Reborn At My Father's Funeral1

To raise their "child" with his true love, Dad faked his death, fooling both Mom and me.

Mom died of stomach cancer from working hard to pay off debts, yet Grandma said, "My son is smart, he found a scapegoat."

Only then did I realize Dad never died; he took the money and married his true love.

Later, I was falsely accused of cheating and beaten to death.

When Dad learned about my death, he said, "So foolish, let her die. Just don't drag my son down with her."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at Dad's fake funeral.

This time, I would make them pay!

1

When I opened my eyes, the large black-and-white photo of Dad and the coffin at the center of the mourning hall came into view.

I turned to look at my grief-stricken Mom.

And there was Grandma, pretending to cry but with no tears at all.

I coldly observed everything.

Glancing behind me, I saw Dad's true love and his son.

That woman calmly watched Mom lying on the floor, pretending to be aloof.

But the smugness in her eyes couldn't be contained.

Great, they all knew Dad was faking his death. Only Mom and I were in the dark.

They treated us like fools for their amusement.

Thinking of how Mom later developed stomach cancer from paying off Dad's debts, how I was bullied and missed out on my dream college, eventually dying miserably on the streets, anger surged within me.

"My dear Dad! How tragic your death is!"

I shouted, and everyone in the hall looked at me.

I pinched my thigh hard, crying hysterically.

"Dad, I didn't even get to see you one last time, how could you leave us!"

Relatives around tried to comfort me.

Some wiped their tears, saying, "This poor girl, so young and now without a father."

I walked to Dad's coffin, trembling, and lay on it wailing.

"Dad, I want to see you one last time. I miss you so much."

My cries moved everyone present.

Everyone said that the girl should see her father one last time.

Grandma's face changed slightly. She approached me. "Lorraine, your father is gone. Don't disturb him."

I pushed her hand away. "Nonsense! Dad appeared in my dream last night, saying he couldn't bear to leave me, that he wasn't really dead."

As soon as I spoke, people on both sides rushed over to help me open the coffin to see Dad one last time.

But Grandma blocked them firmly, refusing to let them get close.

Seeing my sorrow, Mom spoke up.

"Claire, just let Lorraine see her father one last time."