After I Died, He Married My Photo

Chapter 2

Even though they'd been over for five years, just seeing the name Renald was enough to completely wreck Julienne's composure.

But remembering her end game, she forced all those feelings down and put on a bored, unimpressed face.

"Renald, this three million... honestly, it's a little weak.

"Back then, you wouldn't even blink at giving me thirty million, let alone three. Why are you being so cheap now?"

Every word that left her mouth felt like a knife to her chest, but she kept her eyes glued to the username Renald Magnier, refusing to look away.

It didn't take long for Renald's words to scroll across the top of the screen again.

Renald: [Because you don't deserve it.]

Before Julienne could even process the hit, the live stream was abruptly cut off.

Julienne sat there frozen, her pale lips pressed into a tight line, but her phone started buzzing almost instantly.

She picked up, only to hear a cold, corporate voice on the other end.

"Julienne, if you keep defaming Mr. Magnier online, the Magnier Group's legal team will be taking you to court."

Hearing that, Julienne let out a laugh. "Is this Renald's idea? Look, I can stop talking about him, but only if the hush money is right."

There was a brief pause on the line before the voice replied, "Fine. 3:00 p.m. today, at the Magnier Group headquarters for a face-to-face meeting."

Julienne froze, instinctively reaching up to touch her face, which had gone gaunt and hollow from the chemo.

Pale as a ghost, how could she possibly face Renald?

She lowered her eyes and said flatly, "I'm busy. If we're talking, we do it online."

And with that, she hung up.

Setting the phone down, Julienne leaned back in her chair as a slow, agonizing throb started pounding in her head.

Dealing with cancer for five years meant she was used to this pain by now—and just as used to drowning in old memories whenever it got too bad to handle.

Renald, even when running multi-million dollar international meetings, used to text her back within seconds.

After it happened a bunch of times, she had told him, feeling a bit self-conscious, "It's just random stuff anyway. You can just reply when you're done with work."

But Renald had said, "It's not the same. Replying right then and there is what makes it matter. I don't want to miss a single thing about you."

As Julienne drifted through these memories, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from the Magnier Group's legal team.

Legal Team: Julienne, Mr. Magnier can do an encrypted video call with you right now. You have exactly five minutes.

Julienne's heart skipped a violent beat, her fingertips shaking a little.

She called out toward the door, "Carmen! Come here quick, help me adjust the filters!"

Watching Carmen fiddle with the camera settings, Julienne asked, her voice unsteady, "Carmen, am I going to look really awful on screen in a second?"

A flash of heartache crossed Carmen's eyes. "First of all, you've always been gorgeous. Second of all, trust my tech skills."

Only then did Julienne relax a little. A moment later, a video call request popped up on screen.

Julienne hit Accept, her heart practically leaping into her throat.

On screen, Renald looked sharp and striking—time had carved his features into a more mature, chiseled look.

Except, the tenderness that used to fill his eyes five years ago was completely gone.

Julienne's throat tightened. "Long time no see."

The guy on screen looked up casually, his fingers idly tapping against the desk.

"Julienne, are you really that desperate for cash? We haven't seen each other in five years, and the second you pop back up, you're using my name to rake in money?"

Watching his movements, Julienne smiled.

Renald only tapped his fingers on the desk when he was feeling rattled. He wasn't nearly as calm as he was pretending to be.

A wave of bitterness washed over her, but she forced herself to say, "Hey, you loved me so much back then. What's wrong with me bragging about it a little?

"The name Renald is basically a cheat code for free publicity."

Renald's voice cut through the air. "Don't you dare bring up the past with me!

"For the last five years, not a single day has gone by where I didn't regret ever being with you!"

Julienne's breath hitched, but she laughed so hard that tears almost came to her eyes.

"And yet, the moment I show my face, here you are running right back to me like a dog.

"Renald, just admit it. You still love me, you can't forget me, and you've never truly let me go."

On the other side of the screen, Renald laughed out of sheer frustration. Just as he was about to snap back, a woman's hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.

Julienne's pupils shrunk slightly as a soft, gentle voice echoed through the speaker.

"Renald, what could possibly be making you this upset?"

Julienne watched as the fury consuming Renald instantly drained away at that one simple sentence.

Even his icy expression melted into pure tenderness.

He said, "Perfect timing. Help me prove something."

Realizing exactly what was about to happen, Julienne instinctively reached out to cut the feed.

But a second later, a gentle, unremarkable face appeared on screen, curious and open.

Renald smirked at the camera, his expression malicious and dripping with irony.

"Let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Victoria."