It was my coming-of-age party when I finally confessed my love to my non-biological uncle. The next day, my reward was a one-way ticket out of the country. Years later, when I was ravaged by bone cancer, my body slowly decaying, I was forced to beg him for help. But his girlfriend, his supposed 'white moonlight,' spread rumors that I was promiscuous abroad and had contracted a venereal disease. My uncle immediately brought me back, locking me away in a dilapidated seaside mansion, claiming it was to prevent me from infecting innocent people. Without timely treatment, my condition worsened drastically. On a night of torrential rain, unable to bear the agony any longer, I climbed out the window and threw myself into the unforgiving ocean. It took a full year after my death for Liam Hayes to finally remember me. 1 Liam Hayes arrived at the Star-Moon Cove Estate, only to find the entire building eerily empty. He violently knocked over the antique screen in the living room, shattering glass everywhere. “Lily Carter, stop playing these childish hide-and-seek games! Get out here now!” The broken shards reflected the harsh sunlight, and only dust danced in the blinding glare. Liam retreated to the doorway, covering his nose and mouth to avoid the stirred-up grime. After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice cold: “You’re a well-bred woman, how could you become so reckless and indecent!” “Look at the state you were in when you came back! Even I, your uncle, feel disgusted. You’ve completely disgraced the Hayes name!” “If it weren't for Alexa Reynolds constantly vouching for you, I would have truly disowned you and washed my hands of you forever!” My spirit stood right in front of him, silently letting out a bitter laugh. “Lily Carter, I’m warning you, if you continue to be stubborn.” “I won’t hesitate to keep you locked up here for the rest of your life until you completely understand how wrong you are!” Liam finished, and seeing no response, he impatiently waved his hand, signaling the security team to search upstairs. A moment later, several guards stumbled down, their faces pale, as if they had seen something terrifying. His private assistant, Sarah Chen, approached him, trembling as she whispered: “Mr. Hayes, the tip-off call might have been real. Ms. Carter... she’s passed away.” Liam’s brows furrowed as he spat out a cold response: “Suicide? Nonsense. She’s just staging another drama for sympathy. She’s been pulling these stunts since she was a kid!” He strode up to the second floor, finally noticing the dark brown bloodstains covering the hallway walls. Liam’s face darkened as he threw open door after door. “Lily Carter, what kind of trick are you pulling now!” “Do you think I’ve been too lenient with you all these years, giving you the license to act so brazenly!” My soul followed him until he stopped in front of a locked room. Blackened blood had seeped out from under the door crack. He had locked me in here, calling it ‘isolation,’ and only left me a few thin pieces of clothing. For the first few days, I was allowed to move around the estate. When the pain hit, I paced the hallways, and when it was unbearable, I banged my head against the wall. I desperately tried to use new pain to drown out the burning rot in my bones. But soon, the guards complained that my screams were disrupting their peace. Seeing that Liam never visited or even called, as if he had utterly forgotten me, they locked me in a second-floor room with a specialized heavy-duty lock on the outside. From then on, I was like a caged animal, confined to that small space. Every time the sickness flared up, I writhed in agony on the bed. When the pain was truly unbearable, I crawled to the door, slamming my body against it until blood streamed down my forehead. I didn't dare make a sound, because any noise brought a beating. In my worst moments, I ripped strips from the bedsheet, stuffing them in my mouth to bite down on. I begged the guards, pleaded with them to call Liam. But they just laughed coldly, kicking me away and saying Mr. Hayes was too busy planning his engagement with Ms. Reynolds. He had no time for a contaminated piece of trash like me. I refused to believe Liam could be so heartless, so I kept begging. Finally, one of them, fed up, dialed that familiar number right in front of me. The moment the call connected, I choked out that I had bone cancer. My whole body was rotting, and I begged him to save me. I told him the reports were in my luggage; he just needed to look to know I wasn't lying. But he cut me off immediately: “Lily Carter, Alexa was right. You’re nothing but lies, always spinning some yarn!” “You're unrepentant, now trying to fake an illness to manipulate me?” “If you’re really so desperate to die, go ahead! I’d like to see if you have the guts!” After he hung up, I was beaten, then thrown back into the room. Now, Liam’s eyes were fixed on the rusty padlock. He ordered someone to break it open, his face grim as he stood outside the entrance. “Lily Carter, how long are you going to keep this up?” “Ever since Alexa and I got together, you’ve done nothing but oppose her.” “You’ve said so many terrible things about her to me, yet she has always been the bigger person, never holding a grudge.” “If Alexa hadn’t noticed you had contracted a disease, you would have died alone overseas!” “Lily Carter, you know I’m impatient. Get out here now!” Liam waited a few moments, then furiously shoved the door open. 2 “Lily Carter, you have truly disappointed me! I shouldn't have listened to Alexa and come to get you!” The instant the door flew open, Liam froze. My spirit stood beside him, observing the scene. The room was exactly as I had left it. The sea wind rushed in through the broken picture window, fluttering the ripped, tattered curtains. The window frame was rusted from years of sun and rain, screeching with every gust—a sound Liam usually despised. But now, his face showed no impatience, only stunned disbelief. From his perspective, the sight was indeed shocking. The floor was covered in dried, black blood, and dark red streaks marred the walls and doorframe. The bedding was shredded, and the pillow was stained with splotches of blood. Even the last piece of curtain was gone—the guards had torn it down, terrified I might hang myself and implicate them. I passed away on the morning after my final, desperate phone call to Liam. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from an entire night of suffering, but the sea breeze that morning felt surprisingly gentle. In a haze, I remembered being seven years old, after my parents died. It was Liam who brought me to the Hayes household, becoming my sole anchor. I endured unimaginable pain, forcing myself to dislocate my own arm. I had to crawl out through that window that hadn’t been properly secured. The guards quickly noticed the commotion. As they watched in horror, I plunged myself into the raging waves without hesitation. Panicked and clueless, they frantically called Liam. But that day was the morning of his engagement party with Alexa Reynolds, and the call was immediately rejected. Liam was too busy greeting guests and didn't have the patience to listen to their full report. Maybe he caught a few fragments, but he dismissed it as another one of my attempts to grab his attention. He coldly instructed: “Don’t bother reporting anything about her to me again.” Liam walked to the window, staring down at the turbulent sea. He gave a scornful, icy laugh. “Lily Carter is always a scaredy-cat. Jump in the ocean? Impossible.” “Alexa is right, she’s too manipulative. She needs to face the consequences.” “Call the guards who were assigned here. I want to question them.” Sarah Chen rushed in again shortly after. “Mr. Hayes, all those guards quit right after Ms. Carter… passed away.” “Should we send a team to search the coastline?” He scoffed. “What’s there to search? If she truly jumped, her body would have washed up by now, and the police would have notified us.” “She’s putting on a show, thinking she can fool everyone!” “But she's too naive. I know her too well; she can’t fool me.” Liam ordered his assistant to continue searching the estate. “I want every single corner checked. She has to be brought to me today.” “She and Alexa both have that rare blood type, and Lily has donated to Alexa before.” “Alexa is seriously injured and needs Lily to be on standby!” My spirit stood behind him, overwhelmed by sorrow. He locked me up here for so long, never asking about me. Now he appears, only to use me as a mobile blood bank for Alexa Reynolds. I thought I was special to him. He was never like this before. From age seven to seventeen, I was his favorite little girl. And I fell hopelessly in love with the non-biological uncle who was five years my senior. Then Alexa Reynolds showed up, and everything changed. Alexa was the one lying, but Liam only believed her, refusing to hear my side. At my eighteenth birthday party, I mustered the courage to confess, but he merely chastised me coldly. He told me he was my guardian, and I shouldn't harbor such inappropriate feelings. The next day, he shipped me overseas. Clearly, Alexa’s manipulation was at work, causing Liam to lose all faith in me. She even defamed me, saying I had a dirty disease, which led Liam to lock me away in this seaside prison. Now that Alexa was wounded and needed a donor with a rare blood type, they remembered their human blood bank. Too bad they didn’t know my remains had long been scattered by the waves. “Mr. Hayes, those guards witnessed Ms. Carter jump into the sea. I honestly think she was faking her illness…” “I’m afraid… there’s no chance of survival.” “I know you don’t want to believe it, but their account was very detailed, and they didn't seem to be lying.” “If we call the police and initiate a search, we’ll know the truth soon enough.” Liam said coldly: “She’s a great actress; she even managed to fool all of you!” “She must not want to donate blood to Alexa, so she’s hiding. She's probably off having a good time somewhere!” “Freeze all her accounts. She’ll come crawling back when she runs out of money!” With that, Liam hurried away from the estate, rushing to the hospital to be with Alexa. My spirit followed him, unable to stop myself. 3 Liam arrived at the hospital in a rush. Seeing Alexa in the hospital bed, his expression instantly softened. “Feeling better? Is your wound still hurting?” Alexa spoke weakly: “It's fine now. See how well I look? I don’t even need to stay hospitalized.” Liam picked up the paring knife on the bedside table, carefully peeling an apple for her, whispering: “If you hadn’t taken that blow for me, you wouldn’t be so badly hurt.” “I won’t feel at ease until you’ve fully recovered.” “Alexa, you are the most important person in my life. Don't ever risk yourself like that again.” He used to speak to me with that same tender tone, saying those exact words. But since Alexa’s arrival, I was no longer the most important person in his heart. Alexa suggested that since I was his non-biological niece and an adult now, we should maintain a professional distance. From then on, all matters concerning me were handled by Alexa. She even hid the diagnosis of my bone cancer while I was overseas. Instead, she spread rumors that I had a venereal disease. Under the guise of caring for me, she locked me in the seaside estate, but she never visited me once. Now that Alexa was attacked and needed a rare blood type, they remembered their living blood bank. Too bad they didn't know my body had been torn apart by the sea. “Liam, is Lily still refusing to come back? Is she still angry with me?” Alexa said, trying to get out of bed, fumbling for her slippers: “Let me go find her. I’ll apologize to her personally.” Liam quickly stopped her: “Alexa, you were doing what was best for her. She’s being ungrateful, it’s not your fault.” “I’ve already frozen all her funds. I’ll find her soon, I promise.” “Don’t worry, I will make sure she comes here to donate blood for you.” He carefully held the peeled apple slice to Alexa’s mouth. “By the way, Alexa, did Lily mention feeling unwell while she was abroad?” Alexa’s face shifted slightly as she stammered: “No, she didn’t. She’s always been so healthy, barely even gets a cold.” “Liam, why are you asking?” Liam looked thoughtful: “Nothing much. When I went to the estate today, I noticed a lot of blood in her room.” “But you’re right. She’s always been robust. How could she have any serious illness?” Alexa secretly breathed a sigh of relief. My soul was agonizing beside him, desperate to tell Liam that Alexa was deceiving him again. But I was helpless. Even if he could hear me, he would only choose to believe Alexa. In his eyes, I was just a petty girl twisted by jealousy. Alexa tentatively asked: “Liam, since Lily doesn’t want to come back, why don't we just let her go?” “As long as she’s happy.” Liam’s face instantly turned cold. “Absolutely not! Your safety is paramount, and she has the same blood type as you.” “The doctor said you might need a second transfusion, and the hospital blood bank is running low.” “I raised her for years. Now it’s time for her to repay me!” “It’s just a little blood. Even if it costs her life, she should be willing to do it!” In that moment, my spirit trembled violently. How could Liam say something so cruel? He had promised to always be my family. He promised I would never feel abandoned again. Had he forgotten all that? Alexa lowered her head, a smug smile playing on her lips, as if she had just heard the sweetest words. So, this is how happy she was after I left. Alexa always pretended to be understanding, yet she constantly slandered me to Liam. Even now, she was hiding the truth, making Liam despise me even more. “Liam, don’t talk about Lily like that. She’d be so upset if she heard.” Even in this moment, Alexa was playing the benevolent saint. Liam let out a dismissive, cold laugh. He was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang. I saw the screen display “Ethan Hayes”—his uncle who worked for the police. Liam answered the phone, his entire body freezing instantly. A heavy voice came from the other end: “Liam, Lily is dead!” 4 Liam stood still for a few seconds, then spoke coldly: “Uncle Ethan, has she fooled you too?” “I can’t believe she managed to trick even a detective like you!” Ethan Hayes on the other end was clearly angered by his attitude. “Liam, what is wrong with you? Weren’t you the one who adored Lily the most?” He paused, then continued: “We received a civilian report today about skeletal remains found on the rocks near Star-Moon Cove.” “DNA comparison confirms the deceased is Lily Carter.” “She’s been dead for a full year.” “The autopsy report shows she suffered from advanced bone cancer.” “She endured unimaginable pain and ultimately chose to jump into the sea.” Liam suddenly interrupted: “Impossible! It can’t be her! You must have made a mistake!” “Liam Hayes, forensic evidence doesn’t lie.” “As her legal guardian, you need to come and claim the remains.” Ethan finished, adding a few more harsh words of reprimand before hanging up. Liam looked as if all the strength had been drained from him, his face pale as a ghost. Alexa, seeing his state, quickly asked with concern: “Liam, what happened? I’ve never seen you look like this.” Liam slowly recovered. He stared intently at Alexa on the bed, his gaze chilling and unnerving. Alexa couldn’t meet his eyes, nervously grasping his hand: “Liam, what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Liam violently shook off her hand and strode toward the door. “Ah! My wound hurts! Liam, my stitches are tearing open again!” Liam stopped, turning back to look at her coldly: “Alexa Reynolds, you are the master manipulator. I will never believe another word you say!” “Liam…” Alexa struggled to get out of bed, chasing him to the doorway: “I love you so much. How could I lie to you?” “We’ve been together for so long. Don’t you know me at all?” Liam stared at her, enunciating every word: “Not lying to me? Alexa, you are a phenomenal actress!” “You told me it was inappropriate for a man like me to raise Lily.” “So I handed over everything about her to you!” “And what did you do?” “You deliberately concealed her bone cancer diagnosis, causing her to miss her only chance for treatment.” “Then you framed her with a dirty disease, making me lock her in that seaside estate to die!” “Her only cry for help was destroyed by you!” “Lily is gone forever!” With that, he slammed the door shut and left. My soul followed him again. Liam drove recklessly into the night, his car a blur. He clenched his jaw until a trickle of blood seeped from his lip. He seemed to be suppressing something immense until he stopped at a red light. Finally, he rested his head on the steering wheel and burst into agonizing sobs. “No way. Uncle Ethan has to be wrong!” He suddenly looked up, violently slamming the steering wheel, screaming inside the car: “Impossible! This isn’t real! I don’t believe it!” The light turned green, but his car remained motionless. Amidst the chorus of horns behind him, someone opened his car door. It was Ethan Hayes. Without a word, he slapped Liam hard across the face and dragged him into the back seat. “Liam Hayes, what in God’s name are you doing!” “When Lily begged you for help, you ignored her.” “Now that she’s dead, who is this performance for!” “She was such a good kid, and you talked about her like she was worthless. Did you even know the real her?” “Wake up! She’s dead! She’s never coming back!” Liam slumped in the back seat, sobbing uncontrollably, his grief tearing through him. He barely managed to compose himself by the time they reached the police station. “Uncle Ethan, I can’t let Lily’s death be in vain. I need to find out what really happened!” Ethan looked at him deeply, only sighing without speaking. He took Liam to process the identification paperwork. When Liam saw the skeletal remains, he broke down again. He trembled, pointing at the bruised and fractured bones, his voice choked: “Is this… is this the damage from her bone cancer? How much pain was she in!” “And I knew nothing! I, her uncle, killed her! I don’t deserve to be her family!” Ethan retrieved an object from the evidence bag—her only surviving possession. “You certainly didn't deserve to be her guardian, yet she saw you as her only support in the world.” “Do you remember this bracelet? You gave it to her the year she came to the Hayes house.” “She took nothing with her when she died, except this.” “But there were people who couldn't even stand to let her keep a simple bracelet.” “Look at the bloodstains. They tried to forcibly rip it off more than once.” “Even when it dug into her skin, she never took it off.” “And you? You knew nothing! You believed everything Alexa Reynolds told you!” “Liam Hayes, you’re a genius in business, so how could you be so utterly blinded by one woman in this matter?” Liam took the bracelet, clutching it tightly, weeping uncontrollably. “I let you down, Lily. I’m taking you home right now!” Ethan sighed again, handing him a blood-stained strip of fabric. “Lily’s final wish was for her ashes to be scattered into the sea so she could be free forever.” Liam’s trembling fingers unfolded the cloth. There was a single, darkened line of blood writing. It was what I had written just before I died, using my bitten finger. I didn't want to return to that house. I only wanted complete freedom. But Liam ignored my wish, stubbornly insisting on taking my ashes home. My spirit could not find rest, so I had to continue following him.
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