The next day, at the Fire Safety Campaign, the entire Riverside Community gathered at the Fire Department.
Michael held a microphone, speaking with fiery passion on stage.
Meanwhile, his favored intern led another group, deliberately desecrating the display area.
Robert’s fragments were first dumped into a bucket of ash.
The skull was smeared with vulgar graffiti in thick red marker, the mouth painted into a grotesque bloody grin—
like some mocking clown.
I asked her why. She righteously replied:
“Sister-in-law, don’t you know? People burned to death carry heavy resentment.”
“I drew this charm for Uncle Robert. This way, he’ll be reincarnated well.”
Furious, I quickly recorded a video and sent it to Michael.
But all I got back was a giant exclamation mark.
He had blocked me.
I almost laughed in disbelief.
Just then, his speech on stage concluded.
The crowd surged toward the exhibition hall, Michael leading the way—
straight to his father’s remains.
He froze. “This is…?”
Sophie bounced over to claim credit, repeating her spiel about “cleansing the bad luck so he can rest easy.”
“Captain, how did I do?”
Michael picked up a red marker and added a few more strokes on the skull—his own father’s—before nodding in satisfaction.
“Nice work.”
“The dead carry bad vibes. Drawing protective symbols really does keep things safe. Good thinking, Sophie.”
Then he deliberately turned to me.
“Emily, you’re not going to blame us again, are you?”
A heavy ache clogged my chest.
Even if it weren’t my father, no one’s remains should be desecrated like this.
I forced my anger down.
“Michael Johnson, you’ve gone too far.”
He shrugged, a thin smile curling at his lips.
“This is for your dad’s own good—so he can move on.”
“Who knows, maybe he’ll even look out for you in the next life.”
“Michael!”
My eyes burned red; my voice trembled.
“What did my father ever do to you, that you’d mock him like this?”
People were gathering around.
I drew a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
“This is the Fire Safety Exhibition Hall, a place that deserves reverence. And you turned a dead man into a grotesque prop. Aren’t you afraid he’ll come find you at night?”
My last words cracked with fury.
Sophie stepped up first to “clarify.”
“Sister-in-law, don’t stir things up just because there are people watching… I meant well. I drew a blessing symbol to help him rest.”
Michael chimed in loudly at her side.