Chapter 5
He shrugged, looking just as confused as I felt.
Then Lesley stepped forward, clutching my arm with tears in her eyes. “Zephanie, I didn’t know the plagiarism thing would blow up like this. I never meant for you to quit the internet,” she cried. “That’s why I came here to apologize. Why don’t you come back with us? You can start over with a new account. Gavin and I will help you get back on your feet.”
She gave me a hopeful look and added, “As long as you stop copying in the future, I’m sure the internet will forgive you.”
I rolled my eyes and yanked my hand free, disgusted.
Seeing that, Gavin jumped in, clearly annoyed. “She came all the way here to apologize, and you’re still being rude? Don’t think highly of yourself just because we’re trying to be nice!”
I didn’t hesitate, and I slapped him right across the face. “I forgot to do that when you cheated on me. Now it’s done. Both of you can get lost.”
“You-!” He lunged at me in a rage, but Blanche stepped in and kicked him to the side before he could get to me.
Even Grandma joined in, storming out with a broom and cursing as she chased them off the property.
Once the dust settled and they were gone, I was left with a strange feeling gnawing at me.
I had deactivated my account. That gave Lesley a wave of publicity and removed her biggest competition. So why was she suddenly panicking and begging me to come back? Why the desperation?
A bold theory then began to take shape in my mind, but I still didn’t know how to prove it.
Facing Grandma’s worried look, I finally told them everything that had happened and how things spiraled out of control.
Most people would’ve found my story hard to believe, but Grandma just pulled me into a hug, her voice full of love and pity. “Oh, my poor girl, you’ve really been through it out there.”
Blanche, on the other hand, suddenly grabbed my arm, his expression intense. “Before any of this happened, did anything strange occur?”
L
I looked at him, caught off guard by how serious he was, then I tried to think back carefully.
However, since it was from my previous life, a lot of memories were blurry. Yet, there was one thing that still stood out clearly.
About a month before everything fell apart, I started waking up in strange places. I’d go to sleep in bed, but wake up on the floor.
At first, I thought I’d just rolled off in my sleep, and it was no big deal.
Chanter 5
11:36 Fri, 23 May
But it kept happening over and over. Eventually, I told Gavin about it, but he brushed it off, saying, “You probably just toss and turn too much. Don’t overthink it.”
Still, it had never happened before in my life.
Then, not long after, the plagiarism scandal erupted and everything else faded into the background.
told Blanche about that, and he frowned deeply.
Seeing his troubled face reminded me of what I saw earlier at my parents‘ gravesite. I told him about the disturbed soil as well, how it looked like someone had dug around the tombstone.
“I think I know what’s going on,” he said after a long pause.
“I once heard about a ritual that if someone takes soil from the grave of your closest relative and worships it for 49 days, then drinks it afterward, they can temporarily possess your body. Three times a month.”
His voice was grim as he looked at me.
I had always believed in science, not superstition. But after living through death and being reborn, I wasn’t so sure anymore. Some things just couldn’t be explained.
I had brought Gavin to my parents‘ grave before, so he knew exactly where it was.
But I never imagined he’d go so far for Lesley.
My hands curled into fists.
If they want to steal my ideas so badly, fine. Let’s see how far they’re willing to go when I let them take everything I want them to.
11:36 Fri, 23 May
