Chapter 5

"I don't recognize her. She's so pale and bloated. How could I possibly tell who she is?"

"Simon, you take a look. Do you know her?"

With that, he tossed the phone to my brother and thoughtfully put a piece of salmon on Lily's plate.

Simon spotted the birthmark at first glance, and his breathing grew uneven.

He was about to zoom in for a closer look when Lily suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, gagging, and ran out. "That’s so disgusting. I can't even eat."

Simon dropped everything at once. He put the phone down, and all three of them went after her.

"That was so scary! Who in their right mind would show people a dead body?"

Right in front of everyone, Joshua deleted the photo without a word. "It's okay. It's gone now. You don't have to look at that disgusting thing anymore."

Lily finally managed a tearful smile.

Joshua took a moment to text the other side back.

[Sorry, this person has nothing to do with us. We really don't know her. You'll have to ask someone else.]

They went back to chatting and laughing. No one brought up the photo again.

Halfway through the meal, Mom called.

"Simon, I saw on the news that someone drowned at the swimming center you went to. Are you and Juliet okay?"

My brother leaned back in his chair, his tone careless. "It happened after we left. I don't know the details."

Mom let out a breath of relief. "What about Juliet? Is she okay?"

Simon frowned, a little impatient. "What could happen to her? She's a swimming champion. Did she call you again and complain about something?"

Mom paused. "I saw the news and got worried about you two. I called Juliet and she didn't pick up. Are you sure she's okay?"

Simon cut her off. "She went to get bubble tea. She'll be back soon. Now, we're in the middle of dinner. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

After the call, he set his phone face down on the table and scoffed. "She’s definitely gone running to Mom to complain again. She's always making a fuss."

Caleb smiled and handed him a drink. "Come on, forget about her. She's always ruining the mood."

Even at the moment of my death, all I was to them was someone who ruined their fun.

"Come on, let's toast. Here's to many more years together."

Four glasses clinked together with a crisp ring.

They had barely set their glasses down when my brother's phone rang again.

He assumed it was a spam call and hung up without a second thought.

The phone rang again almost immediately.

Finally, annoyed, he picked up. "Will you stop calling? If you call again, I'm reporting you to the police!"

The voice on the other end was stern and solemn. "Is this Mr. Simon Baxter, Juliet Baxter's brother?"

"Yes, it's me. What is it?"

There was a brief pause before the voice continued, now even more solemn.

"After examining the phone left at the scene, reviewing the surveillance video, and expediting the DNA test, we have confirmed that the woman who drowned at the swimming center is your sister, Juliet Baxter."

"The cause of death is asphyxiation by drowning. There are also signs of blunt-force trauma on her body and muscle spasms in her calves."

"Please come to the city medical examiner's office immediately to complete the necessary procedures."

The call ended.

Simon froze, still holding his phone. The glass slipped from his other hand and crashed to the floor.

Caleb bent down to pick up the glass, then clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh. "Simon, come on. What kind of scam call has you this shaken? Don't tell me you actually believed them."

Joshua and Lily stopped what they were doing, looking at him in confusion.

Simon's face was deathly pale, his lips trembling badly. "That was the medical examiner's office. They said... they said the woman who drowned at the swimming center is Juliet."

The words hit them all like a bolt of lightning.