Chapter 3

That night, the Jason family held a funeral for Charles.

I wanted to spend more time with Charles. Since it wasn't convenient to bring Zoe along, I left her at the Jason residence.

The bitter wind whipped across Charlie's tombstone, where his photo was displayed.

In the photo, he looked shy, forcing an awkward smile.

I stared at it and murmured, "Charlie... If there's another chance, would you come back and be my child again?"

It wasn't until the middle of the night that Edward came, reeking of alcohol, with Lily following close behind.

He swept his gaze over the tombstone, let out a cold laugh, and kicked it. Then he snorted, "You put on a good act. Who are you trying to fool? So what if that worthless autistic kid is dead? Does it deserve all this drama?"

My eyes were red with anger as I snapped back, "I won't let you insult my son."

Lily clung coyly to Edward's sleeve, her voice soft and pleading. "Edward, don't do this. Vivian is hurting," she murmured.

"Hurting?" Edward snorted. "Her son is dead, and she hasn't even shed a single tear. You call that being hurt?"

Lily gave me a look overflowing with pretend sympathy. "Vivian, don't be too sad. You can have another kid. Maybe Charlie's soul will come back through my child next time."

A scream tore through the family cemetery.

I grabbed a stone from the ground and struck at her flailing hands.

The metallic scent of blood filled the air, and in an instant, several of her perfectly manicured nails scattered across the floor.

"Vivian, are you crazy?" Edward shouted furiously.

He kicked me hard in the stomach and snarled, "How dare you touch Lily?"

He yanked my hair and smashed my head into the tombstone. The sharp corner of it split open my forehead, and hot blood streamed right into my eyes.

Edward's face twisted into something monstrous, completely shedding any trace of Harley's shadow.

Agonizing pain surged through me as Edward slammed my head against the tombstone again and again.

Edward scoffed, "Why aren't you screaming? You gave birth to a freak, and still got the nerve to lose your mind?"

Lily clutched her injured hand, sobbing with tears streaming down her cheeks, putting on her most pitiful act. "Edward, it hurts so much. I can't stand it," she sobbed.

Edward angrily booted me aside without a second thought and fussed over Lily like she was the only thing that mattered.

Lily's eyes were red from crying, making her look like a lost puppy.

Edward's Adam's apple bobbed as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and kissed her deeply.

"Don't... Vivian is still here," Lily murmured, her voice soft and coy.

"So what if she hears? What is she going to do about it?" Edward sneered.

I bit down hard on my lip, nearly drawing blood, fury coursing through me. I wanted nothing more than to rip those two apart on the spot.

Lily hooked her arms around Edward's neck, her voice bubbling with mischief as she teased, "Isn't it way too thrilling to be doing this here?"

Edward pressed her down onto the ground, a wicked smirk crossing his face. "You still got the energy to talk? Looks like I haven't been rough enough with you," Edward teased.

"Edward, that freak's eyes are creeping me out," Lily whined, clinging to his arm.

Edward whirled around, snatched Charlie's photo, and flung it into the nearby fire. "You damn freak, you're killing my mood," he spat.

Charlie's photo was thrown into the embers, where it caught with a sharp crackle as the flames devoured it in an instant.

Smoke filled the air as Edward's curses blended with the explosive snap and pop of burning wood.

My vision blurred. I couldn't hold on any longer and finally passed out.

When I woke up, I saw Susan sitting by my bedside. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Vivian, you're awake?" she asked softly.

I tried to speak, but my throat was so dry that no sound came out.

She quickly handed me a glass of warm water.

"The board is holding an emergency session. It may take three days before they reach a decision. Before Richard Jason died, he forced them to let Edward run the company," Susan rasped, gripping my hand. "Don't worry. The real power is still mine. Even if—"

"Susan," I cut her off, my voice barely above a whisper, "where is Zoe?"

Susan forced a reassuring smile, trying to put me at ease. "I've already made arrangements for Zoe. She's been sent to the best child psychology center overseas. The doctor is someone we trust. Edward won't be able to find her."

Finally, all the tension I'd been holding inside melted away. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Susan went quiet for a moment. Word had gotten out, and everyone knew what had happened last night. She'd just left the boardroom when the security system notified her.

She saw everything in the surveillance footage, and she didn't waste a second and ordered someone to draft the paperwork.

Guilt was written all over her face as she handed me the divorce agreement. "Sign it. Take Zoe with you, and never look back," she said.

I pushed the papers away and shook my head.

I might be free, but what about Charlie and Zoe? Who was going to make Edward pay for what he did to them? Kicking him out of the Jason family isn't nearly enough. He deserved far worse.

I stared at my bandaged hands and continued, "Susan, I still remember what Richard told me when he was alive. In the Jason family, the rule for women has always been the same. We can be widowed, but we never get divorced."

Susan looked at me, her eyes meeting mine, dead and emotionless. Suddenly, she covered her face and sobbed, "If only Harley were still alive... If only he could have made it through the winter..."

I turned my head toward the window as a leaf floated in from outside. It spun lazily through the air and landed gently in my palm.