Chapter 4

“Mia, you’re absolutely insane!”

My chest rose and fell violently with every breath, and I could no longer hold back. I grabbed her long hair and slapped her several times in a row.

“My mom is already dead, and you’re desecrating her body like this!”

“Are you even human? This is a funeral. What the hell do you think this place is?”

Every time I spoke, I hit her once, until her face visibly swelled up like a steamed bun.

Before she could even react, I picked her up and threw her out into the open space outside. The phone was still clutched tightly in her hand, and everyone saw it.

“Hey, why are you hitting a woman?”

“Exactly. What kind of man are you?”

The screen was full of viewers criticizing me, and I, like a madman, cursed them all out.

“You people are all animals!”

“When your own parents die, do you want people gawking at them like this, treating it like some kind of show?”

“The person is already dead, and you still do this to her. Aren’t you afraid karma will get you?”

After I finished yelling, I turned off the livestream. Mia was still on the ground, glaring at me with eyes full of hatred.

“Grant, you hit me!”

I snapped and kicked her hard.

“Not only did I hit you, I fucking want to kill you!”

As I said that, I hauled Mia up and put my hand around her neck.

At that moment, I had completely lost my mind.

Last night during the vigil, she was livestreaming, and I thought she’d rein herself in after I warned her.

I never expected her to pull something like this at the funeral today. This was an insult to my mom, and I couldn’t forgive it.

Thinking of that, I looked at her with grief and fury, at the woman I once wanted to spend my life with.

“Why would you do this? That was my mom, your mother-in-law, Sweetie’s grandma.”

“She’s dead, dead! Why would you humiliate her like this? Why, exactly?”

It felt like my chest had been smashed hard with a hammer, and a taste of blood rose in my throat.

Mia was scared out of her wits. She trembled and tried to run, but I had her firmly in my grip.

“Go apologize to my mom!”

I yanked her by the hair and dragged her over to the coffin. My mom had already been covered back up.

Without the viewers in the livestream egging her on, Mia finally realized she was facing a dead person, right up close.

She shrieked and tried to run, but I held her tightly.

“Apologize!”

I kicked her, and she lost her balance and dropped to her knees. When she looked up and saw my mom’s portrait, the black-and-white photo was right in front of her, smiling at her.

Mia panicked. She fought desperately to break free from my grip and screamed as she ran out.

It was time. I had no time to deal with her anymore. I followed the procedure, knelt down, and kowtowed three times before sending my mom to the crematorium.

Only when I was holding her ashes in my hands did my mom’s earthly journey truly end.

After placing her ashes together with my dad’s, I returned home. Mia was curled up on the sofa, livestreaming and pitifully telling the viewers about what she’d gone through today.

“My husband doesn’t support my career at all. He hit me over something this small today, and I...”

When she saw me come back, she immediately sat up straight and ended the livestream, looking at me with eyes full of resentment.

“Grant, you actually hit me today. Do you not want this marriage anymore? If you don’t, just say it. Let’s get divorced!”

I looked at her calmly, like I was looking at a stranger.

“Sure.”