Chapter 1

The luxurious office is dead silent.

A bird perched on a branch curiously peers at the figure inside but is startled away by a sudden sound.

The hunched figure slowly kneels down, while Rachel sits in her chair, looking down at his movements with disdain.

“Rachel, please, uncle knows you’re capable. Give the money back to uncle, I’m begging you,” the man pleads.

Rachel casually blows on her perfectly manicured nails. “Uncle, weren’t you quite wealthy before? You could throw around $10,000 to hurt people, but now you can’t even come up with a few thousand? What happened?” she asks with malicious intent. “Did you spend all the money you made from selling me out? Look at you now, reduced to begging on your knees.”

Watching my father kneel on the ground, kowtowing to someone else, I feel a piercing pain in my heart. I reach out to stop him, to make him get up. My father, always so proud, how could he kneel and kowtow to someone else?

But my outstretched hand passes through his body. That’s right, I’m dead. It’s been ten years, and I still haven’t gotten used to it.

I laugh bitterly, helpless to do anything but watch as my father kowtows until his forehead bleeds.

He can barely speak clearly but still hopes Rachel will return the money. “Please, I’m begging you, please…”

Rachel smirks contemptuously and deliberately takes out a few $10 bills, slapping them on his face.

“Fine, consider this my charity to you.”

“Tell your son I’m back, and this is what he owes me.”

“I’ll collect this debt bit by bit.”

“Now get out.”

I watch as the man who had been proud and strong all his life lowers his head, picking up those humiliating bills, and then says, “Can you give a little more?”

My tears fall instantly.

Watching him stumble away, the pain of helplessness envelops me, leaving me breathless.

I look at Rachel. She’s changed, become more unfamiliar.