cooperate, I’ll take legal action." My mother stood by the door, her voice hoarse. "Go ahead." "Even if it costs me my life, I won't let you touch a single thing he left behind." Once the door closed, my mother finally broke down, sliding against the wall onto the floor.

She opened my old phone. Inside were many drafts that had never been sent.

All of them were written to Chloe. "Chloe, the reaction to the clinical trial was a bit intense today, but the money cleared." "Chloe, did the debt collectors bother you again?" "Chloe, I don't think I can make it to your birthday." "Chloe, it hurts so much." The last draft was never sent.

It had only five words: "I can't hold on anymore." As my mother read them, she clutched her chest, gasping for air from the agonizing pain. "My foolish boy..." "Why were you so foolish?" That night, Chloe returned to the luxury villa she was living in.

I knew that villa. She had told me a friend lent it to her so she could hide from debt collectors. But after my death, I saw that the registered owner at the front gate was Marcus.

In the living room, Marcus poured two glasses of red wine. "Did her mother refuse to give them to you?" Chloe sat on the sofa, her face pale. "No." Marcus sneered. "She’s just an old woman.

What can she do?" "Once we get the death certificate, you’re the primary beneficiary anyway." Chloe looked up at him. "Marcus." "Did you already know he was dead when we were at the hospital?" Marcus paused. "How could I have known?" Chloe stared at him. "When the hospital called that day, you were right next to me." "You kept urging me not to go." Marcus smiled subtly. "I was just worried you’d get tricked by him again." "Have you forgotten how he used to cling to you?" "You mentioned the company was having a hard time, and he sold his house." "You said debt collectors were after you, and he went to do medical trials." "People like him just love playing the martyr to satisfy their own egos." Chloe gripped her wine glass. "Was his health really that bad?" Marcus said impatiently, "He’s dead anyway.

What's the point of overthinking this now?" "Chloe, we planned this for so long." "The debts he took on have been legally transferred, and the cash in your account has been washed clean." "We’re leaving in two weeks." "Don't go soft now." Standing in front of them, my mind went entirely blank.

The debts he took on? Transferred? Washed clean? So her company never went bankrupt.

Those indemnity agreements, those debt restructurings she had me sign over the years—they were all knives she handed to me. And I had spent four years stabbing myself with them.

Chloe remained silent for a long time. "Did he say anything before he died?" Marcus mocked, "What could he say?" "Probably still worrying about sending you money." "He was clutching that debit card pretty tightly, wasn't he?" Chloe closed her eyes. "Stop talking." Marcus set down his glass and sat beside her. "Don't forget how he forced your hand back then." "If he hadn't insisted you sell that plot of land, we would have gotten our first fortune a long time ago." Chloe’s eyes snapped open. "That land was left by my father." "Ethan said the risk was too high and didn't want me to get hurt." Marcus’s voice turned cold. "That’s why I said he was a roadblock." "But now, the road is clear." Chloe didn't say anything.

Marcus reached out to hug her. "Chloe, we're finally free." Chloe's body went stiff. After a long pause, she whispered, "Yeah." I stared at her.

Four years ago, she had cried in my arms and said, "Ethan, my company is ruined. I don't know what to do. Please help me." I believed her. I thought we were a team.

I thought that even though she was stubborn, she still loved me. I never imagined that she didn't want me to help her survive. She wanted me to take her place in hell.

The next day, Chloe went to her office for a meeting, and I followed her. The company sign outside was clean and professional. Employees walked in and out normally.

The receptionist greeted her respectfully. "Good morning, Ms. Miller." I froze. How could a bankrupt company still be fully operational?

In the conference room, the CFO handed her a folder. "Ms.

Miller, the offshore accounts have been verified." "The last liability under Ethan Cole's name has been cleared." "Once the court finishes processing, you won't be linked to any of it." Chloe flipped through the documents, her finger lingering on my name. "Now that he's dead, will they still investigate?" The CFO lowered his voice. "As long as his mother doesn't make a scene, they won't." "Besides, Ethan signed all those guarantees voluntarily over the years." "Even if they investigate, we can just say it was a failed investment on his part." Chloe remained silent.

Marcus leaned back in his chair, smiling easily. "See?

I told you." "Dead men tell no tales." Chloe suddenly glared at him. "Can you stop using the word 'dead'?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Feeling guilty?" Chloe said coldly, "I'm just annoyed." "I don't want any loose ends." The CFO added, "There is one more thing." "It seems Ethan saved his clinical trial records on a cloud drive before he died." "We're not sure if there are any debtrelated documents in there." Chloe’s face shifted. "What's the password?" "We don't know yet." Marcus laughed. "I do." Chloe looked at him.

Marcus boasted, "How complicated could a guy like him make a password?" "It’s either your birthday or your wedding anniversary." Chloe dazed.

Marcus opened his laptop and tried a few times. First, Chloe's birthday. Error. Second, the day they reunited. Error. Third, the day Chloe and I got married. Still an error.

Marcus’s smile faltered. "The idiot actually got smart." Chloe suddenly whispered, "Try his mother's birthday." Marcus typed it in. Access granted. Chloe's face drained of color.

I stood behind her, watching coldly. Did she finally realize? In my final years, the only person I truly cared about was my mother. The drive opened.

Inside, it wasn't the debt documents they expected. Instead, it was a series of video files. The first video was recorded during my very first clinical drug trial.

In the video, I sat in the hospital hallway, my face still looking relatively healthy. I smiled at the camera. "Mom, don't worry.

It's just a routine trial." "Chloe needs the money urgently. I'll be home soon." The second video was recorded after I threw up blood.

I clutched my abdomen, my voice trembling. "I got eighteen hundred dollars today." "Chloe said the debt collectors are pressing her again." "I can't stop." The third video was taken when I was hospitalized.

I was emaciated beyond recognition. "The doctor said I can't do this anymore." "But there's one last payment." "Once this one is paid off, Chloe won't have to be scared anymore." Chloe’s hands began to shake violently.

Marcus impatiently clicked to close the video. "Stop watching this useless garbage. Find the files." But in his haste, he accidentally opened an audio file.

Chloe’s voice echoed through the room. It was from four years ago.

She was crying at home, begging me. "Ethan, please just sign it." "It’s just a formality." "The company is going under." "I have no one else to turn to." Then came my voice. "If I sign this, will you be okay?" Chloe sobbed, "Yes, I promise." "Once I clear the debts, I’ll be a good wife to you." When the recording finished playing, the conference room fell into a dead silence.

The CFO's face was completely pale. "Ms.

Miller, if this gets leaked..." Marcus slammed the laptop shut. "Delete it!" But Chloe pressed his hand down. "Don't touch it." Marcus snapped, "Are you crazy?" "Do you want the whole world to know?" Chloe looked up, her eyes bloodshot. "Marcus." "He actually believed me." Marcus sneered, "So what?" "Are you going to mourn him now?" Chloe gritted her teeth. "Shut up." Marcus slammed the files onto the table. "Chloe, let's not forget." "You're the one who approved this scheme." "You're the one who said he loved you and was the easiest to trick." "You're the one who said letting him shoulder the debt was the safest bet." "Now that he's dead, why are you pretending to have a conscience?" I stood there, feeling a chill run deep into my soul.

So, from the very beginning. She knew everything. She wasn't used by Marcus. She was the one who personally pushed me into the abyss.