Together in Eternal Sleep

Five years after my death, I watched with my own eyes as Janes childhood friend drowned our child.

When the detective called Jane, she was still eating strawberries that Julian had fed her. Hearing the detective's words, she merely gave a cold laugh.

Dead? If she's dead, bury her. Why are you calling me?

Finally, she arrived at the police station, a look of impatience on her face. "You said she's dead. Where's the body?"

My soul floated in mid-air, gazing at my daughter's body entangled with river weeds. Jane's voice reached my ears, pulling me back to a moment of haunting familiarity. We hadn't truly "met" in nearly five years. After my death, I somehow became a spirit, bound to my daughter's side. She was so small, living in an orphanage for those five years. Until Julian appeared, pressing her head into the river water, holding her down with brutal force.

I knelt beside them, screaming, banging my head on the ground. I begged him to spare my daughter. I was already dead; what more did he want? But I was a ghost now, utterly useless, able only to kneel there.

"Are you sure this is my daughter? She wasn't this thin. If you're going to fake a body, at least pick a more convincing one." Jane's voice snapped me out of my memories, but it only twisted the knife in my heart further. What did she mean by that?

Jane held her hand over her nose, a frown etched on her face as she glanced at Lily's small body. Then, with utter nonchalance, she said to the detective, "I've identified the child. Can I leave now?"

A few younger detectives, unable to stomach her indifference, slammed their hands on the table and stood up. "That's your daughter who died! How can you be so... so heartless!"

She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Heartless? At least I showed up. Her father hasn't even bothered to show his face! And you call me heartless!?"

The detective was speechless.

Beside them, I cried out anxiously, "I'm not! I just... I'm just dead." But no one could hear the voice of a ghost. How could I be heartless towards my own daughter? She was the sole testament to Jane's and my love, my only continuation in this world. I'd watched her, small and alone, crying in bed at night, clutching the little doll Jane had given her, quietly asking it, "Why doesn't Mom want me anymore? Where's my Dad?" Every time I saw that, my heart felt like it was being torn to shreds. Yet, her mother, for five whole years, hadn't once come to see her.

"We haven't found the father's contact number, so he might not know yet. You could try contacting him," a detective's voice chimed in.

Jane scoffed. "So you've put on this elaborate show just for that, to make me humble myself and find him? I'm telling you, absolutely not!" With that, she turned to leave. But as she reached the door, she paused.

A flicker of hope ignited within me, anticipating her turning back. She turned to the detective and asked, "Can I take the body now?" The detective nodded, and Jane instructed her bodyguard to carry my daughter's tiny body. I was filled with the belief that she still harbored affection for our child, that she was in pain now. But I never imagined that as soon as we left the station, Jane would tell her bodyguard to dump our daughter in the pauper's grave on the south side of town. She wouldn't even spare Lily a proper glance, casually saying, "Since Brandon Sterling doesn't even want to come see his own daughter, I certainly don't need to keep this body."

Hearing those words, I felt my heart had been shredded to pieces, the pain so intense I fell to my knees, unable to utter a sound. I humbly clutched at her trousers, begging her, pleading with her to give our child a proper burial. But for five years I couldn't comfort my grieving Lily every night, and now I couldn't even ensure her body remained intact.

I watched as little Lily's body was tossed onto the heap of corpses like a rag doll. I screamed uncontrollably at Jane, "That's our daughter! The daughter you carried for nine months and gave birth to yourself! Now your childhood friend has killed her, and you won't even give her a proper burial!" But no matter how much I screamed, my heart tearing itself apart, I couldn't change the fact that my daughter's body was left there.

Seeing my daughter's body lying amidst the pile of corpses, Jane frowned. She murmured, "How did they make it look so real? Brandon Sterling really went to a lot of trouble to try and make me back down. But does he really think I'd believe this is Lily's body? It's laughable."

Beside her, I screamed, my voice breaking, "I'm dead, Jane, I've been dead for a long time! That really is our daughter! I'm not lying to you!" But no one can hear the despair of a ghost. Jane glanced at Lily's body a few more times, then turned and walked away. She didn't know why, but looking at the "fake" body on the heap, she felt an uncomfortable pang in her chest.

My soul uncontrollably followed her. In the car, she was gently replying to Julians messages. "Our son wants the latest toy? Then just buy it for him. It's perfectly normal for a two-year-old to love toys." My body stiffened. A son. So, in the five years since my death, she had already started a new life with her childhood friend and had another child.

"Jane, what... what were you doing today?" Jane's voice faltered for a moment before she continued, "Brandon Sterling hired someone to make a fake body to try and make me back down. It's truly laughable."

Soon after, Julian's voice came through. "He's been gone for five years now, you can just file for divorce... When are you planning to marry me?"

Jane didn't hesitate for a second, directly refuting him. "Divorce? Brandon Sterling hasn't returned all these years precisely because he wants to divorce me. How could I grant him his wish? I'll give him another month. If he still doesn't appear, I don't mind making that 'fake' body real." The malice in her voice made my body freeze. I knew her methods all too well. Now, I even felt a strange gratitude towards Julian. At least he ensured Lily's death wasn't prolonged. I couldn't imagine what Jane would be capable of if she were the one to act.

When they arrived and Jane got out of the car, I felt a jolt of recognition. This was our old home. The house she bought, the renovations I did. Back then, I'd held her and said, "This is in a good school district. Our child will go to school here someday. We'll take her together." Jane leaned into my arms and said yes. That happiness, now, seemed utterly fake. We had truly loved each other so much.

"Jane, you're back! Our son and I have been waiting for you." The door opened, revealing that the house's interior had been completely redecorated. A new partner and child had replaced our old life. Jane hugged Julian. The little chubby boy tugged at her hand, saying, "Mommy, why are you only hugging Daddy and not me?" Jane knelt down and hugged the little boy. "Better now?"

Watching this scene unfold, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Why was my soul still bound to this world?

Inside, Jane sat on the sofa, and Julian put his arm around her. "Jane, our son's birthday is coming up soon. Let's go abroad for a few days." Jane frowned and refused. "No. This coming month, I'm waiting for Brandon Sterling to return. If he still doesn't, I intend to send him a grand gift." Everyone knew what that "grand gift" referred to. Lily's body. At this moment, I felt a twisted sense of relief. Lily, it's better not to stay in this world. How would it feel to see your own loving mother plot your murder?

But when Ben heard her words, the smile on his face froze. "Jane, he's been gone for five years. Why... why are you still waiting for him? And that little girl, since she's in an orphanage, why don't we just leave her alone?"

Jane shook her head. "I'll never let them go." Ben saw Jane's determined expression and swallowed the words he hadn't spoken.

I wanted to tell Jane that the man lying beside her had killed our daughter. I wondered what her expression would be. Perhaps joy.

I remember the first time Ben appeared in my life. Jane had just given birth. I hired a nanny for her and immediately went back to work. Though I knew Jane had money, I felt a man shouldn't spend his wife's money. But I never imagined that while I was at work, another man moved into my home. And he even spread false rumors online, claiming all my achievements were earned through immoral means. Every night when I returned home, Jane would confront me with the news. I explained again and again that it was all false, that I hadn't done those things. All my achievements were from my own hard work. How could I betray our marriage? But Jane still didn't believe me, and the company fired me because of the rumors.

The day I was fired, I came home with bags full of my belongings. The moment I walked in, I saw my wife holding hands with another man. Our daughter was crying nearby from hunger, and Jane didn't even spare her a glance. For the first time in my life, I lost my temper at Jane. I threw the things in my arms to the floor. "What are you doing!"

Jane and Ben were startled. Jane glanced at me, then frowned and said, "What? Did your sugar daddy dump you? Is it only okay for you to find someone, but not for me?"

I pushed Ben away like a madman. "How do I have a sugar daddy? I told you, those are rumors! Rumors!"

Jane looked at me and said, "Whether they're rumors or if you're lying to me, you know best. I just saw the video from Ben; you're still trying to deceive me."

"Video?" I instinctively countered. I hadn't done anything like that; how could there be a video? My mouth opened and closed. I knew that no matter how I explained, Jane wouldn't believe me now. Ben gave me a defiant look and said, "Well, I'll be going then."

After he left, I hugged Jane, speaking incoherently, "I... I really didn't do anything like that, darling... Darling, please believe me just this once, okay? You... you break up with Ben." As I said those words, I felt pathetic. Begging my own wife to break up with her lover. But I loved her too much, and our child had just been born. What would happen to her without a mother? Besides, my wife was being misled, so... I was willing to give her another chance. Jane broke free from my embrace, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "I can break up with Ben, but you'll have to stay home from now on."

I froze. Was she planning for me to be a househusband? But seeing her determined expression, I still nodded. "Okay, I promise." It didn't matter. As long as Jane and our child were still with me, I was willing to do anything.