Chapter 1

Six months after I died, my husband, Adrian Hunter, asked me again to donate my kidney to his precious white moonlight, Brianna Cooper, the woman he could never let go of, who was now gravely ill.

In the cemetery, he smashed my tombstone like crazy and kicked over the memorial table.

Adrian shouted, "Dead? What a joke! A woman like Clara Sullivan would never be willing to die!

"She just wants to let Brianna die, and even roped you all into this fake death trick!"

Adrian was absolutely furious, and the staff nearby were so scared that they didn't even dare to come out.

It was a newbie who finally worked up the nerve to step forward.

She said, "Clara is really dead. Word is, she died during that transplant surgery half a year ago. She..."

"You shut up!" Adrian snapped, slapping her hard and cutting her off. "You think I'd buy that crap?

"You tell her that if she doesn't show up within three days, Lila Sullivan won't walk off that operating table alive. I never bluff!"

Adrian's eyes were dark and vicious as he threw out his threat, then stormed off.

Hearing this, the staff member glanced over at another tombstone not far away and sighed deeply.

She said, "It's a pity. Lila died long ago, too. Her illness got worse, and she didn't make it."

Half a year after I died, Adrian still came looking for me.

The wind in the cemetery was bone-chilling.

I drifted above my own tombstone, watching as he rushed over, his face ashen.

He roared, "Clara! Get your ass out here!"

He pushed away the staff member who tried to stop him, then slammed his fist right onto the spot where my photo was on the tombstone.

He continued, "Brianna needs a kidney now. You should donate yours to her, like it or not! Hiding out here and faking your death! How low can you get?"

In the picture, I was still smiling.

It was taken three years ago when he finally agreed to go on a date with me. He said my smile looked goofy, but he insisted I keep this photo.

Now, in his eyes, my smile was probably like a cruel joke.

"Adrian, please calm down. Clara has been dead for half a year. Look at it, her tombstone's right here," the staff member said.

"Look at what?" Adrian barked, whipping around, his eyes red with rage. "She was such a coward, couldn't even kill a chicken, as she'd ever have the guts to die? Who are you trying to fool?"

As he spoke, he suddenly kicked the stone table holding the offerings.

With a loud clatter, the fruit platter crashed to the ground, apples rolling everywhere.

Adrian yelled, "Clara! Listen up. Brianna can't wait anymore! If you don't show up today, I'll make sure Lila knows how it feels to be left waiting to die!"

My heart clenched hard.

Lila, my little sister, was only twenty years old, already tortured by kidney failure for three years.

"Next week, she's supposed to have that matching surgery, right?" Adrian sneered, pulling out his phone. "So tell me, what if I call the hospital now, ask them to cancel the surgery, and tell them to stop her meds?"

I cried out, "No!"

I lunged at him without thinking, but my hand passed right through his body.

Of course, he couldn't hear me.

Because now I was just a ghost.

"Adrian, you can't do this!" the young staff member who'd tried to stop him earlier rushed over, panic in her voice as she stepped in front of him. "Clara has really left. She died during a liver transplant surgery half a year ago. There was an accident, and she couldn't be saved."

A slap hit hard across her face.

Adrian's eyes were cold and vicious as he snapped, "Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do? You're all in on this, aren't you? How much did she give you to lie for her?"

The young staff member clutched her face and said, her voice trembling, "It's true. There are surgery records and the death certificate. You can check for yourself."

"Check what?" Adrian barked, jabbing his finger right under her nose. "Tell Clara! I only give her three days!

"If she doesn't come to Central Hospital to donate her kidney in three days, Lila won't survive the surgery!"

With that, he turned around and left.

His heels clicked against the stone path, the sound sharp and chilling, like knives scraping through a bone.

I drifted in place, stunned, watching his back disappear down the path.

The young staff member slowly straightened up, then turned to glance over toward the east corner of the cemetery, where a smaller tombstone stood.

She sighed, murmuring, "It's a pity. Lila's gone, too. Her illness took a turn for the worse, and she just didn't make it.

"First, Clara died, then Lila followed. How does a whole family end up like this?"

I couldn't catch the rest of what she said.

Or maybe I just couldn't hear her anymore.

The wind suddenly picked up, sending dead leaves spinning up towards the sky.

Helplessly, I was swept along as Adrian climbed into his car and sped away.