The next day.
“I personally handed the evidence to Officer Scott. As you predicted, the police will move in three days. Two more hours and the court officials will come to take our dearest Ronan away,” Aunt Helen, our housemaid said.
I covered my son with a white cloth and stayed awake by his side, quietly praying for him.
“How could he do this to you? That woman is the murderer of both Sir Arnold and Madam Gillian!” Aunt Helen sobbed.
Thinking of the late elders from my husband's family side, my heart felt like it was cut by a knife.
Five years ago, my parents were framed and killed and it was the same Gillian Edwards who avenged them. I never forgot that debt. So when she wished me to marry her grandson Leonardo, I did so without a hesitance.
After I joined the Edwards Family, my parents-in-law treated me like their own daughter. My relationship with Leonardo got closer by day. He would even turn down billion-dollar deals to give me a proper birthday. Eventually, we had Ronan. I thought our happiness would go on forever.
Until Daphne Clarke appeared. She came in as a secretary, built elaborate lies and staged an “accident” that made everyone believe I had caused Grandma Gillian’s death.
I still remember the disappointment and shock in Leonardo’s eyes. After that he came home later and later and the nights he stayed home grew fewer. Less than a month later he announced that he wanted to marry Daphne.
My in-laws were strongly opposed to that. Then everyone who refused Daphne coming into the family died. My mother-in-law Everly died from an allergic reaction. My father-in-law Zach died in a car crash. Uncle Hugo, too, died from electrocution. Even my sister-in-law Grace, the wife of Leo's older brother…
Each of their death was tied back to Daphne. Soon, my 'death diary' filled up.
Unfortunately, I could only map out how the murders were carried out... I didn't have the courage to write down the victims’ names. I didn’t have enough evidence.
No matter what I said, Leonardo wouldn’t believe me. Even after things progressed, when I found proof, he accused me of forging it. He said that I was framing his beloved Daph.
I gently caress Ronan with great guilt. Because of Leonardo’s harshness, my son got malnourished. He was so tiny, not even reaching twenty kilos.
“Ronan, I’m sorry," I said silently. I had to send him for an autopsy to make sure that he get justice. I'd make sure every charge against Daphne would stick.
Just thinking that Ronan would be cut apart made me cry uncontrollably.
“Why are you crying, Violet?”
Daphne walked in wearing a gorgeous red dress accompanied by several people. Her pregnancy looks obvious.
“You lot, put away the imported vitamins and toys Leo just bought for my baby. One toy car alone was thirty thousand dollars! So, don’t you dare break it!” She glanced at the modest wake and sneered, “Violet, do you know why Leo won’t divorce you?”
She smiled cruelly, “It’s only because of that little bastard of yours. But now he’s gone! Hahahaha!”
I didn’t turn around. I was afraid that if I saw Daphne I would get closer to her and tear her apart.
“He deserved to die. Who told him to stand in my way?” Daphne sneered. “A short-lived curse child, like you as a mother. You both should go to hell!”
I clenched my fists, my whole body trembled. “Shut up!”
“All right, I’ll shut up.” Daphne laughed, she sounded amused. Then, with a wave of her hand, she said, “Do it!”
The bodyguards behind her lunged forward, smashing the wake. Wreaths were torn apart, Ronan’s memorial photo was trampled underfoot. Next, A bucket of foul, bloody dog’s blood was splashed over Ronan’s body.
“No!” Aunt Helen screamed and threw herself forward. She used her body to block most of the filthy blood.
I could no longer hold back and slapped Daphne so hard she got knocked away.
“Ah!” she cried and stumbled back.
Leonardo suddenly appeared, shoved me to the ground. He shouted, “Violet, what’s wrong with you?!”
Daphne immediately threw herself into his arms like a frightened rabbit. “Leo, save me… I just had a nightmare. I dreamed Ronan… wanted to kill my unborn baby… I was so scared, I went to see Priest Blair."
"The priest said that Ronan’s resentment is too strong that we must break his soul by cremating him at once. If not... I... me and the baby won’t survive!”
My stomach coiled at that. I bit back a scream, gritted my teeth against the floor and spat at her. “You murdered my son and now you want to destroy the evidence? Never! Even if I die, I’ll make you pay!”
Daphne shrank back, terrified.
Leonardo held her tight, his hand tender on her belly, soothing her in a low voice, “Don’t be scared. I will never let harm come to you or the baby.” When he looked at me again there was only cold in his eyes.
“Do it.”
A few burly men went forward and grabbed Ronan’s body. Aunt Helen and I fought to hold them off.
“Leonardo, does Ronan’s soul mean nothing to you compared to her nonsense?” I cried.
His eyes were rimmed red. “Ronan is dead! But the child in Daphne is still alive. I believe my parents are watching over us from heaven. I want this child to be born safely.”
Aunt Helen got pushed aside so hard her head hit a table corner. Blood soon poured down. In all that chaos, the bodyguards were pinning me to the cold floor.
Priest Blair that had came along with Daphne raised a hammer. “To shatter this resentful soul, the skull must be crushed first.”
“No!” I screamed bitterly. “Leonardo! That was your son too! You once wished for him to be born, you held him, you soothed him. Don't you remember the first time he gripped your finger and called you ‘Dad’?”
Leonardo stopped. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Stop. I’ll find another way,” his voice was hoarse.
Then Daphne clutched her belly and vomited a mouthful of black blood. “I saw him… Leo, I saw Ronan. He came to harm our child!”
Leonardo panicked for the first time. He grabbed her in panic and shouted at Priest Blair, “Then, do what you must. Make sure his soul is gone!”
Thud!
The hammer came down hard. The world soon shattered before my eyes.
I thought I heard Ronan call, “Mom” He also told me that he wasn’t hurting, told me not to cry. He stretched out his small hand to wipe my tears.
“Mama, leave this place. Don’t suffer for me…”
Yet, I could clearly see his face was twisting with pain.
I struggled to break free from the guards, but they held me fast as they dragged my son's body toward the incinerator. I had to watch it burn to ash.
Through the roaring flames I saw Daphne’s triumphant and vicious smile. Leonardo’s men hauled me over and forced my face down into the pool of black vomit Daphne had left.
“Lick it clean,” Leonardo said coldly.
Before I passed out I looked at him and said without fear, “Leonardo, you have personally destroyed the evidence for our enemies. Just wait... you’ll regret this.”
When I woke up, I soon noticed that I was in a dark and damp storage room. Leonardo sat on the edge of the bed, bloodshot eyes and stubble showing on his jaw.
Ever since he gave our marital bedroom to Daphne, he hadn’t sat at my bedside. He was holding a bowl of soup.
“This is the mushroom soup you like. I made it myself,” his voice was raspier than I’d ever heard it.
Leonardo’s mushroom soup used to be my favorite. Whenever I was angry or sulking, the soup always improved my mood. But now, the smell of it alone caused acid surged up my throat and I felt nauseous. Only then did I remember I hadn’t taken my medicine for two days.
I pushed the bowl away. “Where are Ronan’s ashes?”
His hand froze in mid-air, his face went hard at once.
Crash!
He slammed the bowl to the floor. Shards and scalding hot soup flew everywhere.
“Violet!” he snarled. “Can’t you just obey me once? Can you stop forcing me to hate you?”
I glared back. “Where are Ronan’s ashes?”
“Scattered.” He spat the word through clenched teeth.
“Leonardo, you animal!” I bet him like a madwoman.
He grabbed my wrist and seized my collar. “You were willing to use our own son’s life as bait to frame Daphne,” his eyes rimmed red, each word venomous, “of course I can be far crueller than you.”
I laughed so much that tears streamed down my face. “Leonardo, are you blind? Me, making plans to harm my only child? Why can’t you trust me even once? Why do you always take Daphne’s side without questioning them?”
The hatred in his gaze almost swallowed me. “How am I supposed to trust you? You are the woman who nearly killed my whole family! If it wasn’t for Daph, I never would have known what a venomous woman you are!”
I murmured, “Yeah, true! If it weren’t for Daphne, how would I have fallen so low?”
He looked at me and gritted his teeth. “Violet, I'd hate you to death.”
“Then why don’t you kill me?” I asked.
His hand shot up and clamped around my throat. I could feel the pressure slowly tightening. The air gradually left me. I didn’t even have the will to struggle. Yet, I felt his hand trembling.
Then, in the next instant, he released his grip. “I hate myself more for not being able to do it.”
I answered calmly, “Let’s get a divorce.”
“No way! Violet, you are my mortal enemy. You belong to me, to suffer for the rest of your life!” With that, he slammed the door so hard the dust fell from the ceiling.
I stared, stunned, at the doorway.
Tomorrow the police would come to arrest Daphne. Leonardo, how would you react to that?
【】【】【】【】
When I woke up, I soon noticed that I was in a dark and damp storage room. Leonardo sat on the edge of the bed, bloodshot eyes and stubble showing on his jaw.
Ever since he gave our marital bedroom to Daphne, he hadn’t sat at my bedside. He was holding a bowl of soup.
“This is the mushroom soup you like. I made it myself,” his voice was raspier than I’d ever heard it.
Leonardo’s mushroom soup used to be my favorite. Whenever I was angry or sulking, the soup always improved my mood. But now, the smell of it alone caused acid surged up my throat and I felt nauseous. Only then did I remember I hadn’t taken my medicine for two days.
I pushed the bowl away. “Where are Ronan’s ashes?”
His hand froze in mid-air, his face went hard at once.
Crash!
He slammed the bowl to the floor. Shards and scalding hot soup flew everywhere.
“Violet!” he snarled. “Can’t you just obey me once? Can you stop forcing me to hate you?”
I glared back. “Where are Ronan’s ashes?”
“Scattered.” He spat the word through clenched teeth.
“Leonardo, you animal!” I bet him like a madwoman.
He grabbed my wrist and seized my collar. “You were willing to use our own son’s life as bait to frame Daphne,” his eyes rimmed red, each word venomous, “of course I can be far crueller than you.”
I laughed so much that tears streamed down my face. “Leonardo, are you blind? Me, making plans to harm my only child? Why can’t you trust me even once? Why do you always take Daphne’s side without questioning them?”
The hatred in his gaze almost swallowed me. “How am I supposed to trust you? You are the woman who nearly killed my whole family! If it wasn’t for Daph, I never would have known what a venomous woman you are!”
I murmured, “Yeah, true! If it weren’t for Daphne, how would I have fallen so low?”
He looked at me and gritted his teeth. “Violet, I'd hate you to death.”
“Then why don’t you kill me?” I asked.
His hand shot up and clamped around my throat. I could feel the pressure slowly tightening. The air gradually left me. I didn’t even have the will to struggle. Yet, I felt his hand trembling.
Then, in the next instant, he released his grip. “I hate myself more for not being able to do it.”
I answered calmly, “Let’s get a divorce.”
“No way! Violet, you are my mortal enemy. You belong to me, to suffer for the rest of your life!” With that, he slammed the door so hard the dust fell from the ceiling.
I stared, stunned, at the doorway.
Tomorrow the police would come to arrest Daphne. Leonardo, how would you react to that?
“Oh, you're finally leaving?"
I was in Ronan’s room packing away his things when Daphne appeared. She was wearing a silk nightgown, a bright red mark on her neck.
"I still don’t get it. Leo only has eyes for me yet, you still held the title of Mrs. Edwards,” Daphne said again.
I ignored her and kept folding Ronan’s drawings.
She rubbed her belly, as she continued to show off. “Last night Leo said once our baby is born, everything the Edwards have will be his.”
When I gave no reaction, she wasn’t pleased. So, she stomped on the drawings I’d just folded, grinding them under her heel. “The houses that used to be under Ronan’s name, they’ll belong to my child too.”
I picked up a craft knife and plunged it hard into the top of her foot.
“Ah!” Daphne screamed.
I grabbed her hair and forced her to look at me. “Proud of yourself, are you? After killing so many people... did you ever think there’d never be payback?”
Her face flickered with panic. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Stop your pretend,” I said, staring her down. “I know everything.”
She suddenly laughed triumphantly. “So what if you know? Who’ll believe you? They all wanted to stop me and Leo from being together, they deserve to die!”
She added, “You deserve to die too. I kept you around just so you could take the fall for me. Now you’re useless.”
Daphne then took a candy from her pocket, unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. Then she shoved the wrapper into my hand. In the next instant I could see her lips turn black.
She staggered out, screaming, “Help! Violet is trying to poison me!”
Leonardo burst in and grabbed Daphne. “Daphne, are you okay?”
She leaned weakly into his arms, tears in her eyes. “Leo, I don't think I can’t stay with you anymore…”
Leonardo glared at me, eyes bloodshot. “Violet, you’ve gone too far! Apologize to her!”
I watched him coldly. “She ate the poisoned candy herself.”
“Bring her to Central Plaza and make her kneel and apologize in public!” he ordered his men.
***
Soon, they forced me to my knees on the cold floor of Central Plaza. The bodyguards read aloud "my apology” for poisoning Daphne. Familiar faces pointed and whispered. The look of contempt, questions, insults... they were all so painful that I felt suffocated.
A few police officers stepped forward. “You’re suspected of intentional murder. Come with us.”
I pulled out a mocking smile.
"Leonardo, you thought I killed your grandma, but you did nothing to investigate more. You thought I hurt your parents, but you never called the police. Now Daphne got “poisoned” and you’re so eager to throw me in jail?" I thought.
After the interrogation I ran into Daphne again. This time, she was in handcuffs. When that woman saw me, the hatred in her eyes could have torn me apart.
Leonardo immediately rushed over, “Get the complaint withdrawn! Daphne’s so weak right now! She can’t be arrested!”
I took out my diary and tapped his chest lightly. “Leonardo, see you in court tomorrow.”
