Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Death Too Cruel, a Mother Unbound: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 8

Martin surveyed the neighborhood surroundings and couldn't help but remind Mom, "These burial sites are all close to Ellie's place. You should probably give her a heads-up and tell her to stay careful while she's at home."Disgust flashed in Mom's eyes at the mention of my name, and her grip around me tightened. "Don't bring her up in front of me! Nothing can possibly happen to her!"Martin paused while lighting a cigarette and sighed. "It has been so many years since the accident, so you should have let go by now."Regardless of what happened, Ellie is your biological daughter. Even as an outsider, I feel bad seeing how you've treated her all these years."Mom's eyes immediately reddened at the mention of the past. "If she hadn't lied about having a stomachache, Julian Hawthorne wouldn't have died, and neither would Juniper's parents!"She's a liar who got them killed. Unless she dies, I'll never forgive her for the rest of my life!"Even after 12 years, she clung to the stubbor

"What did you just say? Who's… the victim?"Silence stretched out on the other end of the line, and only Martin's heavy breathing was heard. "Amelia, you need to come to the station and claim Ellie's body."Mom loosened her tight grip on the phone, which slipped from her hand and shattered instantly on the floor. In the small office, the voice on the other end was loud enough for everyone to hear the devastating news.Tears streamed down Grandma's wrinkled face. The blow was too much for her aged self, so she collapsed onto the couch, yet she fought to get up and trembled where she stood."Ellie… How could it be Ellie?"I-I have to see for myself. Ellie was such a good child, so she couldn't possibly be dead. Maybe the police made a mistake."She couldn't stop muttering, as if the words were the only thing holding her together on her way to the police station.Mom rushed over to hold her up. "It can't be, Caroline! They must've made a mistake! Ellie can't possibly be dead!"The

Seeing Mom sob until she collapsed on the floor, Martin led her aside and coldly said, "Since you still refuse to believe Eloise is dead, come with me to the scene. "Remember your professionalism. Don't ruin anything and make the investigation harder than it already is."He took her to the crime scene. Just one look was enough to make Mom nearly faint.The usually warm apartment now reeked of decay. Darkened bloodstains covered the walls and even splattered the ceiling. The door to the storage room, which Mom had locked, now had a gaping hole punched straight through its center. Shreds of clothing, splintered wood, and bits of flesh still clung to it.The entire living room was marked with trails of dragged blood.Trembling, Mom covered her mouth in horror, and her eyes were bloodshot. "Was she in a lot of pain when she died?""Pain? This was far beyond just pain. The torture lasted at least five hours."Mom couldn't listen to another word from Martin. She bolted out the door

When Martin pushed open the front door, a pungent smell hit him hard. He stared blankly at Mom, who sat calmly on the couch, wiping a knife clean."Amelia…"Mom smiled up at him. "Oh, you're here."She gestured to one of the mutilated bodies on the floor and announced, "The serial killer is right here."Martin's gaze shifted to the second body and asked, "Is that Juniper?""Yeah. What a coincidence, right? The killer walked straight into my house, and I just happened to be here, but I wasn't going to let someone else kill a person I intended to kill myself."The serial killer had most likely targeted me because my mom was a highly respected criminal psychologist. He wanted to know how Mom, who'd always remained calm no matter the case, would react when her child was the victim.That was why he found a chance to come after me, but my death hadn't caused her grief the way he expected. After asking around, he realized he'd overlooked someone significant to Mom—Juniper. He chose t