Chapter 4

I chose a beautiful, quiet cemetery on a hill for Lily. I wanted her to be as free as the wind in her next life, untouched by sickness.

As I knelt in front of her tombstone, whispering to her, a pair of designer high heels appeared in my field of vision.

I looked up. It was Clara. Her makeup was flawless, a sharp contrast to my pale, exhausted face.

The moment she saw me, she smirked and threw a folder onto the grass.

"Ethan is too busy, so he asked me to deliver the divorce papers."

She knelt down, her manicured nail lightly tapping Lily’s black-and-white photo on the tombstone.

"Oh. Who died?"

I grabbed her wrist and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

"Keep your filthy hands off my daughter, you disgusting homewrecker."

Clara clutched her swollen cheek. Instead of getting angry, she let out a venomous laugh.

"Is that all you've got?"

Her eyes were filled with mockery. She stood up, looking down at me like I was dirt.

"I will make you pay for that slap."

She turned and sauntered away.

When I got back to the house, Ethan was waiting on the couch.

His face was dark. I completely ignored him and walked into the bedroom to pack my things. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm, spun me around, and slapped me hard across the face.

"Who gave you the right to touch Clara?"

I wiped the blood from my lip and smirked. So that’s what this was about.

Seeing my cold, unfazed reaction, a flicker of panic crossed Ethan's eyes. His tone softened slightly.

"You can't just go around hitting people. I had to teach you a lesson for her sake."

Teach me a lesson? These two monsters killed my daughter. The fact that I hadn't murdered them yet was a miracle, and he wanted me to apologize to her?

"Ethan," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "I will make you regret that slap for the rest of your life."

I picked up the divorce papers and threw them back at him.

"I don't agree to these terms. I'll see you in court."

"Chloe, do you really have to make a scene? A fifty-fifty split of the assets is more than fair!" Ethan yelled, losing his temper.

"The judge will decide what's fair."

I didn't waste another second. I packed my life into a single suitcase, dragged it past him, and walked out of the house. Five years of marriage, reduced to one suitcase.