On Children's Day, Dexter turned our son into a little wooden horse, hung him beneath the carousel's central frame and let his illegitimate daughter ride it for three hundred full rounds.
Just because our son, who had two color eyes, said there was a vengeful ghost clung to the carousel, anyone who rode it would be engulfed in ghostly energy and soon die.
Amanda, the illegitimate daughter didn't take it seriously, but the moment she got on, she felt dizzy and faint.
Dexter insisted our son had drugged her, so he bound him tightly and sealed him into the carousel as punishment.
He angrily said, "Such a young age, yet just as vicious as your mother. A son reflects his father's failings, today I'll teach you a good lesson."
I rushed over upon hearing the news and indeed saw a thousand-year-old ghost devouring my son inside the wooden horse. I slapped Dexter across the face, twice and shouted, "You beast! Leslie is only five, his soul hasn't even fully formed. He'll die!"
He grew more impatient and kicked me onto the pirate ship ride, turned it to its highest spin setting and said, "What era are we in and you still believe in this feudal superstition? Didn't you lie to my mom saying you’re the reincarnation of the King of Hell? If you’re so powerful, save him yourself!"
"It's just an apology to Amanda, why make such a fuss?" With that, he rushed off to the hospital with the illegitimate daughter in his arms, never once noticing our son's agonized moans.
By the time I managed to smash open the wooden horse, dizzy and weak, my son was already shrouded in dark energy, his body mangled and bloody.
Above our heads, Dexter was lighting up the city's fireworks to wish his illegitimate daughter a happy Children's Day.
I let out a bleak laugh and looked to the soul-reaping envoy who had arrived and said, "Tell my father that my karmic debts from my past life are now repaid. In three days, my soul will return to the underworld. I'll take up the throne of the King of Hell. Erase the century of lifespan I once gifted to Dexter from the Book of Life and Death."
——
My son's body turned into a pool of black water, sticky decay in my arms. No matter how many times I cried his name, I couldn't bring back that sweet, handsome little boy.
"Leslie ... my Leslie." Grief tore at my heart, made it hard to breathe.
After subduing the malevolent spirit, the envoy looked at me with pity and tried to console me, "Please accept my condolences, my lady. The ghost was too vicious, the prince's soul has already been shattered."
His voice grew bitter, "And that Dexter dared to treat you like this. To give him a long-life fate, you endured 999 tortures in the prisons of hell, losing half your powers, only to feed a thankless wretch."
I shut my eyes in agony and picked up Leslie's tattered little shirt, I tried to absorb the last trace of warmth.
Before took up the role of King of Hell, one must endure three lifetimes of emotional trials.
In each of those three lives, Dexter treated me with tenderness and devotion, even gave his life to saved mine.
So, when the trials ended, I gave him one more lifetime, hoped we could grow old together in the 21st century, repayed my debts and ascend with no attachments.
But I never expected that in this life, he would be cruel and heartless, hated me deeply, completely unlike the man who once loved me to his bones.
I saw the truth too late and it cost Leslie his life. The debts were settled, it's time for me to go.
Three days later, the yin energy will be at its peak, second only to the Halloween Festival.
If I die in the most brutal way that day, my power will surge. I'll sever all worldly attachments and become the first female King of Hell in ten thousand years.
After wiped my tears, I asked the envoy for a soul-gathering stone. Maybe a sliver of Leslie's soul still lingered in the place he loved most in life.
Even if he couldn't reincarnate as a human, he could still be reborn as a kitten or puppy and find a good home.
But when I returned to the villa, I found the 200-square-meter living room set up like a funeral hall.
Amanda sat in the center, she played with Leslie's memorial photo. The frame was even decorated with pink diamonds, the kind that little girls loved the most.
