Chapter 4

"We even fished out the goggles that fell in. How could we have left a person in the water? It must've been someone who snuck in without signing up."

The line went quiet for a few seconds.

"We've checked the entry records and the lockers over and over. Locker 12 is registered to a Ms. Juliet Baxter. Her things are still inside, and we haven't found her."

Joshua grabbed the phone. "Stuff in a locker doesn't prove anything. Our whole group is right here. If you're not sure, just call the police."

The person on the other end could only agree and hung up.

Lily patted her chest, still shaken. "Someone actually died. That's terrifying. I'm never going to that swimming center again."

Caleb was the first to push the car door open. He looked at the crowd lined up outside the restaurant and frowned. "I wonder if Juliet's even gotten us a table yet."

He went straight to the host stand to ask, and when he found out I hadn't made a reservation, he let out a cold snort.

"We're nice enough to throw her a birthday dinner, yet she throws a fit and leaves us waiting. Fine. We'll go somewhere else, without her."

I watched them sadly, my soul feeling like it had been soaked in ice water.

Caleb and I grew up together. On his seventh birthday, his parents divorced, and neither of them wanted him.

He had nowhere to go and passed out from hunger at the entrance to our neighborhood.

I was the one who brought him home and cut him the biggest slice of cake.

He held my hand tight. "Juliet, let's be best friends for life. I'll spend every birthday you ever have with you."

But ever since Lily showed up, he had changed. They all had.

None of them thought about the phone call any more. Instead, they headed to the Japanese restaurant next door.

As they waited for the food, the same number called again.

Joshua answered irritably, his tone sharp. "What now? I already told you everyone's here. Can you stop bothering us?"

A serious voice came over the line. "Hello, Mr. Coleman. This is the local police precinct. We received a call from the swimming center. A woman's body was found in the pool. According to the entry records, Ms. Juliet Baxter never signed out."

"We'd like you to come and identify the body. Do you recognize the deceased?"

As he spoke, the officer sent a photo to Joshua's phone.

I drifted closer, curious. So this was how ugly I looked like when I was dead.

My whole body was white and swollen from the water, my hair plastered messily over my face. Even I could barely recognize myself.

I gave a bitter little laugh at the thought. Then my eyes suddenly on something onto the screen.

The butterfly birthmark on my shoulder was still clear as day.

I was still wearing the matching ring Joshua had given me on my left index finger. He'd said that once he had enough money, he'd replace it with a diamond.

Around my neck was a star necklace, the eighteenth birthday gift Caleb had designed himself and had custom-made.

If they just looked at the photo once, they would know it was me.

My heart pounded with anticipation.

The next second, Lily screamed, covered her eyes, and threw herself into Joshua's arms. "What is that? It's so disgusting. Get it away!"

Joshua quickly set the phone down, his voice full of tenderness and apology. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I know how easily you get scared, but I still let you see something so awful."

I gave a bitter laugh. I wanted to cry, but I had no tears left.

Even in death, I was nothing more than something disgusting to them.

He couldn't even bear to look at me for another second.

Joshua tossed the phone across the table to Caleb. "You two take a look and tell them what you think."

Caleb glanced at the photo carelessly and frowned in disgust.