"She's the one who had me kidnapped! She killed me—she killed me!"
"How long are you going to keep this up? Now you're accusing Diana of murder? You're standing right here!"
This is only my vengeful spirit. My resentment was so heavy that the King of Hell let me return.
But I couldn't explain that. And they wouldn't believe it anyway.
"If you want to die so badly, then go die! Just go!"
Already dead, yet I could still taste blood in my throat. I walked away laughing. They found it deeply unsettling—I was right in front of them, yet somehow impossible to grasp.
They clutched their chests, a sudden ache blooming there.
"Mom, Dad, Jordan—don't be upset." Diana's voice turned soft, pitiful. "Fiona will come around eventually. If me leaving would help, then—"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
They ignored the pain spreading through their hearts.
Not long after, Diana got a call from the kidnappers.
"When are you paying up?"
"You've got nerve asking me for money—what happened to our deal?"
The man on the other end bristled. "What do you mean? I did exactly what you said. Tortured her until she was covered in wounds. Just bad luck—she couldn't handle it. Played her to death. Now pay up. We need to run, or none of us will make it."
A chill crawled up Diana's spine, but she quickly decided he was running a scam.
"She's been with me every day. Just now she almost strangled me to death, and you're still lying?"
"What the hell are you talking about? We made sure she was dead before we left. Day before yesterday, my guy went to check—her body's still there. Nobody's collected it."
Now Diana was certain they were trying to cheat her.
"Nice try. Not happening."
She hung up, but her heart wouldn't stop racing. Her steps felt unsteady.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mom. The banquet's started—let's go!"
She pulled Rose toward the front hall. When she spotted me standing at the end of the corridor, she turned and bolted.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my daughter's college acceptance!"
Samuel and Rose basked in the praise, practically glowing. The screen behind them began playing clips of Diana's hardworking childhood.
Then the footage changed.
The day I was kidnapped.
"I'm the Henson heiress. My parents won't ignore me."
Then came Samuel and Rose's voices—cold, heartless.
"If you want to die that badly, die outside. I'll act like I don't have a daughter like you."
Then me, kowtowing over and over.