I froze, staring in disbelief.
Then I realized—Natalie had tricked me!
A wave of humiliation surged through me, hot and choking.
Unwilling to accept it, I turned back to the office and confronted her. “Where are the ashes from that box?”
Natalie’s eyes reddened as she nestled pitifully in Zayn’s arms. “Zayn, your wife really is quite the actress. She’s so vicious that she can even curse her own sister.”
A sharp pain shot through my chest. “Natalie, you know how much that box means to me—”
“Have you made enough of a scene?” Zayn’s voice was cold, his gaze even colder. “Look at yourself—filthy from head to toe, reeking of garbage. Where do you still look like Mrs. Flynn? Get out. Now.”
I stared at the man I had loved for seven years, the man who now stood protectively beside another woman without hesitation.
It felt as if a rough rope had wrapped around my heart, tightening until the dull ache swallowed me whole.
From beginning to end, Zayn had only ever chosen Natalie. To him, I was nothing more than a dispensable joke.
Zayn’s brows furrowed tightly before he barked an order for the bodyguards to throw me out.
As I struggled to stand, a pair of high heels appeared before my eyes.
Natalie looked down at me with open disdain, the corners of her lips curling into a cruel smile.
“Weren’t you dying to know what happened to what was inside that box?” she asked sweetly.
I froze, forcing myself to breathe evenly.
The next second, Natalie lifted a clay figurine shaped like a pig and dangled it before me.
“Look,” she said, mockingly cheerful, “I used that to mold this little pig. Doesn’t it look just like your dead sister?"
My vision went red.
Natalie laughed, delighted by my reaction. “No need to thank me. I just thought I’d help restore your sister’s beauty, that’s all. Too bad I ran out of material halfway—otherwise, I could’ve made it look even more real.”
My whole body trembled with rage as I lunged to grab it, but Natalie easily dodged aside.
She sneered, her tone dripping with mockery. “What’s the rush? I haven’t even finished my masterpiece yet.”
As she spoke, Natalie pulled a black marker from her pocket and began scribbling across the pig-shaped figurine’s back — words that made my blood run cold. “Shameless woman.” “Cheap slut.”
When she was done, she held the pig up proudly for me to see.