Chapter 1

I had died for a year and was pushed to cross the River of Souls 99,999 times, but I could not do so as no one had given me a proper burial.

The netherworld forced me to return to the mortal world for 48 hours to find someone to bury me, or my soul would vanish after 48 hours. They even started a livestream to make some income for themselves.

On the first day of my return, my ex-girlfriend and the real heir of the family who hated me were about to get married.

Netizens predicted that I would be malicious enough to crash the wedding for revenge, but all I did was sit in a small restaurant and order myself a delicious burger.

While waiting for my food, the first sentence I said to the camera was, "I will vanish completely from this world after 48 hours."

Chapter 1

[Did he say he would vanish completely after 48 hours? Is he using the same old story of having depression to gain sympathy from the audience? How can we sympathize with a greedy, horrible person like him who abuses animals and old people?]

[Come on! It's all scripted! He vanished for an entire year and I thought he was dead. I never expected him to start a livestream to create trouble when Edwin Grant is getting married. What a terrible thing to do!]

[We don't need 48 hours for him to vanish. He should disappear right now!]

I could see the live chat from the netherworld's livestream. I was surprised to find that I no longer felt anguish from all the horrible comments that I read. I guess one's heart would become numb from such emotions after death.

With the help of a powerbank, I managed to charge my phone, and I was taken aback by the first text I read.

Three months after I died, my biological father passed away. It was December 19, 2023.

I had grown up with the Grants and hardly ever saw my biological father. That continued until Edwin was brought home to the Grants. It was also the moment when I found out that we had been switched at birth. However, my adopted parents were big-hearted enough to keep me in the family, but I did sneak out to see my father occasionally.

He was admitted into the hospital long-term and looked quite haggard with extremely pale skin caused by his sickness.

Not long after, a delicious-smelling burger was placed in front of me. The restaurant owner placed a bottle of ketchup in front of me. "You can add ketchup to the burger if you'd like."

I muttered, "This can't be real."

Before I died, I had consulted the doctors about his condition and all of them told me that my father had a high chance of recovering as long as he went for treatment diligently. He might even return to good health if things went well, but somehow he ended up dying instead.

Tears filled my eyes, and when the owner saw my eyes turned red, she became flustered and showed me the burger meat packaging. "What are you on about, young man? The burger meat is from a reputable farm. It's 100% real meat! Look!"

After that, she seemed to remember something. "Wait, aren't you the horrible guy plastered all over the internet for loving money and torturing cats?"

I glanced at her and replied, "Yup, that's me."

The middle-aged lady laughed heartily. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and sat opposite me with a plate of snacks. "You seem like a polite young man. You don't sound anything like what the news claims you to be. Did you know that your ex-girlfriend, Irina Stepford, is getting married today?"

To prove her words, she even showed me the news of Irina's wedding on her phone. The owner found Irina's wedding picture and held the phone to my face.

Irina was sexier and even more attractive than I remembered her. She looked happy, her hands around Edwin's arm, while Edwin looked dashing with a piercing look in his eyes. They were leaning intimately against one another.

It was the perfect wedding picture of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

I should be enraged, as Edwin caused my death, but all I did was glance nonchalantly at the picture and wish them well. "They look good. I hope she has a happy marriage. If she wasn't marrying Edwin, I might be even more sincere with my wish."

Chapter 2

My words caused a huge commotion in the live chat.

[I knew he'd never change. It's Irina Stepford and Edwin Grant's wedding today, and it's disgusting to see him choose a time like this for a livestream. He's obviously trying to cause a rift between them!]

[Open up your eyes, Restaurant Lady! How could someone like him look like a good man? He was caught cheating with another woman during his grand proposal ceremony. How can a shameless man like him have a kind heart?]

Martha, the restaurant lady, frowned, not understanding why I would say that. "Isn't Edwin Grant your younger brother? Why don't you like him?"

I paused. I was reminded of a year ago when it happened during the proposal ceremony Irina had prepared for me. It was the reason we never saw each other again, and it was sensationalized so much that everyone in the world knew about it.

Martha's question was not malicious, but more of curiosity, so I replied casually, "When Irina was about to propose to me a year ago, Edwin told me that someone was waiting for me in the changing room, so I went.

"A woman was hiding inside, and she lunged at me when I entered the room. After that, Irina kicked the door down and everyone saw me in a compromised position with the woman. Our clothes were a mess, and everyone was convinced right away that I had been cheating."

I spoke with ease, but in reality, it caused a debacle between the Stepfords and the Grants. I suffered several hard slaps that night as well.

Martha bit into a chip with a loud crack. "I remember the last part of the clip! Your ex-girlfriend's eyes were red with anger. I've never seen a high-society socialite break down like that before. So, you never cheated on her, but were framed by your brother for it?"

[What a joke. If he really was framed, he should have stepped forward to fight for the truth back then. Why would he choose to stir up trouble by talking about it on the day of their wedding? Isn't it clear that it's all a scheme?]

[This guy sure is crafty. I remember that he didn't explain anything back then, and yet he's choosing to pursue justice after a year has passed?]

I stared at the malicious comments on the live chat and said calmly, "My biological father had liver cancer, so I went for a check-up and found out I had liver cancer too. I didn't have much time left and thought that Edwin's appearance must be fate. I was happy that he was here, because someone would be there by my adoptive parents' side after I died.

"When he set the trap, I walked into it willingly. I broke up with Irina for myself, hoping with all my heart that the woman I love would find a man better than me to live the rest of her life with.

"I hoped that it would be a man who was more considerate than I was, and more worthy to be loved by her. More importantly, it would be someone who lived longer than me."

Martha started to show concern. "Do the Grants know about your sickness? I remember the news reported that they kicked you out of the family for using their money to gamble."

I replied softly, "It's true that I took money from them, but I didn't gamble that money. Can I tell you a secret? I lose even when I play Uno."

It was still a mystery to me why my family would think that I was addicted to gambling.

Martha looked sad for me. "Does Irina Stepford know that she made a mistake about you?"

I suddenly turned silent. It took me a long time before I replied, "I don't want her to find out the truth."

There were still 48 hours for me in the mortal world. After 48 hours, I would cease to exist in the mortal world, and even the netherworld. The netherworld was clear about the livestream being limited to the area I was in and would not be seen anywhere else. It could not be recorded either.

Irina could focus on being a happy bride because she would never be able to see my livestream.

Chapter 3

However, it did not matter if she found out the truth because it would not change the ending.

The mention of Irina evoked sweet memories of the times we were together. I was arrogant and domineering then, and I would constantly warn her about never forgiving her if she ever betrayed me by falling in love with another man. I promised that I would turn into a ghost to haunt her if she ever did that.

Irina would always nuzzle into my arms shyly and look up at me to kiss me on the lips. "I would never betray you, Myles Grant. The man I'll marry is you, and only you. If I marry someone else, you can take my life while you're alive, but if you're gone from this world, you can drag me down to the netherworld with you and I won't ever hold it against you."

Now, she was marrying another man, and I never disrupted her life even though I had been a ghost for a year. Even with the perfect opportunity now, I could not bear to disturb her peaceful life. What a strange thing life was.

The live chat was silent for only a few seconds before netizens started hurling abuse at me. However, other voices started to appear as well. Some people actually began to sympathize with me.

[Could he be telling the truth? It would be so sad if this were really the truth.]

[Get a grip of yourself! Stop sitting on the fence and believing everything someone tells you. I don't believe him at all. Didn't you just hear him say that it was true that he took money from the Grants? The Grants had always given him ample allowance, but he still had the gall to ask for more during Old Mrs. Grant's birthday party. How shameless is that?!]

[It's true! And he even tortures stray cats and dogs! Do you think that's fake news?]

[That man is vile by nature. Don't be tricked by him!]

All I did was glance at those words in the live chat as they did not really get to me. The netherworld sent me a text to hurry me into getting someone to bury my body, but I pretended not to read it.

I quickly took a few bites of my burger. It had been a long time since I was human, and my stomach hurt from the food. Everything I consumed felt like stones that were grinding inside me.

My phone suddenly lit up with a notification from the hospital, informing me of a refund. There was remaining balance from the medical bill I paid for my father, and I was refunded $30,000. It was a huge amount of money and, after some thought, I decided to visit the hospital room that my father once stayed in.

A new patient had been admitted into the room. It was a seven-year-old boy.

The nurses were standing outside the room, chatting in a whisper, "The poor boy has cancer, but his family can't afford the treatment, so his parents abandoned him. The hospital has tried its best to get in touch with them, but they're nowhere to be found. The poor little thing is in serious condition, and the procedure to get him into an orphanage is slow. All he can do now is wait for death."

"It's last-stage cancer. Each round of treatment costs tens of thousands, and normal families can't afford that financial burden. I feel like crying every time I see that poor boy in pain."

The little boy was bald and looked extremely thin. He sat next to the window, staring blankly into the air. He would stand on tiptoe occasionally to look at the sea of people outside the window.

I walked over to him and pressed some candy I had bought at a stall on the road into his hands. The little boy looked at me with slight surprise. "Is this candy for me?"

"Yes, it is." I asked, "What are you doing by the window?"

"My parents told me last month that they would take me home on Saturday. I'm waiting for them here." He held my hand with his cold little hand and said with a slight tremble in his voice, "Are my parents too busy to come for me? Can you stay by my side if they can't make it?"

As I stared into his teary eyes, I found it difficult to tell him the cruel truth.

Chapter 4

"They are just too busy, which is why I'm here to visit you instead."

The little boy smiled. "You're a nice person."

My heart melted as I stroked his little head. "You're a nice boy too."

This interaction caused another commotion on the live chat.

[It's not Saturday today. Could that little boy already realize that he has been abandoned? Judging by the look on his face, I think he knows his parents abandoned him, but he still refuses to lose hope in them by waiting by the window.]

[Oh, you silly little thing. That isn't a nice person at all. He's a vile, malicious man who tortures cats and dogs, and bullies the real heir of the family who suffered growing up!]

[Exactly! Myles Grant's biological father stayed in this hospital room too. He died waiting for this treatment in the hospital, but couldn't get it because his bills weren't paid. I read online that it's because the money for his medical bills was taken by that horrible man, and now, he's back in the hospital room again. The murderer is back to visit the scene of the crime and relive the glory! How chilling!]

I did not read the live chats, but found a cartoon for the little boy to watch. That was when someone knocked on the hospital door, and a young doctor beckoned at me. "Can I speak to you privately, Mr. Grant?"

The doctor was someone I knew. It was my father's attending doctor, Scott Carter.

"Mr. Grant, the remaining $30,000 left after your father's hospital bills have been paid in full has been refunded to your account. Your father gave up treatment voluntarily, and he left you a letter before he passed."

Scott passed me a letter that had turned yellow with time. I opened the letter to see it filled to the brim with words, and the last sentence read, "Don't listen to what others say about you. Even though I wasn't there for you growing up, I know that you've always been a kind-hearted boy."

I felt a sudden surge of emotion in my heart and started to tear up. I thought the tears in my eyes had dried up, but my eyes turned wet when I read the letter.

My father and I had not spent much time with each other, but he chose to believe me amidst the horrible rumors about me. My adoptive parents of 18 years, however, chose to pass judgment on me.

The live chat started to scroll up quickly with comments.

[That doesn't sound right. Didn't everyone say that he took the medical fees for himself? Why would he get a refund from the hospital?]

[I have a feeling that Myles Grant isn't as horrible as everyone says. If he did abuse his biological father, the doctor wouldn't be treating him so nicely.]

[You're right. Something doesn't add up. He was accused of four crimes. Cheating, bullying the real heir of the family, abusing the elderly and torturing cats. He's been proven innocent for three out of four crimes! I hope he's really a bad person. Otherwise, his family and ex-girlfriend will really regret hurting him so much after finding out the truth.]

An unusual comment stood out in the live chat. [Where are you, Myles? We need to meet right now!]

However, I missed it as I was looking at the little boy. "Dr. Carter, how much does it cost for that little boy's next rounds of treatment?"

Scott shook his head. "He still owes $24,000, and we aren't able to estimate how much his subsequent treatments would cost. His condition is serious and getting treatment now is only a waste of money for him. We nearly failed to save him last night."

I could not help pitying the boy. "I'll pay the remaining fees. Can you provide him treatment one more time? At least help him make it till Saturday."

Scott looked at me and was silent for a long time. "You're a good man, Mr. Grant. Your father was proud of you."

I smiled with slight embarrassment. "Thank you for telling me that."

When I was about to leave the hospital, the little boy suddenly ran toward me and gave me a music box. It was very old and the mechanics within were damaged. The music box could no longer play any music.

Chapter 5

However, the little boy's eyes looked brightly at me. "I know the music box isn't working, but I hope you'll accept it. It's the only gift I can give you. My mom gave it to me. She told me that I'll get well as long as I have it."

I did not reject the music box. "This is the most precious gift I've ever received. I'll treasure it well."

When I got home, I spent the entire night researching the music box extensively and bought parts from various toy stores to finally fix it. I wound it up gently, then the piano score for Fur Elise started playing.

I was dead and I could not bring anything with me in death, but I still wanted to fix up the music box. I wanted the little boy to fight his sickness and get well.

For my last 12 hours in the mortal world, I came to the foot of the mountain at Agricultural University. Many of the things I cherished were found here.

[I thought he turned over a new leaf and was prepared to be a good person. I didn't expect him to come to the foot of the mountain. He must be about to torture more dogs and cats.]

[How awful. He has finally stripped off his facade as a good man. Kittens and puppies, run!]

A young girl was already there with a bag of cat food when I arrived. She was feeding the stray cats there. Gusts of chilly autumn wind blew past, a sign that winter was coming.

I sat on the bench and, not long after, I was surrounded by groups of stray cats and dogs. The young girl stared at me blankly. "Aren't you Myles Grant, the man who tortures cats?"

She was so straightforward that I could not help bursting with a defeated laugh. "Do you really think it's a good idea to call me that in front of my face?"

"I'm sorry." The girl glanced at me and continued feeding the cats.

Her reaction made me curious. "Why aren't you chasing me away?"

"You're not that person."

"Why?"

"People lie, but not cats and dogs. They aren't stupid. They won't get near someone who tortured and hurt them before." The girl did not even look up as she continued marking the cats and taking pictures of them.

The live chat started getting active once more.

[Her words make sense. All of those stray cats seem to like Myles Grant and aren't afraid of being near him. What's with the video clip we watched previously?]

[I've been cursing him for a long time ever since I found out about what he did. Are you telling me that he’s been innocent all this time?]

There was a QR code for the Stray Animal Protection Association behind the girl's back. I scanned it, donating the last of my $1,500 to them.

When the girl received notification of my donation, she looked at me with slight surprise. "You're not at all like what they say about you, Mr. Grant."

I no longer cared to argue about what was right or wrong. All I did was smile without a reply. When the girl saw that I had nothing else to say , she finished whatever she was doing and turned to leave. As for me, I laid on the bench while surrounded by cats and dogs. It was a carefree moment for me.

The netherworld continued texting me crazily. [What are you doing? You've wasted so much time that you're only left with 30 minutes. You should make a call, or send a text to someone to help you bury your body! Don't you want to be reincarnated?]

I glanced at the text and put my phone away. I wanted to spend my last 30 minutes here, feeling relaxed and carefree.

That was when a sharp, familiar voice suddenly called out to me. "Myles Grant! Aren't you dead? Are you a human or a ghost right now?"