After My Fake Death, My BFF Took My Place

I had shared everything with her in good faith, never suspecting she coveted it all-my wealth, my life, even my boyfriend.

1

My illegitimate aunt, Christine Glass, had long schemed to seize control of the company. Only my grandma Judy Glass's ironclad presence kept her from tossing me out like yesterday's trash.

That afternoon, Christine's antics at the office left me fuming. I rushed to my BFF Emma Mills, seeking counsel.

Her suggestion chilled me to the bone. "Stage your death in a fiery crash. No corpse, no investigation. Christine will definitely show her true colors when she thinks you're gone."

The cold glint in her smiling eyes should have warned me. Yet I agreed, my fingers turning to ice as I clenched my fists.

The plan worked flawlessly. Newspapers reported my tragic demise-incinerated beyond recognition.

When I heard her plan, I asked Emma, "Is it really necessary? It sounds a little bit too much."

Emma laughed and said, "If you don't perish in a fire, leaving no trace of your body, the police will know you are not dead. If they begin to investigate you, Christine will get suspicious. She won't take off her mask, and our plan will be in vain."

According to the plan, I was placed in a villa in the suburbs, accompanied only by a wiry middle-aged woman. She was silent but had sharp eyes. I didn't dare to meet her gaze.

From my gilded cage, I watched the aftermath unfold.

Christine's mask slipped at my funeral, her triumphant grin betraying years of pent-up greed. She was visibly thrilled, with a smile she couldn't suppress, as if she would become the head of the company the next moment.

Judy, my beloved grandmother, aged a decade overnight.

Having buried her son and daughter-in-law, she now mourned a granddaughter without even bones to weep over, which tore her heart apart.

Then came the photos-Emma supporting my grandma, her doppelgänger face being the perfect prop for this macabre play.

The company buzzed with speculation about this mysterious mourner.

I stayed in the villa, bored, focusing only on the situation with the Glass family and the company, eagerly awaiting Emma's call.

Our nightly calls became my lifeline.

Using an unknown number, Emma's detailed reports chronicled everything that happened recently.

She told me that Christine quickly proposed at the board meeting to appoint herself as general manager of the company, but she was unanimously opposed by Judy and the board members. Christine made a scene at the meeting, and everyone knew her ambition to take my place.

Because of this farce, Judy and the other board members' opinions of Christine worsened, which frustrated Christine, but there was nothing she could do.

But Emma omitted one critical detail-her sudden promotion to vice president which was granted by Judy.

But the internet delivered that bitter pill.

I didn't know if Emma forgot to tell me or if she was afraid I'd overthink.

But Emma called me less and less frequently, and the calls grew shorter.

She didn't give me a reason, and I didn't ask why. I just urged her to follow the plan. It was time to take me home.

According to our pre-arranged plan, as soon as Christine made a move, Emma would come to get me, and then I would find a reason to say the person who died wasn't me, allowing me to return to the company and continue as general manager.

Seeing Emma's delay about bringing me back, I couldn't help but grow suspicious. I wanted to run back myself, but the middle-aged woman keeping a close watch on me was very vigilant. Only now did I realize she wasn't there to protect me but to ensure that I could go nowhere. She was my monitor.

2

Days passed, and I had been "dead" for over two months. I was getting restless.

So, when I called Emma again, I seriously told her that before executing the plan, I had left a letter for Judy.

If I didn't appear in three months, the person I entrusted would deliver the letter to Judy.

I sensed Emma pondering over the phone. After a while, she spoke, still with a smile, "You see, after all these years of friendship, you need to trust me. I wasn't delaying; I was just worried that if you suddenly appeared unharmed, Judy would be shocked again."

I found this explanation reasonable, as Judy was indeed the person who loved me the most in this world.

"Alright, send someone to pick me up!" I said coolly.

Three days later, the middle-aged woman monitoring me informed me, "Ms. Glass, Ms. Mills has sent someone to pick you up tonight at eleven. Get ready!"

"Tonight?" I was taken aback. The midnight extraction order confirmed my fears. Why slink home like a thief unless my return threatened someone's carefully laid plans?

But I knew no matter what I asked, this woman wouldn't answer me. So, I dialed Emma's number. It took a long time for her to answer, and her voice was a bit shaky, "Tonya, what's up?"

"What are you doing? Why didn't you answer my call?" I questioned her.

Emma seemed to take a deep breath before slowly saying, "Tonya, I'm busy too."

"Busy being the PR Vice President of Glass Group?" I asked coldly.

Emma remained silent for a long time before finally speaking with a smile, "Tonya, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about this. This was Judy's decision. For her, I am your best friend. Being good to me is like a memorial to you. I think that's a proof that she misses you."

"Then why fetch me under cover of darkness? Am I some wanted criminal?" I demanded. Tired of Emma's excuses, I got straight to the point.

Emma's voice turned cold, "Then when do you want to be picked up? You've been living in that villa for over two months, and none of the neighbors have seen you, right? If you suddenly appear in broad daylight, what would the neighbors think? Besides, with so many media and paparazzi around, if they catch a glimpse of you, the news would reach Judy before you do. How do you think she would react? You know Judy hates family conflicts. Even though Christine isn't her biological daughter, she wouldn't want to see her granddaughter scheming against her aunt, right?"

"Fine, midnight it is then!" I hung up the phone.

Unease coiled in my stomach like a serpent. At dinner, I palmed a fruit knife when my jailer looked away, its cold steel now wrapped in cloth inside my bag.

The knock came precisely at eleven. "Time to go, Miss Glass," the woman announced, her voice devoid of emotion.

The black Mercedes idled outside, and its driver was a stranger.

As we settled into the backseat, my guard did the unthinkable-she fell asleep.

Her snoring made me drowsy, so I started chatting with the driver.

"Sir, do you work for the Glass family?"

The middle-aged driver was quite respectful, "Yes!"

"You haven't been working for the Glass family for long, have you?"

I had never seen him before.

He chuckled, "That's right, just over a month."

"Did Emma hire you?"

"Yes, Ms. Mills hired me." he then added, "Miss, are you friends with Ms. Mills?"

Friends! Ha! I gritted my teeth and said, "Yes, we're the best friends since we were kids!"

"No wonder!" The driver remarked, "Ms. Mills specifically told me to drive slowly and ensure your safety."

His words made me even more worried.

I rolled down the window a bit, looked outside, and asked, "Which road are we taking?"

"It's a shortcut. Ms. Mills said it's less traveled, so we're less likely to run into anyone." He advised, "You should close the window. It's late at night, and there might be evil things outside."

I didn't understand, "What do you mean by evil things?"

"Outside is a cemetery," he whispered.

The word "cemetery" startled me, and I quickly closed the window, shutting my eyes.

3

The car jerked to a stop. Before I could react, my monitor opened the door. Two shadows materialized-one thick-necked, the other gaunt-dragging me toward the moonlit tombstones before I could react.

The thick-necked one forced the driver out and tied him to a tree by the roadside.

After that, these two men dragged me up the hill, which led to the cemetery.

The midnight wind on my face made my mind unusually clear.

From Emma's attitude and the woman's actions, I realized Emma had set me up. Perhaps her initial offer to help me deal with Christine was part of her plan all along.

Seeing that I wasn't resisting, the two men relaxed their guard.

After walking a while, we seemed to be deep in the cemetery, and they finally stopped.

The thin man looked around and said to the burly one, "Here should do."

"How much did Emma pay you?" I asked, trying to stay calm. "Whatever she offered, I'll pay you double!"

The thin man sneered, "You want us to betray our boss? Not a chance!"

"Boss? How could Emma be your boss?"

If Emma was a boss, I supposed she was a crime boss.

The strong man laughed, "No wonder our boss says you're a naive girl. She's right. You are clueless as hell!"

"I've known her since childhood. If she were your boss, how come I've never seen you?"

The strong man was about to explain when the thin man interrupted, "Enough chatter! Let's finish her off. Boss is waiting for our report!"

Fear finally gripped my heart, and I trembled as I said, "You know the state's law, right? You'll pay with your life for murder! Think carefully!"

The thin man sinisterly pulled out a dagger, "I've killed plenty. One more won't matter!"

"Help!" I screamed as the dagger came towards me, "Help! Somebody help!"

The two men laughed at my cries, admiring my despair of shouting for help in an empty cemetery.

But then, a chilling voice suddenly echoed, "Shut up! You just ruined my sweet dream!"

Terrified, I looked around, "Who? Who's speaking? Human or ghost?"