“I’ve never seen someone recognize a dog as their father—I have to witness this!”
“Me too! I’ll bring a gift for the dog’s new daughter!”
“Dr. Hayes, amazing! Transplanting a human heart into a dog—that’s a breakthrough that could break species barriers. You should publish in Nature!”
As ridiculous as it was, Ethan actually took it seriously.
“I’ll write a report tomorrow and submit it to the hospital!”
Looking at his smug grin, I almost laughed.
“You’d better bury your father first before rushing off to be a dog’s son!”
Seeing that I wasn’t as angry as he’d expected, Ethan froze.
“What… what do you mean?”
Before I could answer, Chloe grabbed his arm.
“What else could she mean? She’s just jealous you treat me so well—acting like some petty schoolgirl!”
Ethan’s face darkened.
“Nora, aren’t you too old to still be this childish and jealous?”
“Go home and get ready. On your dad’s burial day, we’ll hold that recognition banquet!”
“That way, your dad can watch you recognize your new ‘dog dad’ and rest in peace!”
“This is a divorce agreement…”
My words were drowned out by their laughter. Ethan didn’t even glance at the papers—he tore them up and flung the pieces in my face.
Ethan, when you learn the truth, I hope you rot in hell.
He wouldn’t even claim his father’s body. I hadn’t wanted to interfere either.
But the hospital kept calling, insisting someone come to the morgue to collect it.
Two days later, Mr. Hayes’s corpse was unrecognizable—already decomposing.
“Ms. Lane, Dr. Hayes instructed us that even though he’s a relative, he can’t take up public resources.”
I looked around—the morgue clearly had empty freezers.
“Dr. Hayes told us to shut them off for energy saving.”
I shook with rage. He was so sure the body was my father’s that he deliberately desecrated it.
My father, Dr. Lane, had been a renowned cardiac specialist and had given Ethan countless resources and mentorship.
Without my dad’s connections, Ethan never would have become head of surgery at such a young age.
And yet, instead of gratitude, he behaved like a heartless ingrate.
Despite the stench burning my nose, I couldn’t bear to leave Mr. Hayes like that.
I contacted the funeral home to give him a proper farewell.
He had always been a man who valued cleanliness, so I paid top dollar for a mortuary makeup artist to restore his face so he could leave this world with dignity.
Even though my father was in poor health, he forced himself to attend the funeral—he and Mr. Hayes had been close friends for years.
“Where’s Ethan? How could he not be here for such an important moment—his own father’s farewell?”
I didn’t want my father to worry, so I made up an excuse.
Seeing sweat bead on his forehead, I called a car to send him home first.
As we brushed past each other, Ethan rubbed his eyes.
“Strange… was I seeing things? Like a ghost in broad daylight?”
Chloe tugged his sleeve.
“Come on, Ethan! After Buddy recognizes his new daughter, we still have to rush back to work on the paper!”
“I already leaked your latest results to the press—you’re going to be the first in the world to break species barriers!”
“And I’ll get second author and land on the Dean’s List!”
Chloe entered in a bright red dress, Buddy in her arms, clinging to Ethan’s side, just as I was bowing to the guests.
An obnoxiously cheerful song blasted through the funeral hall.
Chloe strutted up first, slammed Mr. Hayes’s portrait to the floor, and sneered at the body in the casket.
