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563words2026-01-26 11:24

Our biological daughter Lily was brought back to the family.
Isabella, our adopted daughter, secretly ordered my husband Alexander's men to break Lily's legs and throw her into a wolf cage.
In front of Alexander, Isabella claimed Lily had pushed her, making her ankle twist.

Besides, Isabella showed Alexander a video, where Lily and I were "putting on a show" in the cage according to her.
Ten steel nails were driven into Lily's legs.
Wolves drooled onto Lily's face.
Stroking Isabella's hair, Alexander reacted impassively to Lily's suffer.
"Fine, Evelyn. Go on with the show."
"Never think I will pity and forgive you because of the act!"

A blood-stained pair of pliers had been put in the cage.
"Go pulling the nails out and crawl out of the cage. Then apologize to Isabella!" Alexander ordered.
My hands shook as I tightened my grip on the pliers, aiming at the first nail in Lily's leg.
Alexander's phone call came through, exploding with impatience,

"Evelyn, enough with the drama."
"Just pull out the nails and bring Lily back. Don't push your luck."
"I'm warning you — if you dare trouble Isabella again, next time I will put on the 'show' for you myself!"
I looked at the ten bloody holes in Lily's legs and laughed out loud.
The wolves growled and closed in. The iron cage rattled violently from their impact. Lily's cries were heart-wrenching.
On the remote monitor, Isabella cooed at the camera,
"Daddy, Mommy still refuses to apologize, sticking to her performance. Poor Lily."
Her innocent face was full of smug delight.
I shielded Lily with my body and roared into the empty air,
"Alexander, you monster! Open your damn eyes! Does this look like an act to you?!"
No one answered.
Only the heavy panting of the wolves drew nearer.
With a sickening squelch, the first nail was pulled out.
Lily's voice gave out. Gushing blood stained my vision red.
The warm blood was screaming all of this was real.
Lily weakly grabbed my hand.
"Mommy… it hurts so much… Isabella… she told them… to hammer hard…"
My heart stopped.
Isabella told them to hammer hard?
Alexander's men stood nearby "supervising", turning a blind eye to Lily's suffering, just urging me to "finish the act."
I stared at their faces — all those expressionless masks.
I realized in despair that besides pulling out those nails, there was no way we would get out the cage.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled out the second nail.
Lily's scream almost pierced my eardrums.
Hatred surged like a tidal wave in my eyes.
Alexander called again.
"Evelyn, that's enough! Stop this nonsense right now!"
I looked at Lily's paper-white face, at the eight nails still embedded in her legs.
"Nonsense?" My voice was low, "Fine. I'll play along ."
Third nail.
Lily was in too much pain to speak, just gripping my hand tightly.
Her hand was so small, so cold.
Fourth nail.
Fifth nail.
With each nail I pulled, my heart broke a little more.
From the monitor, Isabella's voice came through,
"Daddy, Mommy seems really crazy. Poor Lily is losing so much blood."
There wasn't a trace of worry in her tone.
Instead, it was filled with excitement, like she was watching a show.
I lifted my head and spoke to the surveillance camera.
"Isabella, listen carefully."
"I will settle this score with you."