Chapter 8

Back when she was sent to prison, the only thing Gemma ever asked of Daniel was not to tell Sally about it. Sally raised her in the countryside. It was just the two of them relying on each other. Sally never knew what Vincent had done to Gemma. Sally was old now, with a weak heart. Gemma couldn't even begin to imagine how much it would hurt her if Sally ever found out. For once, there was a rare smile on Gemma's face. She had a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hand, and just as she reached for the doorknob to Sally's hospital room. There was a loud crash from inside the room like something had shattered. Then came a voice saying, "Take one last look. This is how your beloved Gemma looked when her father sexually assaulted her. I've got dozens more of these photos. Go ahead, burn them into your memory. "I heard you were the one who sent her back to her father. What's that called? The real culprit? Well, if that's the case, maybe you deserve to die too. Your granddaughter murdered the man who molested her, served three years in prison, and has only just gotten out. "Tell me, what's someone like her even doing still alive?" Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang. The smirk on Monica's face faded the moment she saw Gemma. "Grandma!" Gemma's hoarse voice rang through the room. Sally lay there, her face pale and bluish, her eyes brimming with tears. Her frail hands clutched desperately at her chest, gasping for air, struggling to breathe. "Gem… Gemma…" she wheezed, her voice barely a whisper. The heart monitor suddenly let out a piercing alarm. Startled, Monica took an uneasy step back. At that moment, guilt and panic flashed across her face. But in her haste, she stepped right onto the broken shards of the bowl she had smashed just moments before. She screamed in pain. The thin sole of her shoe was no match. The glass pierced straight through, blood gushing across the floor. The shock sent her into an episode. "Monica! What happened?" Daniel burst through the doorway. Seeing how frightened she was, he rushed over and scooped her up in his arms. His eyes hardened the moment he spotted Gemma inside the room, completely falling apart, calling out "Grandma" over and over. "Gemma! How many times have I told you to stop going after Monica?" he shouted furiously. But Gemma didn't even spare Daniel and Monica a glance. Suddenly, Monica started gasping for air. Daniel could no longer think straight. "Someone check on Monica. She can't breathe!" he shouted in a panic. The doctor beside Gemma, still performing CPR on Sally, froze, torn between duties. "But—" "No buts! If anything happens to Monica, every one of you will answer for it!" Gemma froze in shock. Her dry eyes burned and ached painfully. "No! Daniel, my grandma just passed out!" She nearly fell as she dropped to her knees, reaching out to grab the hem of Daniel's pants. But his expression stayed cold, and a look of disgust flashed in his eyes. "She had the energy to attack Monica. How bad could it be?" Without another word, he turned and walked away without hesitation. The doctors nearby let out a helpless sigh. "Miss… your grandmother has passed. I'm sorry for your loss." Tears streamed down her face and landed on her arm, but she just kept shaking her head, not willing to accept it. She used every ounce of strength she had left, grabbing at the doctors as they tried to leave. "Please! I'm begging you to save my grandma!" She dropped to her knees with a loud and jarring thud. But the doctors didn't dare stay any longer. They had no choice but to leave the room. As the room fell into silence, she lost control. Her scream tore through the air, and the sheer despair on her face looked like it might swallow her alive. … The sky was dark and heavy with clouds the day Gemma left. She quietly finished handling all the funeral arrangements for Sally. It wasn't until she returned home to pack that she realized Daniel, who had been missing for days, was there too. He placed a stack of documents in front of her. Daniel rubbed his temples and said, "This is Monica's final wish. She wanted to make up for the past and have a wedding with me. It's all just for show. We'll file for divorce first, and once the waiting period ends, we simply won't pick up the certificate." Gemma took the papers expressoinlessly. Without hesitation, she signed her name. He exhaled sharply, relief washing over him. "Sweetheart, it's finally all over. Have you thought about where you want to go for the honeymoon? We can even bring your grandmother along. It's gonna be just the three of us." Before Gemma could answer, Daniel's phone rang again. "Daniel, didn't we agree to go try on the wedding outfits today? Are you there yet?" He glanced at his watch and grabbed his jacket, rushing to leave. At the entryway, he paused and looked back at Gemma. She was still sitting there quietly. But something felt off, like something was missing. He shook his head and thought maybe he was just overthinking it. The front door closed behind him, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed Gemma's eyes. She pulled out the wedding photos stuffed in the corner. One by one, she tore apart every picture of them together. Until the shredded photos covered the entire floor. Without looking back, she grabbed her suitcase and walked away. She was about to give Daniel and Monica, the newlyweds, a wedding gift they would never forget.