Three years after I ran away from home, my parents finally remembered me.

The fake heiress, Kelly Horner, was not satisfied with her groom, so they came up with the idea of having me marry him in her place.

When Mom saw the man who had eloped with me sitting in a wheelchair and picking up garbage, she felt extremely pleased. "She gave up being a wealthy heiress and even pushed Kelly off a building to run away. She must be regretting it now."

Alex Cameron appeared absent-minded as he muttered, "She does regret it. She regrets ever going back to that home with you guys."

Dad scoffed. "Enough with the fuss! Tell her to come back immediately for the wedding and we'll call it even!"

Seeing Alex remain silent, Dad kicked over his wheelchair. "You cripple, where have you hidden my daughter?"

I floated in the air, watching Alex writhe on the ground. My soul felt like it was being ripped apart. "Dad, Mom, I've been dead for three years. How can I marry in Kelly's place?"

Three years after my death, my soul was still trapped beside Alex Cameron. I witnessed how the once energetic young man turned into a cripple.

At this moment, Alex was hunched over, rummaging through smelly trash cans. I floated above him. Looking at his messy, hay-like hair, I felt so heartbroken that I wanted to cry, but I could not shed a single tear.

"Alex, stop it. Your hands are wounded..." My ghostly fingers passed through his dirty cheeks. He could not hear me. He just numbly turned the wheelchair and prepared to go to the next trash can.

Just then, a black car blocked his way. The car window slowly lowered, revealing the familiar faces of my parents, whom I had not seen in three years. At that moment, my spirit body involuntarily trembled.

"Hey, isn't that the tough peasant boy from back then?" Mom took off her sunglasses and took out a handkerchief from her bag, tightly covering her nose. "How did you end up like this? Weren't you tough when you took Naomi Horner away?"

She contemptuously glanced at Alex, her tone filled with a sense of superiority.

Dad, sitting in the driver's seat, did not even bother getting out of the car. He only snorted coldly. "I told you, some people just can't be helped. That unfilial daughter was blind to give up her comfortable life as a wealthy heiress to suffer with someone like you."

I floated in mid-air, looking at their condescending attitude, and felt a chill run through me. They thought I was hiding out of shame, but they had no idea that I was already dead. I died on the day they thought I eloped.

Three years ago, Alex's seriously ill mother wanted to see me one last time. Alex's mother was also my adoptive mother. She cared for me for over 20 years before the Horner family found me.

I anxiously rushed to the hospital with Alex, only to be stopped by the fake heiress, Kelly Horner.

In a moment of panic, I yelled at her, and she tumbled down the stairs. My parents happened to witness this upon returning home. Unable to explain myself and only wanting to see my adoptive mother, I left home without explaining.

Later, Kelly distorted the truth in front of my parents, saying that I cruelly pushed her off the building so I could elope with Alex. My parents believed her. To this day, they still believed I had eloped with Alex.

Mom urged impatiently, "Where is she? Tell her to stop hiding and get out here right now. We've arranged a marriage for her. The man is a bit older, but he doesn't mind her past. Once she marries him, she won't have to suffer with you anymore."

Dad chimed in, his tone condescending, "Yes, we're just soft-hearted. Look at Kelly. She's been so sensible these past few years, often persuading us to forgive Naomi. If it were anyone else, they would have disowned this daughter long ago."

My soul trembled violently at the mention of Kelly's name.

Ever since the day I was found and brought home, Kelly had seen me as a thorn in her side and made me disliked by my own parents.

I waved angrily in the air, but no one could see me.

Alex slowly looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the two people in the car. "You... will never see her again."

Mom's voice rose several pitches. "What nonsense are you talking about? Did she become some sort of big shot whom we have to pester for a meeting?"

As she spoke, she took out a thick stack of banknotes from her expensive Hermès bag.

The stack of money crashed onto Alex. The banknotes were scattered all over the place—a few hung on the worn-out armrest of his wheelchair, others landed on his numb and injured leg.

Mom looked condescendingly at him. "Take it. This money is enough to last a lowlife like you for a while. Stop being ridiculous and tell her to come out and see me right now! Look at yourself now. How much longer do you want us to wait?"

Dad icily added, "Tell her this is her last chance."

I wanted to rush forward and throw that money back at their faces. I wanted to shout and tell them that I was dead! Their daughter had already died long ago! However, I could not do so.

After a long time, Alex's hand, covered in frostbite and scars, trembled as he picked up the banknotes one by one from the ground.

Seeing this, Mom smirked. "That's right. You have to accept your fate. I said you were doing it for money, and now, it seems I was right. "

I looked at Alex in despair. I begged him not to pick up the banknotes.

Alex could not hear me. He picked up the banknotes meticulously, not letting even the bills that had fallen into the mud go. After collecting the last bill, he clutched it so tightly that his nails seemed to be able to dig into his flesh. Then, he looked up at my haughty parents. "You really want to see her?"

His hands, which were clutching the money, trembled uncontrollably, his eyes bloodshot. "You can only go to the underworld to see her."

Mom's smirk froze as Dad's expression turned grim.

I floated behind Alex as I looked at his straight back, my heart aching.

Mom's shock quickly faded as she commented disdainfully, "Ridiculous! To avoid going home for an arranged marriage and to get money from me, she even lied about her own death. She's really got some nerve!"

Seeing how confident they were that I was lying, I only found it ridiculous. At the same time, it seemed only natural that they could not believe it. They only remembered me at this point in time to make me marry in Kelly's place.

Enraged, Dad kicked over Alex's wheelchair. "She wanted the hard way. Tell her to never come back if she doesn't want to. And she can forget about being buried in the Horner family's cemetery if she dies out there!"

I floated in mid-air. Watching Alex fall to the ground, still clutching the money tightly, my heart ached. I desperately wanted to rush over and hug him, but my soul passed through his body again and again.

Alex curled up on the ground, clutching the stack of warm banknotes tightly. He muttered, "Money... I have money to hire a lawyer for Naomi now..."

At that moment, my soul felt like it was being ripped apart.

Alex's eyes lit up again as he struggled to his feet and returned to his wheelchair with difficulty.

"I'll find the killer..." He gripped the wheelchair's axles with difficulty, the rusty bearings creaking and scraping.

"Stop!"

The roar of an engine came from behind, blocking Alex's path.

Dad rolled down the car window, his expression utterly gloomy. "You think you can just take the money and leave? Hand her over! Otherwise, I'll call the police right now and accuse you of fraud and extortion! I'll break your other leg too, making you a complete cripple!"

Alex pressed on the pocket containing the money, his body tense. I knew what he was afraid of. Now, this money was his only hope. For my sake, he could lose his dignity and even his life.

He gave a bitter laugh, his voice hoarse. "I won't return the money. Since you want to see her, don't regret it later."

After saying that, he ignored the shouts behind him and forcefully turned the wheelchair, wheeling himself deeper into the alley.

My parents exchanged a glance, sneered, and followed him.

Mom tidied up the expensive fur coat, her face full of disdain. "I knew it was just an act. Come on, I want to see just how miserable she's become and how long she plans to keep hiding!"

The alley became narrower as the road became uneven. Mom's high heels stepped on the dirty cobblestones. With each step, she frowned even harder. This place never got sunlight, and the air was filled with a musty smell mixed with the sewer stench.

"How could anyone live here?" Mom tightly covered her mouth and nose with that white handkerchief, muffling her voice. "Naomi asked for it. Instead of staying at the family villa, she insists on suffering here instead."

I followed them and looked at the familiar alley. Yeah, this place was unbearable, but this had been Alex's home for three years. Over the years, he had given everything to find my killer, even having his leg broken.

Finally, Alex stopped in front of a rickety iron door. This was the basement, a foot and a half lower than ground level. It was damp and cold all year round.

"We're here," Alex said flatly. He laboriously bent down from his wheelchair and pulled a rusty key from under the doormat. The door opened. An even stronger musty smell wafted out, and I followed Alex into the house.

My parents took a half-step back in disgust, as if some plague lurked inside.

"Naomi! Get out!" Dad stood in the doorway, unwilling to step inside. He only shouted, "We're here. How long are you going to keep up this act?"

No one answered. Only the wind howled through the empty unit.

Alex wheeled the wheelchair and did not turn on the light, but he skillfully struck a match. The faint light flickered in the darkness, illuminating his ghastly pale face.

He lit two white candles on the table. The candlelight flickered, and the dim yellow light slowly spread, finally illuminating the less than 100-square-foot basement room and the black-and-white photograph placed on the table.

In the photograph, I had my hair in a ponytail, smiling with my eyes crinkling and two shallow dimples showing. Before the portrait lay several shriveled apples.

My parents, who had been yelling to make me come out, fell silent.

Mom's expression of disgust froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at the black-and-white photograph, her pupils contracting sharply. "What... What's the meaning of this?"