The Returning Ghost

Chapter 1

It’s been seven years since I was brought home.

Seven years since my life was supposed to have magically fixed itself.

I’ve done everything my parents wanted, even married a guy I couldn’t stand.

I’ve got a three-year-old daughter to show for it.

My parents’ darling, the girl who was raised as their own while I was missing, is a year older than me, but she’s still treated like a baby.

The whole “real daughter” vs. “fake daughter” drama? Ancient history, supposedly.

My family’s life is supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows now.

So, when my husband was beating me within an inch of my life, I called them.

“I’m gonna die. Could you, just maybe, take Susie in? Like you took me in all those years ago?”

1.

I knew I was about to kick the bucket, so I didn’t bother with 911.

I went straight to family.

Mom answered, and she was getting her nails done.

Totally put out. “What is it, Carrie?”

I was clutching my neck, blood everywhere, telling her I was dying, begging her to take Susie.

Susie’s just three, sleeping upstairs, no clue about the chaos downstairs.

Blood wouldn’t stop flowing.

Broken wine bottle all over the place.

My lovely husband was passed out on the couch, snoring after his little rage.

“Carrie, seriously? Are you gonna pull this again? This is what you do best!”

My brother, Jake, snatched the phone, screaming at me.

“You’ve been married for four years. Every time you call, it’s either about getting a divorce or you’re about to die. Are you really that bad off?”

I just shut up.

Maybe I was numb from the pain, or just from losing too much blood.

Felt exhausted, really.

Thinking back, I guess I had been tired for years.

Kidnapped when I was five, slaving away in the boonies like an animal. Back was always killing me.

Finally came home when I was fifteen.

Had to walk on eggshells around the golden child, the fake daughter.

Spent countless nights crying myself to sleep.

Forced to marry at eighteen, tied to some rich jerk who liked to throw punches.

Had to be the perfect little wife, always trying to keep him happy, just to avoid getting hit.

Every inch of me was always tense.

Then, I went dark at twenty, major depression. Only Susie’s smile kept me going, like standing at the edge of a cliff, scared to jump, scared not to.

Now, I’m twenty-two, and a shard of a wine bottle is sticking out of my neck.

Finally, I can rest. Finally, I can die.

I told Jake, “This isn’t a game. I’m really dying. Please, just come get Susie, okay? I don’t want her to be scared.”

I hadn’t exactly been “faking it” all these years.

Only asked for a divorce three times. They got annoyed, so I stopped.

Only mentioned getting hurt four times. They didn’t believe me, so I stopped.

Seven years since I came home. Seven times I needed help.

Not too much to ask, right?

“Then go die. We’ll take Susie in when you’re gone.”

2.

Jake hung up.

Knew he wasn’t coming for Susie.

Seven years, eighth time asking, and still nothing.

I gave a weak smile, leaned against the wall, feeling like half my body was on fire.

Blood was steaming.

Looked up at the second floor.

Quiet.

Susie was still asleep.

Or maybe she was awake, too scared to move, hiding under the covers.

My heart twisted, and I tried to get up, but I was spent.

What was I going to do?

My little girl, shaking under the covers, and I couldn’t do a damn thing.

If no one came for her after I died, she’d be stuck with that monster.

How would she ever survive?

Phone buzzed, a text.

Gasping, I tried to focus.

From Ashley, the golden child.

[Happy 23rd birthday! Everyone’s here celebrating with me, so no one cares about you. I’ll get some sleep tonight.

[I really don’t get it. You’ve already lost, so why can’t you just die already?]

I moved my lips, tasting blood.

I didn’t want a confrontation.

I just wanted to let Susie go.

Summoned the last bit of strength and recorded a voice message for Ashley.

Begging the one person I hated most.

“Ashley… I’m sorry, okay? I was wrong… shouldn’t have been mean to you… shouldn’t have fought for attention… I’m begging you, please come get my daughter…”

I kept bleeding, crying.

My pride, years of it, shattered in the dirt.

I’d never stooped to apologizing to Ashley.

Always thought I was the real daughter, and she was just a stand-in.

But now, I was giving in.

I admitted defeat.

“What?”

Ashley sounded shocked, then burst out laughing. “No way? You… that’s hilarious! You’re begging? Really? Go on, beg!”

3.

Right, beg Ashley.

I held down the record button, dropped my head, and slammed it against the floor.

Thump, thump, thump!

Sent the message, then almost passed out, lying on the floor like a dog, gasping for air.

Ashley laughed again. “Wait, you actually did it? Haha, not gonna lie, that felt great. Seven years, and I finally get to see you grovel!”

Yeah, I give up.

“Take Susie… home…”

My voice was barely a whisper.

Ashley’s tone changed instantly. “Carrie, are you screwing with me? I’m supposed to take your daughter home, not you! Deep down, you still want to come back, don’t you?”

I froze, mind foggy.

Did I say bring me home?

No, I was supposed to say bring Susie home!

I didn’t need to go home, but Susie did.

But I was too weak to say another word.

“Carrie, talk to me! Did I hit a nerve? Are you too scared to answer?”

Ashley was spitting fire, and I could hear my dad’s booming voice in the background.

“Carrie, stop causing trouble. I’m visiting the Peterson’s in two weeks, I’ll see you then!”

Two weeks?

Finally, someone was coming to see me?

But I wouldn’t make it that long, because I was dying.

Susie, I’m so sorry.

Mom couldn’t get you out of this hellhole.

I hope there’s a heaven, so that I can watch over you.

4.

I opened my eyes and was floating above my own body.

There really are ghosts!

The sun was up, but the house was silent.

My husband, Tom, had fired all the help, forced me to be the maid, just so he could abuse me without any witnesses.

So, even during the day, the house was always empty.

Tom was starting to wake up; his snoring had stopped.

I forgot about him and floated upstairs, into the bedroom.

Susie was curled up under the covers, eyes squeezed shut, pillow soaked with tears.

The bed was wet, she’d wet the bed but was too terrified to move.

I felt a surge of love and guilt, reached out to touch her cheek, but my hand went right through.

Then, Tom screamed downstairs.

He probably found my body.

Sure enough, he started to chop me up.

Even as a ghost, I felt cold all over.

The evil in Tom was on full display.

And he was my family’s ideal man for me.

Originally, my parents were supposed to marry Ashley to Tom; the two families had made a verbal agreement on the alliance.

Tom’s Peterson Group was a leading company in the city, and Tom himself was handsome and promising.

Ashley liked him very much and went on dates with him.

But then Tom’s ugly side came out.

He killed a girl in a bar and caused extremely bad publicity.

My parents were concerned and decided not to let Ashley get too close to Tom.

But they couldn’t break up with the Peterson’s family, so they let me marry him instead.

[Carrie is our real daughter. She is a better match for Tom Peterson.]

[Our Carrie is virtuous and gentle, unlike Ashley, who runs around all day and has no semblance of a girl!]

[Ashley doesn’t want to have children, she is not ready to be married yet, lest she embarrass us!]

That’s what my parents said back then.

Every word was denigrating Ashley, and ultimately, the Peterson’s agreed and married me.

Looking back now, every sentence was full of love for Ashley.

I chuckled and floated into the bathroom to see Tom cutting up my body.

5.

Tom was pale, hacking at bones, cursing under his breath.

He seemed to be trying to calm himself down by constantly insulting me.

He called me a whore, said I’d been with hundreds of men, and I didn’t deserve him.

He said I deserved to die!

I didn’t understand, how could I be a whore?

Tom’s self-talk provided the answer: “Don’t blame me for this you useless slut, Ashley told me that you hooked up with countless men in that hick town, you shouldn’t have even been born in the first place!

“I abused you because you deserved it, you died because you asked for it!”

It clicked, Ashley was behind this.

No wonder Tom was friendly at first, treating me with respect.

But then he suddenly changed his personality and abused me mercilessly.

Ashley, you’re so cruel.

I’ve already lost so badly, but you still won’t let me go.

As the sun went down, Tom was finally done.

He stuffed my body parts into bags, filling up two large freezers.

Then cleaned up the living room, leaving no trace.

Susie had come downstairs and was squatting by the handrail on the second floor, peering timidly down.

Tom looked up at her, his tone as cold as a ghost. “Susie, what did you see?”

Susie didn’t speak.

“I said, tell me!”

Tom roared, scaring Susie into shaking her head. “No… I don’t know…”

I felt sorry for her and angry, wanting to bite Tom to death.

But I couldn’t touch him.

Tom snorted, grabbed a few bags of chips from the snack cabinet and threw them upstairs.

“Don’t come downstairs. If you do, I’ll break your legs!”

Susie nodded in terror and scurried into the bedroom.

Tom didn’t linger and hurried out into the dark, carrying a bag of meat.

Susie cautiously crept out, peered at the stairs for a long time, and then trembled as she went downstairs.

My heart raced, what was Susie going to do?

Then she went to the freezer and forced open the lower door.

My head was hidden in a pile of frozen meat.

“Mom…”

Susie cried out.

Tears filled my eyes.

She saw everything.

6.

The days that followed were Tom’s days of getting rid of the body.

He would take a piece of my body out every day.

But sometimes he would bring them home and freeze them again.

It’s not easy to dump bodies in a big city.

At least my head was always frozen in the freezer.

Susie was obedient, only sneaking down after Tom left to see me, then running back to the bedroom in tears.

She ate, drank, and used the bathroom upstairs, and only had snacks and bread to eat.

This kind of life would be hopeless for adults.

I was so heartbroken that I floated out of the house, hoping to find a way to help.

Unknowingly, I floated to my parents’ home.

The familiar and unfamiliar villa was filled with warm light.

Like a ghost, I drifted inside and saw Ashley sitting on the sofa, complaining.

“We were supposed to go on vacation tomorrow, and I’ve already made a guide!”

Ashley was a year older than me, but she always behaved like a child at home.

My dad smiled dotingly. “I messed up, I have to sign a new round of contracts with the Peterson Group tomorrow, and then go see your sister. I’ll take you on vacation the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes, Ashley, the contract is important, don’t be petty.” My mother shook her head, but her mouth was full of smiles.

My brother, Jake, looked up from the documents he was flipping through. “I can sign the contract, you should go on vacation with Ashley.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I want to go on vacation!”

Ashley stomped her feet, acting spoiled.

Honestly, I envied her.

I was kidnapped for ten years, and I had never been spoiled like that.

After coming home, I didn’t dare to act like that.

Only in my vague memories, when I was five years old, I could be spoiled.

“This…” My dad hesitated. “I have to go see Carrie, after all, I haven’t seen her in years.”

Ashley’s face darkened, and she folded her arms and snorted, “Okay, go ahead, after all, she’s your own daughter.”

My dad immediately panicked and coaxed her like a child. “That’s not what I meant, I just think that if I don’t visit her for too long, the Peterson’s will think we don’t care.”

My mom chimed in, “Yes, we should pay attention to the marriage between the two families.

“Okay, I’ll go on vacation with you tomorrow, and your dad will go sign the contract.”

Ashley was satisfied and smiled as she ate her snacks.

The family was happy again.

I floated silently in the air, motionless for a long time.

My mom glanced at me suddenly, but of course she didn’t see anything.

But she rubbed her chest and muttered to herself, “I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel a palpitation.”

“Mom, are you okay?” Jake asked.

My dad and Ashley also looked at my mom.

My mom waved her hand, “It’s nothing, I can’t say what it is, I feel a little uneasy, maybe it’s because I’m getting old.”

Everyone laughed.

Ashley immediately praised her mom for being young and beautiful, making her mom laugh.

But she still rubbed her chest.

7.

Late at night, my mom couldn’t sleep.

She tossed and turned, waking up my dad.

My dad was annoyed. “Honey, what are you doing? I have to get up early tomorrow.”

“I don’t know why, but I feel so uneasy, I can’t sleep.”

My mom was also annoyed, not understanding why.

My dad thought, “Are you worried about the contract tomorrow? We’ve been working with the Peterson’s for many years, nothing will happen.”

“It’s not the contract, I can’t explain it.” My mom grabbed her hair.

My dad frowned, “If it’s not the contract, what else could it be? Carrie? Did her call scare you?”

My mom was stunned for a moment and started rubbing her chest again.

My dad laughed, “Why are you so concerned about Carrie? She’s doing well, she must be very happy to be married to Tom.”

My mom was thoughtful and sighed deeply. “I guess Carrie is not doing well, last time she came home, her wrists were full of scars.”

My dad was silent.

My mom continued, “She always wants a divorce, asking us to help her, I think Tom treats her badly.”

My dad remained silent.

Floating on the bed, my dead heart still trembled.

Mom, you knew?

So why couldn’t you help me?

My mom gave the answer: “But there’s nothing we can do, we can’t let Ashley marry him, Ashley has never suffered since she was a child, she can’t stand Tom’s abuse.

“Carrie has suffered for ten years, her psychological quality is much stronger, it’s okay for her to be beaten, she won’t die anyway.”