Chapter 2

When I regained consciousness, I found myself floating in mid-air.

I looked down wordlessly at everything below, including myself.

Instantly, I realized I was dead.

But Diana still wouldn't let me go. She leaned against the railing, her face full of mockery.

"Why'd you stop screaming? Did Xincheng call you out and now you're too embarrassed?"

Zachary Brown sneered: "She definitely feels humiliated. She's playing dead."

"I want to see how long she can keep up this act. Turn up the intensity."

But I wasn't pretending. I'd truly had a heart attack and died on that platform.

The corpse on the bungee cord showed extreme terror---eyes wide open, face blue and purple.

The mockery continued below. They laughed and joked, but no one was willing to come closer for a look.

No one noticed that the person who'd been crying for help moments ago had already stopped breathing.

Zachary Brown was right. I had climbed a tree before, just to rescue a cat stuck in its branches.

But that was because the cat was a keepsake from my grandmother.

Perhaps because I'd been silent for so long, Diana grew impatient and shouted at me: "Stop playing dead!"

"If you ruin my birthday mood, can you afford to make it up to me?"

Hearing this, my spirit form showed a sardonic smile.

Whenever I didn't do what they wanted, Diana would mock me like this about my poor background and lack of money.

Zachary Brown quickly chimed in: "Stop this act. If you don't move, you'll spend the night up there!"

As the machine operated, my corpse swayed with the rope, looking utterly pathetic, yet remaining completely silent.

I floated beside everyone, shouting loudly that I was dead, but no one could hear me.

Perhaps angered by my silence, Zachary Brown sneered and gave an order directly.

"Set it to maximum power. Since you want to play, I'll let you play to your heart's content!"

I wanted to stop Zachary Brown. I reached out, but my hand passed straight through his body.

"This is such a buzzkill. I don't want to watch her swing around on my birthday. Let's find another place."

Hearing this, Zachary Brown put his arm around Diana's waist and headed out.

Seeing the main players leave, the others dispersed as well.

Only a corpse remained, hanging from the high platform, mechanically swaying up and down under the machine's operation.

Watching Zachary Brown's retreating back, my heart grew colder inch by inch.

My eye sockets were empty---nothing could flow from them.

That's right. How could a soul have tears?

Just as I thought I'd rot here until I scared the cleaning staff into screaming and the police would take over...

An invisible force suddenly grabbed my soul. I couldn't break free at all.

I could only be forcibly dragged away from the terrace, floating in the direction Diana and Zachary Brown had gone.

I was like a puppet on strings, involuntarily following their car through the streets and alleys, stopping outside the home Zachary Brown and I had lived in for five years.

The house was Zachary Brown's premarital purchase, but the decoration was all my work, done bit by bit with my own hands.

Having lived here for five years, every corner held memories of him and me, and our son Ethan Brown.

At this moment, I watched helplessly as Diana held Zachary Brown's arm, chatting and laughing as they walked through the front door.

Zachary Brown casually tossed aside his coat, rubbing his temples and complaining: "Today was fun, but Lily playing dead really killed the mood."

Diana naturally leaned against him. Her tone was gentle, but I could see the malice hidden in her eyes.

"Don't worry about her. If she's in a bad mood, let her be. She'll probably come back tomorrow. Don't let her ruin yours."

Zachary Brown didn't comment either way. He turned and went into the bathroom, not avoiding this childhood friend at all.