All Chapters of Joke's on You, Cause I'm Really Dead: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I used the last ounce of my strength to claw at the crystal glass. My fingernails were torn to shreds, and they left a bloody smear across the surface.My brother, Liam Reid, leaned in. His face was inches from mine on the other side of the glass. He frowned slightly at the horrific red streaks."Cassie, what's wrong? Look, if you're actually not feeling well, I'll let you out right now."He pulled a key from his pocket, but before he could slide the key into the lock, Alexandra Martin swooped in and locked her arms around his."Oh, please, Liam! She's totally playing you!"Alexandra pointed at the blood on the glass, bursting into a fit of giggles. "Look at that. It's so obviously fake! She seriously went out and bought fake blood just for this prank. Man, she really took April Fools' to heart this year. Talk about staying in character!"Liam hesitated for a split second before dropping his keys back into his pocket with a booming laugh."Cassie, you're a trip! You actually p

My soul trailed behind them, drifting into the mansion's living room.The massive coffee table was buried under a mountain of beautifully wrapped luxury gift boxes.Alexandra let out a squeal of delight, throwing herself onto the couch to start tearing into them. There was an array of limited-edition bags, a custom diamond necklace, and the keys to a sports car. With every box she opened, she planted a sweet kiss on each of their cheeks, making the three grown men beam with adoration.I floated quietly against the ceiling, watching the picture-perfect family of four.Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose and reached for the last two deep blue velvet jewelry boxes sitting at the edge of the table.Alexandra's eyes lit up, and she reached out to grab them. "What are those, Ethan?"Ethan pulled his hand back slightly. "These are for Cassie."Alexandra's hand froze mid-air, and the smile instantly vanished from her face."It's a custom white dress and a matching bracelet," Liam chi

Bang! Bang!The lock was completely shattered.Ethan ripped open the heavy crystal lid, and a suffocating stench of blood instantly hit them in the face.Julian rushed forward, grabbing my right hand as it dangled over the edge of the coffin.A split second later, a blood-curdling scream tore out of his throat and through the quiet of the night."She isn't breathing… Cassie… Cassie's dead!"Ethan shoved Julian out of the way, leaning down to lift my stiff body out of the coffin."To the hospital!" he barked. "Quick, start the car!"The black Maybach tore through the midnight streets at a breakneck speed.In the backseat, Julian held my corpse tightly against his chest. By then, my body was already cold as ice.He took off his jacket to wrap around me, desperately rubbing my hands, which were completely mangled and covered in dried blood."Cassie, I'm so sorry. Please don't do this to me. Just say something, okay?"Julian's tears rained down on my face. His voice trembled un

Julian's hands shook as he carefully peeled back the layers of old newspaper.Inside was a sleek carbon-fiber gift box. He popped the lid, revealing a pair of limited-edition, professional racing gloves.Julian sucked in a sharp breath.This was a rare, deadstock pair he had spent months hunting for online, completely unable to track down a single seller.Inside the palm of the right glove, a faded, bright yellow good-luck charm was stitched in shaky, uneven thread. It was dotted with dark red bloodstains.A neatly folded note was tucked underneath."I went to the track where you practice and washed cars for the owner for a month. He finally agreed to sell them to me at retail price! And I also stitched this charm for you myself. I prayed you'll stay safe, win every race, and make it home every night."Julian's head spun as a memory hit him.Two weeks ago, he had come home from a track day and found me limping around the yard, sweeping up leaves. My forehead was wrapped in gauz

The police taped off the crime scene, arresting Gabriel, Winona, and Alexandra on the spot.Alexandra looked utterly pathetic as two female officers dragged her toward the door. As they passed Ethan, she thrashed violently, trying to lunge toward him with mascara running down her face."Ethan, Liam, Julian, you have to help me!" she shrieked. "I grew up with you guys! You've been my brothers for 20 years. You can't just let them throw me in prison!"The three men stood there like statues. Not a single one of them even looked at her."Get her out of here," Ethan said, his voice flat and icy.Alexandra's screams faded into the distance until the wail of the sirens drowned them out.…The trial was over in a flash.As the murder was premeditated and incredibly cruel, Alexandra was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve.Gabriel and the rest of the staff were sentenced to five years in prison for tampering with evidence and aiding and abet