Chapter 4

Over the next few days, Libby scrambled tirelessly for Louie's sake.

Her main focus, of course, was finding every possible way to force me out of hiding.

After mulling it over, she headed off in a rage to the boarding school I had previously arranged for Trista.

It really was a good school, boasting top-tier educational resources and facilities.

It was just a pity that Trista had only been enrolled for three days before Louie revoked her admission.

Those tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees naturally ended up straight in his pocket.

Ignoring the staff member who was trying to stop her, Libby barged right into the principal's office and slammed her palm onto the desk. "Where is Trista Hayes? Get her out here right now!"

The principal blinked, visibly taken aback. "Trista Hayes? She dropped out years ago."

"Dropped out?"

Libby frowned at those words. When the realization clicked, she let out a cold sneer. "I really underestimated Kieran. He actually had the heart to pull that bastard out of a top-notch school like this just to hide from me."

Furious, she grabbed her phone and roared into the speaker, "Kieran Hayes! I'm giving you one hour to bring that bastard to me!"

Naturally, she received no reply.

She bombarded me with hundreds of unread messages, but every single one went unanswered.

"Daddy, is Mommy looking for me?" Trista asked, looking up at me.

Before I could answer, she suddenly slipped out of my grip and floated down. "I want Mommy to hug me—"

"Come back!" I lunged to grab her, only to watch Trista pass right through Libby's body.

She clung to her shoulder, calling out to Libby in vain.

I dragged Trista back to my side, my chest aching with pain.

How ridiculous. The grass on my grave was already six feet tall, yet she was still trying to use a dead person to threaten another dead person.

When no response came, Libby's expression twisted in rage.

It wasn't until her phone rang with a call from Louie that her expression softened. Her eyes brimmed with tender concern. "Louie? What's wrong?"

She stepped out of the principal's office to find a quiet, secluded spot.

On the other end of the line, Louie's flustered voice came through quickly. "Libby, the police are starting to gather evidence. Have you found Kieran yet?"

Libby's face fell at his words, but she forced herself to sound composed to reassure him. "Not yet, but don't worry. I will never let anything happen to you. I'll turn the Earth upside down to drag Kieran out!"

After making that fierce promise, she got into her car and sped off.

I was very familiar with the route she was taking. It was the way to the local community office.

Even after being released, former inmates had to register with the local community office for regular supervision.

She was hoping to track me down through their records.

Sure enough, Libby pulled up outside the community office and barged straight inside, clutching a stack of bills.

Before the receptionist could speak, Libby threw the money right in her face. "You have a guy named Kieran Hayes in your files, right? Pull up his records for me now!"

The other staff members exchanged glances, their faces darkening with anger.

"This is an office, not a place for you to throw your weight around! If you need something, follow the proper procedures. Who are you trying to impress by flaunting your money like that?"

Libby's face flushed with anger at the sharp rebuke.

Realizing that they wouldn't budge an inch, she reluctantly prepped the required documents and shoved them across the counter.

"I'm Kieran's wife. I can't reach him right now, so check his current address for me."

The staff member sneered but still took the materials to pull up the relevant file.

A moment later, she let out a quiet gasp. "Kieran Hayes passed away two years ago. You're his wife, and you didn't even know?"

Libby froze dead in her tracks, completely dumbfounded. "W-What did you say?"

I held Trista's hand and floated in front of her to savor the shock in her eyes.

So, she wasn't completely indifferent after all. I had assumed she'd take the news of my death with complete calm or even relief.

"I said the Kieran you're looking for passed away shortly after getting out of prison. The hospital and funeral home made several calls to his family back then, but no one ever picked up. His ashes are still stored there. If no one claims them soon, they'll be disposed of."

Libby's lips trembled slightly.

She was probably remembering those phone calls now.

Back then, the moment she heard my name mentioned on the line, she assumed it was just another excuse for me to pester her, so she always hung up without a second thought.

Eventually, annoyed by the persistent calls, she blocked the number.

Libby shook her head and frantically dug through her purse. "No way! Just last month, he was still… still…"

Her hands froze mid-search.

She stared at the supplementary card statement on her phone. The very last transaction was dated April 15, 2023—the day I died.

A sudden silence fell over her. Then, with trembling fingers, she gestured for the staff member to scroll down. "Then… What about Trista Hayes? Where is she now? I remember enrolling her in a boarding school, but maybe her father—"

"She's dead too," the staff member said, cutting her off and showing her the monitor.

"A hit-and-run. The driver is still at large. She died even earlier than Kieran, while he was still serving his sentence. Also, the records show her withdrawal wasn't processed by Kieran. It was done by a man named Louie Fraser."

Now it was Libby's turn to be completely shattered. Her eyes were glued to the screen, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing her reaction, the staff member couldn't help sneering. "You didn't even know your husband and daughter were dead after so long? What kind of wife are you?"

I didn't know how best to describe the look on Libby's face right now.

To put it simply, it was a magnificent, ever-shifting storm of horror and disbelief.

Her face turned pale, then dark, before she snatched her bag and bolted out the door.

As she ran, the staff member's contemptuous voice echoed behind her. "Both father and daughter were skin and bones before they died. She's rich enough to throw money around, but she didn't spend a dime on her family. Now that they're dead, she shows up looking for them. What a joke!"