Chapter 2

When I got home, it was completely dark outside.

The door was ajar, and I saw that the living room was a mess.

The family portrait was thrown onto the floor, and Charlie was drawing on it.

He had cut me out of the photo with scissors.

He kept mumbling, “If Lana were here, it’d be great.”

In the past, I would have probably lectured him.

However, I ignored it and walked past him.

Edgar heard me come in and looked up from the couch. He looked a little annoyed.

“Why are you home so late? No one’s cooked dinner yet, and Charlie’s very hungry.”

I paused in my tracks and swept my gaze over Edgar and Charlie.

In the past five years, no matter how late I worked or how tired I was, I would make them dinner when I got home. I would also clean the house and do the laundry.

“There are leftovers in the fridge from last night. You can microwave it to heat it up.”

I grimaced mockingly.

“Don’t you know how to do that?”

Edgar widened his eyes slightly and gaped. Then, he quickly stood up.

“You…”

From where he was seated on the floor, Charlie simply said to me, “Mommy, I want to eat your cooking.”

I felt exhausted, and I did not even want to look at them.

When I opened my bedroom door, my face immediately turned pale.

The documents in my room were cut up.

The vase, table lamp, and photo frames were smashed into pieces.

I stumbled toward my bedside.

There was a box that I kept on my bedside cabinet. That had been thrown onto the floor.

The crystals were smashed into pieces.

It was the last thing my mother left me before she passed.

I had kept it in the box to protect it.

My head snapped up, and I saw Charlie standing nonchalantly at my door.

“Did you smash this?”

He grimaced. “I did it because you always bully Lana, and you don’t want to cook for me.”

My mind was racing as I glared at Charlie with tears in my eyes.

I raised my hand and slapped him forcefully. His face turned to the side from the impact.

I could feel the pain coming from my palm, yet it was nothing compared to my heartache.

I had carried him in my arms the moment he was born.

His first word was “Mama.”

Yet he had turned into a stranger.

Charlie pressed his palm against his cheek and stared at me in fear and shock.

Edgar came over after hearing Charlie’s cries.

He hugged Charlie with a darkened expression.

“Violet, how dare you hit Charlie?”

I ignored his rebuke, only crouching down dispiritedly to pick up the crystal pieces.

“It’s just a bracelet. Do you really have to do that? I’ll buy you a better one.”

One shard sliced my finger, and blood dripped onto the floor.

When my mother was still alive, she gave me the bracelet.

“Violet, Edgar’s a good guy. This was my mother’s gift to me when I got married, and I wore it my entire life. After I die, this bracelet will be with you…”

I shut my eyes. Then, I stood up and looked at Edgar.

“Is money the solution to everything for you?”

My glare seemed to shock Edgar.

He stood still, and his words were stuck in his throat. His lips quivered, yet no words came out.

Charlie cried even louder as he started to punch and kick me.

“I don’t want you to be my mommy! I want Lana! Daddy, bring me to Lana!”

My forehead was throbbing from his cries.

Edgar came back to his senses and carried Charlie in his arms with a ghastly expression on his face.

“Violet Reid, I don’t care what’s wrong with you. I’ll make you pay for this!

“I’ll only bring Charlie back after you’ve admitted your mistakes.”