My body drifted in the river for five years before a fishing enthusiast reeled it in.

Even though the forensic pathologist managed to reconstruct my face from when I was alive through craniofacial reconstruction technology, the hatred my brother had for me remained as strong as ever.

"That better be her body! She has been on the run for five years! Even in death, she doesn't deserve pity! In fact, it simply is a disgrace to have a murderer like her as the daughter of the Clarke family!" he hissed.

Everyone thought he despised me with every fiber of his being. Yet, as he spoke, his entire body trembled.

Who would have guessed that the distress call I made to him five years ago would end up becoming the main factor that hastened my death?

The Bodies

After receiving the case report, Sebastian Clarke, my brother, promptly rushed to the crime scene with his new assistant, Riley.

In addition to two heavy boulders, a curled-up human skeleton was found inside the dark red suitcase.

Sebastian's gaze hardened.

One look at the remains, and he knew the victim had been dead for at least two years. Moreover, the longer time passed, the fewer traces the murderer had left would exist.

As a result, solving this case would require exceptional technical skill.

Riley crouched beside the suitcase, picking up one of the boulders. His eyes caught on a small bone—a tibia, by the looks of it.

"This can't be a child's bone, can it?"

Sebastian expressed displeasure with Riley's jesting and scornful tone.

Glancing at Riley with a serious expression, Sebastian growled, "Stick to the facts, not baseless speculation."

Embarrassed, Riley flushed and quickly redirected his focus, carefully following Sebastian's lead.

My tense feeling also calmed down.

Even though I hadn't seen him for five years, Sebastian was still the same old dedicated and responsible forensic pathologist.

With his skill and determination, I knew he would be able to identify me—and, hopefully, uncover the truth behind my murder.

After a brief initial investigation, Sebastian approached Max Leonard, the detective in charge of investigating my grandmother's death and tracking me down.

"The elements have severely eroded the bones," Sebastian said. "We'll need to bring them back to the lab for a proper analysis. I'll have results for you within two days."

Max nodded. "Understood. I'm counting on you for this one. By the way, any news about Naomi, your sister? Has she reached out to you or your family?"

Shock instantly struck my chest, for I didn't expect that there was still someone who remembered me even after five years.

On the contrary, Sebastian's face instantly took on a grim expression when he heard Max's question.

"Contact us? She wouldn't dare. If I ever find out where she's hiding, I'll report her to the authorities immediately. Mark my words—no matter what, I will never let that murderer go free."

Meanwhile, I listened to their conversation with confusion. 'Murderer? Are they talking about me?'

Max frowned. "Naomi is just a suspect. Besides, there were plenty of inconsistencies in the case back then. She may not be the—"

Sebastian cut him off, his tone sharp and unwavering. "Who else could it be if it wasn't her? If only I'd seen her for who she really was—ruthless and manipulative. I never should have brought her home in the first place."

As I listened to Sebastian's decisive statement, I felt an immense prickling pain in my heart. Five years had passed, yet his hatred for me remained as raw as ever.

When I was five, I got separated from my family. It wasn't until ten years ago that they found me again. Sebastian was the one who brought me home.

If he looked closely, he would discover that the suitcase containing the drowned body had a broken wheel. It happened when he took me home.

He failed to hold the suitcase firmly as we walked upstairs. As a result, it fell down the stairs and had one of its wheels broken.

But he probably had long forgotten about all these.

When the forensic team transported my skeleton to the identification lab, I followed silently, my soul tethered to what remained of my body.

Through the results obtained from the initial investigation, Riley reported to Sebastian, "The body belongs to a female. Her skeletal development suggests that she is about 20 to 23 years old with a height of roughly between 5'4" and 5'6".

"Based on the degree of her body decomposition and the estimated underwater environment, she's been dead for at least three years. But I find something to be very strange."

Sebastian glanced up from the skeleton, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

"The skeleton is mostly intact, except for one missing part—the left hand. Judging by the cut marks on the wrist, it looks like someone used a tool to chop it off."

Sebastian nodded with satisfaction. Then, he examined my skeleton closely.

"The deceased was fatally injured on the parietal bone. There's a clear indentation—blunt force trauma. Also, judging from the wound surface and surrounding bone cracks, the murderer was obviously much taller than the deceased. Still, we can't rule out the possibility that the deceased was squatting or sitting at the time when the murderer attacked her from behind."

Sebastian then intentionally looked at Riley and teased, "Now, let's examine this 'child.' Shall we?"

Riley scratched his head, visibly embarrassed. "Mr. Clarke, please don't tease me."

Sebastian chuckled and dropped the teasing, turning his attention back to the small bone.

"This is a dog bone. Based on the initial analysis, it belonged to a Toy Poodle, likely around three years old."

At the mention of a Toy Poodle, a flicker of hesitation crossed Sebastian's eyes.

My chest tightened. Surely, he remembered. He was the one who gave me that Toy Poodle on my first birthday after I returned to the Clarke Residence.

"Sebastian!"

Suddenly, a call outside the door interrupted Sebastian's thoughts.

As the familiar voice reached my ears, I looked over stiffly.

Instantly, the scenes before my death flashed through my mind. It was Rebecca Clarke, the Clarke family's adopted daughter. She was the one who killed me!

Looking at Rebecca, who poked her head out from the crack in the door, Sebastian frowned, his tone sharp. "Where are your manners? Who let you in here?"

Rebecca stuck out her tongue. "Sebastian, you haven't been home for two whole days."

With a smile, Riley pushed Sebastian out of the room. "Mr. Clarke, just leave the rest to me. I will immediately inform you of the results once they're out."

Sebastian gave a few final instructions before stepping out of the forensic identification room.

After glancing at the inside of the room, Rebecca asked casually, "Are you working on another new case?"

Sebastian removed his protective gloves and coat, pressing his index finger to her forehead to push her back. "Don't pry into things that don't concern you."

Upon hearing that, Rebecca pouted in dissatisfaction. "Fine. Do you know what day it is today, then?"

Pinching her cheek fondly, Sebastian replied, "Of course. It's Grandma's death anniversary. You don't think I have forgotten about it, do you?"

""Hmph! At least you have a conscience. Since you've been holed up here for two days, I was afraid you'd forget. That's why I came to pick you up."

Sebastian shook his head. "Next time, text me first. Or wait in my office. The forensic identification room is off-limits to outsiders. That's the rule."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You've told me a thousand times."

"And yet, you never listen."

My soul followed them out. Despite being filled with resentment, I couldn't do anything.

My soul could only penetrate my enemy's flesh and blood but couldn't harm her at all.

As for the two figures in front of me, one was my brother, who I respected most, while another was my murderer.

In the five years since my absence, Sebastian and Rebecca had become closer than before.

I trembled as I recalled the last scene of Rebecca killing me.

She gripped my neck with a ferocious look on her face. "Naomi, why did you come back? Why are you trying to ruin my life? Why should I be sent back to the orphanage just because of you? I'm not going back to that hellhole!"

Envy

Rebecca was the child my parents adopted from an orphanage after I went missing.

Sebastian once explained the adoption to me. "They took her in to fill the void you left," he said. Strictly speaking, she was my substitute.

Yet, I constantly envied Rebecca since the day I returned to the Clarke Residence.

With a single word or a subtle gesture, she could command the attention of everyone in the room. Meanwhile, I, still weighed down by my rustic mannerisms, sensitivity, and timidity, could barely find my place in this family, even after years of reunion.

Even though my parents and Sebastian constantly tried their best to make up for my lack of family affection in the past few years, it still couldn't change the fact that they grew alienated from me later on.

My presence among the Clarke family seemed to have become invisible. Rebecca, on the other hand, flourished as though she were the true heiress of the Clarke family.

No matter how hard I tried, it only seemed to drive them further and further away from me.

My parents and Sebastian began to view me as jealous and petty, accusing me of bullying Rebecca.

The worst incident happened on my mother's birthday. I decided to prepare her favorite meal.

I snuck out early that morning to buy the best ingredients I could find. When I returned home, Rebecca greeted me with a kind smile and said she could teach me how to make my mother's favorite barbecue ribs.

Her warm demeanor and the way she insisted on sending the maid out of the kitchen convinced me that she genuinely wanted to help. I let my guard down.

But when I unpacked the ribs, I realized the butcher had forgotten to chop them into smaller pieces. I stared at the full rack, unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, Rebecca took a cleaver and said she could help me.

Grateful for her help, I even humbled myself enough to ask her about other dishes my mother might like. I wanted so badly to prove myself, to show my worth in the family.

But as I turned my attention back to the task, Rebecca's grip suddenly tightened around my hand. Before I could react, the cleaver came down with horrifying precision, slicing off my left thumb.

A searing pain shot through my entire arm, and I let out a scream of anguish.

Even so, all I heard was accusations afterward.

"Naomi, it was you who accidentally cut off your own thumb. How can you blame Rebecca? Is this how you were raised all those years away from us? Manipulating our guilt to make Rebecca look bad? Do you feel satisfied now?"

Rebecca even kneeled before me and cried, "Naomi, I know you hate me for taking away Mom and Dad's love. But I swear, I never meant to steal it from you. Please, don't put yourself in harm's way like this."

Her trembling voice rang hollow in my ears. My heart, already shattered from the pain of losing my thumb, now endured the fresh sting of their cruel words.

Not one of them bothered to ask what truly happened that day. They didn't even attempt a simple investigation.

To them, I seemed to be a despicable and selfish person.

My grandmother was laid to rest in a cemetery located in the west region of the city.

Rebecca arrived, clutching Sebastian's arm. Meanwhile, my parents were already there, lighting candles and murmuring prayers at the foot of the tombstone.

As I gazed at the photograph etched into the cold stone, tears spilled uncontrollably down my face.

My grandmother was the only one in the entire Clarke family who cared about me.

Sadly, she was no longer alive.

Sebastian picked up a flower and respectfully placed it on our grandmother's tomb. After a brief prayer, he added, "Grandma, don't worry. No matter how far Naomi escapes, I will catch her back, bring her over, and make her confess her crime! No, she doesn't even deserve to stand before your grave! She's a murderer, and I'll make sure she pays for what she's done!"

My vision became blurry, and my entire body felt as if I had been struck by lightning. This was the second time I heard Sebastian accusing me of being a murderer.

'A murderer? Did they truly believe I killed my grandmother?'

"Sebastian, no!" I cried, scrambling forward. "I didn't kill Grandma! How could I, when she loved me more than anyone else? It wasn't me—it was her! Rebecca killed Grandma!"

I screamed desperately as I pointed directly at Rebecca. But no one heard me. No one saw me.

Rebecca stepped forward, her expression a picture of grief. She placed three stalks of flowers in the vase with trembling hands.

"Grandma, please don't hold Naomi's mistake against her. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you. It was just a one-time lapse in judgment."

Sebastian's voice rose in anger, his words sharp and biting. "Don't defend her, Rebecca! I was the one who performed Grandma's autopsy. She was stabbed in the abdomen with a steel bar—a whole steel bar!

"Tell me, could a kind-hearted person have done something so monstrous? If Naomi had even a shred of guilt left, she'd turn herself in to the police instead of running and hiding like a coward!"

I stared at him in disbelief, his accusations echoing in my mind.

'Stabbed with a steel bar? A crime I never committed?'

My chest tightened as realization dawned. Rebecca had not only framed me for Grandma's murder but had also evaded punishment by making me the scapegoat.

Rebecca stepped closer to Sebastian, wrapping her arms around him. "Calm down, Sebastian," she pleaded. "I believe Naomi will come to her senses one day. She's my sister—our sister. We have to have faith in her."

However, my father interrupted her, saying, "She is not your sister! We in the Clarke family do not acknowledge a murderer who would kill their own family members like her! Rebecca, I know you are kind-hearted, but Naomi doesn't treat us like her family at all!"

My mother, standing quietly by, wiped tears from her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "It's my fault. If I hadn't insisted on finding her, she never would have come back. Mom wouldn't have died such a horrible death."

I stared blankly at the family before me. A pang of great disappointment rippled in my heart, which had long been broken thoroughly.

But I was dead. I didn't hide from place to place.

It had been five years since their favorite daughter and Sebastian's most beloved sister killed me!

Just then, I felt a twinge in my heart. Ah, it turned out that our hearts would also feel pain even after we died.

Truly Unfair

It wasn't until we returned from the cemetery that I realized something peculiar: my soul seemed bound to Sebastian. I could follow him, but no one else.

The familiar Clarke Residence remained the same as the one in my memory.

Sorrow crawled at my chest as I looked at the big family portrait in the living room, which no longer had a trace of me inside.

I thought back to my first year at the Clarke Residence and to the gifts I received upon my return.

Sebastian gave me a Toy Poodle, my first real pet. Meanwhile, my parents took me to a photography studio to create a family portrait.

At that time, my grandmother was still alive and well.

She pulled me from the back row, positioning me by her side. Her warm eyes gazed down at me as she said, "Naomi, we've finally found you. Don't worry. From now on, we'll never lose you again."

I cried in her lap, believing I really had found my family and happiness.

But never once did it cross my mind that it would be the start of my nightmare from then on.

During the fifth year after I was brought home, I was once again abandoned by my family. I even ended up dying tragically in the end.

"Sebastian, will this dress look good on me at the engagement party tomorrow?" Rebecca emerged from her room in a high-waisted mermaid dress, twirling to show it off.

Sebastian glanced at her and smirked. "What does it matter if I think it looks good? As long as your fiance likes it, that's all that counts."

Rebecca pouted in mock offense. "Oh, you're teasing me now? Fine! Just you wait—when you have a girlfriend, I'll tell her every embarrassing story from your childhood."

Just then, my parents came downstairs and happened to hear Rebecca's words. "Sebastian, don't spoil Rebecca too much. We won't want her coming back here crying when she gets married later."

Rebecca twirled in front of the mirror. "I won't. Shawn is wonderful to me."

My mother shook her head repeatedly. "My, my, listen to you! You're not even his wife yet, but you're already speaking for him. Come here—I have something to show you."

She approached Rebecca with a red velvet jewelry box in hand.

"What is it? It looks rather familiar."

Curious, I looked over as well. However, as soon as I fixed my gaze on the jewelry box, I was stunned in place.

I recognized the box. It was the same jewelry box my grandmother had left for me, one she had personally handed to me in front of the entire family.

Rebecca reached out and took the jewelry box, her eyes lighting up the moment she opened it to reveal a complete set of natural mauve jadeite jewelry.

When my grandmother handed me the box, she told me that my grandfather gifted her this set of jewelry when he was still alive.

Even then, its market value exceeded 200 million. Now, years later, its worth had likely soared even higher.

"Isn't this Grandma's gift for Naomi?"

Browned off by her question, my mother reprimanded her, "We've told you before, Rebecca, to forget Naomi ever existed. Since we acknowledge you as our daughter, this jewelry set naturally belongs to you."

Rebecca's eyes gleamed with happiness, but she still pretended to hesitate, masking her excitement with an air of consideration.

"What if she comes back one day?"

"Even if she dares to come back, she has no place in this family! And if she dies, she is not worthy of having a spot in the Clarke family's memorial hall!"

As always, the mere mention of my name sent Sebastian into a rage.

Before Rebecca could protest further, my mother picked up the necklace from the box and placed it around Rebecca's slender, swan-like neck.

Rebecca, already strikingly beautiful, now radiated even more elegance with the jadeite necklace glinting against her fair skin.

I looked at myself in the mirror coldly.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't attain her elegance and beauty. As long as Rebecca was present, she would attract everyone's attention.

She was the brightest star in the entire Clarke family, whereas I was just a boorish girl they plucked from the streets.

The engagement party was held the following day at the city's grandest hotel.

The hall was adorned with luxurious decor, every corner glowing with joy and opulence.

The guests mingled with bright smiles, their laughter filling the air. Life seemed to have been happier for everyone in the five years since my death.

I drifted through the crowded hall, a silent observer as Sebastian greeted guests and Rebecca clung to her fiance, Shawn Hall, her sweet smile never faltering.

Suddenly, someone among Shawn's group of friends brought up the topic of me. "It's a good thing that hideous Naomi ran away. Thanks to her absence, you lovebirds can finally get engaged."

The people around Rebecca and Shawn immediately chimed in, eager to flatter.

"That's right! A disabled woman like her, daring to dream of marrying into the Hall family? Becoming Shawn's wife? It's laughable! Pure wishful thinking!"

Upon hearing their remarks, Rebecca said hypocritically, "That's not a nice thing to say. After all, she is my sister."

Shawn, who stood beside her, scoffed disdainfully. "A murderer like her isn't worthy of marrying into the Hall family. Rebecca, you're too kind for your own good, defending someone like her even now."

"Rebecca, Shawn has a point. Naomi should be shot on sight if she's ever found!"

Upon hearing that, Rebecca pursed her lips and leaned against Shawn.

I gazed icily at the deeply loving couple.

Back then, my grandmother thought of obsequiously bequeathing favors on my behalf and begging the Hall family to agree to the marriage between Shawn and me while she was still hale and hearty.

However, Rebecca was defiant toward the proposal. She had loved Shawn for years and had dreamed of marrying him one day.

When my grandmother suggested the marriage, she saw it as a threat—a theft of the life she believed she deserved. Her hatred for me solidified that day.

Thus, in order to stop the marriage from proceeding, she grabbed a cleaver and chopped off my finger.

Although Shawn didn't mind marrying a woman he didn't love, he couldn't stand having a disabled woman as his lawful wife.

Because of this, he stormed to the Clarke Residence and insisted on calling off the engagement.

And so, time passed. Rebecca's dream became a reality, and I became nothing more than a skeleton.

Rebecca inherited everything that should have been mine—my parents' love, Sebastian's loyalty, and the blessings of friends and relatives.

And now, she stood here, radiant and adored, married to the man she had always desired.

God was truly cruel. How could someone who had destroyed me so completely be allowed to live such a happy life?

My heart felt as though it had been sliced to ribbons, and the ache suffocated me.

As the party came to an end, Sebastian's phone rang. It was a call from Riley.

Sebastian excused himself from the crowd and found a secluded corner.

"Mr. Clarke," Riley's voice stammered on the other end. "The craniofacial reconstruction image… it's ready. I've sent it to you. You should… check your phone. From my observation… the person in the image… looks a lot like… Naomi Clarke."