Chapter 1
785words
He thrust the urn skyward, his eyes boring into mine with pure venom.
"I am Charles Grant's only son! Everything he owned belongs to me!"
"Hand over what's mine, or you'll never see his ashes again!"
I stepped forward, ice in my veins, and cracked my palm across his face.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?"
Before he could respond, my mother-in-law lunged forward and struck me across the face.
"You heartless witch! You drove my son to his grave, and now you dare mistreat his only child!"
I touched my stinging cheek, a small smile playing at the corner of my lips.
"Very well, Mother. If he's truly Charles's only son, then the estate should rightfully be his."
As fate would have it, Charles Grant's company had just collapsed into bankruptcy, and I'd been searching for the perfect fall guy.
Felix Grant's eyes gleamed with greed at the mention of inheriting everything.
He strutted forward but caught his own foot, sending Charles's urn flying through the air.
The urn smashed directly into Charles's memorial portrait.
With a sickening crack, ashes exploded across the floor as the framed photo shattered into pieces.
The mourners gasped in unison. Someone muttered a curse from the back row.
"God almighty, that's sacrilege!"
Victoria Palmer's smug expression froze solid, her lips twitching wordlessly.
I gazed at the gray dust scattered across the polished floor, my nails digging crescents into my palms to keep from laughing.
Oh Charles, Charles. In life, your heart belonged entirely to your second family.
And look how that turned out.
Murdered by your bastard son, and now even your ashes can't rest in peace.
Karma's a bitch, isn't it?
Felix's face drained of color as he shot nervous glances toward the back of the room.
He scurried to Victoria's side, clutching her arm with a pathetic whimper.
"Grandmother…"
Victoria melted at the title, her face softening with sympathy as she comforted her newfound grandson.
"There, there, Grandma will take care of everything."
She shot me a venomous sidelong glare.
"Why are you just standing there gawking? Clean up my son's ashes, you useless woman!"
My daughter Eve's face flushed crimson as she jabbed her finger at Felix.
"Grandma, how can you be so blind? He's the worthless one here!"
"My mom is—"
I caught her hand, silencing her with a subtle shake of my head.
Eve bit her lip, her chest heaving with anger, but she swallowed her words and turned away.
I calmly retrieved a broom from the corner and began sweeping the ashes across the floor.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Victoria shrieked, lunging at me, but I sidestepped her attack with practiced ease.
She clutched her chest, wheezing dramatically, and jabbed a bony finger at me.
"You wretched fool!"
"You're sweeping my son's remains like common dirt!"
I looked up with wide, innocent eyes, broom still poised in my hands.
"But Mother, you told me to clean this up. How else would I collect the ashes without sweeping them first?"
I tilted my head slightly, catching my daughter's eye with a subtle glance.
Eve caught on instantly, her eyes welling with tears as she addressed the onlookers:
"My mother has been a Grant for twenty years, and until Dad died, she never had to lift a finger for housework."
"Dad's barely cold in his grave, and Grandma's already treating Mom like hired help."
"I know Grandma's always hated Mom, but to humiliate her like this—in front of Dad's bastard, no less!"
The mourners' expressions shifted immediately, all eyes turning to Victoria with newfound judgment.
"What's wrong with the old bat? Bullying her daughter-in-law before her son is even laid to rest!"
"And trying to hand everything over to some bastard child? Disgraceful!"
Victoria's face cycled between ghostly white and furious red as the whispers reached her ears.
She snapped her fingers at the servants to collect the ashes properly and barked at the officiant to continue the service.
After enduring that circus of a funeral, I dragged my exhausted body through the front door of our home.
Only to find Victoria standing in the center of the living room with Felix and a woman dressed entirely in white, blocking my path.
The woman clung to Felix's arm, her eyes challenging mine with undisguised triumph.
I didn't need introductions to know exactly who she was.
Victoria looked down her nose at me, her chin lifted in superiority.
"From today onward, Felix and Jessica Miller will be living here!"
"Felix is my son's only heir. Now that Charles is gone, I can't possibly let them live like vagabonds."
