Chapter 4

The door slammed shut, and the living room finally fell silent. I crouched there on the cold floor, numb.

I had no idea how long I stayed like that, but eventually, I sent my landlord a message about moving out and then scheduled hospice care for myself.

Living like this felt pointless. I'd rather get it over with and find relief sooner.

It was past five in the morning when I got a call from the memorial wall office. "Is this Ms. Gardner? Did you reserve plot 37? Your spot has been sold to someone else. We've moved you over to the public area next door."

I froze. "I paid in full eight months ago. How could you sell my grave without telling me?"

The staff member snorted. "The new buyer offered 400 thousand dollars. Look, if you can cough up 500 thousand, I'll get your spot back.

"Your grave has been empty for eight months. If you'd died sooner, I wouldn't have sold it. But you're still alive, so don't take up space for nothing."

The call ended with a sharp click.

I grabbed a cab and rushed to the memorial wall, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

That was the spot I'd picked out ages ago and the last place I'd ever call home.

As soon as I got there, I saw Veronica barking orders at the workers, making them take down the plaque with my name on it. "What a cursed thing. Toss it over to the public area already."

My blood boiled as I rushed over, yelling, "What the hell are you doing?"

Veronica smiled, caressing the little urn in her hands. "Edith, my diviner said this spot has the best luck for Snowy."

Snowy was Veronica's prized purebred Ragdoll cat.

During the first two months I was back at Riverside Manor, that cat scratched me at least seven times for no reason.

The worst was when it pounced and scratched up half my face.

I went to Jaxton, crying, hoping he'd stand up for me, but he held the cat, acting like it was nothing. "Snowy knows people. She wouldn't scratch someone out of the blue. Edith, you must've done something wrong."

I stared at Veronica, with that smug look on her face, barely holding back my anger. "I reserved this spot eight months ago. Can't you give it back to me?"

Veronica snorted, leaned in close, and whispered in my ear, "Edith, anything I want, I get. I know you're dying. After all, back then, I made sure the company people 'looked after' you."

It felt like thunder exploded in my ears.

I kept clenching and unclenching my fists.

In the end, I shot her a cool smile. "You'll get what's coming to you."

Then I slapped her hard. My throat tore as I screamed, "I took the blame for you and got blacklisted. Why do you ruin my life?"

Veronica shrieked and purposely dropped the urn, sending it crashing to the ground.

Snowy's ashes scattered all over the place. Veronica covered her face, sobbing. "Edith, go ahead and hit me if you want, but why did you have to hurt Snowy too?"

Jaxton's voice came from behind me. "Apologize to Veronica."

My heart felt like a stone sinking to the bottom, but the tears kept falling. "I've been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I only have a few days left."

"What did you say?" Jaxton was shocked.

Veronica cut him off, sobbing as she waved a fake medical report. "It's okay, Uncle Jaxton. I'll pick up Snowy's ashes from the ground.

"Edith, buying up the whole cemetery is one thing, but why pretend to be sick to fool Uncle Jaxton? Uncle Jaxton, I was worried about Edith, so I asked someone to check her medical records. Please don't blame me."

Jaxton glanced at the report and then looked at me, puzzled. "You always loved faking illness and putting on acts since a few years ago. Still haven't changed, have you?"

He still didn't believe me.

The metallic taste of blood surged in my throat. I answered, my voice icy, "I can't change."

He slapped me hard, my head whipping to the side.

Jaxton's hand froze in midair, his voice trembling. "Edi... Edith."

"Don't touch me." I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, my voice shaking uncontrollably as I stared at Jaxton, frozen in place, and Veronica, with a triumphant look on her face. "I never want to see any of you again."

An agonizing pain stabbed through my throat as I staggered away.

All of a sudden, as I stepped out of the entrance to the memorial wall, I spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Jaxton watched as the workers placed the cat's ashes in the grave, and for some reason, a sharp pain stabbed through his chest.

Just then, the gray-haired caretaker of the cemetery rushed over, his voice shaking with anger. "The staff messed up. No amount of money can buy this spot!"

Jaxton frowned. "What do you mean? It's just a cemetery plot, right?"

The old man burst out, "You rich folks, competing with a dying girl for a grave. Aren't you afraid of karma?"

"What did you say? Who's dying?"