Chapter 1
Norman Walsh sat on the living room couch, his voice icy and distant. “Juliet, Iris has been targeted by a serial killer. So, you’ll take her spot three days later and perform at the concert.”
Juliet Lennon started to speak, but he lifted his hand, silencing her. “I’m telling you, not asking for your input.”
When she didn’t respond, Norman’s expression turned stony. “You’re immortal. You’re not going to die. The killer would only take you for a little while. What’s the big deal? You’ll be back in three days. It’s not like it’s forever!”
Juliet lowered her eyes, a bitter smile flickering across her face.
The husband she loved with all her heart hadn’t set foot in the house for a week. And now, the moment he finally walked through the door, he was ordering her to die in place of his first love.
All because Norman knew the truth—five years ago, she’d accidentally bound herself to the Immortal System and become an undying.
Even though she’d always come back to life three days after her death, the agony she suffered before dying was very much real.
As an immortal, Juliet’s sensitivity to pain was 100 times sharper than an ordinary person’s. Norman knew that too, but he conveniently left it out.
He didn’t love her.
Norman was well aware that in just seven days, the serial killer had brutally taken the lives of six women. His methods were beyond cruel. The police had thrown everything they had into catching him, but every effort had fallen short.
Even though Norman knew that Juliet wouldn’t survive if she went, he felt no sympathy for her.
“Juliet, you’ve had eight years as Mrs. Walsh, all because of that face of yours that looks so much like Iris’. Don’t you think you owe her something in return?” he asked.
Juliet hesitated, her reluctance clear.
Norman’s expression turned cold. “I’ll count to three. If you refuse, I’ll have someone take away Lenny, that cat your mom left you. You’ll never see him again!”
Juliet stared at the man she’d loved for eight years, her eyes swimming with tears.
Years ago, Norman had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and abandoned by his first love, Iris Roth. In his darkest moment, he’d tried to take his own life with sleeping pills.
It was Juliet who’d stayed by his side, pushing him to keep going and giving him a reason to live. She’d found the best doctors, and eventually, they’d cured his ALS.
She’d stood by his side as he’d built his business from the ground up, even helping him take his company public. She’d gone out of her way to mend the broken ties between him and his family.
Juliet had held onto the belief that her unwavering devotion would eventually soften Norman’s heart. But instead, she was faced with this—a man who callously threatened her using the one thing she cared about most.
He and Iris were the ones with the true love story. And her? She was nothing more than a stand-in, a sacrifice waiting to be made. The irony of it all was too much to stomach.
Juliet closed her eyes and called out to the system. “System, I request for mortality. I want to leave this world.”
The system’s voice held a note of surprise. “Are you sure about this, Juliet? You’re immortal now. If you go through with this, there’s no turning back!”
“I’m sure,” Juliet answered, her voice weighed down with grief.
There was nothing left for her to care about. She had let go of the hope that Norman might ever love her. All she wanted now was to disappear from this world forever.
“Juliet, once the mortal program is triggered, there will be no turning back. You care for Norman more than anyone. Are you truly prepared to let him go for good?”
Her voice was unwavering. “Yes.”
“Understood. Your request has been submitted. Approval will take approximately three days. Please wait patiently.”
“Three!
“Two!”
Norman’s countdown pressed on.
Juliet opened her eyes, her tone calm and even. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll take her place and die. Just give Lenny back to me. Stay away from him.”
Norman had expected her to scream, fight back, or put up a struggle. Her quiet resignation threw him off. Something didn’t feel right. He was about to push her further when his phone buzzed.
He answered the call and turned to go, but Juliet’s voice made him stop.
“Can you come back tomorrow? There’s something I need to discuss with you. Just five minutes. That’s all I need.”
She wanted to settle their divorce before she was gone.
