With a flick of the knife, the pig's neck was torn apart.

Fresh blood gushed out, splattering all over my face.

I pressed the pig's neck like crazy and cried loudly.

"Nicole, Mommy will stop the bleeding for you."

Still, the blood couldn't be stopped. The pig twitched and let out a pained screech.

The several men present were so shocked they couldn't speak.

Suddenly, one of them pointed at the pig's mouth, his voice filled with alarm.

"Why is there a clump of hair in its mouth?"

"What hair?"

The man stumbled closer, pointing at the corner of the pig's mouth.

"There! Isn't that a strand of hair?"

"It really is!"

"Why would there be hair?"

The men started talking amongst themselves, a flurry of questions.

Charlie frowned, lowering his head to look closely at the pig's mouth.

But I held the pig tightly, shielding it protectively beneath me.

"Stay away from my Nicole!"

"Get back!"

The pig's blood I'd kicked up splashed onto Charlie's face, making him jump back in agitation. He turned to Jane.

"Jane, go boil some water!"

"I'm going to slaughter this pig today!"

"And I'm going to make this crazy woman, Caitlin Sackville, eat pork. Let's see if she keeps pretending then!"

Jane lowered her head and agreed, hurrying off to boil water.

The other men didn't dare say a word.

"Sorry to have troubled you all with this trip, my pig isn't ready for breeding."

With that, Charlie saw the men off. He returned to the yard and lit a cigarette.

The smoke swirled, blurring his vision and his heart grew increasingly agitated.

He reached into his pocket and took out a pink hair clip, turning it over in his hand.

He'd spotted it on his business trip and instantly liked it.

It would be perfect for Nicole.

Thinking of Nicole, his gaze fell again on the pig I was shielding.

There was indeed something black stuck between the pig's teeth.

But how could it be hair?

He didn't think much about it, but went outside to see if Nicole had returned.

At this time, I held the pig and hummed the lullaby that I often sang to Nicole.

Charlie looked over and saw me take a blood-stained pink dress from my arms, trying to put it on the pig.

"Nicole, be good. Mommy will put this pretty dress on you."

His eyes froze. He rushed over and snatched the dress away.

"This … isn't this the dress Nicole wore a few days ago?"

"Why is it here?"

I didn't respond to his words, lost in my own world.

However, the more I acted this way, the more uneasy Charlie felt.

Panic rising in his chest, he turned to Jane again.

"Jane, did Mom really take Nicole away?"

"Where did they go? I'm going to find them."

Jane's face paled. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Charlie, don't worry. I … I saw Nicole just this morning!"

"And Mom? She should be back for dinner soon."

Charlie was not comforted by Jane's words, but became more irritated.

He rolled up his sleeves and looked at the steaming hot water to the side, trying to distract himself.

At that moment, I seemed to sense something and looked out of the yard.

"Charlie, guess what I heard at the commune today?"

My mother-in-law's voice boomed into the yard even before she appeared.

The firewood slipped from Jane's hand as she added it to the fire, falling into the flames and sending sparks flying.

Charlie didn't notice. A smile appeared on his face and he hurried to the door.

But he froze.

"Mom, where's Nicole?"

"Didn't Jane say she went out with you?"

His mother was carrying a bag full of expensive supplements, beaming from ear to ear.

"Nicole? I don't know!"

"Let me tell you, your wife's brother is something else! I heard from the village secretary that he did a great service in the army and will be a big official when he returns!"

"You should quickly talk to Caitlin and have her brother help you get promoted to factory director. That would be truly impressive!"

My mother-in-law didn't notice the strange look in Charlie's eyes at all.

It wasn't until she saw me holding the dead pig, covered in blood, that she shuddered in fright.

The supplements in her hands fell to the ground.

"What in the world is going on?"

"Caitlin, what madness are you up to now?"

That old woman pounded the ground with her hands, wailing as if her heart were breaking.

Charlie turned around and stared at her.

"Mom, Jane told me that Nicole went out with you. Why didn't she come back with you?"

My mother-in-law's body stiffened. Her eyes darted left and right before she suddenly scrambled to her feet.

"Nicole?"

"Yes, she went out with me but had a craving and went to your aunt's house to eat soft-boiled eggs!"

As she finished speaking, my mother-in-law nervously grabbed the army-sent supplements and locked them away in her room.

After hearing this, Charlie felt something was off, but he didn't say anything more.

He walked towards the pig, grabbed its hind legs and began to drag it towards the scalding hot water.

I desperately held onto the pig's head, dragged along the ground by Charlie.

"Caitlin, you've gone too far!"

"How long are you going to keep playing this mad act?"

He gritted his teeth as he spoke. When I still didn't respond, he finally lost his temper.

"You can't bear to part with this pig, can you?"

"Fine! I'll grant your wish!"

"I'll let you bathe with this pig!"

He instantly increased his strength.

I protected the pig's head and fell to the ground, with my chin hitting the muddy ground heavily.

A burning pain brought tears to my eyes.

However, Charlie didn't see them. He continued to drag the pig by its hind legs.

He dragged it for hundreds of meters, finally reaching the scalding hot water.

"Caitlin, I'll say it one more time, let go of this pig!"

"Otherwise, I'll throw you into the pot together!"

I lowered my head, hugged the pig's head tightly and groped in the pig's mouth.

"It's Nicole!"

I held the silver bracelet in my hand, tears streaming down my face.

Charlie first frowned, then roared in anger.

"Caitlin! You actually fed Nicole's lucky bracelet to a pig! You've truly lost your mind!"

After speaking, he exerted force and the pig's hind half rolled into the hot water.

The steaming hot air hit me in the face and I jumped in without fear.

"Nicole, don't be afraid."

"Mommy is here, it doesn't hurt."

I tried desperately to push the pig up in the boiling water.

Just like that night, I tried desperately to save my bleeding daughter from the pig's mouth.

"Caitlin!"

Charlie was so scared that his whole body went cold. He also jumped down and tried to pull me up.

I kept holding the pig's head and pushed it desperately.

Charlie finally realized something.

His mind went blank and a chill ran down his spine.

His body, however, was burning uncomfortably from the scalding hot water.

"Caitlin, get out!"

Charlie grabbed my waist and forcefully pried open my hand holding the pig's head, dragging me out of the pot.

Before he could recover, I held Nicole's silver bracelet in my hand, my eyes fixed on the pig's mouth and suddenly burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

This cry startled Jane and my mother-in-law, who looked up and followed my gaze.

"This, what is this?"

They covered their mouths, their eyes wide with shock.

Following their gaze, Charlie's vision went black and he nearly fainted.

Just then, the courtyard door was pushed open.

Several men in military uniforms appeared.

The man at the front was my older brother, who had served in the army for many years.