“That ungrateful son! Rachel, you mustn’t kneel! Wait till your father gets here—he’ll make him pay!”

Lily, already sobbing uncontrollably, grabbed my arm.

“This is too much! I never imagined your marriage was this humiliating!”

I looked around at the Parker relatives groaning in pain, at the dying Robert, at the blood pouring from my arm...

Slowly, I raised my head.

“Fine. I’ll kneel. Whatever grudge you have, take it out on me—leave my family alone.”

I pushed away those trying to stop me, bent my knees, and knelt on the freezing snow.

Then I lowered my head and barked like a dog—one sound after another.

“Woof. Woof. Woof...”

Ethan laughed loudly.

“Didn’t think you had such loyalty in you. Guess my parents weren’t wrong about you.”

Maybe this marriage had been a mistake from the very beginning.

Three years ago, I was a hospital nurse. Margaret had a heart attack and was hospitalized for a month.

I took care of her with all my heart, and she grew fond of me, saying I reminded her of her younger self. Later, she insisted on introducing me to her son.