All Chapters of Framed in Life, Cursed After Death: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The heavy steel door rattled under a barrage of loud, metallic thuds.Floating in midair, I watched my wife, Libby Burton, stand outside my apartment with her first love, Louie Fraser, behind her. Her high heels were kicking at the front door so hard she looked ready to put a hole through it."Kieran Hayes, get out here! Don't think ignoring my messages means I can't track you down! Do you have any idea how urgent things are for Louie right now? How can you be so heartless? Are you really just going to sit by and let him burn?"It had been five years since I went to prison, and I hadn't seen Libby since.I never expected that when she finally remembered I existed, it would be to demand I take the fall for Louie again.Louie hovered behind her with sunglasses hooked lazily over the back of his head, looking as smug and carefree as ever. "Libby, maybe he's not home. Should we… just drop it?""Not a chance! He just got out of prison. Where else would he go? He's definitely avoiding

The car pulled up outside an upscale restaurant.Libby took Louie's arm as they walked inside. She wore a sweet smile, as if nothing had happened at the apartment.I floated behind them, watching as Louie thoughtfully pulled out her chair and watching her blush at his attentiveness."Libby, thank you for everything. I really don't know what I'd do without you."Libby took his hand tenderly. "Don't say that. I'd do anything for you."The scene was a dagger to my heart, yet painfully familiar.Years ago, I had courted her just like this.Back then, Libby still wore her hair in a ponytail, working tirelessly alone in a startup hub.I had reached out to catch her when she nearly slipped, spilling coffee all over her outfit and ruining the business proposal she'd spent two weeks preparing.On an impulse, I handed her my own proposal. "Here, take this. I wasn't planning on pitching today anyway."She stared at me in disbelief. Raindrops clung to her eyelashes.In that single momen

Libby pushed her car to its limit all the way back.When she burst into Louie's apartment, he was anxiously pacing the living room. The coffee table was piled high with legal documents and empty liquor bottles.Libby grabbed his arm tightly. "Louie, why did you pull Trista out of school?"Louie froze, completely caught off guard by the question.Forcing a tight smile, he replied, "Libby, what's with the sudden question?""Answer me! The local community office told me you were the one who signed her withdrawal papers!"As I floated overhead, I watched Louie's Adam's apple bob nervously.He put his drink down with shaking hands, his eyes darting everywhere. "I-I just thought sending Trista there was a waste of money…""A waste of money?" Libby's voice spiked. "That was the bargain I made with Kieran!""Libby, listen to me! I was just worried she would run her mouth at school and drive a wedge between us…"He looked up, forcing out a few crocodile tears. "You know how much I lov

I held Trista's hand as we followed Libby out of the dusty old apartment.Her steps were unsteady. She stumbled slightly on the way back to her car. However, she didn't start the engine right away.She just stared blankly ahead, her fingers absently tracing the steering wheel."Mommy looks really sad…" Trista leaned close to my side, reaching out her hand as if to brush away the faint tear trails on Libby's cheeks.Sad? Maybe.Mostly, she was drowning in confusion and inner conflict.I knew her all too well. The truth in that journal was like a thorn jammed into her carefully constructed reality.It wasn't fatal on its own, but painful enough to make her deeply uneasy.She needed something to reinforce her beliefs. She had to do even more for Louie just to convince herself that she hadn't made a mistake.So, she started the engine and drove straight to a law firm notorious for its astronomical fees.When it came to Louie, she never hesitated to spare any expense.Inside the

Louie called Libby again. The chime grated harshly inside the cramped elevator.For the first time, she stared at the flashing name on the screen without answering right away.The display brightened and dimmed over and over as her phone rang with desperate persistence.She fixated on the name, her thumb hovering over the accept icon and trembling slightly.Ultimately, as if completely drained of energy, she dropped her phone to her side, rushed back into her car, and sought refuge from reality.She didn't turn the key in the ignition. Only her choked, heavy breathing filled the cabin, along with Trista's naive questions beside me. "Daddy, is Mommy sick? She looks like she's in so much pain."I couldn't answer. I just watched her coldly.This was only the beginning.Compared to what I suffered in prison, compared to Trista drawing her final breath alone on that cold street, this little psychological shock was nothing.After a long while, Libby's head snapped up. Her eyes were r