But the first person blocking my way was their beloved son.
Ryan looked down at me from above, tossing the pen in front of me.
“Sign it already. Your dad was bitten by a snake because he was careless. Don’t you know that Sandy was bitten too and still hasn’t recovered?”
He bent down and patted the big shepherd dog at his feet.
“Luckily, Grace still had one vial of antivenom—just enough to save Sandy.”
“I can’t even imagine—without Sandy, how could Grace survive living in this town all alone?”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut.
Was this still the man who once put filial piety above everything?
Whenever his parents had even the slightest illness, he was always the one running around frantically.
Now he was putting a dog on the same level as his own father—
even treating the dog as more important.
That dog, the one who “won” over my father-in-law,
was now lying comfortably at Ryan’s feet, enjoying his touch.
Grace stood there, smirking at me, a mocking curve on her lips.
I stared at Ryan and asked:
“If it were your dad, would you say the same thing?”
Ryan’s breath hitched before he cursed:
“Are you crazy? How can you even say that?”
“My dad always treated you like his own daughter, and you dare curse him?”
He wasn’t wrong—
my father-in-law had been nothing but kind to me, always defending me no matter what.
In my heart, he was as good as my real father.
Ryan had no more patience for me. He shoved the agreement into my hands, forcing me to look at it.
“Sign it and get out. Don’t make me get nasty.”
I tore the papers into pieces.
“I will never sign this! I will get justice for my dad!”
Ryan raised his hand as if to hit me,
but Grace grabbed him, pretending to be gentle:
“Ryan, don’t yell at her. There’s another copy of the agreement inside. Go get it—give her some time to cool off.”
Ryan didn’t want to leave Grace alone with me,
but she smiled at him and tugged at Sandy’s leash.
He finally left.
Grace strolled over to me, her gaze full of challenge.
“Emily, since you’re so determined, let me tell you the truth.”
She lowered her voice.
“You guessed right. Your dad’s death wasn’t an accident.”
Her tone was excited, as if she was boasting of a victory.
“You didn’t see it—your dad crawling toward me, spitting blood, begging me for the antivenom. It was hilarious!”
My father-in-law had always been a kind man, never making enemies.
What had he ever done to deserve Grace’s hatred?
Watching her gloat over his death, I couldn’t hold back—
I slapped her across the face.
Grace didn’t fight back. Instead, she smiled triumphantly.
“What’s wrong? Can’t handle the truth?”
She covered the mark on her cheek and called out softly.
The dog immediately bared its teeth at me.
“Now you’ve hurt me—if my dog mauls you to death, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself!”
The dog lunged.
On instinct, I kicked it—
it yelped and ran into the corner.
I followed it, slamming my fist against its head. Within seconds, it collapsed, lifeless.
I grabbed the dead animal, gripping its jaws.
“Sandy, right?! You stole my dad’s antivenom, didn’t you?!”
