All Chapters of Exploitation After Death: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

April 3rd, 2025. Sunny. The 93rd day after my death.Floating in the air, I watched my parents talk to the doctor in the ward. Their conversation was too heavy, and their faces were weary."Mr. Newman, Mrs. Newman, your son's leukemia was detected in its mid-stage. It's critical that he undergo a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. However, the hospital doesn't have a matching donor."Generally, family members have a higher compatibility and are safer for bone marrow transplant surgeries. You need to hurry and find a compatible donor."The earliest available surgery slot is on the 8th of next month. The procedure will cost 138 thousand dollars. We need the payment as soon as possible."Once my parents left the hospital, they started arguing.138 thousand dollars was a significant amount for our family. We had the money, but if it went to my younger brother, Caleb's medical bills, my older sister's private ballet lessons would have to stop.My sister, Ruby, was the captai

Ruby replied, "How would I know? This place stinks! It's disgusting!" She pinched her nose, wishing she could retreat to the car and roll up the windows.Their reaction didn't surprise me one bit.I drifted out of the car. I'd spent 15 years in this village. Near the school was a livestock farm, which bustled with herds of cattle and sheep. The lush green pastures were dotted with all-natural fertilizer.Before Grandma passed, I'd lived here with her, miles away from my parents. It was just the two of us, surviving together.After school, I often helped tend to the livestock, earning a few bucks to scrape by.Ruby and I didn't even attend the same school. She was enrolled in an elite private academy in the city, while I went to a small-town high school near Grandma's house.My parents had never asked about my grades, my life, or how I managed out here. They'd never once set foot in this town.The only time they came was for Grandma's funeral. Even then, they rushed through the c

Trembling in fear, Mom called the police. It didn't take long for officers to arrive and take both Reggy and Dad into custody. Fighting in public resulted in three days of detention.Mom, who had been fuming, chose to forgive Reggy after hearing his explanation.The officer taking the statement listened to the whole story and quickly sensed something was off. "How long has your daughter been missing?" he asked."Three months! She ran off after stealing money on the New Year’s. We yelled at her, and she stormed out. She hasn't come back since," Mom responded irritably before taking a sip of water."Have you tried contacting her during that time?""Why would we? She did something wrong! She should come and apologize to us. Why should we, as her parents, go begging for forgiveness?" Mom rolled her eyes.She grew increasingly agitated as she thought about Caleb in the hospital and me supposedly hiding to avoid donating bone marrow."She's a murderer! I'm gonna call the police on her

But Mom said the words I had always wanted to hear, even if it was for Caleb.…April 13th, 2025. Heavy rain. The 103rd day after my death.At home, a fierce argument broke out because Mom suggested that since they couldn't find me, maybe Ruby could be tested for a bone marrow match. She should donate if she were a match.Ruby felt like the world was crashing down on her upon hearing that. She bluntly said that donating would ruin her ballet dreams and her entire future.Dad sympathized with Ruby. He argued that they could wait until after her ballet competition to talk about it."Ruby is Caleb's sister too!" Mom shouted. "Can't she make this sacrifice for him?""She's about to compete in the most important event of her life! That's her dream!" Dad retorted."Does Caleb's life not matter more than Ruby's dream?"…I floated in the bathroom behind Ruby. She was leisurely drying her hair in front of the mirror. Her blond hair and blue eyes were proof that she had inherited Dad'

I drifted through the house. I used to feel like I didn't belong here. There was no place to call my own.Now, I regretted it. Every time I came back, I only stayed for just one night. Worried that my family wouldn't like it, I rushed back to school the other day.If I had communicated more, maybe this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened.Eventually, Dad and Mom discovered Ruby, who was lying unconscious. Her face was pale, and her breath was shallow. An ambulance rushed her to the hospital.Outside the ICU, Mom and Dad were still arguing."This is all your fault!" Dad yelled, his eyes bloodshot. "If you hadn't forced Ruby to donate bone marrow, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself!""And if you hadn't kicked Jolene out of the house, Caleb wouldn't be in the hospital!" Mom shot back, pounding her fists against Dad's chest."It's too late to say anything now. One of our three kids is missing, one is in critical care, and the other is barely hanging on. How did we end up li