An Enticing Offer

To put it simply, Melya loved money. She thought wise sayings like "money can't buy happiness" were total nonsense! Without money, you were bound to suffer.

​No sleeping in a cozy bed. No eating whatever food you craved. No traveling wherever you wanted. It was pure misery!

​That was why her ears perked up the moment she heard the female ghost offer a 5 billion rupiah reward.

​A small smirk played on Melya’s lips. She leaned casually against the bathroom door, completely forgetting about her plan to take a shower.

​"Hmm, that’s an interesting offer," Melya said.

​The female ghost’s eyes widened. Her eyes looked empty and lifeless—just like a typical ghost—but her excited reaction made it clear how thrilled she was to hear Melya’s response.

​Ouch!

​Melya winced in her mind as the ghost suddenly shrank back, groaning in pain after accidentally touching the protective barrier created by the Prime Minister.

​Just a quick fun fact: if a spirit touches the barrier line made by the Prime Minister, they instantly feel unbearable pain, as if their body is being sliced by thousands of swords. It was actually quite ironic. Even after dying, ghosts could still feel pain!

​However, only very powerful spirits could create such an intense barrier. Legend said these spirits were once pure human souls who committed a massive, unforgivable sin right before they died.

​Melya had no idea what crime the Prime Minister had committed in his past life, mostly because the arrogant and annoying spirit shield never bothered to tell her.

​"So? Do we have a deal?" the female ghost asked again. This time, she kept a safe distance from the barrier.

​Melya tapped her fingers on the door. She intentionally frowned, acting as if she was thinking super hard about whether to accept or not.

​"If you take her offer, I'm going to throw a tantrum and refuse to help you," the Prime Minister warned, crossing his arms and glaring angrily at the ghost. "I can smell bad vibes coming from that creature."

​"Don’t call her a creature. She’s still a woman, even if she's a ghost now," Melya corrected him.

​"Hmph! She’s still a low-class, useless lingering spirit!"

​"Hey! At least I managed to trick you and hide my presence until now!" the female ghost snapped back proudly.

​The Prime Minister’s face went sour. He opened his mouth to argue back, but since he couldn't come up with a good reply, he just pouted and stayed quiet.

​"Your offer sounds nice, but 5 billion is way too little..." Melya placed her hand on her cheek and let out a dramatic, sad sigh. "Helping ghosts is exhausting work. My health drops every time I finish a mission, you know."

​"Fine! How much do you want then?"

​"10 billion. Deal?"

​The ghost’s eyes went wide again. "Woah! Are you a robber or what?! How can you set such a ridiculous price? Don't you feel any pity for a dead person like me?!"

​"Well, since you're already dead, what do you even need money for?" Melya shrugged carelessly, but then her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Wait... are you trying to trick me into working for free?"

​The ghost clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Are you crazy?! Accusing me of being broke?! Just search my name on the internet, you'll be mind-blown!" she challenged proudly.

​"Great. If your name is really that impressive, then 10 billion should be peanuts for you."

​The female ghost bit her lip, caught in a massive dilemma.

​"Well, if you don't want to, then bye! I really need to take a shower now."

​Melya's words instantly sent the ghost into full panic mode.

​She panicked so hard that she accidentally stepped forward and hit the Prime Minister's barrier again, screaming in pain as the shockwaves hit her!

​“Aww… Agh! O-Okay, okay! I agree!” the ghost screamed through the pain.

​Melya almost jumped up and down with joy when she heard her agree. Luckily, she managed to catch herself just in time and hid her excitement behind a calm face.

​“Great! So, tell me what you need, my dear customer,” Melya said with a warm smile and a friendly tone. She then gave the Prime Minister a quick glance, signaling him to take down his barrier.

​As usual, the Prime Minister refused at first. But in the end, he had no choice but to listen to Melya. Why? Because Melya was the only person who could help him finish his punishment!

***

​“Please sit comfortably, dear customer.” Melya said, gesturing for the female ghost to sit on the couch. It was actually a pretty useless gesture, since ghosts usually preferred floating in the air anyway.

For the time being, the Prime Minister had vanished into thin air. Word was, he needed to go cool off before his head literally exploded from dealing with Melya’s stubbornness.

Of course, before taking off, he had pelted Melya with a barrage of warnings and threats—all of which Melya knew were completely empty. After all, no matter how much he complained, the Prime Minister would always come to her rescue in the end.

​“Thank you,” the ghost said. She sat down on the couch and crossed her legs with natural grace. Just by looking at her posture, Melya could instantly tell that this woman was no ordinary person when she was alive.

​Despite being covered in faint bruises, the female ghost’s face was still strikingly gorgeous. Looking at her, Melya couldn't help but wonder if the ghost might actually be an actress.

​Melya placed a freshly brewed cup of oolong tea on the table for her. Even though ghosts couldn't eat or drink like humans, they could still enjoy the scent, essence, and energy of the food and drinks served to them.

​The ghost stared at the teacup on the table with an annoyed look on her face for a long time. Melya could easily guess why she was upset.

​Some powerful ghosts could move or even lift physical objects. But it seemed like this ghost didn't have enough energy to do that.

For ghosts who lacked power, enjoying food or drink was a bit of a nightmare. They had to shove their faces right up against the plate or cup to absorb the essence. In other words, to taste that tea, the ghost would have to bend way down and hover her face over the table. It was hardly an elegant look—in fact, it was downright humiliating!

​“Ah, forgive my lack of manners, miss,” Melya said with a polite bow. She picked up the teacup and gently raised it toward the ghost’s lips.

​With her chin held high and a haughty look on her face, the ghost leaned in and began sipping the essence of the oolong tea. In an instant, the rich color of the tea drained away, turning dull and dark.

​“Alright then, my dear customer,” Melya said with a smile after put the teacup on the table again, “Feel free to tell me your problem—and what on earth it has to do with this dating reality show offer that I've got.”

"Okay, so.."

She start her story.

The ghost's name was Celia Evans. She was the daughter of Julian Evans, a wealthy businessman who owned a nationwide chain of jewelry stores. They weren’t exactly "old money" conglomerate, but they were rich enough to live comfortably and never once check the price tags while shopping.

​Growing up, Celia’s father had been strict with her, especially since her mother had passed away giving birth to her. According to her father, if Celia was spoiled too much, she would only grow up to be a weak and fragile girl.

That harsh upbringing turned Celia into a gloomy, quiet girl. To make matters worse, her father had a string of greedy mistresses who loved nothing more than draining his bank account.

​“So, that’s why I can’t offer you a fortune for helping me,” Celia grumbled, interrupting her own story. “Those awful women and my trashy father bled the family dry!”

​In the middle of all that sadness and stress, Celia found solace in her friendship with Darius Hartono and Paul Marthin. The two men were the sons of her father’s business partners.

​They crossed paths often at high-society events. Later in middle school, all three of them ended up attending the exact same elite private academy for wealthy kids.

Paul Marthin was the son of Carl Marthin, the owner of an international hotel chain with branches in over thirty countries. His mother had been a famous model who was forced to retire after an accident left a scar on her face.

​In reality, that "accident" was orchestrated by Paul’s father just to force her into marriage, trapping her at home so she could no longer work as a model. He was simply too possessive and couldn't stand seeing other people admire his wife.

​Growing up around his father's terrifying obsession and his mother's cold, lingering pain inside a golden cage, Paul grew into a distant boy who struggled to express his feelings.

​He always kept people at a safe distance. In Paul's eyes, the human heart was like a swamp—the deeper you went, the darker it got.

​However, once he met Celia and Darius, Paul's defensive walls completely crumbled. He finally opened his heart to the two of them. To everyone's surprise, beneath his cool exterior, Paul actually had a deeply kind and gentle heart.

Paul was always right there beside his two best friends, rarely saying much. He supported them with everything he had, quietly standing in the background. Yet, every single time he saw them achieve something great, a small, proud smile would warm his face.

​“He always protected me behind the scenes and made sure I was smiling,” Celia said, her eyes gazing off into the distance as if lost in fond memories.

​“Whenever I was sick, he’d secretly pop by just to drop off medicine for me. When my dad’s mistresses bullied me, he’d pay them back double. And whenever my dad tried to punish me, he’d always step in front of me to take the blow himself.”

Hearing the soft, fond way Celia talked about Paul made Melya secretly assume he was the fiance. But before she could even chime in with a comment, Celia carried on with her story—this time turning her attention to her other best friend, Darius Hartono.

​Then there was Darius Hartono, the sole heir to a massive pharmaceutical empire. On top of that, his mother was a renowned painter whose artwork left everyone breathless.

​To make his life even more picture-perfect, Darius grew up in a incredibly warm and loving home. His parents adored each other, and their bond was completely unbreakable.

​Surrounded by so much love, Darius grew into a cheerful, friendly, and respectful young man who treated everyone with kindness.

Darius was like a breath of fresh air, completely shattering the stereotype that rich kids were always arrogant and impossible to get along with. Everyone loved him, and everybody admired him.

​“Wow, sounds literally perfect!” Melya couldn't help but blurt out in awe. Deep down, she felt a tiny pang of envy, having never experienced that kind of family warmth herself.

Melya caught the split-second flash of a sour expression on Celia's face whenever Melya let out an exclamation of awe. But it vanished in a heartbeat as Celia quickly smoothed her features back into a flat, neutral look and went right on with her story.

​“Yeah, you’re right, his life was totally perfect,” Celia said softly. “His parents always put him first and would give him the world. And honestly, his warmth was like a magnet—Paul and I couldn't help but be drawn to him, gravitating around him like planets around the sun.”

Celia paused for a moment. Her brow furrowed slightly. Though it wasn't entirely clear, Melya could sense the heavy reluctance in Celia's posture, as if a sharp thorn was resting on the tip of her tongue, threatening to cut her the moment she opened her mouth again.

​After a long, quiet silence, Celia finally spoke.

​“And that warmth... is what made me fall in love with him. A love I thought would end up just as happy as his parents'. A love that, in the end—”

​A sad, bitter smile touched the corner of Celia's lips.

​“—killed me,” she finished, her voice trembling.