Chapter 3

Erica had left me forever.

That bright, lively little girl… all she left me was a small ceramic urn.

I cried myself unconscious at the crematorium, kept clawing at my arms just to stay awake.

I told myself to hold on. I still had to clear Erica's name.

Forcing myself to keep going, I made my way home, ready to sort through Erica's belongings.

But when I opened the door, the whole place looked different.

Candice was there, bold as brass in my nightgown, with Maisy right beside her.

Lucas and I were still married. How could they do this?

Erica's ashes hadn't even cooled, and they were already humiliating me.

My blood surged, my eyes went bloodshot with fury.

When I stepped into Erica's room, it was like walking into a stranger's place. Everything that was hers had vanished.

Candice said with a smirk, "My lease ended, so Lucas said Maisy and I could move in. Those things before were just bad vibes, so I redecorated. Talia, do you like it?"

My mind buzzed, and whatever was holding me together finally snapped.

I completely snapped, screaming as I charged at Candice and Maisy, clawing at them like a wild animal.

Erica was gone. Why couldn't they leave me even the tiniest memory of her?

Why did my innocent Erica have to be driven to her death by them, while they get to walk free?

"Talia, have you lost it? Stop it right now!" Lucas shouted, bursting out of the kitchen. He quickly shielded Candice and Maisy behind him.

Just like every other time, he always chose them over me.

He glared at me and snapped, "Look at you! You're no different from a lunatic! Candice is bringing us money. She actually remembers how we helped her out before. Why can't you just get it?"

On the coffee table sat an envelope with three hundred dollars inside. Just three hundred dollars.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Lucas, you're a real piece of work. Is that all Erica's life meant to you? Three hundred dollars?"

Lucas retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop blaming everything on me. You're acting as if Erica's really dead."

He became more impatient. "And where's Erica? Tell her to come out here. We've got guests, and she's got no manners whatsoever. Is this how you taught her?"

I gave him a cold stare. "She's not coming back. Is that what you wanted?"

Erica's life ended at twenty. It ended when her own father went on camera and called her "shameless" and "morally corrupt."

She was gone.

Lucas, when you finally realized you killed your daughter with your lies, would you still act so arrogantly?

Staring at Lucas's scowling face, I let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Yes. You still don't know yet. Erica's dead."

I spat, "You pushed her over the edge with that pack of lies you published! Lucas, does it feel good? Causing your own daughter's death?"

But when he heard Erica was dead, he was disturbingly calm.

He just froze for a second, shrugged, and said, "Oh." He then turned to Candice and Maisy like nothing had happened, asking what they wanted for dinner.

It was like Erica was just some stray cat or dog that died, not his own flesh and blood.

No way. Even a stray animal would merit more emotion than this.

Why? Lucas used to dote on Erica, didn't he?

In that instant, a blaze of fury nearly consumed me.

"Lucas, do you even have a heart?" I screamed, my voice raw with pain.

Tears streamed down my face as I shouted, "I was wrong. You're scum! You don't deserve to be Erica's father!"

Lucas just stood there, head down, his mouth opening like he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.

It was Candice who finally spoke up. "I'm sorry, Talia. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I begged Lucas to help me, and he had no choice but to do what he did."

She continued with fake sympathy, "What's done is done. I never thought Erica would... Well, but you don't have to be so upset."

She shoved Maisy toward me, putting on a show. "Don't be shy. Just think of Maisy as your real daughter. She'll be the one to take care of you now. Look, isn't this just perfect? One big happy family!"

Then, I slapped Candice hard across the face, not holding back at all.

"Candice, you're such a bitch! Take your little brat and get the hell out of my house!" I shouted, my voice shaking with rage.

She wanted me to let the murderer who drove my daughter to her death take her place? What a joke!

Still not satisfied, I straddled Candice and kept landing slap after slap across her face.

Maisy got it too. I clawed at her, leaving angry red marks all over her arms.

Just as I was about to go at them again, Lucas finally snapped back to reality, his face thunderous as he grabbed my wrists.

He shouted, "That's enough, Talia! Stop it! Erica killed herself. No one else is to blame. Is that what you want, to drag everyone down with you?"

Of course not.

This was not enough. I would send every last one of them straight to hell, to make them pay for what they did to Erica!