Lost in Memories Beneath the Fading Sunset

Five-year-old Milton Quinn crossed his arms. The look on his little face was cold. “The evidence is clear. Are you still going to deny it?”

Four-year-old Travis Quinn nodded along. His voice was innocent yet cruel. “Mom, if you're afraid Uncle Henry might die, you shouldn’t have hit Ms. Shaw with your car. She’s our treasure.”

Yvonne Johansson’s heart clenched painfully.

Sophia Shaw was their treasure. Then what about her? What was she?

She looked at Justin Quinn, hoping he would spare Henry Johansson for the sake of their years of marriage. However, the man only stared at her coldly as if she were a stranger.

Suddenly, she laughed, yet tears streamed down her face. After all these years, he still only loved Sophia.

Memories stabbed into her heart like knives. Yvonne, Justin, and Sophia had grown up together as childhood friends.

Yvonne had been in love with Justin for years, but Justin had eyes only for Sophia. Yvonne could only silently wish them happiness. She even helped him plan his confession.

On the eve of that confession, the plane Sophia was on crashed. No body was ever found.

After that, Justin drank himself into oblivion every day, sinking into despair.

Yvonne stayed by his side, watching over him. When he was drunk out of his mind, she made him hangover tonic. When he suffered stomach bleeding from all the drinking, she stayed awake all night to take care of him.

One night, Justin was especially drunk. He grabbed her wrist, murmured Sophia’s name, and pressed her beneath him.

She could have pushed him away. However, she loved him so much that she was willing to live as someone else’s shadow.

The next morning, he stared at the bloodstains on the sheets for a long time. He eventually said only one thing, “I’ll take responsibility. We’ll get married.”

They did.

After their marriage, Yvonne devoted herself to him completely.

His stomach was weak, so she woke early every day to prepare breakfast. When he was busy with work, she learned to help handle his documents. When he had nightmares at night, she stayed awake beside him.

Slowly, the way Justin looked at her began to change.

He seemed to grow fond of her too. He remembered her favorite foods. When she was on her period, he personally made ginger tea for her. Sometimes, when she fell asleep, he would gently kiss her forehead.

Later, they had two sons—Milton and Travis.

The boys clung to her constantly, and Justin would often hold her with a smile on his face and say, “Honey, you’ve worked hard.”

Those five years were the happiest time of her life.

That was until…

Sophia suddenly returned from the dead and reappeared in front of Justin. At that moment, Yvonne clearly saw the light ignite in his eyes again. What crushed her even more was that her two sons quickly sided with Sophia as well.

“Ms. Shaw is much gentler than Mom!”

“Ms. Shaw plays games with us. Mom only knows how to control us!”

“Dad, can Ms. Shaw become our mother?”

Each time, Justin would simply glance at Yvonne and pat his sons’ heads. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Still, he never refuted them.

Yvonne was like an outsider, watching helplessly as the five years of happiness she had stolen were shattered the moment Sophia returned.

Now, they were even using such a cruel method to force her to confess to a crime she never committed.

“It wasn’t me!” Yvonne snapped out of her memories. Her voice trembled. “Justin, let him go!”

Justin’s gaze was icy. “Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you can experience the pain of losing the one you love.”

He lifted a hand. Immediately, a bodyguard cut the rope.

“No!”

Yvonne watched in horror as the rope snapped and her brother’s body fell straight toward the bubbling oil.

She lunged forward like a madwoman, but the bodyguards pinned her down. She screamed in despair, “Justin! You killed him! You killed him!”

Pain tore through her chest. She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Milton clicked his tongue impatiently when he saw that. “Relax. That wasn’t Uncle Henry up there. It was just a dummy. Mom, why are you so dramatic?”

Travis snorted. “Yeah. We were just scaring you. Who told you to hurt Ms. Shaw?”

All the strength drained from Yvonne’s body. She collapsed to the ground, feeling like her heart had nearly stopped.

Justin looked down at her from above. “Remember this feeling. Sophia has already died once and come back to life. I can’t lose her again.”

He paused for a moment, then his tone slightly softened. “I know what you’re worried about. I’ve already married you. I’ll fulfill my responsibilities as a husband and father. I won’t divorce you, so stop trying to drive Sophia away.”

Yvonne lifted her head as she trembled. She was already preparing for a divorce… She did not want a husband and sons who favored Sophia anymore.

Just as she was about to speak, Justin’s phone rang.

“Sophia?” His voice instantly softened. “Does it hurt again? Okay, I’ll come right away.”

Without even sparing Yvonne another glance, he left with Milton and Travis. The factory fell silent, with Yvonne left kneeling on the ground. Her tears fell into the dust. She wiped her face and was about to stand when her phone suddenly vibrated.

A message from Sophia popped up.

[Yvonne, I had someone switch out the dummy. The one frying in the oil now is your brother.]

Yvonne’s blood froze instantly. She staggered toward the vat of oil. The scorching heat blasted her face.

Inside the pot, Henry’s body had already been fried beyond recognition. His flesh was blackened, his limbs twisting unnaturally. Only his eyes were still open, staring at her.

“Henry… Henry!”

She reached toward him like a madwoman, but splattering oil landed on her hand, instantly raising blisters.

Her body trembled with pain, yet she desperately tried to grab her brother’s hand. He could not even speak anymore. His lips trembled slightly, as though he was trying to call her one last time.

She had to save him! Even if there was only the slightest chance!

Yvonne shakily dialed 911, then carried Henry and ran out of the Quinns' residence like a madwoman. Her whole body trembled. Tears blurred her vision as she staggered into the street and flagged down a cab.

“The hospital! Hurry! Please!” Her voice was hoarse, nearly breaking under the strain.

The driver was terrified by the blood covering her and slammed on the gas.

Yvonne dashed through the hospital corridor into the emergency room, cradling the barely breathing Henry. However, the nurse looked at her helplessly. “Ms. Johansson, Mr. Quinn just gave an order. All the doctors are attending to Ms. Shaw right now. No doctor is available to perform surgery on your brother now.…”

Yvonne trembled violently and immediately called Justin.

“Justin! Please… Please have a doctor save Henry! He fell into a hot vat of oil! He’s dying!”

On the other end of the line, Justin’s voice was colder than ice. “Yvonne, that was just a dummy. How long are you going to keep making a scene?”

From the background, the voices of Milton and Travis complaining could still be heard.

“Why is Mom always so unreasonable?”

“Dad, ignore her. Ms. Shaw is still waiting for you.”

Justin hung up the phone.

Yvonne fell to her knees, begging desperately for help, yet everyone avoided her.

By the time she finally found a doctor willing to help, Henry’s body had already grown cold.

“Henry… Henry!”

She held her brother’s charred body tightly, screaming in grief. Yet the boy in her arms would never answer her again. He was dead, killed by the man she loved the most.

…

Three days later, Yvonne stood before her brother’s grave. Her face was as pale as death.

For three days, she had moved like a walking corpse—handling the death certificate, sending her brother for cremation, and burying him with her own hands.

Justin and the two boys never appeared once.

She opened Sophia’s social media feed. The latest post was a photo of Justin feeding her, captioned: [He insists on taking care of me personally. I just can’t deal with him.]

Below were comments from Milton and Travis.

[Ms. Shaw, get better soon! We’d like to go to the amusement park with you!]

[Ms. Shaw, you're way gentler than our mom. We like you the most!]

Yvonne turned off the screen. Her gaze turned completely cold.

After leaving the cemetery, she did only two things. First, she went to a law firm and drafted a divorce agreement. Second, she went to the police station and said to the officer on duty,

“Hello, I’d like to file a report. I’m accusing Sophia Shaw of intentional murder.”