Kelsen couldn't be bothered with me and went to Edith’s room.
Callie and her daughter roamed around the living room as if they owned the place, commenting on my designs.
“Why is this wall gray? It looks so depressing. I don’t like it.”
“Mom, this box is so pretty.”
When Alisa picked up Edith’s urn, I couldn't take it anymore and snatched it back. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to touch other people’s things? What right do you have to boss around in my house? Get out!”
Kelsen came out of Edith’s room, and Callie’s eyes instantly filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, Helena. Alisa never had anything, unlike Edith, who had so many toys. I'll make sure she learns. We'll leave now."
Kelsen stepped forward to stop them, hugging the trembling and crying Callie right in front of me. “Don’t go. It’s my fault for not taking care of you two.”
I laughed coldly. "Kelsen, when she insisted on leaving with the rich guy, you couldn't stop her."
Callie stiffened, and my words hit a sore spot for Kelsen, making him glare at me fiercely.
"Helena, how can you be so vicious? Bullying a single mother and her child. Now, give that box to Alisa as an apology!"
Kelsen actually wanted me to hand over Edith's urn to Alisa as an apology?
Clutching the box tightly, I refused to let go. Kelsen, losing face in front of Callie and her daughter, grew furious.
“I said give that damn box to Alisa! Don’t you understand?”
Kelsen tried to snatch it from me, but I held on with all my strength. His face darkened.
"Helena, I just missed Edith's parent-teacher conference. I even brought Callie and Alisa here to apologize. Isn't that enough? Helena, are you defying your husband in front of outsiders?”
"You actually acknowledge they're outsiders?"
Kelsen, a man of pride, had been accustomed to living off me for years without me ever contradicting him. This time, he couldn’t tolerate it and slapped me hard.
The box fell, scattering Edith’s ashes everywhere.
I trembled, kneeling to carefully gather my daughter’s ashes.
Kelsen, regretting his action, knelt beside me. “Helena, what is this? What are you doing?”
“These are Edith’s ashes.”
Kelsen laughed in anger at my words.
“You’re cursing our daughter just to spite me? Helena, where did you hide Edith?”
“Our daughter is dead! She was burned to death! Can’t you understand?”
“Your story is getting more ridiculous. Alisa and Edith go to the same school. If something happened to Edith, Alisa would know.”
Kelsen clearly didn’t believe me, but seeing my state, he grew somewhat uneasy.
“Alisa, tell Daddy Kelsen, did Edith die?”
Alisa shook her head. “I don’t know, but Edith’s classroom is closest to the main door. She couldn’t have failed to escape.”
“Helena, did you hear that? Alisa is such a good child. Would she lie?”
Yes, Edith had the best chance of surviving, but she died trying to save her father.
She loved Kelsen as deeply as I did.
But her father would rather believe Alisa’s nonsense than seek the truth himself.
I had no strength left to explain, and Kelsen didn’t care to listen. He dialed Edith’s phone number repeatedly, but no one answered.
With growing anger, he accused me. “Did you tell Edith not to answer my calls, Helena? What have you turned our daughter into? She’s conspiring with you against her father over something so trivial!”
Edith would never ignore her father’s call. His contact was always pinned at the top of her list, yet she never received a call from Kelsen.
At that moment, all my feelings and illusions about Kelsen shattered.
I quietly gathered Edith’s ashes. “This weekend is Edith’s funeral. Don’t forget to come.”
Kelsen’s brow twitched, but he finally called his secretary to clear his schedule. “Fine, I’ll go. Helena, I want to see what kind of trick you’re playing!”