Fresh blood gushed out, splattering all over my face.
I pressed the pig's neck like crazy and cried loudly.
"Nicole, Mommy will stop the bleeding for you."
Still, the blood couldn't be stopped. The pig twitched and let out a pained screech.
The several men present were so shocked they couldn't speak.
Suddenly, one of them pointed at the pig's mouth, his voice filled with alarm.
"Why is there a clump of hair in its mouth?"
"What hair?"
The man stumbled closer, pointing at the corner of the pig's mouth.
"There! Isn't that a strand of hair?"
"It really is!"
"Why would there be hair?"
The men started talking amongst themselves, a flurry of questions.
Charlie frowned, lowering his head to look closely at the pig's mouth.
But I held the pig tightly, shielding it protectively beneath me.
"Stay away from my Nicole!"
"Get back!"
The pig's blood I'd kicked up splashed onto Charlie's face, making him jump back in agitation. He turned to Jane.
"Jane, go boil some water!"
"I'm going to slaughter this pig today!"
"And I'm going to make this crazy woman, Caitlin Sackville, eat pork. Let's see if she keeps pretending then!"
Jane lowered her head and agreed, hurrying off to boil water.
The other men didn't dare say a word.
"Sorry to have troubled you all with this trip, my pig isn't ready for breeding."
With that, Charlie saw the men off. He returned to the yard and lit a cigarette.
The smoke swirled, blurring his vision and his heart grew increasingly agitated.
He reached into his pocket and took out a pink hair clip, turning it over in his hand.
He'd spotted it on his business trip and instantly liked it.
It would be perfect for Nicole.
Thinking of Nicole, his gaze fell again on the pig I was shielding.
There was indeed something black stuck between the pig's teeth.
But how could it be hair?
He didn't think much about it, but went outside to see if Nicole had returned.
At this time, I held the pig and hummed the lullaby that I often sang to Nicole.
Charlie looked over and saw me take a blood-stained pink dress from my arms, trying to put it on the pig.
"Nicole, be good. Mommy will put this pretty dress on you."
His eyes froze. He rushed over and snatched the dress away.
"This … isn't this the dress Nicole wore a few days ago?"
"Why is it here?"
I didn't respond to his words, lost in my own world.
However, the more I acted this way, the more uneasy Charlie felt.
Panic rising in his chest, he turned to Jane again.