Chapter 1

“Drop the act, Willow, and tell us where Casey is now!” a voice boomed, and the next thing I knew, a bucket of ice water was dumped over my head.

I watched myself from a distance in amusement, my head still covered in ice.

It turned out I was the real heiress in the story of switched daughters. Today marked four months since I was reunited with my family, and sadly, it was also the day I died.

My lack of response only made my biological brother, Caleb Carter, angrier.

Taking control of my soul, I approached Caleb. It had been the first time that I had seen him up close.

To be honest, he was hot and looked nothing like me.

Caleb narrowed his eyes at my silence, standing there and unleashing a tirade of abuse.

“Oh, quit playing dead, Willow! Say something! Do you think you can get away with it by keeping your mouth shut?

“You’re a total jinx! I don’t know why Mom and Dad brought you home! Casey is such a sweet girl for standing up for you.

“But you forced her out anyway!”

Maybe because I was dead, his verbal abuse no longer affected me.

I sat there, bored, listening to him rant and rave for ten minutes. Before I could figure out how to let him know I was dead, two other individuals came down the stairs.

They were my biological parents. My mother, Sandra Carter, was a picture of grace, while my father, Roger Carter, was dressed in a power suit.

“Caleb, any news on Casey?” I watched as my mother looked at Caleb with tears in her eyes, her hand covering her nose.

Even Roger, who had been indifferent since my return, glanced over anxiously, his eyes filled with concern for his daughter.

When Caleb shook his head, Roger burst into anger and charged ahead to slap me.

Instead of the fear and disappointment I had felt before, a shiver of anticipation ran through me. I was dead, and he would soon realize it.

I had been locked in the basement for a month before my demise, so I didn’t want to spend another second in this place. If possible, I wanted to be buried at sea.

However, my wish was quickly shattered. Sandra stopped Roger, her furrowed brows expressing her contempt for me. Her words echoed the same sentiment.

“Don’t go any closer, Roger. She smells terrible. Just leave it to Caleb.”

Caleb stepped forward. “I’ve got it covered, Dad. Don’t get your hands dirty. You should hire a bigger team to find Casey.”

I turned to Roger, expecting him to realize I was dead by now.

Desperate, I glided toward him. My ghostly presence must have rattled the chains on the wall.

Roger shuddered. “Come on. Caleb can handle things from here.

“The chain jiggled without any wind. I guess that’s a sign from God to punish the wretched girl.

“Come on, Sandra. It’s too cold down here for you. You can’t get sick before Casey gets home.”

As my parents walked away, I realized how foolish I had been to hold onto hope for this family, even in death.

The scene played out like a heartwarming tale about a family confronting the kidnapper of their lost daughter.

But I was the one restrained, and I was their biological daughter.

With the door left ajar, I tried to get out, but the whipping noise lashing against my body ensued.