Chapter 1
The entire city of Ardenfall was in shock that day.
News spread fast about a horrific dismemberment involving a local socialite.
The victim was Isabel Clyde, the cherished daughter of the Clyde family. The family owned a huge business empire.
Her severed head was discovered by a fisherman along the riverbank.
Other parts of her body, however, were still missing.
When the news broke, her family was overcome
me with grief, crying
or out in
despair.
brothers who adored her.
Isabel was the only daughter of the Clyde family. She had doting parents and five older bro
“Is this really happening? Am I really dead?” Isabel stared in disbelief at her parents and brothers, who were crying uncontrollably.
A group of reporters stood nearby, snapping pictures of the heartbreaking scene.
“Dad. Mom, and my brothers, it’s me–Isabell” Isabel tried to step forward, but then she felt herself drifting away.
Looking down at herself, she suddenly realized–she had become a spirit.
She remembered the day before: dining with her family at a restaurant, then getting into a car. After that, everything went black.
Her family wept, begging the police to find her killer as soon as possible.
They declined interviews and, under the protection of bodyguards, returned home.
Jabel followed them.
She
still unable to understand why she had to die.
Once they arrived home, something felt off. Her parents and five brothers were no longer consumed by grief
The overwhelming sorrow that had marked them earlier was gone. They didn’t seem to mourn her death at all.
Her father, Caius Clyde, spoke sharply, “Lucian, what the hell were you thinking? You tossed her head in such a public place? It was found almost immediately. Didn’t I tell you to get rid of it properly!”
Lucian rushed to defend himself. “Dad, I thought if I dumped it in the river, it would just float away. How was I supposed to know some fisherman would find it? And forget about that–what do I do about the body parts in my car?”
Lucian looked anxious. The miss
missing body parts were hidden in his car.
Her mother, Rosy Clyde, scolded him, “Why didn’t you just get rid of everything? Why leave anything behind?
Lucian’s hands trembled as he answered, “I thought I’d spread the pieces around. No one would ever put it together. But if the police find out I’ve got body parts in my car, I’m done for.
Caius paused, deep in thought. “We’ll hold off for now. This family is under police’s watch, so it’s not the right time to act. We’re victims–the family of the deceased. No one will suspect us. Once things settle down, we’ll deal with it”
Isabel was in complete shock after hearing this.
She couldn’t believe that the people who had killed her were her own family.
Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, but she couldn’t find any reason why they would want her dead.
The night before, she had shared a meal with them and gotten into a car.
Somehow, she had gotte
had gotten so drowsy during the ride that she fell asleep.
The next thing she knew, was dead.
1/4
11:26 AM
Chapter 1
Her body had been torn apart, and her remains were scattered.
“Why would you do this to me?” Isabel screamed in agony.
These were the people closest to her, the ones she loved more than anything in the world.
But her cries were useless. She was now a wandering spirit–unseen and unheard by them. They couldn’t see her, couldn’t hear her pain.
Juu then her second brother, Maxwell, suddenly shivered.
He frowned, unease creeping over him. “Why do I feel like there’s a chill in the air? Is Isabel haunting us?”
Caius shot him a harsh glare. “Stop talki
talking nonsense in broad daylight.”
He sighed deeply, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Then Caius put on a sad expression and said, “Actually, Isabel was a good girl. She was obedient and very filial to us.
“But, after all, she wasn’t our biological daughter. Now that she’s gone, it’s for the best. We can finally bring our real daughter back.”
Isabel felt like she’d been struck by lightning.
It was only now that she understood–she wasn’t their biological daughter.
After listening to this whole conversation, Isabel learned that a month ago, the Clyde family discovered that when their child was born, she had been switched at the hospital
Isabel wasn’t their real daughter. Their biological daughter had been given to another family.
They feared that Isabel would one day return to her birth family, taking their wealth with her and giving it all to her real parents.
So, they made the brutal decision to eliminate any future threats
They had poisoned her drink during dinner, which made her fall asleep in the car.
After killing her, they quietly dismembered her body.
Lucian said, “Well, now everything’s fine. Our real sister can finally come home
Maxwell ad
added. “This fake one should’ve died a long time ago. She’s been living off our family for all these years.” The third brother, Ethan, commented, “No wonder I never liked her. Turns out she wasn’t even our real sister.
years.
The fourth brother, Roger, said, “It pains me to think about how our real sister must have suffered all these ye
The fifth brother, Lucas, chimed in, “When our real sister comes back, we’ll treat her a thousand times better. She’s our real family.”
Each of these words felt like a poisoned dagger, slowly twisting and tearing at Isabel’s heart.
The people she had once called family were all so cruel.
They had stained their hands with her blood and were now speaking openly about her death like it was just business,
They were merciless because the real heir was finally coming back.
habel couldn’t understand how they could be so heartless. They were worse than animals.
Furious,
s, Isabel screamed and lunged at her brothers, her fists aiming to tear them apart.
But every time she tried, she passed straight through them. She was nothing but a formless spirit, a wisp of a soul.
She hated them.
She hated them with every fiber of her being
Ahhh…
11:26 AM
Chapter 1
Isabel screamed in agony, her voice raw with pain. Suddenly, a beam of white light poured in through the window, surrounding her
She couldn’t open her eyes
When she came to, she found herself lying in her room.
“Tabell, hurry up, get up! We’re going out to eat today,” her mother, Rosy Clyde, said cheerfully.
Jubel jolted awake.
Staring at Roxy in front of her, she instinctively pulled her leg under the covers.
It hurt.
thought, confusion clouding her mind.
I’m still alive! What’s going on? Isabel the
“Isabel, what’s wrong! Didn’t you promise to go with Dad and me to the restaurant?” Rosy asked, sounding surprised.
Then it hit her.
Time had turned back. She was back to the day before her dismemberment–the day before the tragedy.
Isabel remembered it clearly. It was Rosy who had come to her room and asked her to go out for a meal. Afterward, she got into the car, and then, she was murdered.
A wave of joy washed over Isabel–she had been reborn. God had given her a second chance..
With the memory of her parents‘ and brothers‘ malicious faces fresh in her mind, Isabel knew exactly what she had to do. She would change her fate–the one where she had been dismembered.
“Mom, I’m feeling a bit unwell, I don’t want to go to the restaurant. Can we just eat at home instead!” Isabel said, her voice soft but firm.
“What? You promised me!” Rosy exclaimed, sounding surprised,
Everything had been set up, all ready for Isabel to walk straight into their trap
“Mom, I really don’t feel well. It’s just a meal. We can eat at home, right? You care about me so much, you wouldn’t want to see me uncomfortable, would you?” Jubel pleaded, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
*Should I call our family doctor to check on your Rosy asked, still concerned.
“No need. I’ll just lie down for a while, Isabel said, flashing a small smile.
Seeing her daughter’s state, Rosy hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly agreed and left the room.
Isabel breathed a sigh of relief, her fists clenched tightly beneath the covers,
She silently swore to herself that this time, she would make the Clyde family pay for all they did to her.
After Rosy left the room, she spoke to Caius, “She said she doesn’t feel well and won’t go
“She won’t go2 Our plans are all set. What should we do now?” Caius sounded displeased.
“We can’t force her, can we?” Rosy replied
“It’s really frustrating. Our real daughter is out there suffering, and we can’t even do anything about it,” Caius lamented.
“Dad, Mom, what are you talking about? Real daughter? Am I not your real daughter!” Isabel suddenly appeared, interrupting their conversation.
Caius and Rosy froze, unsure of how to respond
“Come on, tell ine–am I not your biological daughter!” Isabel pressed them.
Under her relentless questioning, Rosy had no choice but to speak the truth
Rosy said, her voice cold and lacking any warmth, “Isabel, you’re right. You’re not our biological daughter. When you were born, the hospital mixed up the babies.
“Your real parents are out there, and we planned to switch you back. We were going to tell you later, but now that you know… it’s making things
Isabel pretended to feel hurt and sorrowful.
Her goal was clear: she needed to ruin their plans, make sure they no longer thought about killing her.
This time, she would make them pay
