Part 1Dear, Please Don't Cry For Me

I had been a ghost for centuries, stuck inside a necklace because of some ancient seal. For as long as I could remember, I had been tied to whoever owned this necklace, unable to wander more than a few miles from them.

This time, I was bound to a fragile woman, so weak she could barely stand. Her time was almost up, which was probably why I was able to appear before her and actually talk.

But here was the kicker—when she saw me, she didn’t freak out. Instead, she just asked how I’ve been holding up all these years. And when she finally passed away, just like I knew she would, she didn’t leave me empty-handed. She gave me her body.

The real shocker came after that, though. Her husband—the same guy who treated her like a ghost while she was alive, couldn’t even bother to look at her when she was dying—completely lost it. His eyes were wild, and he looked like he was teetering on the edge of madness as he pleaded, “Please, give her back to me!”

* * *

I had been a ghost bound to this necklace for what felt like forever, and I had seen all kinds of people. But I had never met anyone like Luna Anderson—so soft-spoken, so easy to push around. I thought that the identity of her husband’s legit wife would earn her some respect, but in that big, fancy mansion, everyone seemed to have it out for her.

Luna, with her delicate features and that pale, fragile look, seemed so weak that I couldn’t help but wave a hand in front of her face. “Come on, Luna, show some backbone!” I urged.

Since the day she put on the necklace, I had been stuck with her. Six months ago, I could only hang out inside the necklace, so I spent most of my time in a deep sleep. But every time I woke up, I’d catch the maids whispering nasty things about Luna. She was supposed to be the lady of the house, but just because her husband was always away, they had the nerve to spread rumors, even calling her a slut behind her back. They had no problem spending her money while they dragged her name through the mud.

Luna knew what they were saying, but she never let it get to her. She just went about her days slowly, speaking softly, like nothing really mattered. Then, six months ago, something changed, and I found myself able to step out of the necklace. I used a few tricks to scare the maids into behaving, but lately, they’ve only gotten worse.

Even though I’ve been around for centuries, Luna had no clue I existed. I couldn’t stand watching her get pushed around, so I finally decided to speak up, fully expecting her not to hear me, like always. But to my surprise, Luna, who had been resting her chin on her hand, suddenly opened her eyes. She blinked in disbelief and asked in a soft voice, “Who are you?”