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Mia clutched her chest, lying on the bed. Her heart hurt. She lay there, trying to steady her breathing. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with shock and fear. She touched her body, but it didn't feel right. Panic surged as she tried to run out of the hospital room, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. She turned, meeting Dumplings' cold gaze.
"Where are you going?" Dumplings asked, his voice as chilling as his stare. "If you know what's good for you, go back and rest."
"No!" Maria screamed, her voice laced with fury. "This is my body! Don't tell me what to do with it!" She lunged, attempting to catch Dumplings, but he effortlessly flew out of her reach.
"This isn't your body," Dumplings said with disdain. "Calling you a 'ghost' is an understatement. You are nothing but a collection of resentment, a form taken from Maria's unfinished thoughts. You are not her, just the residue of her unfinished desires. This is not your body."
Maria's eyes narrowed, her anger boiling over. She screamed again, her voice raw, but her frustration only deepened when she grabbed her phone, dialing Marvin's number. She tried to explain what was happening, but Dumplings only watched her with an amused expression, as though her efforts were futile.
She bit her lip, realizing that contacting Marvin wasn't going to help. Instead, she sobbed into the phone, "Help me find my son. I don't know where Mike is, and I'm terrified."
"What happened to Mike?" Marvin's voice crackled through the line.
"I—I don't know. He got angry and ran out," she sobbed, her hands shaking.
Before she could say anything more, the door was kicked open, and the nanny's family rushed in. They grabbed the phone from Maria's hand and tossed it aside.
"What are you doing?" Maria roared, her voice cracking with the strain of her emotions.
"You're the reason my mom's in this condition, you bitch!" the nanny's son screamed. "If you don't pay for her medical bills, we'll make your life a living hell."
Maria's fury only intensified. "How did your daughter fall down the stairs?" the nanny's mother demanded.
"You're nothing but a maid, a poor thing," Maria snapped. "One word from you, and your life will flash before your eyes. Just be thankful my son wasn't hurt, or I would kill your mother myself."
Before the nanny could respond, Charles rushed in, his expression disgusted. He directed the nurse to take the patient out of the room, then turned to glare at Maria. "So, your son did push her down the stairs?" he sneered. "You've taught him how to behave like a monster. What do you expect from a mother like you? Your son would be better off in foster care."
Charles turned on his heel and left, leaving Maria seething with anger.
"Look at the mess you've made," Dumplings taunted from his perch. "In just five minutes of possession, you've destroyed everything. Mia is going to turn you into a ghost again—again and again. You're so stupid."
Maria's body fell to the floor, her chest tight with pain. She gasped, clutching her heart, before she lost consciousness.
---
The Next Day
The nanny's family had caused chaos, even calling the police to accuse Maria of pushing her son down the stairs. Maria's words from the day before had only made matters worse, and now the situation had escalated.
"You've really messed things up now," Charles said, his voice low and angry. "Your actions have made everything worse."
"I'll take care of it," Marvin said softly, trying to calm the situation.
"You need to stop helping her," Charles advised, his tone firm. "She'll never learn. She'll keep causing trouble, and one day, it will cost you everything."
"I have to help," Marvin replied calmly. "She helped me. It's what I need to do."
Maria woke up, her head pounding as she sat up in bed. "Your heart problems have started again. You need to rest," Marvin said gently, taking her hand.
"I need to meet with the nanny," Mia said softly, her voice tinged with determination.
"No," Marvin replied firmly. "You're not going to see her."
"Brother, please," Mia pleaded. "I have to see her. She's the one who's been taking care of my son. If I don't, it will make me seem like a bad person. I said some harsh things to her family yesterday, and now I need to make it right. I haven't seen Mike yet, and I'm worried. Please, help me find him. But first, I need to meet the nanny."
Marvin hesitated for a moment, but then sighed. "Fine. I'll take you to her."
Marvin helped her out of bed and supported her as they made their way to the nanny's hospital room.
"I want to go in alone," Mia said, her voice quiet but firm.
Once inside, she locked the door behind her, her eyes cold as she walked to the nanny's bedside. Dumplings rested on her shoulder, while Maria's ghost hovered behind her, silently watching.
Mia ignored the ghost's presence, her gaze fixed on the nanny. The moment the nanny woke up and tried to scream, Maria quickly covered her mouth with one hand. There was no force behind her touch, but it was enough to prevent the nanny from making a sound.
"I'm not in the mood for your games," Mia said softly, her eyes flicking briefly toward the ghost, anger rising in her chest. "Just accept your fate. Don't worry about your family; they're asking for far too much from me. I won't waste my time playing with you. You're nothing but a small fry in the grand scheme of things."
The nanny's eyes widened with fear, but no matter how hard she clawed or struggled, she couldn't remove Mia's hand from her mouth. Mia turned her gaze back to the nanny, a cruel smile tugging at her lips. "You should be grateful I'm going easy on you. But don't worry, your family will be dealt with soon."
With that, Mia calmly reached for the knife on the counter and, with deliberate precision, stabbed her own hand. The blood was minimal, but the sting was enough to show her power. The nanny's eyes widened in shock, her face pale.
"You've gone and messed up now," Dumplings said, looking at the nanny with pity.
Mia slapped the nanny so hard that her eyes went dazed. With a swift movement, Maria forced the nanny's mouth open and poured a liquid down her throat. She pressed her forehead against the nanny's, reciting an incantation as the liquid began to glow. The energy from the liquid made the nanny's body tremble, and as Mia continued the chant, the memories of the nanny's recent experiences faded. The fall would no longer be remembered as an accident but as a deliberate action she had taken.
Mia stood up and watched as the nanny fell unconscious.
"I leave for just a minute, and you act like a fool, almost getting your seven-year-old son jailed. Like mother, like son," Mia muttered, clenching her fists. The ghost of Maria, lingering in the room, felt the sharp weight of Mia's words and energy. It began to weaken, its body growing pale, as if ready to disappear.
Mia stopped, licking the blood from her lips. "Last chance. If you ever misstep again, I will kill your son and destroy your soul," Mia said softly, her smile cold as ice. Dumplings looked at Maria's ghost in disgust, knowing full well that Mia had already sent a clear message—any further disobedience would not be tolerated.
See, this is what Mia was warning the ghost about. She may seem forgiving, but she isn't. Mia had given her the chance to redeem herself, but the warning was clear: one mistake, and she'd face the consequences. Dumplings recalled their experiences in past worlds—each one more disastrous than the last—and now, this one was no exception.
Mia walked out of the room, nearly bumping into the nanny's son and mother, who were standing outside.
"What are you doing in my mother's room, bitch?" The nanny's son sneered, pointing at Maria in disgust.
"Who are you calling a bitch?" Mia's voice was low, icy. "If you know what's good for you, you'll drop that hand and back off."
The nanny's mother, furious, retorted, "How dare you still threaten us? This old woman cursed you—go and die! We'll ruin your life and tell everyone what kind of person you are. Aren't you popular enough? Just wait and see what we'll do to you."
Mia remained calm, her smile sharp as a blade. "Your daughter stole a vase worth a million dollars, cheated on your son-in-law, and your grandson is not your son-in-law's child," she said softly, but her words struck like a thunderclap.
"You've committed countless crimes in your village—framing others, conning people, and your grandson... he's involved in stealing from his school group, passing out fake IDs, and even selling young girls to human traffickers. After all of that, you want to threaten me? Let the most cunning win," Mia finished with a smile that was colder than ice.
With that, she turned and left, walking to the private room. But she froze when she overheard Marvin's assistant talking about Mike being kidnapped. She coughed up blood, a sharp pain seizing her chest. Marvin, hearing the sound, rushed to the door and, upon seeing her, immediately scooped her up and carried her to the bed.
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