He Thought I Was Faking My Death, But I Was Really Gone Chapter 06

He Thought I Was Faking My Death, But I Was Really Gone Chapter 06

No matter how many times they tagged me, my profile picture stayed grayed out.

The next day, Derek finally couldn’t take it anymore and drove straight to my apartment.

But there was no trace of me there.

“Hiding? You think switching apartments is going to make me more desperate for you? Dream on!”

Seething, he stuffed all my belongings into trash bags and threw them into the dumpster at the end of the

hallway.

Afterward, he sent Paige a voice message.

“Paige, are you ready? I’ll take you to the city hospital for a full checkup soon.”

Meanwhile, deep in the Mojave Desert-

A national geological survey team was running routine soil sampling.

Suddenly, their equipment let out an alarm.

“Captain! We’ve got something over here!”

Half an hour later, local police and a medical examiner arrived at the scene.

After a round of procedure, the medical examiner delivered her findings.

“Time of death exceeds forty-eight hours.”

“Before death, she experienced extreme dehydration and heat exposure. Her organs likely failed all at once.”

“It’s brutal. Looks like she didn’t even have the strength left to twist open a bottle cap.”

The officers found my ID card.

“Nora Bennett. Female. Twenty-five.”

Back at the hospital, on a waiting room bench.

Paige leaned into Derek’s side, appointment slip in hand.

“Derek, Nora’s probably still furious. Maybe I should send her an apology video.”

“We’re all friends, after all.”

Derek covered her hand with his.

“Don’t. She’s not going to budge until she hits rock bottom.”

The words had barely left his mouth when his phone rang-a call from the sheriff’s office.

“Is this Derek Sinclair? This is the Pinebrook County Sheriff’s Office, out by the edge of the Mojave.”

“We’ve recovered a female body from the desert interior. Personal effects confirm the identity as Nora

Bennett.”

“As her listed emergency contact, we need you to come identify the body immediately.”

Derek didn’t panic at all-he actually laughed.

“Wow, Nora. You’ve really outdone yourself!”

“Hiring actors to impersonate law enforcement? That’s a new low.”

“I’m telling you right now-even if you claimed you were dead, I wouldn’t shed a single tear!”

The voice on the other end sharpened instantly.

“Do I sound like I’m joking with you?”

“The deceased is severely dehydrated, complete organ failure, dead for over forty-eight hours!”

“Get down here now and confirm. This is not a game!”

Derek scoffed.

“Fine. Playing it up?”

“Let’s see just how big a production she’s put together.”

“Send me the address. I’m on my way.”

Derek hung up and pulled Paige toward the exit.

He drove the whole way there at breakneck speed, straight to the sheriff’s office.

On the way, he sent Tyler a voice message.

“Nora hired someone to impersonate a cop to trick me into ‘identifying a body.”

“Everyone get to the sheriff’s office. We’re going to expose her little act.”

Tyler replied instantly in the group chat.

“Derek, has Nora lost her mind? Even joking about something this morbid?”

“We’re on our way. We’re not letting her get away with this today!”