Chapter 1: I Died

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: I Died

I died. I died on the night he forced me to act as bait for a serial killer, all to protect his new love. After my death, my body was turned into a specimen, trapped inside a glass display case.

Yet Julian Fletcher had suddenly gone mad.

I had no idea why my soul had returned to the Fletcher family home in Meridia after I died.

"Still can’t reach Cece? It’s been days," Mrs. Fletcher muttered softly, sitting on the sofa. "She’s always been an obedient child. She wouldn’t just ignore my calls. Could something have happened to her?"

I was the adopted daughter of the Fletcher family, having arrived at this house when I was eighteen. My mother had been Mrs. Fletcher’s best friend. After my parents died in a car accident, she took me in.

"Mom, leave her alone. She’s an adult; what could possibly happen to her?" Julian looked at the time, his tone laced with impatience. "Today is Erin’s birthday. I’m leaving."

Looking at Julian, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. He couldn’t care less whether I lived or died.

Once upon a time, we were childhood sweethearts in the eyes of our family, innocent and inseparable. I used to love following behind him, and he loved holding my hand. He said he liked me, and like a fool, I loved him for ten whole years. Unfortunately, the affections of youth were too fragile. The moment Julian met his true love, every ounce of feeling between us vanished into thin air.

"Julian... there have been so many rumors lately about that serial killer who targets young, beautiful girls. My right eye keeps twitching, and I feel so anxious. Please contact Cece and tell her I miss her," Mrs. Fletcher pleaded softly, her anxiety evident.

After my parents passed away, Mrs. Fletcher was the only person who offered me genuine love and care. She comforted and accompanied me like a mother, treating me as if I were her own flesh and blood. I wanted to comfort her, to hold her, but I couldn’t do that anymore. I was even the cause of her current distress.

"Mrs. Fletcher, I’m sorry..." I choked out, opening my arms to hug her, but my hands phased right through her.

"She’s just an ungrateful wretch. Even if she’s throwing a tantrum at me, she shouldn’t be ignoring your calls. She thinks she’s all grown up now." When Julian spoke of me, his voice was brimming with disgust.

I still remembered the year Julian was hit and injured by kidnappers. I had recklessly lured those men away, begging for nothing more than his survival. I remembered what he told me right before he lost consciousness: *Cece, I will treat you well for the rest of my life...*

Now that his love had faded, I had become nothing more than an ungrateful wretch in his eyes.

"Julian, I’m dead. You’re finally free, finally relieved of your burden." I stood in front of him, laughing bitterly. "So in your heart, I was never anything more than an ungrateful wretch."

"Julian, I know you don’t want to marry Cece, but the two of you have an engagement. You grew up together as childhood sweethearts; there’s a foundation of affection there. You’re already together. If you don’t marry her, how am I supposed to explain this to her mother?"

Julian’s face darkened, his voice turning icy. "Stop bringing up that ’childhood sweethearts’ nonsense. Am I obligated to marry her just because we grew up together? She’s the one with the wishful thinking, using childhood promises as an excuse. She threw away her dignity and actively seduced me just to force a marriage. She has no shame."

I trembled uncontrollably, raising my hand to strike him, only to hit empty air. "Julian Fletcher, you bastard!"

That night, he was clearly the one who had lost his mind and touched me, yet afterward, he claimed I had set him up!

Julian left. My soul was forcibly tethered to him, dragging me along to Erin’s birthday party.

The moment he walked through the door, Julian’s friends cheerfully called out to greet Erin.

"Happy birthday, Erin! Julian really went all out for you this year."

Julian gave Erin a doting smile, presenting his gift amid the cheering and whistling of the crowd.

"Julian, is there... still no news of Cece?" Erin asked softly, as if suddenly remembering.

I sneered. "Why pretend to be a good person? Weren’t you the one who got me killed?"

Julian frowned. "Bringing her up just kills the mood."

Erin smiled. "She’s your sister, after all. Don’t be like that."

"Sister?" Julian scoffed coldly. "She almost got you killed, and you’re still speaking up for her. You’re just too kindhearted."

Erin wrapped her arms around Julian, acting coy against his chest. "I really don’t mind..."

I stood right in front of Julian, desperately trying to explain. "I didn’t! I never tried to hurt her! It was her! She’s the one who got me killed! Julian! She killed me!"

But Julian couldn’t hear a word. I cried and screamed in a panic, explaining with everything I had. But after repeating it so many times, a sudden exhaustion washed over me. Julian had never trusted me to begin with.

"Have you guys heard? That serial killer still hasn’t been caught. The police have already found six bodies, all of them beautiful women." Someone nearby had brought up the killer.

"Didn’t the killer set his sights on Erin a while back? Thank god you kept her so well-protected, Julian, or it would have been incredibly dangerous."

"Cece even acted as bait to lure the killer out, but it didn’t work. Even a serial killer wouldn’t look twice at her, hahaha..."

"Exactly. If even a serial killer doesn’t want her, how could she ever compare to our Erin?"

Julian’s chest tightened, an inexplicable surge of irritation hitting him. "Why are you bringing this up?"

He lit a cigarette. When his phone rang again, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Julian Fletcher? We are with the Meridia Criminal Investigation Detachment. What is your relationship with Cecilia Caldwell?"

Julian stood up abruptly, motioning for everyone to quiet down. "Shut up, all of you!" He grew tense, his knuckles turning slightly white. "Cecilia is... my sister."

I looked at Julian and suddenly let out a laugh. Even in death, I was still just his sister.

"Something may have happened to her. We found her phone and personal belongings at the primary scene of a homicide. Please come down and identify them."