The image of my daughter being held down while they cut out her corneas flashed before my eyes.
I grabbed the bowl and smashed it on the floor.
"What's going on in here?"
Douglas pushed the door open and walked in.
Claire dropped to her knees with a thud, then started slapping herself across the face right in front of me.
Again and again, her eyes bloodshot, she wailed, "I came to apologize to Miss Fox. I even brought her something nourishing. I just wanted her forgiveness."
Her sobbing made Douglas frown instantly.
"Letitia, when did you become so unreasonable?"
He strode forward and grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him.
Hatred consumed me. My eyes burned with loathing and rage.
"I'm the unreasonable one? Then go find another woman! You make me sick!"
I shoved him hard, sending him stumbling into Claire's arms.
Like throwing out the trash.
"You want to hand me off to another woman?!"
Douglas stared at me in disbelief.
"You'll regret this!"
All he got in return was cold silence.
"Fine. You've got nerve."
"Then I'll give you exactly what you want!"
He scooped Claire up with one arm and slammed the door behind him.
Over the next few days, Douglas never came to see me again.
Roger took my daughter's body.
Cremation. A proper memorial service with a respected priest. The Delgado family spared no expense, handling everything with lavish generosity.
It was the last thing I could do for my daughter.
When she had been reduced to a small box of ashes, Roger let me know it was time to say my final goodbye.
I held back my tears and put on a black armband.
I was about to walk out the door when someone blocked my path.
"Mr. Delgado's orders. You're not allowed to leave."
My blood boiled. "I'm going to see my daughter. What right do you have to stop me!"
A cold voice cut through the air.
"The right of you wanting a divorce from me."
Douglas walked in with his fingers laced through Claire's, making no effort to hide it. He looked down at me from above.
"I'll give you one last chance. Apologize. Make up. Kiss me. Otherwise..."
He raised his other hand.
What he was holding made my pupils contract in horror.
It was my daughter's urn.
When I didn't speak, Douglas took my silence as surrender.
He handed the urn to Claire and stepped toward me, ready to claim his kiss.
How could he be this shameless? How could he stoop so low as to use our daughter's ashes to threaten me?
The moment his lips came close, a sour taste flooded my mouth. The wave of nausea was so violent that I shoved him away on instinct.
His body didn't even touch Claire.
But he let go on purpose.
"No!"
Ashes scattered everywhere, drifting through the air.
A guttural scream tore from my throat, raw and uncontrollable.
Crack.
I slapped Claire so hard she crumpled to the ground.
Then I fell to my knees in despair, frantically trying to gather the ashes together.
Claire was crying, but I couldn't spare her a thought.
"Apologize to Claire."
Douglas grabbed me by the collar with one hand and hauled me to my feet.
"Douglas, are you even human? These are your child's ashes too!"
I screamed at him, but he just shrugged like it meant nothing.
"Claire didn't mean to. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it?"
"You like kids that much? I'll just give you another one."
"Let me say this one more time. Don't wear down my love for you. I don't like it when you cry over other people."
Douglas's cold-bloodedness drove me to the edge of despair.
When would he ever understand? Our daughter was dead.
Even if I could have a hundred more children, she was never coming back.
I fought with everything I had to break free of his grip.
He answered with a slap across my face that split my lip open.
"Apologize."
Douglas repeated.
"Ew, so dirty."
Claire looked at me with open provocation.
She lifted her foot and ground it down, again and again.
And Douglas just watched. Not the slightest intention of stopping her.
The last shred of feeling I had left for him dissolved into nothing.
I broke free and stood up, numb.
I grabbed a small handful of ashes and tucked them carefully into my pocket.
Then I walked out in a daze.
"Walk out that door, and I'm done with you for good!"
Douglas shouted after me.
My lips twitched.
It didn't matter. Soon enough, Douglas's fortune, his family, all of it would be done with him too.
I sent every last piece of evidence to Roger.
Then I filed for divorce.
And I boarded a flight out of the country.
Before the plane even took off, I saw the Delgado family news blazing across the headlines.
WEALTHY HEIR SUSPECTED OF KILLING OWN DAUGHTER; FAMILY STRIPS DOUGLAS DELGADO OF INHERITANCE IN ANCESTRAL TRIBUNAL
