Stormy, Hubby Forces Daughter to Buy Meds for Mistress’s Dog!

Chapter 5

The color drained from Jack's face, his eyes locked on the phone, still as stone.

After a few seconds, his voice cracked, rising in disbelief:

"Captain, this isn't funny. Someone saw Ella yesterday, how can she be dead?"

Captain Quinn's voice came through cold and sharp:

"I get it, you're upset. But don't let Lucy lie for her. Ella's five and already killing animals. If we don't put a stop to this now, who knows what'll happen next? We can't just cover it up."

Frustration laced his every word.

"Enable what? I wish I could help Ella, but she's gone! How the hell am I supposed to enable someone who's no longer alive?"

The line went dead with a harsh click. Jack stood there, frozen, eyes wide. His face twisted in shock and humiliation, and he immediately turned his anger on me.

His glare was ice-cold.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'll expose every lie you've told."

I didn't even look up, keeping my gaze low, the words sitting on the tip of my tongue but refusing to leave.

What's the point of talking to someone pretending to be asleep? It's a waste of breath.

Jack's fury built, his voice now razor-sharp:

"When I find where Ella's hiding, I'll take over raising her. Clearly, you can't do it right."

Mandy, who had been clutching Buddy's urn with white-knuckled grip, panicked at Jack's words. Dropping her grieving act, she quickly interjected, her voice trembling:

"Jack, don't be so hasty. Even if Lucy made mistakes with Ella, a mother's bond with her daughter is something special. Taking over her upbringing out of nowhere, it might not be good for Ella."

She softened, trying to bring peace, but it didn't land.

"Ella didn't know any better when she hurt Buddy. The fact that she's hiding shows she understands it was wrong. Let's just leave it at that."

Captain Quinn had already confirmed Ella's death, yet Mandy was still spewing nonsense about my daughter killing the dog. My emotions, already on the edge, snapped.

I lunged at her, grabbing her face with all the force I had, my fingers digging into her skin.

"I'll tear that lying mouth off you!" I snarled, my voice low and dangerous.

Jack tried to pull me away, but my small frame was filled with power, and he couldn't budge me. I felt him raise his hand and strike the side of my neck, hard.

Everything went black. I collapsed, unconscious.

When I woke up, I was lying in the family home, back in the big bed. Ella's urn sat next to me.

But there was no comfort here. No safety. No peace. Just the hollow ache of loss. I picked up the urn, ready to leave, but the door was locked.

Jack had trapped me inside.

Frustration surged through me, and I kicked the door. Pain shot up my foot, but the door didn't move. I sank to the floor, clutching the urn, and let the tears fall, silently.

Drip, drip, drip.

Each drop felt like it was ripping through my chest.

The grief, the rage, the bitter heartbreak, they all tangled together, crashing through me. Ella's bright spirit, her laugh, her warmth, all flashing in my mind, but it was blurry now, lost in a flood of tears.

I caressed the urn gently, whispering to the empty space,

"Ella, it's a good thing you're here with Mommy. Otherwise, I might lose my mind in this place."

I stayed frozen like a statue, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Then, the door creaked open slowly.

Jack stumbled in, looking older than I'd ever seen him. His face was ashen, his eyes hollow, and his shoulders slumped as if he'd been carrying the world on them.

He looked at me, sitting on the floor, his gaze unfocused, voice hoarse.

"Why… why didn't you tell me about our daughter?"

I let out a bitter laugh, thick with sarcasm:

"Oh, I wanted to. But you blocked my number, remember?"

"Or has your brain forgotten that too?"

He opened his mouth, closed it again. He was gasping for air, trying to make sense of what was happening. Finally, he spoke, barely able to get the words out:

"I didn't mean to… Buddy was hurt. Mandy was freaking out. I had to focus on her."

Something in me cracked. I couldn't help it. I laughed, a sound that was empty and hollow. Then the tears started again.

I had imagined a thousand different reasons why Jack might have blocked me. But the truth? It was simple: he'd wanted to focus all his attention on Mandy.

Even now, after everything, after the confirmation of our daughter's death, he still didn't think he'd done anything wrong.

If he had even a fraction of real grief for Ella, he wouldn't be making these pathetic excuses.

I laughed until it hurt, my chest tight, struggling to breathe. My body curled up, teetering on the edge of hysteria.

Finally, I screamed, hoarse and raw:

"Jack, if you have any ounce of gratitude left for my brother saving your life, just sign the damn divorce papers and let me go!"