All Chapters of After Escaping The Family, I Chose to Scatter My Ashes into the Sea: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The 99th time my fiancé, Draven, hung up on me, I dragged myself to the family's church, my diagnosis of end-stage renal disease clutched in my hand."Father, I wish to renounce the Rocci family and break off my engagement to Draven Frost."The words had barely left my lips when my parents burst in with my adopted sister, Bianca.My father, the family's Consigliere, didn't hesitate. He slapped me across the face, right there in front of the priest."Your fiancé is a respected Capo in our world, and you choose to insult him like this!""You're dragging our family's name through the mud in front of the whole organization!"My mother snatched the diagnosis from my hand, sneering after a brief glance. "Playing sick for attention again, are you? What is it you want this time?"My adopted sister, Bianca, clung to our parents' arms, her voice choked with tears. "I'm so sorry, sister. You can have my place at the gala. Please, just stop making trouble for Mom and Dad!"I wiped the blood trickl

The color drained from Bianca's face.In the blink of an eye, she rushed forward, grabbing my hand and pleading in that innocent tone of hers."Sister, I know you're worried about me.""But... I've been feeling much better lately. My allergies are gone.""Please don't be angry, sister. I can have something else!"Her act was so transparent it was almost laughable.The first time I made mango scones, I didn't know she was allergic.Back then, I adored my sweet, lovely little sister.All she had to do was mention wanting some, and I stayed up for three days and nights just to perfect the flavor for her.The result? Bianca collapsed from an allergic reaction.When she woke up, the first thing she did was fling herself into our parents' arms, crying."Father, Mother, the scones were a gesture from my sister. She said one little bite would be fine.""Please don't blame her. It's my own fault for being greedy!"I stood helplessly by her hospital bed, facing my parents' icy glares."I didn't

The door slammed shut.I lay on the floor, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.In the corner of the room, my old phone was recording.I dragged my broken body over and stopped the recording.Then, I opened my email and attached the file.The recipients were my father, Marco; my mother, Jane; my fiancé, Draven; and his father, the patriarch, Don Frost.The clock struck midnight. One day left.I hit "Schedule Send."With what little strength I had left, I forced myself onward, relying on fragmented memories to find the shop of my grandfather's old friend, the tailor Antonio.It was tucked away on one of the oldest streets in Little Italy.Antonio's shop was small, with a few handmade suits hanging in the window.I pushed the door open, and a bell chimed softly.It had been a long time. Seeing the state I was in, more a ghost than a person, it took him a moment to recognize me.I licked my chapped lips and got straight to the point."Antonio, I have end-stage renal disease.""I d

"I… I just have flare-ups sometimes."Bianca backed away in a panic, her voice trembling. "The weather's been changing, it must have come back."Jane suddenly grabbed her wrist."Mom, you're hurting me!" Bianca struggled.Jane carefully inspected the red rash on her arm.With a light swipe, the red smudged onto her finger.Her so-called "allergic rash" had been drawn on with lipstick."It's smudged," Jane's voice was ice."You lied. To the Family."Marco's face twisted into a terrifying mask of rage.As the family's Consigliere, he despised betrayal and deceit above all else."Search her room!" he roared. "Now!"Several family members immediately stormed into Bianca's room.They ransacked the room.Soon, they found the special ointments Bianca had hidden deep in her closet.Just as she had admitted in the video.They were all props she had used to fake her allergic reactions.Proof that she had been lying all along.Staring at the evidence, the color drained completely from Marco and J

At first, Marco thought it was a spam call.But after listening for a few seconds, he put it on speaker."Hello, Miss Eleanor? I'm calling to ask if you still need the basic cremation package you reserved? If you put down a 5% deposit now, we can continue to hold it for you.""Miss Eleanor? Miss Eleanor?"Hearing the words "basic cremation package," Draven covered his eyes in anguish."So I heard her right that day.""The day Eleanor went to the church to renounce us, she was already contacting a crematorium.""Marco, Jane, we were so wrong about her. All these years, we were so horribly wrong!""Eleanor couldn't even afford a proper end for herself… all because she had no money…"He broke down, sobbing openly.Only then did the family realize Eleanor couldn't even afford a decent funeral.Marco snatched the phone, roaring in fury. "What the hell is this basic package bullshit!""My daughter gets the finest funeral! The best urn! The most lavish ceremony there is!""Money is no object!