Tears filled my eyes as I demanded, “Richard, in your heart, am I and your daughter really worth less than a dog?”
The urn was custom-made, weighing over fifty pounds.
I myself weighed barely ninety, and my right leg had just undergone surgery.
If I really carried it uphill, it would kill me.
“A dog truly can’t compare to either of you,” Richard said, seizing my chin. His voice sharpened: “But you must learn rules. You must not be cold-hearted. This is your punishment.”
Hatred flickered in his narrowed eyes.
“Whose idea was this? Yours, or hers?”
I glanced toward Vanessa Moore, who was standing nearby watching like it was theater, and let out a bitter laugh.
Who would have thought that eight years of marriage could be shattered so easily by an outsider?
Feigning panic, Vanessa said, “Mr. Hayes, please stop! The harsher you are with your wife, the more she’ll hate me. I begged her to let me stay in this house…”
Her lips trembled, tears brimming in her eyes, as if I had always bullied her.
Richard’s grip tightened, nearly choking me.
“Look what you’ve done—scaring Vanessa like this. Today you’ll pay the price.”
He finally released me, turned, and gently took Vanessa’s hand.