The Ghost at His Wedding

He orders me to get on my knees and beg, unaware that Ive been a corpse for exactly seven days.

I am sitting in the front row of his engagement party, the uninvited guest that no one else can see. Or so I think.

Suddenly, Nathaniel stops the ceremony. He locks eyes with me, and the tension in his shoulders melts into that familiar, arrogant relief. He thinks Im here to crawl back to him. He thinks hes won.

"Juliette," he sneers, his voice echoing in the silent ballroom. "Are you finally done with this tantrum? Apologize to your sister, and I might let you stay."

The entire room freezes. Guests cover their mouths in horror. My sister starts to tremble violently.

Nathaniel doesn't get it. He doesn't realize the guests aren't staring at me. They are staring at himscreaming at an empty chair.

Chapter 1

The day before I died, Nathaniel ended things.

He had to. He was getting engaged to my sister, Courtney.

I gathered all my courage. "Nathaniel, do you have to marry her? Is there any other way?"

His brows crashed together, his expression dark. His hand clamped around my waist, fingers digging into the soft flesh. Possessive. Punishing. "Juliette, if you need money, just ask. This sentimental act is nauseating."

His grip tightened. "Don't forget why you exist."

"Do you love money that much? Love stealing what isn't yours? Are you that pathetic?"

The spark in my eyes flickered and died.

I hadn't forgotten.

I exist because Courtney has a bad heart. Fragile, precious Courtney, incapable of strenuous exercise. But my parentsDiane and Lawrencerefused to let their golden ticket to Nathaniel slip away.

So they sent me. The "Curse." To service Nathaniel in her place.

Yes. Service.

A dehumanizing word.

But when the wealth gap is a canyon, and your own biological parents view you as livestock, concepts like human rights or dignity vanish.

Dianes hateful voice echoed in my skull. "Your sister is recovering. Shell be discharged soon. Shes ready for marriage. You imposter, get lost. Don't dream of stealing her golden ticket."

"Look at her destiny, then look at yours. You think you're worthy?"

A vise tightened around my chest, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I forced a laugh, wrapping my arms tighter around Nathaniels neck, burying my face in the crook of his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm a little short. How about another half a mil?"

The dim lighting hid the moisture gathering in my lashes. No one would believe the replacement actually loved the original.

"Watching you get engaged it makes me want to go straight. Settle down."

I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Consider it my dowry. For all the years I served you."

The day of my death.

Nathaniel has a temper. A volatility that could freeze a room.

Hearing me talk about marrying someone else flipped a switch. His face went cold. He pulled away, standing up and leaving me shivering in the sudden void.

He gave me two options. "Take back what you just said. Or get out."

He used to make me choose all the time. Usually, it was "Apologize, or get out."

I always chose option one.

Because when he said "get out," he meant standing outside the front gate all night. Regardless of the weather.

But this time, I didn't hesitate. I chose the second option.

I hopped off the bed, plastering a cheerful mask over my crumbling features. Before I started packing, I leaned in and kissed him. One last time. A ghost of a touch on his lips.

I smiled. Bright. Fake. "Nathaniel, thanks for the ride these past three years. Goodbye."

Aside from the expensive gifts hed given mewhich I left behindI owned almost nothing. People without a home don't dare to accumulate things.

By the time I zipped my suitcase, dawn was bleeding through the curtains. I dragged my luggage out, tiptoeing like a thief.

Nathaniel was already in the living room. Hed changed into loungewear, waiting for me.

He flicked his wrist, and the check for five hundred thousand fluttered through the air, landing at my feet. His expression was darker than I had ever seen it. A terrifying mix of rage and something else.

His eyes trembled. His jaw worked. Then, he spoke. "Juliette. Beg me now, and you can still change your mind. You want money? Take it. Just stay."

The shock hit me like a physical blow. I almost dropped my suitcase.

Nathaniel. The heir to an empire. The man everyone bowed to.

People begged him for mercy. He never offered an off-ramp. He never let anyone save face.

But I wasn't buying it. Not this time.

"Brother-in-law," I choked out, the title tasting like ash. "I wish you and my sister a happy marriage."

I offered him a sincere blessing. Then I turned my back.

The moment I turned, the dam broke.

Tears flooded my face, hot and silent. My knuckles turned bone-white gripping the handle of my suitcase.

I walked out, crying and laughing at the same time.

Its okay.

I lost the love of my life, but I secured the bag. Five hundred grand.

It's enough for Grandma Beatrices surgery. She can live a long, healthy life now.

A long time.

Chapter 2

I died.

The Tea of Forgetfulness tasted bland. Like dirty water.

"Hey, Granny, you forgot the seasoning. This tastes terrible."

I looked up at Granny Willow, forcing a smile onto my pale, see-through face. "Have you seen my grandma, Beatrice? She should have passed through here about thirty minutes ago. Maybe you could ask her for the recipe"

Blood-red tears streaked down my cheeks. My smile shattered, grief ripping through my chest like jagged glass. "Her soup was the best in the world. She was the only person in the world who loved me."

"I was useless. I couldn't save her. But why, Granny? I was so close. Just one step away"

Granny Willow stared at me with eyes like black holes. Silent. Knowing. Then, she reached out and patted my head. Her touch was icy, yet a strange warmth flooded my spirit.

"Child, you did all you could."

A blinding white light swallowed me. When I opened my eyes, I was back in the mortal world.

Bound to Nathaniel as a ghost. A spirit tethered within a five-meter radius of him.

Day one after my death.

I floated in the air, bored out of my mind, watching Nathaniel work.

He was still infuriatingly handsome. Suit jacket draped over his chair, white dress shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms.

I picked out those cufflinks.

Fat lot of good that did me.

No matter how well I served him, I was just a placeholder for my sister.

Look at her life. Look at mine.

To Nathaniel, Courtney was his childhood sweetheart. A precious princess to be protected at all costs. He would never dream of letting her handle mundane, housekeeper-level tasks.

But ordering around the unloved "Curse"? He didn't hesitate.

Except Nathaniel seemed to be waiting for a message today.

It never came.

He kept checking his phone. Unlocking. Checking. Throwing it down in frustration. By the time he left the office, his expression was thunderous.

Weird.

I guess without my constant texts reminding him to eat, checking the weather, and sharing random trivia his inbox was pretty empty.

Wow. Was I that annoying?

No wonder he hated me.

Day two after my death.

Nathaniels mood plummeted even further.

The moment he got home, he started throwing out every little trinket that used to be mine.

Jerk.

He gave Courtney diamonds. He gave me the free gifts that came with purchase.

I never complained. I treasured every single one like they were gold. And he had the nerve to trash them.

Betty, the housekeeper, looked terrified. "Master Nathaniel, should we should we look for Miss Juliette?"

I shook my head, hovering unseen beside her. Im dead, Betty. Where exactly are you gonna look?

You can't find me. You have to dredge me.

Nathaniels face was stone cold. He turned and headed upstairs. "No."

But weirdly enough, that night, he slept in my room. Curled around my pillow.

Day three after my death. Saturday.

Nathaniel had the day off. He spent it burning all my photos.

Even though our families were close, I stopped living with my parents when I was ten. Naturally, I couldn't compare to Courtney, who had spent a lifetime orbiting Nathaniel.

After three years of entanglement as her substitute, I didn't have a single proper photo with him. Every picture in that pile was a candid Id secretly snapped, risking his wrath.

And he just torched them. All of them.

Hey, why don't you just fish me out and burn me too? It's really cold at the bottom of the river.

Chapter 3

Day four after my death. Sunday.

Nathaniel picked up an ax.

He took an ax to the tree Id nurtured for three years. He tore out every single rose I had watered, fed, and loved with my own bare hands.

He really is a piece of work.

He knew damn well how much those plants meant to me.

Courtney loved flowers, but only the freshest, most vibrant blooms, cut straight from the stem. So my mother, Diane, forced me to switch my major to Horticulture.

When I started "servicing" Nathaniel, he carved out a plot in his garden for me. Told me to grow flowers for Courtney.

Every single day, I handpicked the freshest blooms and delivered them to her hospital room.

Now that shes recovering, he just rips them all out?

Whatever. I let it go.

Im dead anyway. Without me to care for them, they were doomed to die sooner or later. Just like me.

If Grandma Beatrice hadn't taken me inscavenging trash to feed methe second daughter of the wealthy Lin family would have starved to death on the streets years ago. No one would have claimed the body.

Without Grandma, I died, just as expected. And so will they.

Day five after my death.

Nathaniel was still sleeping in my room. He practically moved in.

My parents and Courtney came over, all smiles and laughter, discussing the engagement details. Mostly, they talked to themselves.

Nathaniel listened in silence, his gaze unreadable. Then, out of nowhere, he dropped a question that silenced the room. "Why isn't Juliette here?"

My parents and Courtney froze.

Diane let out a dry, awkward laugh. "That girl has always been wild. We can't control her. Who knows where she ran off to? Probably messing around. Never comes home."

And I stood there, invisible, and scoffed.

Can't control me? You never tried.

When Diane gave birth to us, it was a difficult labor. She almost died on the table. Courtney was born with a heart defect. I was born perfectly healthy.

They say twins are a cosmic balance. One is a blessing, the other a curse.

Clearly, I was the "Curse."

My grandparents already disliked Diane. They seized this opportunity to attack her, calling her useless for birthing a "bad omen."

Diane blamed it all on me.

She believed I stole Courtneys nutrients in the womb. That I caused Courtneys suffering. That I was the reason her in-laws tormented her. So everything I had was forfeit. Everything I was, belonged to Courtney.

While Courtney suffered in a luxury hospital suite, I wasn't even allowed to step foot in the family home.

They didn't know where I lived. They certainly didn't care where I was now.

"Oh," Nathaniel said. He didn't ask again.

A flash of jealousy cut through Courtneys eyes. She leaned into Nathaniel, resting her head on his shoulder. "Nathaniel Juliette must be mad at me."

"It's all my fault. My body is so weak I'm a burden to her. If I didn't exist, maybe she'd be happier. If Juliette wants you this bad maybe I should just step aside."

Classic Courtney.

Her words worked like a charm. Dianes face twisted in anger. She grabbed Courtneys hand, patting it frantically. "Courtney, don't talk nonsense! You are the blessed one."

"Juliette is an ungrateful wretch. We can't tame her. She stole from you in the womb, and now she thinks she can steal your marriage?"

Diane pulled Courtney into a protective embrace, her eyes overflowing with maternal love. For one daughter. "If she doesn't come, good riddance! We don't need her jinxing everything!"

Courtney snuggled into Dianes arms, letting out a soft, pitiful sob. "But we shared a womb. On my wedding day, I really hoped to have her blessing."

She peeked at Nathaniel through her lashes, gauging his reaction.

Nathaniel didn't look up. He stared at his phone, lost in thought.

I drifted right up to them. Leaned in close to Courtneys ear. And blew a breath of ghostly air.

Chapter 4

"Liar," I whispered, my voice a frigid breeze against Courtney's neck. "You watched me die. You watched me drown, and now you play the victim. You're sick."

I reached out a trembling, see-through hand toward Diane. A futile gesture. A ghost trying to grasp a memory.

"Is a mother's hug warm?"

What does it feel like?

Probably like Grandma Beatrice holding me. Safe. Smelling of old wool and comfort.

Yeah. Probably.

Day six after my death.

People were swarming Nathaniel, confirming details for tomorrow's engagement party.

He was distracted. Absent.

Finally, he turned to his assistant, Blake. "Find Juliette."

At the same time, my phonelying dead in a drawer somewherereceived a text.

Juliette, come back. Whatever amount you want, I'll give it to you.

I laughed, a soundless ripple in the air. Why did he think money could fix this?

I'm dead. Cash is useless in the afterlife.

But panic seized me. I couldn't let him see me like that. Not like that. Not bloated and waterlogged. Not a monster.

When no reply came, Nathaniel hurled his phone across the room. It bounced off the sofa cushion. His face was a mask of fury. "Fine! Don't come back! See if I give a damn!"

He sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. It was almost funny.

Nathaniel, trust me. This time, Im gone for good.

Day seven after my death.

The engagement party.

A massive affair. Two dynasties merging. The guest list was a who's who of high society.

Whispers floated through the air. Childhood sweethearts. A perfect match.

I sat in the front row. The invisible guest of honor. Watching the man I loved marry my beautiful, lucky sister.

Diane sat right next to me. She was furiously texting my father, Lawrence.

Where the hell are you? If Juliette doesn't want to come, fine! But you need to get here! What is more important than Courtney's wedding?

Lawrence's chat bubble showed Typing for a long time.

Then, a single sentence appeared.

Juliette is dead.

She drowned herself seven days ago.

Diane froze.

Her thumb hovered over the screen. Her brain seemingly unable to process the words.

Lawrence kept typing.

The body was recovered last night. It's all over the news. The whole city knows.

Courtney's big day.

My seventh day as a ghost.

Ironic, isn't it?

The entire city knew I was a corpse. But my own parents were too busy planning a party to notice their daughter was missing.

No wonder the guests were looking at them like they were monsters.

Lawrence sent another message.

Today is exactly seven days since she died. This is bad luck

Oh. So it's my fault for dying at an inconvenient time? Ruining Courtney's vibe?

Dad, its not my fault. Courtney picked the date. She pushed me to the edge on that specific day.

Karma comes for everyone.

Music swelled. Nathaniel took Courtney's arm, leading her toward the altar.

He looked devastatingly handsome. The tux fit him like armor.

Courtney was radiant.

Makeup hid the sickly pale skin she used to wear like a badge of honor.

We really are sisters. Our taste is identical. She wore the diamond-encrusted off-shoulder gown I had always dreamed of. It highlighted her long neck, her elegant shoulders.

It was beautiful.

If only one of us could be happy I guess she should take my share. Be doubly happy.

Thinking like that made the hate fade a little. I'm dead, after all. What's the point of holding on?

But then something strange happened.

With my stunning sister standing right in front of him, Nathaniels eyes were scanning the crowd. Searching.

Finally, his gaze landed on the front row.

On me.

Our eyes met.

He exhaled, a visible release of tension. He looked down at me with that familiar mix of relief and arrogance. "Juliette, are you finally done with this tantrum? Just beg for forgiveness, and I"

Chapter 5

Courtney's face drained of blood. Her mouth opened, words spilling out before she could stop them. "Nathaniel, what are you saying? Juliette is clearly"

I raised an eyebrow. Oh? You gonna confess?

But Courtney is a pro. She swallowed the truth and forced a tight, brittle smile. "clearly not coming. She said so herself."

Diane, sitting next to my empty chair, was losing it. She looked like shed seen a ghostwhich, technically, she hadn't. Her face was a mask of pure terror as she stared at the empty space I occupied.

"N-Nathaniel, quit joking. There's there's no one there."

She was trembling.

Nathaniel frowned, genuinely confused. He pointed a steady finger right at me, sweeping his gaze across the stunned crowd. "She's right here! Are you all fcking blind?"

The color vanished from both Courtney's and Diane's faces.

A murmur rippled through the guests. Panic began to bubble. Some of the superstitious ones were already inching toward the exits.

It was the seventh day, after all. Even skeptics get nervous about the number seven.

Courtney stepped forward, grabbing Nathaniel's arm with one hand and clutching her chest with the other. She bit her lip, performing that perfect mix of fragility and allure. Even I wanted to comfort her.

"Nathaniel, please. Juliette said she wouldn't come. Everyone is staring. My heart it's racing. I feel dizzy. We're in the middle of our ceremony. Don't ruin it over something small"

But Nathaniel didn't even look at her.

He shook off her hand. His expression turned thunderous as he stormed down the aisle, stopping directly in front of me. His brows were a tangled knot of frustration.

"Juliette. What kind of game are you playing now?"

I was genuinely shocked. This was a first.

Usually, the moment Courtney whispered "my heart hurts," Nathaniel would drop everything. Even at 3 AM. Even if it meant leaving me alone in bed.

Once, when I had acute appendicitis in the middle of the night, he kicked me out of his car halfway to the ER because Courtney called. I had to hail a taxi while curled in agony on the sidewalk.

I tilted my head, offering him a faint smile.

I'm a ghost, Nathaniel. What game can I possibly play?

My silence only fueled his rage. He was losing it. "Juliette! Speak!"

That was the breaking point. Guests started fleeing in earnest.

Even Diane scrambled backward, putting distance between herself and the invisible me.

Courtney didn't move. Her face was ashen, fists clenched at her sides, eyes locked on the space where Nathaniel was shouting. But judging by her unfocused gaze, she couldn't see me.

Through the chaotic crowd, one person was swimming upstream.

Blake.

He pushed through the fleeing guests, his face grim. He stopped in front of Nathaniel, took a deep breath, and delivered the blow.

"Mr. Nathaniel. We found Miss Juliette. She she drowned herself seven days ago. The body is at the morgue."

Nathaniel looked like hed been struck by lightning