Chapter 2

I wanted to scream, to grab him by the collar and demand an answer. But my hands passed through everything — the chair, the flowers, his lying face.

So I stayed. I watched. I listened to every word that carved into what was left of me.

Reid's mother, Judith Vaughn, arrived within the hour. She walked in with a fur-collared coat and a Tupperware container of homemade soup — the recipe I'd taught her, the one she'd claimed was her own at every family gathering.

"How's my future daughter-in-law?" Judith cooed, setting the soup on Sienna's tray.

Future daughter-in-law. The words hit me like a physical blow.

Sienna smiled sweetly. "Much better now, Mrs. Vaughn. The doctors said the kidney is functioning perfectly."

Judith patted her cheek. "You poor thing. You've waited long enough. Once Reid handles the paperwork, you'll officially be part of this family."

I stared at Judith — the woman I'd called "Mom" for four years. The woman whose groceries I carried, whose house I cleaned every Sunday, whose blood pressure medication I picked up without ever being asked.

"What about Elara?" Sienna asked, feigning concern so paper-thin that I marveled no one saw through it. "Won't she be upset about the divorce?"

Judith's warmth evaporated. "That girl was never right for Reid. She's plain, she's clingy, and frankly, she was dragging this family down. I told Reid to leave her years ago."

Plain. Clingy. A burden.

I thought of every holiday I'd spent cooking for twelve guests while Judith criticized the seasoning. Every birthday of mine that went uncelebrated while I hand-wrapped gifts for every member of the Vaughn family. Every night I'd cried in the bathroom, quiet enough so Reid wouldn't hear, because Judith had told me — again — that her son deserved better.

Reid squeezed Sienna's hand. "Mom's right. Elara served her purpose. She gave us what we needed."

Served her purpose. Like a tool. Like a thing to be used and discarded.

Judith lowered her voice. "Speaking of which, has anyone checked on her since the surgery?"

A pause.

Reid and Sienna exchanged a glance.

"The hospital will handle it," Reid said dismissively. "She's not my responsibility anymore."

Judith nodded as though this were perfectly reasonable. "Good. The less involvement, the cleaner the divorce."

They moved on to discussing wedding venues.

I floated there, invisible and voiceless, watching three people plan a future built on my stolen organ, my stolen money, and my stolen life. And not one of them wondered if I was even still breathing.

I wasn't.

But they wouldn't find that out for another three days.

My soul drifted down to the morgue again, back to my own body. The sheet had shifted slightly, exposing one of my hands. My wedding ring was gone — a nurse must have removed it, or perhaps Reid had taken it back before I was even cold.

On the second day, a young doctor named Miles Chen entered the morgue for a routine check. He paused at my slab, reading the Jane Doe tag with a frown.

"That's not right," he muttered, flipping through his clipboard. "The kidney donor from Tuesday — Elara Vaughn. Surgical complication, cardiac arrest on the table. Why isn't she logged?"

He pulled back the sheet and looked at my face for a long time. Then, he made a call.

"This is Dr. Chen from pathology. I need to flag an irregular death. The patient's file was never updated post-op, and her body was tagged as unclaimed. I'm requesting an internal review."

For the first time since I'd died, someone said my name like it mattered.