The Queen's Back

"Bang!"

Mona Clem fell straight from the 88th floor of the hotel. The rush of falling left her feeling weightless and terrified, her body shaking uncontrollably.

In the fading light, she saw two shadowy figures on the rooftop above. Rage ignited in her eyes as she screamed, "Barbara Burton, Teddy Powers, I swear I'll haunt you both, even if I'm just a ghost!" With that, she reluctantly shut her eyes. Plummeting from the 88th floor, she knew there was no escaping death.

But Mona wasn't ready to give up like this. At just twenty-four, she was at the peak of her life, and now i I was all coming to an end. If she hadn't walked in on her fiancé and her cousin in bed tonight and gotten shoved off the roof by them, she'd still be convinced she was the luckiest woman in Nathontown, about to marry the guy who loved her most.

It's so ironic. Teddy, her fiancé, had been her childhood sweetheart. They grew up together and got together officially in college. He treated her like she was made of glass, always looking after her and making sure she didn't have to lift a finger. He practically kept her on a pedestal.

But tonight, she realized it was all because she was from the Clem family. She had the shares her mom left her and was the apple of her grandparents' eye.

As she fell, the wind screamed past her ears, slicing at her skin like a million tiny knives, and the pain cut straight to her heart. If she could, she'd rather face the worst hell imaginable than let those two get away with it.

Her consciousness started to drift away. Just as she fell into complete darkness, Mona felt a brutal impact as her body slammed into the ground. Blood poured from her broken body, and she felt her bones shattering.

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After she died, Mona could only occasionally float around Maxwell Carter. Other than that, she had no sense of awareness. Maybe it was because everyone thought her death was just an accident, except for Maxwell.

She watched as Maxwell took control, steadily taking over the Powers Group and driving Teddy and Barbara to ruin until they were left homeless. Eventually, overwhelmed by their downfall, they jumped from a high-rise, getting a taste of their own medicine and finally paying for what they did to her.

At first, Mona thought Maxwell was just using her death as an excuse to take down the Powers Group. But later, when she saw him set up a foundation in her name, making sure everyone in Nathontown remembered her positively, she realized he actually had feelings for her. When Maxwell turned thirty, he donated his entire company to charity in Mona's name and went alone to visit her grave. With a choked voice, he said, "Mona, I've done everything I could for you in this life. In the next one, can I have a chance for you to love me?" Mona whispered softly next to his ear, "Thank you for everything. In the next life, I'll take care of you, love you, and protect you." If there were a next life, she'd run straight into Maxwell's arms and shower him with all her love. But for now, without a body, all she could do was dream about being with him.

As a wandering spirit, Mona's voice couldn't reach Maxwell. His fingers gently traced the cold tombstone as he murmured, "Mona, wait for me. I'll be with you soon."

Hearing his words, Mona was stunned. She watched as Maxwell gave a faint smile at her photo on the tombstone, then turned and walked away.

Mona tried to run after him, but her form was slowly falling apart. She was stuck at her own grave, unable to move. As she watched Maxwell's figure fade away, her vision grew blurry with tears. "Maxwell, don't do anything stupid. I need you to stay alive and be okay," Mona cried out, her voice breaking with desperation.

But Maxwell didn't stop. He kept walking until he disappeared completely from her view.

Before her form completely vanished, Mona's mind replayed Barbara's cruel words from that night on the hotel rooftop. She remembered Barbara's smirk, filled with malice and hate.

"Mona, you really are dumb, aren't you? Teddy and I have been together since his senior year of high school. You're just the other woman here. Now you get why Teddy never wanted to touch you? From the start, he only ever liked me and only ever wanted me... As for being with you, that's just because you've got the shares your mother left you and you're the Clem family's darling granddaughter. Unlike me, with no real blood ties.

"Oh, by the way, did you not know? I'm not your cousin I'm actually your half-sister. Yep, Albert Clem is my half-brother. Your dad? he's actually my real dad. Oh, wait, I almost forgot you're not even his daughter. You're just some illegitimate child from before he married your mom. Humph.

"And get this-your mom didn't die in a car accident. My mom and dad actually worked together to mess with the brakes and make it look like an accident. Bet you never saw that coming! Your whole life's been a big joke. Better luck in the next life, sis."

*****

Mona jerked awake, gasping for breath as if Barbara's twisted grin was still right in front of her. Her eyes darted around the room-a white coffee table, pink curtains, a layout she knew all too well.

Suddenly, something clicked. Mona pinched the back of her hand hard. "Ouch..." It actually hurt. 'Hadn't I died? Why am I in my bed, still feeling pain?' she wondered.

Her eyes went blank as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was flawless and smooth, her face delicate. Her bright, round eyes looked clear and awake. Looking down at her outfit-a frilly, Barbie-pink nightgown-she thought it looked just ridiculous. Just then, a few knocks pulled her out of her thoughts, followed by a familiar voice from outside. "Ms. Clem, drink some milk before bed. Tomorrow's your engagement party-you need to look your best."

It was Polly Hudson, her maid. Hearing Polly's voice made Mona feel like she was imagining things. 'Did the heavens actually take pity on me and send me to paradise instead of hell?' she wondered. The memory of Polly getting hit by a car still hurt her heart. She never thought she'd see Polly again.

The knocking came again, and Mona couldn't care less about her outfit. She flung the door open. There was Polly's familiar face. Tears filled Mona's eyes as she threw her arms around Polly, whispering, "Polly, I can't believe I get to see you again. I'm just so overwhelmed right now."

Polly, holding a glass of milk, was caught off guard by the sudden hug and nearly spilled it. She was completely thrown by Mona's words. 'Didn't we just see each other at dinner? And isn't Ms. Clem usually closer to her aunt Beatrice Burton and Ms. Burton, barely talking to me? What's gotten into her tonight, saying she missed me?' Polly wondered, her mind racing with questions.