The Return of the Dead

Chapter 1

The woman I loved most in the world, my mom, was gone.

And just like that, my dad, the jerk, shows up with his bimbo and her kid, trying to muscle in on my inheritance.

He actually had the nerve to say, “Your mom basically worried herself to death because of you.

You’re always going on about wanting to be a doctor, but couldn’t even save your own mother?

With skills like that, you need to stay out of the family business before you go and squander everything your mother worked so hard for.”

Last time, I let their guilt trip work, and I walked away.

Big mistake.

They trashed Mom’s name, claimed she was a homewrecker, and then did the unspeakable.

I even ended up dead in their games.

Not this time.

This time, I’m taking them down, every single one of them.

I just stared at the scene unfolding, all the drama Dad was stirring up.

The same exact play from before.

Friends and family looked around, whispering, shocked, and suspicious.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Only the pain could confirm it wasn’t a nightmare.

That’s when Dad’s little princess, Brittany, sashayed over, all smug.

A nasty smile plastered on her face, she drawled, “Well, look who’s still hanging around.

I’d take my cue and walk away if I were you and kiss goodbye to that measly inheritance.

You’re a jinx if I’ve ever seen one, who wouldn’t recognize you as the cause of death!

Think you can run a company after killing your mother?

You’ll be crying before you know it.”

Last time, their comments stung enough to make me retreat.

But that only opened the door for them to drag Mom’s memory through the mud.

They twisted everything, called her a husband stealer, and… I can’t even repeat what they did.

Looking at that obnoxious face, all I felt was pure, burning rage.

“Brittany, honey, check yourself.

You’re a nobody, a secret kid who just got lucky because Mommy knows how to bat her eyes.

Now you think you can waltz in here and steal what’s mine?

Dream on, sweetheart.”

Brittany’s face went bright red, like I’d hit a nerve.

And Dad’s little floozy, who’d been lurking in the shadows, came storming over, screeching, “How dare you talk to her like that!

Your mom wasn’t all that special, couldn’t even keep her man happy.

She’s so dull, it’s no wonder your dad found better company.

And Brittany should be running the company anyway, it would save you from driving it into the ground!”

I almost laughed.

I stepped right up to her, close enough to make her sweat.

“You don’t get to talk about my mom.

You’re just a cheap mistress, sneaking around, living a pathetic little life in the shadows.

You really think you can put your daughter in charge of the whole company?

Get real.”

Her face turned purple, and she swung to slap me, but I grabbed her wrist before she could land a hit.

That’s when Dad rushed over.

He didn’t even bother finding out what happened; he just glared at me, yelling, “What is wrong with you?

Fighting at your own mother’s funeral?

Don’t you have any shame?

I’m telling you, stay out of the business.

You don’t have the skills or the personality for it.

Just listen to me, give the inheritance to Brittany.

It’s the least you can do for this family.”

“Least I can do?”

My eyes burned, but I refused to cry.

Instead, I let the fury build.

“Dad, look at yourself in the mirror for once.

How much did Mom give to this family?

Where were you when she was working herself sick?

Off screwing around with this woman!

Now Mom’s not even cold, and you’re already paving the way for them.

And you have the gall to put the blame on me?

Did you even care about Mom?”

He looked guilty for a split second, but he quickly recovered.

“It’s done.

The company can’t fall apart because of you.

Just be sensible and stop making a scene.”

I stared him down, then burst out laughing.

“A scene?

If taking what’s mine is a scene, then you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Dad and Mom used to actually be in love.

I was born during the best year of their lives, so I was naturally the family’s baby.

I remember him teaching me how to ride my bike, wrapping bandages around my scrapes.

At the holidays, we’d all sit together, and he’d smile, load up Mom’s plate, and promise to take care of us forever.

But somewhere along the way, things changed.

He came home less and less, and he acted like a stranger until he basically moved in with his new “family,” leaving Mom alone.

The people at the funeral were beginning to notice what was going on, and they started gossiping.

The muttering grew louder until Dad’s face was bright red.

He hates embarrassment more than anything.

He wanted to shut it down before it got out of control.

But there was no way I was going to let him.

I stood tall, marched up onto the platform, and scanned the room, all eyes on me.

“Friends, family, today is supposed to be about honoring my mother.

But some people just can’t resist making a mess.”

“Let’s talk about Brittany.

She’s not Mom’s adopted daughter.

She’s my father’s illegitimate child.

Why should she get a slice of what Mom built?

She doesn’t have any right to inherit.”

A wave of shock ran through the crowd.

My dad’s face turned bright red, and he started shouting over me, “That’s a lie!

Your mother accepted Brittany as her own daughter.

She loved her.”

As if on cue, the company’s manager jumped in, brown-nosing Brittany like always.

He said, “Ms. Brittany is a real whiz kid.

She took on a lot of business projects in college and made a name for herself.

She’s a real natural.”

“Unlike some people, who are focused on school and can’t even save their own mother.

They would just drive our company into the ground.

How would they handle it?”

I smirked.

They thought they had me cornered, but Mom had seen this coming.

I calmly pulled out a document and held it up for everyone to see.

“This is a stock transfer agreement, signed by my mother.

She quietly transferred her shares of the company to me a few months back.”

The room exploded with gasps and murmurs.

Dad’s eyes bugged out.

He lunged forward to grab the document, but some quick-thinking friends held him back.

I looked at him, smirking.

“Okay, so maybe I’m not the best business person.

Still my company, I get to do what I want.

Even if I screw it up or run it into the ground, it’s my business and none of yours.”

I stared at the agreement in my hand, then at the three of them, shocked.

A feeling of unease crept into my mind.

Mom gave me the document three days before she was diagnosed with cancer.

Did Mom suspect something?

Or… I glanced at where they had laid out Mom…

I ignored Dad’s rage and the weird looks from the others.

I took a deep breath and announced, “I want an autopsy.”

The room exploded again.

Dad’s face turned purple, and the veins in his neck bulged.

He stomped over to me and slapped me across the face.

“Have you lost your mind?

Let the dead rest in peace!

You’re spitting on your mother’s wishes!”

He screamed, and spit flew on my face.

Dad’s mistress started fake-crying, trying to get sympathy.

“How can you be so cruel?

Your mother just died.

This is awful!”

Brittany joined in, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, can’t you pick a better time to cause all this drama?”

Everyone around me started murmuring, a mixture of disapproval and pity.

But I remember what happened last time: Mom’s sudden cancer, the stock transfer, their rush to cremate her, and their campaign to ruin her name.

It all seemed like they were trying to bury something deep.

I wiped the blood from my mouth and met Dad’s furious stare.

“The more you fight me, the more I know something’s wrong.

Mom was healthy.

How could she suddenly die from this?

I have to know.”

Dad’s eyes flickered, and I saw a hint of panic before he masked it.

That sealed it.

Ignoring everyone’s protests, I called the police and asked for a medical examiner.

Some of Dad’s older friends pulled me aside, begging me to drop it.

“Honey, listen to your father.

Let it be.”

I didn’t listen.

I just waited.

Soon, the police arrived, bringing a sense of calm to the chaos.

The lead officer quickly assessed the scene, taking in the crowd and the tension.

He stepped forward, polite but firm.

“Who called us?

What’s the situation?”

I went to answer, but Dad cut me off, putting on a show of grief.

He pointed at me and sobbed to the officer.

“Thank God you’re here!

My daughter… she’s gone crazy with grief.

She’s saying all sorts of things.

She wants to have her mother’s body cut open, and she’s accusing me of killing her.

She’s not thinking straight.”

Dad grabbed the officer’s arm, voice cracking.

“I hate to see her like this, but I can’t reason with her.

Please, take her to a hospital or something before she does something she’ll regret.”

The mistress chimed in, dabbing her eyes.

“It’s true, officer.

She’s close to the edge!

Her mother would have wanted peace, not this.

She’s not in her right mind, so you can’t take her seriously.”

Brittany nodded, agreeing.

“Yeah, send her to the hospital to get fixed.

Just don’t let her ruin the funeral.”

My eyes widened, and I fought back my rage and disbelief.

“Stop twisting things around!

Think you can shut me up and hide what you’ve done?

I’m perfectly sane.

You’re scared of an autopsy because you’re guilty!”

The officer frowned and held up a hand for silence.

Dad pulled out a crumpled medical record and a bottle of pills.

“Officer, see?

The hospital said she’s been unstable for a while.

The loss of her mother just made it worse.

She’s making things up.”

I scoffed at the pills and the paperwork.

I’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years earlier because of his cheating.

I should have known it would come to this.

I stomped over and ripped the papers to shreds.

“Fine, I’m crazy!

I’m sick!

If you don’t clear this up, everyone’s a suspect.

I can’t control my thirst for revenge!

I might break a leg, shatter an arm, take an eye.”

Dad’s eyes went wide, and he stumbled back, tripping over his mistress.

He pointed at me, his hand shaking.

“What do you think you’re doing?

Threatening people?

You’re going to end up in jail!”

I turned to the officer.

“I know an autopsy is controversial, but I want to get justice for my mother, and it is the only way.

Otherwise, I might lose it and do something I’ll regret.”

I looked straight at the officer, my eyes pleading.

“Who else is family here?”

When the officer asked, I raised my hand.

“I’m the only family.”

Dad tried to argue, but I pulled out Mom’s divorce papers.

“They already agreed to get a divorce.

I’m her only legal heir.”

The officer read the papers carefully, then nodded.

He ignored Dad’s protests and started the investigation.

The room was silent, heavy with tension.

Dad paced, glaring at me every few steps.

Finally, the medical examiner finished and removed his mask, his face grim.

“We found high levels of slow-acting poison in the deceased’s system.

Long-term use would cause organ failure.

It was the primary cause of death.”