Just one wish

~ELENA~ 

I gasped as I fluttered my eyes open, realizing that I was lying on the cold ground. How? How the hell am I even alive? I questioned myself as I looked around. I attempted to raise my head, and surprisingly, I managed to do so. It came as a big shock because I should be dead, yet somehow, I was alive, and I didn't feel any pain.

How could that be possible?

"What kind of miracle is this?" I asked myself as I scanned my surroundings. It was when I stood up from the ground that I noticed my body still lying there. I gasped and quickly covered my mouth. "How?" I questioned myself again, staring at my hands and realizing I was fading away like a ghost.

"How is any of this possible?" I looked up from where I had fallen and noticed that the lights were still on, meaning that my sister and husband were both in the room, pretending as if I had not died. I couldn't even figure out what was happening to me and why I had turned into a ghost, but somehow, I was standing by my dead body. 

I fell on my knees beside my body and burst into tears, watching as my eyes were open, tears still stained with a mixture of blood on my face. I cried out, knowing no one would hear me because I had become a ghost. "Why me?" I shouted and held my stomach. "I should have a son or maybe a daughter, but I can't anymore because my baby is dead!" I screamed and tried to hit the ground, but my hand went through.

While reflecting on my demise, I heard my sister's voice sounding from the entrance of the house. "We have to make her death look like she had committed suicide, alright," she said. ''you know what my grandfather is like? He would want to investigate her death, and we have to make sure that he doesn't find out anything about this.'' 

"Of course," my husband agreed.

 I watched as they headed towards my body, and when they reached it, they both started laughing. "Who would have thought that she would die like this?" my sister laughed and kicked my leg. I almost screamed at her, asking myself how she could do that when we were both sisters. 

Owen also joined in the laughter. "She should have taken the money I offered her and left instead of staying behind and trying to fight us. What a pathetic fool!" he tutted and grabbed my hand. He raised it and then dropped it again. "She looks pathetic even in her death!"

I clenched my fists as they both burst into laughter. "She has been blinded to our love all along!" my sister said and then yawned. "I am tired, baby. Let's dump her body as planned."

Owen nodded in response and carried my lifeless body from the ground, heading towards the car boot where he dumped it. I shouted at him as he closed the car boot. 

"How could you have done this to me after everything I have done for you? I was even pregnant with your baby, and yet, you did this to me!" I screamed out loud and waved in front of him. I wanted to punch him so badly at that moment, but I couldn't do it, and what I could do was stare at him. 

"Babe, follow me with the other car!" Owen shouted, then swiftly entered his car and started the engine. I walked to the left side of the front seat and attempted to open the door, but my hand went through. Undeterred, I phased into the car, much like a ghost from the movies, and joined him inside. My ranting persisted, though he couldn't hear me.

"Your mother hated me all these years, and I endured the abuse because I loved you. Yet, you've been sleeping with my sister," I confessed, burying my face in my hands, tears flowing once again. "We've been together since college, and I genuinely believed you loved me when you asked me to marry you." I chuckled, reminiscing about old memories. "I should have known you married me because you thought I was the legitimate daughter, all for the inheritance." I chuckled, rubbing my hands together. "Why did you kill me?" I questioned, then laughed. "Right, you can't even hear me," I sighed, looking ahead as he parked the car beside a secluded road.

We were alone in the car, and as he exited, I followed, watching him carry me from the trunk and place me in front of the driver's seat, my hands on the wheel. "Now, this is perfect," he said, grinning wickedly. "Everyone will think you decided to die on your own!" He laughed.

Another car arrived, its headlights left on as Ariana stepped out with a bottle of keg in her hand. "We have to burn her to prevent the media and the police from asking too many questions," she said, handing the keg to Owen. 

"You're a genius, baby!" Owen chuckled, taking the keg and pouring it over my body.

 "No!" I shouted, rushing towards him, only to pass through his body. "You don't have to burn my body!" I yelled. "I don't deserve to die such a cruel death!" I continued shouting, hoping someone would hear me, but my tears would never reach anyone's ears because I was dead. "how could you do this to me!" I walked towards him, shouting in his ears, but he continued pouring the fuel on my body. 

This was my fate. I met my end at the hands of my sister, whom I trusted, and my husband, whom I loved with all my heart. What a cruel fate, I thought as I witnessed Owen setting the car ablaze. I watched as the flames engulfed the vehicle, swallowing up my body, and they both stood there, staring at the destructive result.

How could anyone be so wicked? It was their Greed. They wanted everything and knew that staying alive would reveal all their dirty plans. 

"That should do it," Ariana muttered, embracing Owen. "Finally, the company will be ours."

"I love you, baby," Owen kissed her.

"I love you too, baby," she returned the kiss, indifferent to my body burning before them. 

They chuckled as they returned to the car and drove away, seemingly oblivious to any wrongdoing. I moved closer to the fire, clenching my fists tightly. All that crossed my mind was how I had come to this point. How did I end up in such a situation, facing my demise? Why did I deserve to die in such a horrific manner?

I dropped to my knees and burst into tears. "Why me!" I screamed out loud, but it was futile because no one would hear me. I eventually lay on the ground, blacking out in the process. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the center of the road in front of a giant billboard announcing news about me. I watched as my face was plastered all over the news, accusing me.

"Billionaire illegitimate daughter Elena Alonora Brown has committed suicide after being caught cheating on her husband with an unidentified lover. She set herself on fire, and this morning, her body was found along Randiok Road!"

I gasped, placing my hands over my mouth as I listened to the news. This was what everyone believed had happened to me. They all thought I had cheated on my husband and taken my own life. "No, no," I moved backward, only to realize I was in front of a funeral home. I entered and saw my father standing before my displayed picture, with many reporters surrounding my family.

"Is it true that your daughter had a lover?"

"Is she your real daughter?" 

"Who is her lover?" 

I stared at them as they were helped past the reporters by the guards until they got to their car. "Grandpa," I muttered as I watched my grandfather enter the vehicle, and the car drove away, "I was murdered," I said and burst into tears. 

The only one who truly cared about me was my grandfather. 

I walked back into the funeral home, stared at my picture, and then felt the tears coming. Why me? That was the question that I kept asking myself again and again. 

"I must say that the news about her affair is the right thing to do," I heard someone say from the outside. I rushed out and was not surprised to see that it was my sister and Charles. 

"They all believed us," Owen laughed and then looked towards my picture. "at least she is gone from her life. Goodbye to her!" 

"let's go celebrate, baby!" Ariana grabbed his hand, and then they started walking away. 

I clenched my fists angrily as I watched them leave. It was all their fault; they had caused me sorrow and led me to my death, and yet again, they lied against me. It was as if they had planned everything against me, and now, they had won, and I had lost. 

It was all over, but they had won, and I had lost. I lowered my head and started walking away, but then passed through someone. I didn't want to stop when I saw the person entering the room with my picture.

I turned back and entered the room again. The man bowed his head to my picture, and when he raised his head again, my eyes widened in shock as I recognized him from the hospital elevator. 

What was he doing here? I thought as I looked at him. 

"I am sorry that I am late, Elena," he muttered. ''I should have stayed with you back then.'' 

He just called my name, but I didn't remember sharing my name with him in the elevator. How could he remember my name because I don't know him? I was curious, but then he stood up and turned to leave. As he neared the entrance, he stopped and then chuckled. 

"We never got to talk, but I had always admired your courage. I hope that when you are reborn into this life, you won't suffer such a terrible fate like this," he muttered and then walked out of the room. 

I wanted to go after him, but I couldn't, as it felt like a wall around me, and I couldn't go further. Something was stopping me from leaving the room. "why!" I shouted, and then a bright light suddenly appeared, almost blinding me, and then it hit me in the chest. I fell to the ground, groaning in pain, and then gasped for breath as I stretched forth my hand towards the entrance. 

"Just once," I struggled to say. "I wished to be reborn!" I muttered and then closed my eyes, begging to be saved if miracles existed. I wished I could return and make them pay for everything they had done to me.