“Isn’t this too much? After all, she’s just a fragile woman. The heat might be too much for her,” Vanessa continued her act.
“Don’t worry,” Richard sneered. “She’s tougher than an old sow.”
With that, Richard chuckled and left with Vanessa in the car.
His departing figure felt like a knife twisting into my chest.
The cloud of dust from the car choked me, leaving me coughing.
This was the same man who once defied his family to marry me.
The man who braved a hurricane to find me, and who once loved to fall asleep in my arms.
Now he was a stranger, someone I feared.
As the dust settled, several large bodyguards surrounded me, chains in hand.
“Ma’am, please don’t blame us. These are Mr. Hayes’ orders,” one said.
“He wants us to strap the urn onto you. Best to cooperate, don’t make things harder.”
They were afraid I would run.
Afraid I would resist.
Richard Hayes even left men to watch me.
Richard, only now do I see your selfishness clearly. All your cleverness is spent only on tormenting me.
“For Lily’s life, I’ll comply,” I said, taking a deep breath. “But before that, I want to make a call.”
The Hayes family held immense power.
Only one man could save me from this nightmare.
“This…” The bodyguard hesitated, then said, “A call is not allowed. But you may send one message.”
“Fine.”
I gave in, took the phone under his watchful eyes, and typed:
[Dad, Lily and I miss you.]
After I set the phone down, the urn was strapped onto my back, bending me nearly in half.
Forget climbing—walking a few steps on flat ground was nearly impossible.
The heat was suffocating, my face burning red.
And to make things worse, one bodyguard held a tablet on a live video call with Richard.
Onscreen, Richard sat beside Vanessa, eating watermelon in the cool air-conditioning, a glass of wine on the table.
To them, my suffering was just entertainment, like watching a circus act.
“What are you waiting for? Move,” Richard ordered coldly, raising his wine glass.
Vanessa didn’t speak, but the smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
I gritted my teeth, took two steps, and collapsed as my right leg gave out.
The heavy urn pinned me down, crushing my bones like a mountain.
A scream of pain escaped me.
Some of the guards couldn’t bear it and tried to reason with Richard.
“Sir, this is too much. In 108-degree weather, carrying fifty pounds uphill will kill her.”