Chapter 1
The year I broke up with my boyfriend, Lucas Shaw, I was strapped for cash.
Because of that, I had to go halves with someone on a burial plot.
Three years after I died, an earthquake hit my burial plot.
My body was unearthed, along with the body of another man.
Because of the unusual circumstances, the man's family called the police, and the case was opened that very night.
Since Lucas's belongings were found at the burial plot, the police summoned him back to assist with the investigation.
The night he was cleared of suspicion, Lucas was about to return overseas.
But then, he suddenly received a co-ownership agreement for a burial plot, with my signature on it.
That night, Lucas lost his mind.
*****
The night Lucas showed up at the burial plot, I was gathering up my valuables in the tomb, preparing to rush off to reincarnation.
The earthquake had wrecked my burial plot, leaving my coffin sticking out of the earth.
If I didn't hurry and reincarnate, my soul would scatter for good.
My grave companion had already rushed off to their next life last night.
As I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped out of the tomb, I spotted a dense crowd moving toward the woods.
The evening light was lousy, and after I died, my vision really went downhill.
I squinted for ages, but still couldn't make out who was coming.
It wasn't until they got closer that I could finally see.
All of a sudden, I heard a familiar, icy voice.
He said, "It's just a necklace. Does it really have my name on it?"
It felt like someone had poured ice water over me.
I froze right where I stood, my breath caught in my throat.
'Am I just seeing things?' I wondered.
Lucas and I hadn't crossed paths in three years.
Three years ago, he was utterly disappointed in me and left hating me.
I didn't say a single word, just trailed after him all the way to the airport.
Right before boarding, he gave me a cold, empty look and said, "Rest assured, I'm never coming back.
"And I hope you never disgust me by showing up in front of me again."
That was the last time we ever saw each other and the last time we ever spoke.
So I figured I must be seeing things.
For three years after I died, I kept seeing things.
I knew for sure he'd never come back.
It took me a long moment before I finally dared to look up. When I did, my heart shot straight up to my throat.
I was already dead, and my heart had stopped ages ago.
But my senses were still as sharp as when I was alive.
In the murky twilight, my gaze suddenly collided with his.
His face was familiar, but his eyes were chilly and distant.
I stood right in front of him, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers.
I noticed the diamond ring on his ring finger. It sparkled, even in the gloom.
Three years had passed, and he seemed to be married now.
His eyes locked onto my face.
The smoke hid most of his face, but I could feel his gaze on me, even through the haze.
A sudden pang shot through my chest.
Instinctively, I panicked and clumsily raised my hand to cover my face.
Lucas used to say my face was pretty.
But I had been dead for three years.
Even though I had been buried in the ground, not cremated, there was nothing left of my face but bare bones, and almost no flesh on my body.
I hadn't seen myself in a mirror for three years, but I could imagine how awful I must look now.
As I covered my face with my bony fingers, it hit me that he couldn't see me anymore.
Sure enough, Lucas took a slow drag on his cigarette, not even reacting to me covering my face.
He only glanced my way because I happened to be standing there.
I let my hand fall, feeling a bit defeated.
My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn't tell if I should feel relieved or sad.
Nearby, a middle-aged couple's voices grew increasingly heated as they accused him.
The woman snapped, "What do you mean, 'just a necklace'?
"We looked into it. This necklace is your iconic design, Mr. Shaw.
"You publicly stated that the design would never be sold.
"You only made one finished piece, and kept it for yourself.
"So how could this necklace possibly have nothing to do with you?"
Lucas frowned, looking annoyed.
He said, "That design was released a long time ago. There are tons of fakes out there.
"Mine? I lost it years ago. What are you getting at?"
A wave of pain surged in my chest.
Lucas had given me that necklace.
The day he left, I threw it into the trash right in front of him.
So when he said he'd lost it, he wasn't lying.
The middle-aged woman started sobbing uncontrollably.
She said, "Even if you didn't put the necklace in the burial plot, this dead woman is definitely connected to you.
"She ended up in my son's grave out of nowhere. It's ruined his reputation and messed up our family's luck.
"Y-you have to pay up!"
Back when I went in on the burial plot with someone else, they put in more money than I did.
So the plot was registered under their name, and their name was the one carved on the tombstone.
I never imagined the day would come when an earthquake would crack the whole thing wide open.
Lucas looked at her through the haze of smoke, his tone cool and detached. "How much do you want?"
The woman's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "At least 300 thousand dollars."
The man next to her looked nervous and tugged at her arm.
The woman shook off his hand, annoyed. "Come on, he's got money to burn.
"Word is, he makes ten million dollars a year. What's 300 thousand dollars to him?"
The police officer's face changed, and he began to realize things weren't adding up.
Lucas flicked his cigarette to the ground and ground it out with the tip of his dress shoe.
He chuckled.
He looked as if he couldn't stand wasting another second here.
He shot the officer a sideways look. "If you don't have any solid evidence against me, then stop bothering me."
The young cop, probably a rookie, gave a resigned look and apologized quietly.
He said, "Honestly, this lady's been raising hell, threatening to hurt herself.
"And she keeps saying the necklace is yours, so we had to give you a call."
Lucas didn't say another word. He turned to leave.
Just then, outside the police tape around the cemetery, a man's voice sounded kind of crazy.
He shouted, "Let me in! Please, let me see. I think I know whose bones those are."
The most gentle, familiar voice from my memories sent a shock through me, as if I'd been struck by lightning.