He glanced at the relatives around us and lowered his voice to a hiss:
"Dad was dying anyway. Even if you'd been on that flight, you might not have made it in time!"
"I'm at a critical point for my promotion—can't you be more considerate?"
Scarlett casually patted my head.
"Come on, Elise, everyone dies eventually. I think Uncle went pretty peacefully. We're still alive—we should be happier, not so depressing."
"And don't blame Colin for yesterday. You know I'm impatient. I waited years for that game. I had to watch it."
"I really didn't expect Uncle to be so fragile—just like that, gone."
Fragile.
My dad fought his illness for three years, and in Scarlett's eyes it was just that one dismissive word.
I shot to my feet and swatted her hand away.
"Get out!"
Scarlett stumbled back two steps, playing innocent.
"Colin, look—Elise is worked up again. Why can't she take a joke? That temper of hers, you're the only one who puts up with it."
Colin pulled her behind him and frowned at me.
"Elise! She just speaks without thinking, but her heart's in the right place!"
"She came out of kindness to see Dad off—what kind of attitude is this?"
Watching him take her side, I was beside myself with rage.
I grabbed an apple off the table and hurled it at the cheating bastards.
"Get out! You and your 'good buddy'—both of you, get out!"
Colin twisted aside. The apple hit Scarlett square in the forehead.
She clutched her head and collapsed against him.
"Ow, it hurts. I was already dizzy from drinking too much yesterday, and now this—it hurts even more."
Colin glared at me.
"Elise, you're completely unreasonable! Your dad wasn't killed by us—don't take your anger out on us!"
The moment he finished, he grabbed Scarlett and stormed out.
Watching his back disappear into the distance, the relatives around me started whispering.
"Isn't that Old Mr. Henson's son-in-law? Why is he walking off holding some strange woman?"
"Could it be their relationship fell apart and they're getting a divorce? That's way too brazen."
Mom hugged me painfully tight.
But I didn't cry.
Because my failure to see people clearly made Dad leave behind a lifetime of regret.
What right did I have to cry?
After handling my dad's funeral arrangements, my nerves were on the verge of collapse.
Dragging the last of my strength, I returned to the apartment Dad had bought me while he was alive.