Chapter 3

Hayden acted the part of the peacemaker, saying, "You shouldn't get upset over something like this, Tiana. Nicholas is only acting out because he's jealous of how much you care for me. I'll take over Sabrina's upbringing and raise her properly once I take over as Sabrina's father."

Tiana scoffed. "If he hadn't deceived me into marrying him, you wouldn't have been so devastated and easily fooled into performing such hard labor over the years. It's something he owes you—the suffering he's facing now is nothing compared to what you suffered back then."

Tiana linked arms with Hayden and left. Hayden glanced back at me, looking contemptuous and smug.

I carried Sabrina upstairs to change her clothes, only to be stopped by the household staff.

"Ms. Sabell has designated this room for Mr. Henry because of the natural sunlight it receives. It would be considered bad luck to bring a dead body inside; Ms. Sabell and Mr. Brown wouldn't be happy about it."

It was obvious to anyone that Sabrina had already died, but Tiana, her mother, still believed she was faking it to deceive others.

Sabrina had starved to death in a dilapidated chapel, all because of Tiana's hollow lies. It was truly a cruel joke, as her mother had never once believed her.

I hadn't brought the new clothes I bought for Sabrina to her room yet, so I changed her into them where we were. I finally held the urn containing Sabrina's ashes, which the employees handed to me following a night of cremation at the crematorium.

I had planned to take Sabrina's ashes away to lay her to rest alongside my parents, but the thought of seeing Natalie stopped me; after all, I had chosen love over everything else and had disappointed her deeply.

I had just left the crematorium when Tiana called. I ignored the call, but she immediately called again. I finally picked it up, only to hear her snapping on the other end of the line. "If you aren't here within the hour, I'm flushing that emerald ring down the toilet."

I cried out in despair, yelling, "That is a keepsake from my mother!"

I had just returned home when I spotted Tiana and Hayden messing around on the couch. Hayden's hand was inside her top as he rested his head on her shoulder, flushing and panting. "You should stop right now, Tiana. Nicholas might get jealous. He hasn't returned all night; who knows where he went."

Tiana's gaze darkened as she kissed his earlobe. "Why bother with him? It looks like I'm not charming enough since you even think about him."

Hayden struck her shoulder lightly in a flirtatious manner. "You're so annoying."

I gazed at them calmly, my eyes devoid of any emotion. "Where is my mother's keepsake?"

Tiana stopped what she was doing and sneered. "I've made it into a pendant for Hayden; after all, your things are only fit to be stepped on.

"Go bring Sabrina over right now. Her prayers were deemed insincere, so she must go back to the chapel to kneel for another seven days. I'll have someone keep an eye on her to ensure she doesn't eat anything."

I could no longer hold back my emotions. I slapped Tiana across the face and yelled, "You monster! You've already killed Sabrina! I'm literally holding her ashes right now!"

Tiana was momentarily stunned. She then grabbed the urn and smashed it onto the floor. "How could someone die from a mere seven-day fast? Do you really take me for a fool? She's not even my biological daughter! She is a bastard girl being swapped since birth!

"I witnessed you and that woman getting into a car together three months ago, acting all intimate. You're just trying to use this prayer thing as an excuse to fake her death and also hide your affair! You'd better not even think about it, Nicholas!"

Sabrina's ashes were scattered everywhere, only to be mercilessly trampled under Tiana's feet.

That woman was actually Natalie, my sister. I had cast aside my pride to ask her—despite her disappointment in me—to help Tiana secure the piece of land in the eastern part of the city. I only did it because I didn't want Tiana to stay up at night worrying about the whole thing.

I reached down with trembling hands to scoop the remains back into the urn. I then let out a hollow, mocking laugh. "I've never deceived you, Tiana! That woman was my sister!"

Tiana narrowed her eyes for a moment before she broke into laughter. "You're still lying to me, huh? You're an orphan, Nicholas!

"Hayden and I are getting married next month. He'll share the same status as you, and you'll need to look after him. Henry is my child with Hayden, so you are to treat him as your own son from here on out."