Leah laughed out loud—an eerie, unsettling sound that echoed through the void she now ruled. She was thoroughly entertained by the torment she unleashed on those who had wronged her.
I need to go back to my palace, she thought smugly.
With graceful yet haunting steps, Leah returned to the palace she had forged for herself in the afterlife. Upon entering, she saw the three souls once again and quietly reclaimed her throne.
"What did you do to my sister, Leah? Sheila isn't at fault here!" Angely demanded, her eyes burning with fury.
Leah raised an eyebrow but smiled coldly at her.
"Don't worry—I didn't kill your little sister, Angely. I'm not that cruel," she said, shaking her head with mock innocence.
"Ah, they grow up so quickly," Leah sighed dramatically. "And yet, they forget so easily. They're still so young—of course, they barely remember me anymore."
She turned her gaze toward Angely.
"Remind me, how did we first meet?" she asked playfully, her tone edged with venom.
She scrutinized Angely with piercing eyes. "What secret are you keeping, Angely?"
"That's none of your business, Leah. You don't have any right to ask!" Angely snapped.
"I do care, actually," Leah said firmly.
Angely scoffed, trying to mask her fear with sarcasm. "Why don't you use your tricks to find out yourself? You're good at that, aren't you?"
"Thank you for the suggestion," Leah said, flashing a smile. "I did forget something important."
She stood, addressing the three trapped spirits. "Poor souls—you'll never walk the world you once loved. The longer you stay here, the more you'll suffer."
Felicia grinned. "Will the same thing happen to Sharlene's child?"
Leah turned to her sharply, knowing Felicia always had something wicked brewing.
"That child won't escape. And if she does… she'll carry the same curse I placed all those years ago."
Felicia chuckled darkly. "You mean the soul will linger even after the body decays?"
"In the end," Felicia continued, "Sharlene will have no choice but to come here and join us."
"I sense a battle coming between you two, Leah," she added mockingly.
Leah ignored her, instead gazing at the caged soul of little Ashley.
Release your anger, a soft voice whispered inside her—her true self, long buried beneath the layers of revenge.
No. I won't stop, Leah argued with the echo of who she once was.
When will you? More innocent lives will suffer. Please, let it go.
Watch the child, Leah ordered coldly. Don't let pity get in the way. Remember—you created me.
Exactly—and that's why I must stop you.
Do you even feel sorry for yourself? Your family has no idea what truly happened to you. You were never laid to rest. Just like your child.
Silence hung in the air between the fractured voices of her soul.
Sorry I was weak. But I won't let you hurt anyone else.
They're not innocent, Leah snapped. Their bloodline isn't clean.
Will you drag Sharlene into this too? the voice asked.
Leah remained silent.
"She may interfere, but I know her," she muttered aloud. "Despite everything, she still looks for help. She refuses to give in to hate."
Leah vanished from the palace and walked through the darkness, her steps guided by old memories. She arrived at a place she could never forget—the site where she had been buried alive.
A week had passed since Manuel forced an abortion on her. Leah had secretly buried the remains of her unborn child at their mansion. She never gave the child a name. Her grief was raw and endless.
She remembered begging Manuel for justice.
"I can still forgive you," she had pleaded through tears. "Just turn yourself in. I won't add your betrayal or the money you stole from my family—I just want justice for our baby!"
But Manuel didn't listen. Instead, he struck her in the stomach, rendering her unconscious. She awoke in a coffin, her body weak, her soul broken.
Trapped and panicked, she clawed at the lid, sobbing and screaming for help. She heard faint voices above but couldn't make out the words.
"What did I do to deserve this?" she cried, as her world closed in on her.
Eventually, silence engulfed her.
Now, standing over her own unmarked grave decades later, she gazed at the mansion that had been built atop her final resting place. The garden was beautiful—peaceful. Ironic, considering the torment buried beneath.
Am I a beautiful flower? she asked herself bitterly.
She spotted two people entering the mansion and recognized one of them.
Leah laughed—a chilling, hollow sound.
The world is small, after all. What secrets are you hiding, Angely?
Memories surged back. She had been right. The land was bought by Angely and her husband to erase all evidence of her existence.
Smart move. You hid me well, Leah thought, her eyes glowing with vengeance.