Chapter 4

We had not even reached home when we saw that the front gate was wide open.

My mom frowned and asked, “Did you leave the door open when you went out?”

We had just parked. Before my mom could rush inside, the relatives surrounded us.

My dad looked at them in surprise. He did not like their sudden visit.

“Why did you all come without warning? You could have called me first to warn me.”

My grandmother hit my dad’s leg with her cane. She glared at him and said, “Lila is my granddaughter! How could I not come?”

The other relatives scolded my parents and showed off the altar they had set up.

They even carried Lila’s body out of the car as they talked.

My parents looked terrified. They were afraid the relatives would notice something was wrong, but they could not refuse.

I heard someone whisper, “A body that just died should be different. It’s still warm!”

My dad broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly lifted Lila into his arms and walked straight to her room.

I called out loudly, “The altar is in the living room! Why are you taking Lila to her room?”

My uncle thought my dad was too grief-stricken to remember where the living room was. He rushed forward to help.

The moment he grabbed Lila, she fell to the ground.

I saw her eyebrows furrow a little in pain, but she did not dare make a sound. She bit her tongue and held it in.

My mom stared at Lila on the ground and felt her heart skip a beat.

“If you can’t handle her properly, stop trying to help! You’re just causing her pain!”

“How can a dead person feel pain? Stop joking around!”

My dad was afraid that their plan to fake Lila’s death would get exposed, so he stepped in to explain on behalf of my mother.

When he saw that no one suspected anything, he was relieved. He did not want any more trouble. He quickly placed Lila on the funeral bed.

My aunt suggested hiring a mortician for Lila, but my mom refused.

“That’s for putting makeup on the dead. It brings bad luck. Absolutely not!”

My aunt looked at my mom in confusion. “Isn’t Lila already gone? If she weren’t, who would even suggest a mortician?”

She glanced at Lila on the funeral bed and grew even more suspicious.

“Yara, are you sure the doctor was competent enough to declare her dead? What if Lila’s still alive?”

I insisted it was impossible, but I did not just sit there. I pinched the spot that hurt the most.

“A dead person cannot feel pain! One pinch is all it takes to know for sure.”