You Faked Your Deaths to Punish Me?! That’s Illegal, Family! novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Every head in the room turned toward the three strangers pushing through the entrance.

I recognized them immediately from that family photo-my parents and sister, surgically altered beyond recognition.

My father crossed the distance between us and backhanded me hard enough to snap my head sideways.

He leaned in close, voice shaking.

“You ungrateful bitch. Throwing us a funeral while we’re standing right here-you want us dead that badly?”

My mother’s face twisted with disgust. “Save the mourning daughter routine. You rushed this memorial so you could steal everything.”

Candy slid between us with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Mom, Dad, relax-she got confused, that’s all. Now that we’re back, the company goes back to Dad where it belongs. Right, Lily?”

I looked at the three of them like they’d wandered in from the street.

“I’m sorry-have we met?”

Jake practically threw himself forward.

“Lily, I should’ve warned you-your family had major work done. That’s why they look different. They’re alive, they’re here, and you need to cancel this memorial and step down.”

I turned to Jake, genuinely concerned now.

“Jake, my parents and sister died three years ago. I have death certificates. You’re telling me these random people walked in and you just decided they’re my family?”

Jake held up the forged documents.

“Those certificates are fake-I had them made to help you find closure. Your family’s records were never actually changed.”

I glanced at the papers and nodded once.

“Those are fake, yeah. But I filed real ones. Legally speaking, my parents and sister don’t exist anymore. Pull up the database if you don’t believe

me.”

All three instantly lunged for their phones, fingers flying across screens as they searched the state records.

Nothing.

Jake’s face drained of color and he stared at me like I’d just torched everything he cared about.

“You knew the whole time. You planned this!”

Tears spilled over before I could stop them, voice breaking,

“I knew you were trying to save me from a decision I’d regret. But I couldn’t keep drowning. Wherever my parents and sister are now, I think they’d want me to let go. So I did.”

My parents looked gutted. Candy went chalk white.

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You Faked Your Deaths to Punish Me?! That’s Illeval. Tamily!

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Chapter 4

Jake started pacing like a caged animal, then whirled back and grabbed my arms.

“Doesn’t matter-we can reinstate them. Your house is full of their things. DNA, fingerprints, hair-you told me yourself you sleep holding their

clothes because you can still smell them.”

I blinked up at him, perfectly calm.

“I burned everything. Had the entire house demolished down to concrete and framing. There’s nothing left.”

I pulled out my phone and showed him the footage.

Jake’s face flushed dark watching the wrecking crew tear through the rooms.

“Lily-how could you? You’re obsessed with family. How could you destroy every single thing they left behind?!”

My voice cracked and more tears came.

“I couldn’t be around their things anymore. My therapist said cutting every connection was the only way to survive the depression. You don’t want my parents and sister watching me suffer like that, do you?”

Jake stood frozen, words dying in his throat.

My mother’s composure shattered completely. “We’re screwed. Every piece of evidence is gone. Legally we don’t exist. What are we supposed to

do?”

My father’s tone went ice-cold. “She’s our daughter. She’ll vouch for us.”

I actually laughed.

“I have no idea who you people are. Why would I verify the identities of strangers pretending to be my dead family? Ask anyone in this room-half of them knew my parents and sister personally. See if they recognize you.”

The entire room shook their heads.

My parents talked over each other, insisting the surgery had changed their appearance.

Candy’s expression went flat and deadly. She locked eyes with me.

“DNA test. That’ll settle this. Unless you’re afraid of what it’ll prove?”

My stomach dropped but I didn’t let it show.

“Fine. Let’s do it.”

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