The fire raged, and Garry stood frozen between two doors, paralyzed by indecision.
I blacked out from sheer fury. When I came to, I saw him sitting beside my hospital bed, cradling that little dog in one arm while he murmured softly to Kayla, whose cheeks were flushed with color. "Lily dying in the fire was just bad luck. Don't blame yourself. Look how worried our little pup is about you!"
In that moment, something inside me turned to ash.
After I was discharged, I did three things.
I buried Lily.
I hired a lawyer and filed for divorce.
And I called back an old college friend. The job offer overseas—I accepted it.
"Ida, I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but there's no reason to take it out on Kayla." Garry's tone was weary, almost pleading. "She saved my life once. If nothing else, do it for me. Stop making things difficult for her, okay?"
I lifted my head. My voice came out flat and cold. "Your savior. What does that have to do with me?"
"Listen to yourself." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We're husband and wife. What's mine is yours, remember?"
"Garry, let's get a divorce."
The words left my mouth without preamble.
I'd always imagined I would feel grief when I finally said them. Regret, maybe. But now that the moment had arrived, all I felt was relief.
The smile vanished from his face. His hand shot out and locked around my wrist, his fingers trembling. Even his voice shook. "Ida, don't you dare talk nonsense."
"I'm serious."
I closed my eyes, too exhausted to keep them open. "Garry, this is over."
"Ida, is this still about Lily?" His voice cracked with urgency, guilt swimming in his eyes. "I'm heartbroken about Lily too, but you can't throw a tantrum over something like this."
"Kayla saved my life once. She has no family, no one. I treat her like a little sister. That dog is the only family she has. How could I let her down?"
"Ida, you understand, don't you?"
I pried his fingers off my wrist. "All I understand is that you let my daughter burn to death for the sake of an animal."
"But Garry chose to save that animal over your daughter." Kayla's gaze slid to me, sharp with provocation. One hand stroked the dog in her lap. "Doesn't that mean your daughter was worth less than an animal?" She smiled, pressing her cheek against the dog's fur. "My sweet baby is the lucky one. So many people love her."
"Shut your mouth!" Rage surged through me. I lunged toward her, but Garry caught me and held me back.
His brow furrowed into deep lines, his voice low and even. "Ida, the doctor said you need rest."
"Rest? How am I supposed to rest?" I threw myself against him, fists and feet striking wherever they could land, as if violence were the only language left for my pain. "My daughter burned alive, and you didn't lift a finger to save her. Now you stand there and let this woman spit on her memory!"
"Garry, I want a divorce. You don't deserve to be called Lily's father!"
Kayla shrank behind him, her expression crumpling into something pitiful and wounded. "Ida, I know you don't really want a divorce. You're only saying this to force Garry to push me away."
She dabbed at her reddened eyes and let out a bitter little laugh. "I know I need him. I really do. But if you're so heartless that you can't even tolerate me as a sister, then fine. I'll go."
"Kayla!" Garry's voice thundered through the room. He pulled her back to his side. "As long as I'm here, no one is making you leave."
He turned to me, jaw set. "Ida, let me make this perfectly clear. Divorce is not happening. And Kayla is not going anywhere."
Kayla gazed up at him, adoration and gratitude spilling from her eyes. "Garry..."
The two of them stood there, wrapped up in each other, when my voice cut through like a blade of ice.
