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

Chapter 6

Jack shook his head frantically, his eyes wide with panic and disbelief.

"No, I won't divorce you," he pleaded, his voice raw with desperation.

"Lucy, whether you believe me or not, when I promised your brother I'd marry you, I made a vow to take care of you for the rest of my life."

I nodded slowly, my expression frozen.

"I believe you," I said flatly, watching his face light up with a flicker of hope.

But then a cold smile curled on my lips.

"Of course, taking care of me for life doesn't mean you won't be taking care of other women for life too, right?"

His face darkened, frustration and guilt swirling.

"But why should I accept that?" he demanded.

I leaned in, my voice hard as steel.

"You begged me ten times to marry you before I finally agreed. So tell me, what gives you the right to just toss me aside once you've eased your own guilt?"

His expression twisted, his voice turning tight.

"My brother's dying wish was for me to marry you so that you could be happy, not to live a life of constant compromise and humiliation."

With each word, the light in Jack's eyes dimmed until all that remained was a dull, murky emptiness.

The satisfaction that bloomed in my chest was perverse, but it still wasn't enough. I had one final blow to deliver.

"Jack, do you think my brother would regret giving his life to save yours if he knew you sent his five-year-old niece to her death, in a downpour, just to save Mandy's damn dog?"

That was the final strike.

Jack crumpled, his hands flying to his face as sobs wracked his body.

Tears leaked through his fingers and splattered onto the floor, soaking into the silence.

"He would regret it... He would definitely regret it..." he whispered.

For once, at least, he wasn't completely lost in his delusions. I pressed on, my tone cold, relentless.

"You remember when Ella was bitten by a dog when she was three, right?"

"Mm," he mumbled, barely able to hold it together.

"She's been terrified of dogs ever since. But now, this old garbage collector claims Ella killed a dog with her bare hands. Do you actually believe that?"

His eyes shot wide, pupils dilating with shock.

"She was lying?" His voice was low, edged with disbelief.

I didn't answer him directly. Instead, I let the chill in my voice slice through the air.

"Ella was cremated days ago. And yet, this woman claims she saw my daughter last night. Does she have some kind of supernatural vision?"

The horror in Jack's face was immediate. His body stiffened, and his breath hitched as the full weight of what I'd said sank in.

I didn't wait for him to react. My words came out like a vow, cold and unyielding.

"My daughter may be gone, but as her mother, I will not stand by and let anyone tarnish her name. No one. Ever."

Jack slowly tilted his head back, eyes shutting tightly as if to block out the weight of my words. After a long moment, he opened his eyes, and for the first time in ages, there was something real in them.

"I won't let them," he said, his voice softer, more resolute.

For the first time in a long while, Jack had acted like a father. If Ella were still here, she'd be thrilled. She had always wanted to be Daddy's little girl.

But she wasn't here anymore, and Jack didn't deserve to know how much she had adored him.

His gaze fell on the urn next to me, and his fists clenched.

"I'll make arrangements for her burial. Let's put her to rest properly so she can finally be at peace."

I didn't hesitate.

"You're not worthy," I shot back without missing a beat.

"I've already secured a spot for her next to my brother's grave."

"You're responsible for her death. You have no right to visit her grave."

"Your presence would only pollute her path to the next life."

My words hit him like a blow, and I saw him shrink, his already broken figure crumbling further. He looked like a man burdened by a lifetime of guilt, trapped in the shadow of his sins.

In life, he would never find peace. In death, he deserved nothing but eternal torment.

Finally, Jack gave up and left, promising to get to the bottom of things with the old woman and clear Ella's name.

But I knew who the real culprit was. Whether Jack uncovered the truth or not didn't matter. I'd handle it myself.