Chapter 3

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air as Emily slowly came to. She was lying on a hospital bed. Panic surged through her. She pushed off the blanket and sat up fast, only to feel a fresh wave of pain as blood seeped through the bandage on her abdomen. Stumbling out of the room, she headed straight to the OR—its lights were off. The surgery was over. “Oliver…” Her knees buckled beneath her. She collapsed to the floor and crawled toward the OR doors. “Oliver, it's okay now… Let's go home, your sister's here…” She pounded on the door, as if Oliver would suddenly respond, walk out like nothing had happened. She kept calling for him, again and again, until her arms gave out and she slumped to the ground. The door stayed shut, cold and unfeeling. A nurse passed by. Emily reached out like she was clinging to the last bit of hope. “Please, open the door—I need to get to my brother—he's in there…” “There's no one inside,” the nurse replied calmly. “The donor passed after surgery. Mr. Carter has already arranged for the body to be cremated.” Passed away... cremated... Those words stabbed into Emily's chest like ice-cold daggers. She clutched her chest, gasping for air. Her little brother wasn't coming back. God knows how long it was before someone set a black box down in front of her. Emily's body jerked, her whole spine going cold. A voice, emotionless and cold, broke the silence. “Here. It's his ashes.” Emily flinched like she'd been hit and shook her head furiously. “No! No, I don't believe it!” “Your brother's gone. Stop mentioning him. Let it go already.” James crouched, grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Or I'll make sure his ashes don't stay whole for long.” “Aaaah!” Emily let out a blood-curdling scream, tears streaming down her face. Clutching the urn like it was her lifeline, she cried out. “You monsters! Murderers! Ahhh—” Her voice echoed through the hallway, raw and heartbreaking. James clenched his fist, but held back. He said nothing more, just turned and walked away. Emily sat alone in that hallway for a whole day and night. Her face was pale, like all the color had been drained from her. Rain drizzled outside as she held the urn tighter, looking like a ghost of herself. When she finally got home, the sight of the bright red heels and tiny kids' shoes at the entrance hit her like a punch in the gut. Tears instantly welled up. Oliver's ashes weren't even cold yet, and that woman had already moved in? With her son? “Daddy, can me and Mommy really live here now?” From upstairs, a child's innocent voice floated down, full of sweetness Oliver never dared to ask for. “You can, Ethan. Just get better soon.”James's voice had a soft, almost doting tone, and it made Emily's chest tighten. She hugged the urn closer to herself. As she walked upstairs, a slender woman came into view. Sophie. Their eyes met just for a second before Sophie's expression shifted into a slight smile. “James, once Ethan's feeling better, maybe we should move out. I bet Emily hates me and Ethan a lot.” She furrowed her brows slightly, looking concerned for James's sake. James's face turned cold. “After all she owes you? She has no right to hate you.” Emily bit hard on her lip, tasting blood. So now, even hating them wasn't allowed? “They scare me…” Sophie said softly, leaning on James's shoulder. James froze. His eyes landed on Emily standing in the doorway—his pupils narrowed instantly. Wrapping Sophie into his arms, he looked straight at Emily. “Don't worry. I won't let anyone lay a finger on you or the kid.” Watching this unfold, a bitter taste spread through Emily's heart. Six years ago, when their mom passed, he'd held her the same way. "Emily, don't be scared. I won't let anyone hurt you or Oliver…” But in the end, he's the one who dragged both of them into hell. The hate burning in Emily's eyes made Ethan shrink back. He threw the toy in his hand right at her. “You're a mean lady! A big bad meanie!” Emily stared at the boy. He got to run and laugh, but Oliver? He didn't even get a second of joy. He was the innocent one. Sophie quickly pulled Ethan into her arms, her tone pitiful. “Emily, please don't be mad at him. He's just a kid… doesn't know better, really…” The moment she said that, Ethan burst into tears. “Daddy, her eyes are scary! She's gonna hurt me, she's gonna kill me!” James's face darkened. “Go to your room. Now.” Emily's voice snapped back, sharp: “This is my house. If anyone should leave, it's them!” James's brows pulled tight, but as he looked at her—messy, devastated—he couldn't bring himself to do anything. “Get out!” he snapped, turning away. “You're evil! You took my daddy and now you wanna bully us!” Ethan screamed, charging at her. Emily stumbled back, hit the staircase railing hard. The urn slipped from her grip. Her eyes widened in horror. It tumbled down the steps, ashes scattered across them like snow. She lunged, grabbing Ethan by the neck. “I'm gonna kill you!”