Chapter 4
She deliberately emphasized the surname “Morrison.”
“Miss Carter, don’t take this the wrong way, but I know a bit about reading faces. Your daughter had that short-lived look about her. Even without our Camden. the would’ve died young anyway…”
So she was saying my daughter deserved to die?
shoved her hard
Shut your filthy mouth! You murderer-you don’t get to talk about my daughter. Take your bastard and get out!”
‘anessa stumbled backward. Declan caught her, glaring at me coldly.
Raven Carter, watch your mouth. You lost the lawsuit-our baby’s death was an accident. What gives you the right to talk to Vanny like that, or put your hands n her?! Apologize now!”
anny? Real cozy nickname there.
Declan, did you forget who your wife is?”
our mother invited Vanessa to this family dinner just to mess with me, then insulted me and our baby while you sat there doing nothing. Fine-I get that you ant to be the dutiful son.”
ut our baby died horribly, and Vanessa’s here making cruel jokes, throwing this money in my face. Don’t tell me you don’t know 666 means ‘go to hell.’ Are u really gonna play dumb?!”
oubt flickered in Declan’s eyes-like maybe he saw how wrong this was.
st as he opened his mouth, Camden suddenly burst into tears.
e rolled up his sleeve, showing bruises on his arm and pointing at me accusingly.
addy, the mean lady pinched me on purpose! She’s getting revenge on Mommy. It hurts so bad…”
inessa’s eyes immediately filled with wounded tears:
Liss Carter, you’ve got me all wrong. I left in such a rush-this is all the cash I had on me. I genuinely wanted to compensate you. I’m simple-minded, not
heming like you.”
know you can’t stand me, but if you have issues, take it up with me. Why take it out on a child?!”
y mother-in-law was beside herself, slamming the table and telling me to get out.
Jedan, I didn’t-”
t
eclan cut me off impatiently, his face dark as thunder:
taven, Camden’s five years old. You think he can lie? The accident wasn’t his fault-he’s just a kid. You’re way out of line!”
Mom says Camden’s her grandson now, which makes him my son. I have to stand up for him and Vanessa.”
le pushed Camden toward me:
Camden, daddy’s gonna teach you something today. When someone hurts you, you hurt them back. However this lady pinched you, you do it right back!”
amden’s eyes lit up with malicious glee, but he put on an innocent act:
But Daddy, I’m just a little kid. I’m not as strong as grown ups. She won’t hurt as much as I did. That’s not fair!”
Then bite her! Bite her until you think she hurts enough.”
The next second, Camden lunged at me, sinking his teeth into my arm.
He didn’t let go until he’d torn off a chunk of flesh, then spat it on the floor in disgust.
My mother-in-law praised him, glaring at me:
“You heartless piece of shit, picking on my precious grandson. Getting a bite taken out of you is getting off easy. Get lost-stop being an eyesore!”
Declan didn’t even look at me. He scooped Camden up with one arm, wrapped the other around Vanessa’s waist, and they worked together to comfort the child.
Compared to their perfect family picture, I was so unnecessary.
Mocking stares burned into me from all around. I stopped talking and quietly left.
I’d just finished getting bandaged at the hospital when the funeral home called, the voice panicked:
“Miss Carter, something terrible happened. Your daughter’s body has been desecrated-all twenty-four ribs have been removed…”
“What?!”
I raced to the funeral home’s morgue.
Several staff members stood around looking horrified:
“So cruel, doing that to the dead-and just a child…”
One of them leaned close, lowering his voice:
‘Miss Wells sent people to do it. Said her son wanted a human bone bracelet, so they dragged your daughter’s body out…”
‘We refused, so we called Mr. Morrison. But before we could finish explaining, he said Miss Wells could do whatever she wanted and hung up.”
Looking at my daughter-her chest cavity torn apart like some beast had fed on it-I couldn’t breathe from the pain.
Finally understood what “heartbreak” really meant.
After a long moment, I found my voice, though it shook terribly.
The security footage… is it still there?”
Gone. Those people smashed the cameras when they came. Said Mr. Morrison told them to…”
closed my eyes in despair. Should’ve known. I could never fight Declan on my own.
begged the staff to cremate my daughter immediately—I didn’t dare gamble on what else Vanessa might do.
Afterward, holding that tiny urn, tears streamed down my face.
Baby, I’m so sorry… so, so sorry…”
left the urn at the funeral home temporarily and calmly made a phone call:
Are you back in the country? I need your help with something…”
