Chapter 1

The entire city of Ardenfall was in shock. News of a horrific dismemberment involving local socialite Isabel Clyde, cherished daughter of the powerful Clyde family, spread rapidly. A fisherman discovered her severed head along the riverbank; other body parts remained missing. The news devastated her family, initially overcome with grief.

"Is this really happening? Am I really dead?" Isabel stared in disbelief at her weeping parents and brothers. Reporters snapped photos of the heartbreaking scene. "Dad, Mom, brothers, it's me—Isabel!" she tried to approach, but felt herself drifting away, realizing she had become a spirit. She recalled the previous day: dinner with her family, a car ride, then blackness.

Her family wept, pleading with the police to find her killer. They declined interviews, returning home under bodyguard protection. Isabel followed. Still unable to comprehend her death, she was shocked by what she found. The overwhelming sorrow that had consumed them earlier was gone. They showed no signs of mourning.

Her father, Caius Clyde, snapped, "Lucian, what the hell were you thinking? You tossed her head in such a public place? It was found immediately! Didn't I tell you to dispose of it properly?"

Lucian stammered, "Dad, I thought the river would carry it away. How was I supposed to know a fisherman would find it? And—what do I do about the body parts in my car?" He looked anxious; the missing body parts were hidden there.

Rosy Clyde scolded, "Why didn't you get rid of everything? Why leave anything behind?"

Lucian's hands trembled. "I thought I'd scatter the pieces. No one would connect them. But if the police find the body parts… I'm done for."

Caius pondered. "We'll wait. The family's under police scrutiny; it's not the time to act. We're victims—the family of the deceased. No one will suspect us. Once things settle down…"

Isabel was stunned. Her own family had killed her. She couldn't fathom why. The night before, she'd shared a meal, gotten into a car, and then… death. She had grown drowsy during the ride and fallen asleep.

Her body had been torn apart, her remains scattered. "Why would you do this to me?" she screamed, her cries unheard, unseen. She was a wandering spirit.

Then, her second brother, Maxwell, shivered. "Why do I feel a chill? Is Isabel haunting us?"

Caius glared. "Stop talking nonsense." He sighed, then put on a sad expression. "Isabel was a good girl, obedient and filial. But… she wasn't our biological daughter. Now that she's gone…"

Isabel felt a shock. She wasn't their biological daughter. She learned the Clyde family had discovered a month prior that their newborn had been switched at the hospital. Isabel was not their real child; their biological daughter had been given to another family. They feared Isabel might one day return to her birth family, taking their wealth. So, they eliminated the threat. They had poisoned her drink, causing her to fall asleep in the car. Then, they dismembered her body.

Lucian said, "Well, now everything's fine. Our real sister can finally come home." Maxwell added, "This fake one should've died a long time ago." Ethan commented, "No wonder I never liked her." Roger said, "Our real sister must have suffered." Lucas chimed in, "When our real sister comes back, we'll treat her a thousand times better."

Each word was a poisoned dagger. The people she'd loved were cruel, their hands stained with her blood, discussing her death as mere business. They were merciless, the real heir finally returning. Isabel, furious, lunged at her brothers, but passed right through them. She hated them with every fiber of her being.

Suddenly, a beam of white light filled the room, surrounding her. When she awoke, she was in her bed.

"Isabel, hurry! We're going out to eat!" her mother, Rosy Clyde, said cheerfully. Isabel jolted awake, instinctively pulling her leg under the covers; it hurt. I'm still alive! she thought.

"Isabel, what's wrong? Didn't you promise to go to the restaurant with Dad and me?" Rosy asked, surprised.

Time had rewound. She was back to the day before her murder. A wave of joy washed over her—she had a second chance. Remembering her family's malicious faces, Isabel knew what she had to do. She would change her fate.

"Mom, I'm unwell. Can we eat at home?" Isabel said, softly but firmly.

"What? You promised!" Rosy exclaimed.

"Mom, I really don't feel well. We can eat at home, right?" Isabel pleaded.

"Should I call the doctor?" Rosy asked, concerned.

"No need. I'll lie down," Isabel said, smiling.

Rosy hesitated, then agreed and left. Isabel breathed a sigh of relief, clenching her fists. She would make them pay.

After Rosy left, Caius said, "She won't go. Our plans are set. What now?"

"We can't force her," Rosy replied.

"Our real daughter is suffering, and we can't even do anything about it," Caius lamented.

"Dad, Mom, what are you talking about? Real daughter? Am I not your real daughter?" Isabel interrupted.

Caius and Rosy froze. "Am I not your biological daughter?" Isabel pressed.

Rosy, her voice cold, said, "Isabel, you're not our biological daughter. The hospital mixed up the babies. Your real parents are out there, and we planned to switch you back. But now that you know…"

Isabel feigned hurt and sorrow. Her goal was clear: ruin their plans, ensure they wouldn't kill her again. This time, she would make them pay.