All Chapters of Digging up My Bones: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

By the third year after my death, my son and I were still wandering ghosts. Because of our deep ties to this world, we couldn't pass on from here.Meanwhile, my husband, Samuel Hoffman, had clawed his way up from the bottom of society. He had transformed into the most up-and-coming new star in the business world.I had betrayed him without hesitation during his most desperate times. So, he hated me. He hated me so much that he would skin me alive.Three years ago, he had forced me to donate my bone marrow to his childhood sweetheart, Violet Sampson. At that time, I had been deathly sick.Bone marrow aspiration was an invasive procedure. I didn't know if it was a botched operation or if my low immunity due to my inherent illness was to blame, but I suffered a severe systemic infection a week after the procedure. I then fell into a fever-induced coma and died at home.My three-year-old son, Toby Hoffman, was left uncared for. Eventually, he died by my side.In all those three years

I, of course, didn't show up within the three-day deadline he gave me.Samuel returned once more to the gate of my humble abode.Toby circled Samuel excitedly. He slipped his tiny, transparent hand into Samuel's hand that was hanging at his side.He turned back joyfully and shouted to me, "Mommy, I'm finally holding Daddy's hand!"My eyes stung, and I looked back at him with a forced smile.Over the years, Samuel had always believed that Toby was Daniel's child. He loathed him and refused to even spare him a glance.Although I had done a paternity test that confirmed they were biologically father and son, he still refused to believe it. He vehemently claimed I had paid someone to fake the results.After that terrible night, I had lost all his trust.I had asked him for a divorce, wanting to put an end to our toxic relationship.But he only glared at me with venom in his eyes and spat, "Kristen, I want you to remember this—you owe me one for the rest of your life. I told you th

I noticed something strange. As long as we followed Samuel, we could leave the place that had bound us for so long.Toby had grown tired of being at the farmhouse after three years. So, I thought it was a good thing that we could venture out and see the outside world. Of course, Toby was thrilled. He constantly looked around and exclaimed in awe at everything he saw. However, it seemed we couldn't stray too far from Samuel. We followed him back to his villa.Toby stared at the luxuriously decorated villa with his mouth agape in astonishment. He had lived here before up until he was two years old. Perhaps he was too young to remember it.He flitted around excitedly while exploring every corner. Meanwhile, I drifted behind Samuel and followed him as he went into his study. I watched him make a call to the bank and freeze the bank account tied to the card he had given me.If he had paid closer attention, he might have realized that he hadn't received any transaction notifications fo

The silence that followed was suffocating. It was broken only by the sound of Toby playing with the newly acquainted spirit of a little boy in the ward.I watched Samuel intently, curious about how he would react to hearing news of my death from someone else again.But, just as when Jessie told him I had died, his reaction was the same. He furrowed his brows at first, then his lips curled into a smirk."Well, who would've thought you would care so much about my wife, Mr. Jones? I don't know whether she's dead or alive. Yet, you seem to know better. Well, how did you know? Did she tell you herself? Or have you two been sneaking around to see each other under my nose all these years?"Why? Is it more thrilling this way? Well, I don't care. She's so filthy that I wouldn't even touch her. If you want her, you can have her."Something in me shattered completely. My heart ached, and my eyes stung. I guess I was overcome with the urge to cry. But now, I was nothing but a spirit. How coul

Samuel collapsed onto the couch. He shook his head repeatedly as he muttered, "Impossible. I haven't forgiven her yet. How could she die?"I laughed through invisible tears. So, the reason I wasn't allowed to die was because he hadn't forgiven me yet.He picked up the phone from the floor and reopened his photo gallery to stare at the one and only picture of him and Toby together. As he looked at it, his shoulders began to tremble. Two drops of tears fell onto the phone screen.Suddenly, he stood up and bolted out of his villa. His hands were shaking as he drove. Once again, his car stopped outside the small farmhouse where Toby and I had lived. In just a few days, he had been here more times than in all the previous years combined.I didn't know whether to cry or laugh at that.This time, he opened the gate and walked straight to the front door of the house. He stood there for over ten seconds before pushing the door that had been closed for three years open.With a creak, the