Pustaka
Cari
Short
A Farewell Gift of Death

A Farewell Gift of Death

Cerita Pendek · Romance
Oleh:  Flowering TreeTamat
Bahasa: English
goodnovel4goodnovel
8Bab
23.5KDibaca
Baca
Tambahkan

Share:  

Lapor
Ringkasan
Katalog
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi

Sinopsis

After Death

Remorse Family

Familial Bond

Melodramatic

Bias

Hypocrisy

Scumbag

Family Emotions

Biological Family

I died on my birthday, but neither my parents nor my husband noticed. They were too busy pouring all their attention into planning my twin sister, Esme Shaw's, birthday party. While she was surrounded by people helping her pick out a gown, I was tied up and thrown into the basement. With what little strength I had left, I forced my broken fingers to press in the code—9395. It was a signal my husband, Edwin Grant, and I had once agreed on. It was a straightforward way to call for help in the event of danger. I never thought I would actually need it one day. But when I sent it, he didn't believe me. His reply was cold, "Claudia, just because I didn't take you shopping for a new dress, you've decided to put on a show? "You can still wear last year's gown. Stop making trouble. I'll see you at the party later." What he didn't know was that Esme had already shredded that gown into pieces. And what he couldn't imagine was that the moment after he hung up, I was already gone. So, when the celebration began, I never appeared. But when everyone saw the birthday gift I had prepared for Esme ahead of time, the entire room lost its mind.

Lihat lebih banyak

Bab terbaru

Bab Lainnya

Anda juga akan menyukai

Novel Terkait

Novel Rilis Baru

To Readers

Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.

Ulasan-ulasan

Jazminerenee Greil
Jazminerenee Greil
good story just wish all chapters were unlocked
2025-12-02 03:09:39
17
0
8 Bab
Chapter 1
I died a painful death on my own birthday, and no one in my family even realized it. They blamed me for missing Esme's big birthday celebration, not realizing I was there the whole time—just not in the way they'd thought. I was there as nothing more than a soul....That evening, my family came home with their arms full of shopping bags. Everyone carried something except Esme, who happily licked an ice cream cone.She was their little princess and was spoiled to the point where they wouldn't let her lift a finger.They started decorating the house, and Edwin called out to me. I was upstairs. "Claudia, come down and help. Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you get to slack off."On any other day, I would have hurried down to join him. But now, I only hovered beside him, watching with a cold, detached gaze.When I didn't answer, he dialed my phone—only to find that no one answered.Just then, Esme strolled over, snatched the phone from his hand, and cooed sweetly, "Edwin
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 2
Before long, the banquet hall was fully set up. The dining table was covered with salmon—Esme's favorite—and the cake bore her name in delicate icing.Just as Dad had said, the entire celebration was meant for her. There was no trace of my name anywhere."Mom, maybe we should order another cake. What if the guests talk behind our backs?" Esme clung to Mom's arm, her voice syrupy sweet."No need. Given her personality, what kind of friends could she possibly have? She's failed at her career, and she's never had a real friend in her life."Mom patted Esme's hand, soothing her. "Think about how she has treated you all these years. You can't be too kind, or you'll just end up being taken advantage of."How did I treat her? From the time we were little, she took everything from me, and I never once refused. I gave her everything willingly.I used to feel lucky just to have a sister, so I would let her have her way again and again. But the more I gave in, the bolder she became.On her
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 3
Mom, Dad, and Edwin rushed over, only to find Esme collapsed on the floor. She was sobbing uncontrollably, scraps of shredded paper clenched in her hands."I-Isn't this the collection you were supposed to unveil tonight? How could it be destroyed? Who did this?" Mom immediately crouched down to help Esme up, her eyes full of concern.Esme gasped through her tears. "I knew these designs were important, so I was extra careful. I even locked them up in the cabinet Claudia and I shared before I left…"At that, a sharp laugh escaped me. With just a single sentence, she had pointed the finger clearly enough.Dad slammed his fist against the door and roared, "Claudia has gone too far! No wonder she hasn't come home. She must have done this out of spite. When she shows her face, I'll break her legs myself!"Chaos erupted upstairs. Edwin only sighed, sounding weary. "Enough. What matters now is figuring out how to salvage this. Many influential guests came tonight expecting to see Esme's n
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 4
Edwin and Esme's lips finally parted.Her cheeks were flushed, while he slipped out of the room, looking flustered. His heart was still pounding when his gaze fell on the gown lying on the couch.He picked up a bottle of red wine and poured it over the fabric without hesitation. The stark white cloth bloomed with a dark red stain, like blood splattered across it.After tossing the ruined gown into the trash, he left me a message. "Claudia, I actually went out of my way to buy you a dress. But you're nothing but a venomous woman. You don't deserve it!"Do you realize what you've done? Your parents were so angry that they nearly had heart attacks because of you. I suggest you come back immediately and apologize to everyone. Otherwise, when you return, we'll have to discuss divorce."His venom words no longer stirred anything in me. My heart was numb. Instead, I looked down at the shredded paper scattered across the floor, a thought crossing my mind.If Esme could no longer create f
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 5
Edwin's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.Dad's eyes widened as he stammered, "C-Claudia! Stop this nonsense! How could you pretend to be dead on a day like this?"He strode forward and kicked me hard, twice. "Get up!"But I couldn't move. Dad crouched down impatiently, eyeing the blood on my face. Then, he let out a cold, mocking laugh. "So, this is where the ketchup went? How dare you waste it just to put on a show!"He reached out to wipe it off, but the instant his fingers brushed my skin, he screamed in horror because I was ice-cold.His hand trembled violently as he pointed at me, his voice shaking. "She's… Dead. She's really dead!"Edwin's breath caught, his chest tightening as he stared at my lifeless body in disbelief.Mom wailed, nearly fainting. For the first time, I saw genuine fear etched into their faces. But she didn't dare take a step closer as maggots had already begun to crawl from beneath my clothing.At that moment, Brendan rushed in, cradling my
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 6
The police soon took Esme away.Mom and Dad sat in the living room, sobbing uncontrollably, while Edwin stared in silence out the window.Then, his gaze shifted to the box in the corner—the same one everyone had scorned before. Now it was treated like a sacred relic.He walked over and carefully opened it. Inside was a signed divorce agreement, with a yellowed diamond ring tucked between the pages.Beneath it lay a family portrait. My part had been scratched out, leaving only the three of them smiling together. At the very bottom was a small chip.Edwin played the video.On screen, I sat in front of the camera. My face was pale, and my eyes were swollen from crying. My frail, tender voice filled the room. "If you're watching this, I'm probably already gone. The doctors say I have cancer, and I've got seven days left at most."I thought about saying a lot, but then I realized there's no point. You've never had the patience to listen to me anyway. In your eyes, there's only Esme.
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 7
The other inmates exchanged helpless glances, clearly at a loss. They had already told Esme the truth countless times, but she refused to believe it.Years of being idolized had warped her mind. She was convinced she still had legions of admirers who would never abandon her.However, that delusion shattered when Edwin showed up. He read out one lawsuit after another right in front of her.With every word, her face drained of color until she finally shrieked, "You're lying! You're just trying to scare me into confessing, aren't you?"Watching her lose control, he slammed the stack of documents against her face. "Scare you? Do you even understand how incompetent you really are? During all four years in college, you were constantly skipping classes and nearly getting expelled. Your grades were always at the bottom."The more he spoke, the more bitter his laughter became. It was as if he were laughing at himself. "And yet somehow, this pathetic student managed to win a national award.
Baca selengkapnya
Chapter 8
Esme's downfall didn't surprise me. She was arrogant and overbearing. No one could stand her for long.The prison guards said she had been scrawling wildly on the walls, shrieking as she drew. "I'm a genius! I'm a great artist!"Day after day, the same manic display occurred until her cellmates finally snapped and lashed out.When Mom and Dad heard the news, shock aged them overnight. They hated Esme for destroying their lives, but she was still their daughter. As the only daughter they had left, they went to visit her one last time.She lay on the hospital bed, her face void of expression. There was a saying that people would relive the most unforgettable memory of their lives in their final moments.What she saw was me, sitting with her at sunset, teaching her how to paint. I mixed colors for her, helped her search for inspiration, and, in the end, ruffled her hair with a smile. "You're amazing."A single tear slipped down the corner of her eye when she remembered this.In the
Baca selengkapnya
Lihat lebih banyak
Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status