My husband, Jay Miller, brought our five-year-old daughter, Chloe Miller, and his lover, Lilian Perez, to a social event.
Midway, he asked Chloe alone to the pharmacy to buy allergy medicine for Lilian.
Chloe was hit by a speeding motorcycle and thrown away while crossing the street.
The hospital called me. When I arrived, Chloe was still clutching the allergy medicine tightly in her hand.
With her last bit of strength, she said, "Mom, Aunt Lilian... medicine..."
After she closed her eyes, her hand went limp. The medicine fell straight to the ground.
I broke down and called my husband dozens of times before he answered.
But before I could question him, he said sternly, "I asked Chloe to buy medicine. Why isn't she back yet? Call and hurry her up. Lilian is waiting!"
After saying that, he immediately hung up.
When I tried calling again, he had already blocked me.
"Since that's the case, let Lilian be buried with my daughter!"
***
I spent the entire day handling Chloe's funeral. The hospital staff looked at me with sympathy.
For a total of 48 hours, Jay did not say a word.
Ten years of feelings ended at this moment.
I neither ate nor drank. I printed the divorce papers and waited at home for him all day. Finally, he came in.
But he first said, "Where's the medicine I told you to hurry Chloe to deliver? Sent it to the afterlife? Do you know she caused Lilian to stay in the hospital for two days?"
Hearing this, I just wanted to laugh coldly.
She indeed went to the afterlife.
He impatiently took off his coat and threw it on the sofa. A woman's perfume I had never smelled before wafted into my nose.
I frowned and skillfully took allergy medicine from the drawer and swallowed it.
He watched my actions and said sternly, "What are you pretending for? Lilian is allergic to alcohol, and you want to learn from her? Why aren't you in the hospital if she is?
"Where's Chloe? Tell her to come out and apologize to Lilian right now! Lilian is generous enough not to blame her. She was covered in rashes and still spoke up for Chloe! Look at how you've spoiled her!
"I have to discipline her well today!"
I suppressed my anger and threw the divorce papers in front of him.
"Sign it. Stop making things difficult for Chloe. You have no right to discipline her. I'll step aside for you two!"
Jay was instantly enraged by my words. He stepped on the papers and twisted them into shreds.
"Chloe did something wrong? Why are you making trouble now? Just because Lilian is generous doesn't mean I can continue to spoil Chloe!
"You're divorcing me because I disciplined Chloe? Are you crazy?"
His angry questions hit me hurtly.
I stood up abruptly. My vision darkened, and I nearly fainted.
But I still forced myself to ask, "Discipline? What did Chloe do wrong? What heinous act did she commit that required you to make her walk alone at night to buy medicine? Do you know what happened to her on the way..."
Before I could finish, Jay immediately interrupted angrily.
"Alright, enough! I asked Chloe to buy medicine, so what? There were people everywhere. What could have happened? Did she complain to you again? Why is she so spoiled!"
After saying that, he roughly took a box out of his suit pocket and threw it in front of me.
"Is this enough to shut you up? Get Chloe out here now. I'll talk to her directly. From now on, you stay out of her discipline!"
Looking at his face, I suddenly felt there was no need to tell him about Chloe's death. He didn't care.
He only cared about whether Lilian was wronged and if Chloe had made her feel slighted.
Realizing this, I laughed with full of sarcasm.
Then I reached out and opened the boxed perfume.
It was the same scent as on his clothes.
He didn't even bother to pretend. He casually bought two of the same gift for Lilian, as if handing it out to a beggar.
All perfumes on the market contain alcohol.
But I was severely allergic to alcohol and never used these.
Yet Lilian, who always claimed to be allergic to alcohol, was obsessed with perfume.
He had no interest in understanding and would never waste time on me.
In the past, I was always delighted to receive his gifts, no matter what they were.
Because I loved him.
So I valued everything he gave me.
Maybe that's why he thought my love was worthless.
Even my daughter's life was worthless.
Thinking of Chloe brought tears to my eyes.
So I spoke to him again, "Sign it. Chloe won't trouble you anymore. She doesn't need anyone's forgiveness. She did nothing wrong."
Her only mistake was being born into the Miller family.
Hearing my stubborn words, Jay's face immediately darkened.
"Enough! I gave you a gift. What more do you want? Chloe is not a child now and you want a divorce? I warn you, don't even think about getting custody after the divorce!
"I've been too good to you!"
After venting at me, he turned and left.
This was the first time in ten years I showed him anger. He thought I was still being jealous and making a scene like before.
Perhaps he was planning to nap in the bedroom, expecting to see me cooking for him when he woke up and end the quarrel naturally like before.
But this time, I wanted to end our relationship.
I left the keys and the signed divorce papers and walked away from the house I had lived in for five years.
Chapter 2I had a crush on Jay for five years and was married to him for another five years.
To be with him officially, my mom paid with her life.
Ending this relationship cost me my daughter's life.
My mom was initially the Miller residence's housekeeper, caring for Mrs. Miller, Amelia Watsons, for half her life.
The Miller family liked her a lot and gave her a raise almost every year.
One day, she accompanied Amelia to the mall. On the way back, they encountered kidnappers.
They were people who had lost everything in business and were desperate, trying to kidnap Amelia for ransom.
But my mom bravely rushed forward.
The kidnappers didn't expect an old lady to intervene, so they panicked and pulled out a knife.
My mom used all her strength and managed to delay them until the police arrived.
Amelia was safe.
The kidnappers were caught.
Only she was left dying.
Amelia was so scared that her face turned pale. While waiting for the ambulance, she kept talking to my mom, urging her to hold on.
My mom knew she didn't have much time left. Before dying, she was still concerned about me, her only daughter.
She knew I liked Jay, so she made her last request to Amelia.
Amelia was momentarily stunned when she heard this.
Because she knew Jay had a woman he truly loved.
But as my mom's raised hand grew weaker, she gritted her teeth and agreed to my mom's request.
With tears in her eyes, she promised my mom just before she died that she would let me marry Jay.
My mom left in peace.
Everyone comforted me while handling her funeral.
Even though I lost my mom, I gained a lifetime of wealth and fortune.
No one knew that I would rather live alone forever than lose my mom.
Dad died early, and Mom raised me by herself. We depended on each other.
She never knew how much she meant to me.
On the day I married Jay, Amelia patted the back of my hand, crying uncontrollably.
"Your mom can rest in peace now..." Amelia said, crying.
My eyes were blank, and my face was pale.
Remembering my mom's dying wish, I still nodded firmly.
Jay acted gentlemanly and polite in front of everyone, and I once thought I had found a lifelong partner.
But after the wedding, when it was just the two of us. He approached me and coldly whispered in my ear, "You used your mom's life to get this wedding. Are you satisfied now?
"The person I love is not you, but I will follow my mom's wish and play my part in this drama. In the play, I am your husband. Outside of it, I love someone else."
Later, he indeed acted as he said, giving me enough respect as his wife in front of others.
But this marriage was in name only.
On the day Chloe was born, he didn't have a smile on his face.
He only said, "Now I don't owe you anything, and my mom doesn't owe you anything either."
I thought that as Chloe grew up, he would eventually return home.
But now I realized how foolish I was.
After Chloe was born, the only one trapped was me.
The marriage I got with a life was now ending with another life.
After leaving, I moved into the old, shabby place where my mom and I used to live. I even brought Chloe's ashes with me.
But I didn't expect the cemetery plot to have a three-day wait.
Finally, on the day of the burial, I had just opened the door when someone outside kicked me to the ground.
The urn in my hand almost slipped.
I looked up to meet Jay's angry gaze.
Lilian was surrounded by bodyguards. She was standing far behind, wearing a white mask.
Before I could react, Jay stepped over my body and entered the door.
He angrily shouted Chloe's name.
He kicked open every door but did not see her figure.
His patience quickly ran out. He walked swiftly to me, squatting down to grab my collar.
He angrily questioned, "Where is Chloe? Make her come out!"
Seeing his face twisted with anger, I tightened my grip on the urn.
"I told you, you don't deserve to mention Chloe! Now get out of here with your mistress!"
My words ignited his fury.
His gaze was like a poisoned dagger.
"Watch your mouth. I don't mind teaching you how to speak properly!
"You incited Chloe to do such a vicious thing. I asked her to apologize, and you stopped me. Have I really given you too much politeness?"
Hearing this, my gaze turned icy.
A bad feeling rose in my heart.
Then I immediately questioned him, "What did Chloe do? As long as I'm here, don't think you can blame her!"
I thought he finally heard about Chloe's accident and came to help me bury her.
But reality slapped me in the face again!
Seeing us argue, Lilian slowly approached and removed the mask from her face in front of me.
She revealed a face covered in red rashes.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned to look at Jay with a grievance.
"It's okay. Maybe Chloe didn't know what it was. She didn't mean to make me allergic..." Lilian said it tearfully.
Unexpectedly, Jay's anger intensified upon hearing her words.
"Lilian, stop speaking for that brat! Tiffany incited Chloe to ruin your face. Don't continue to indulge her. You're harming her!" said Jay.
I looked up blankly. I was in disbelief.
"Jay, that's your own daughter! What are you saying? What are you going to do to your daughter for this bitch?!"
I didn't expect that even after Chloe was gone, she wouldn't let it go!
Upon hearing this, Jay raised his hand high and slapped me across the face.
The burning pain completely stripped away my sanity.
He shouted angrily, "I told you to watch your mouth. Did no one teach you how to speak after your mom died?!
"You incited Chloe to pour a whole bottle of alcohol into Lilian's skincare products. Don't you know she's allergic? How can you be so vicious? Now, you want Chloe to be your accomplice? Do you deserve to be a mother?"
Hearing his accusation, I immediately retorted angrily, "Chloe is only five years old. How could she know what alcohol is? It has such a strong smell that anyone could detect it. Its volatility is so strong, but she still applies it to her face. Jay, have you lost your mind?"
I yelled at him, wanting to vent all the grievances of the past five years.
But Jay's voice was even louder than mine.
"Only Chloe had been in Lilian's room. There's no housekeeper at home. If it wasn't her, then who else could it be?" Jay said it furiously.
"The surveillance recorded everything clearly. Are you still making excuses? I'll hand you over to the police after I question Jay!
"Stop talking nonsense and hand Chloe over right now!" shouted Jay.
Chapter 3I gritted my teeth and spoke, "Surveillance? Show it to me! I won't allow anyone to smear my daughter!"
As soon as I finished speaking, Jay quickly tapped on his phone and then threw it in front of me.
On the screen, a small figure wearing the same dress as Chloe on the day of the incident. With a hat, she walked unsteadily into the bedroom.
She stood in front of the dressing table and took out a bottle of liquid from a small bag. She poured it into the skincare product.
The footage ended there.
I saw that the time on the surveillance was two days ago.
By then, Chloe had already been cremated.
I suddenly sneered, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Lilian spoke up at this moment, "Tiffany, I just want to understand why Chloe did this to me. Nothing else. It's not too late to educate Chloe now. You can't teach her to do wrong things!"
Hearing her unscrupulous framing, I couldn't help but stand up and spit on her rash-covered face.
"Stop cursing Chloe. She doesn't need your concern! You don't even know who the person in the surveillance is, and you're framing us. Do you want Mrs. Miller's position that badly?"
Jay was enraged by my attitude. His pent-up anger finally exploded.
The next second, he kicked me in the stomach. I cried out in pain, and my grip loosened.
The urn suddenly fell and hit the ground.
The lid came loose and fell off. The urn rolled a few times, and the ashes inside scattered on the concrete floor, glaringly bright.
In an instant, I almost lost all sensation of pain. My eyes saw only the blinding gray and white.
My screams echoed in the hallway.
Ignoring my stomach, I knelt on the ground, throwing myself over the ashes.
Jay raised his chin and ordered the bodyguards.
Then, a bodyguard on each side lifted my body.
My eyes were fixed on the scattered ashes of my daughter. My mouth kept opening and closing, but I had no strength to make a sound.
Jay lowered his voice and threatened, "Where is Chloe? Speak! I'm giving you one last chance."
I seemed not to hear him, my whole body stiff and dazed.
He kept nodding and saying, "Fine, fine. You won't talk, right? You like ruining others' faces, huh?"
Jay took a bottle of medical alcohol from a bodyguard and poured it on the ground, mixing it with the ashes into a muddy paste.
He bent down, scooped up a handful, and smeared it forcefully on my face.
The cold temperature made me shiver. However, he became more furious, rubbing the ash and alcohol mixture on my face.
"Today I'll personally give you a beauty treatment. Like it? Speak up! Can't you hear me asking you?!"
The places on my face that had been hit now met the alcohol, making my features contort in pain.
Screams echoed in the dilapidated hallway.
Jay spoke callously, "Want a divorce? I'll grant it! You'll never see Chloe again!"
With that, he wiped his hands clean on the bodyguard's clothes.
Then he picked up his phone and called his assistant.
"Call the police and find out where Tiffany hid Chloe! Have the lawyer draft a divorce agreement right now. I must have custody of Chloe!"
The person on the other end of the line was stunned for a moment before speaking timidly and cautiously.
"Mr. Miller, Chloe has already died and been cremated... It happened the night you and Mrs. Perez were socializing. The cause of death was a motorcycle accident.
"Because we couldn't reach you, I arranged a burial plot for Chloe on Mrs. Miller's behalf. Today is the burial day..."