The Untouchable Ex-Wife

Renee returned to the Carmine Pawnshop after destroying the tape thoroughly. She headed to bed with a heavy heart.
She was especially restless for the entire night, with several dreams popping in her head during her slumber.
In her dreams, Briar crawled out of the sea with messy hair, with her limbs dislocated and her bones penetrating through her
flesh. She then cackled eerily, her face completely drenched in blood.
“Hahaha, Everheart, your days are numbered... I may not have been able to compete against you when I was alive, but I can
drag you down to hell with me as a ghost!” Briar screeched as her bloodied face inched closer to Renee, to the point she
seemed to be hovering right above her.
The suffocating pain consumed the woman’s chest. She flung her arms around in panic, screaming, “No! Don’t come near me!”
“Miss Ren! Miss Ren! Wake up! The sun is up!” Margaret worriedly held her hand, sitting by her bed.
“Argh!” Renee felt like she was pulled out of an abyss as her eyes snapped open. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest.
“Miss Ren, you look pale. Did you have a nightmare?”
“Mhm.” Renee nodded, panting.
Her nightmare was just too vivid, as she remembered how Briar’s gory face was right in front of hers and remembered just how
despairful the sensation was. It felt like she was drowning.
“It’s alright, you woke up...” Margaret patted her on the back, visibly concerned. “You must’ve been stressing yourself out, Miss
Ren. That’s why you had a weird nightmare.”
“I’ll make you a small scented bag later. It can help get rid of germs and reduce anxiety, so bring it around with you. Then you
won’t get those nightmares anymore.”
“Thanks, Margaret.” Renee took a deep sigh, then asked in a whisper. “Hey Margaret, do you think really evil ghosts exist in this
world?”
“Ah, I don’t know...” Margaret’s expression turned serious, reminiscing her past. “I’ve learned medicine from my grandfather, and
I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff too. Traditional doctors usually believe in these things since life and death, when viewed from a
medical standpoint, are great mysteries. So I can’t really say for sure...

“Evil ghosts may exist in some other realm, a realm we can’t see or touch. Or maybe, its existence is a form of energy, a
magnetic field. When the energy or magnetic field is too strong, it might affect our realm as well.
“For example, Miss Ren, you don’t get nightmares back then. But you suddenly dreamed of something that was so scary that it
woke you up in cold sweat. It is possible that you were affected by those types of negative energies. So it’s best to be more
cautious,” Margaret explained, her cryptic message sending chills down Renee’s body.
She gulped, carefully responding. “So you mean some kind of evil spirit with high negative energy might be attached to me?”
“Hush hush! You shouldn’t say things like that! You’re a nice person, Miss Ren. It’s not like you offended or provoked anyone. So
there’s no way you would encounter evil spirits!”
Margaret was very superstitious, quickly nagging her like how most elderly would. After that, she got busy preparing the scented
bag as promised.
Renee looked towards the mirror at her dressing table, noticing her pale complexion. Briar Desrosiers, if you really are haunting
me, I advise you to reincarnate soon, she thought as she clenched her fists.
‘You couldn’t win against me while you were alive, so don’t assume you’d ever have a chance at death either!’
After having breakfast, Renee checked the time and noticed that she should be leaving soon. She then got up from her seat and
turned to Quinton, Margaret, and the children. “You guys take your time, I have to head out for a bit.”
“It’s still so early in the morning. Where are you going?”