The hot water washed over my body, but it couldn't dispel the smell of disinfectant in the hospital.

That last look in my daughter's eyes kept dangling in front of my eyes. Her little hands couldn't stop reaching toward me as if she was trying to grab something.

The scene lingered in my mind. By the time I came out of the bathroom, my tears had dried up.

“Why didn't you say anything to me that you took that little girl to the hospital?”

Geoffrey's voice came from behind me. I turned around and looked at him.

I could vaguely see that his shirt was now open. There were lipstick marks on his neck. His face was also full of impatience at the moment.

“Catalina's high-end dress was ruined because of your daughter. Do you know how much it cost? It's all because you spoiled that child too much, Xaviera. She became completely ignorant of the rules. Please bring her to apologize to Catalina tomorrow!”

The rope in my heart that was trying so hard to hold on, could no longer hold on. I took a deep breath and looked at my husband intently.

“She's still a child, Geoffrey. She's not even good at swimming yet. So, she shouldn't be forced into the water to be punished by you.”

Geoffrey glanced at me and sneered angrily, “Isn't it just soaking in water for a few minutes? Is it necessary to be pretentious like this? After all, Catalina has also taught her to swim with good intentions, Xaviera.”

I cut him off firmly. “She's dead, Geoffrey.”

I repeated it word for word. Every word I said was like a knife slicing my throat.

“Jocelyn died. Organ failure due to fluid in her lungs. The surgery even took five hours."

Geoffrey's expression changed from shock to anger. “Are you kidding me, Xaviera? Now you want to spoil your daughter and not let her apologize for her mistakes? You even went so far as to argue that she's dead. How can a mother curse her own child like this? You're really cruel!”

Having said that, he slammed the door and left angrily. In the meantime, a deep sense of helplessness came over me.

I realized that in Geoffrey's eyes, I looked like a criminal who had done many evil deeds. Perhaps that was why he didn't care at all whether the child lived or died.

***

The room was quiet again. I swept up the mess on the living room floor.

There were messy clothes on the sofa and overturned red wine glasses on the bar table. There was also the smell of perfume that was too strong for me. That was Catalina's scent.

I walked slowly towards the sofa. My toes accidentally touched a wet spot on it. I didn't know if it was wine or something else.

Geoffrey's words rang in my ears again at this moment. “Catalina's haute couture dress got wet because of your daughter. Do you know how much it cost? Go and apologize to her tomorrow.”

I laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks. My daughter died, but all he cared about was Catalina's dress.

I flopped down on the sofa and thought back to the day I found out I was pregnant. At that moment Geoffrey was as happy as a child. He kissed and hugged me tightly. He even hugged me while twisting my body several times.

There was unstoppable joy in his voice, “Xaviera, we're going to have a baby! I'm going to be a father!"

He decorated the nursery himself. Geoffrey also didn't forget to buy a lot of books on parenting. He even turned down all social events in favour of talking to the baby while nestled on my stomach every night.

I distinctly remember that there was a light in her eyes. I was absolutely convinced that our child must be the happiest in the world.

Unfortunately, while I was literally lying in the delivery room, in excruciating pain, my husband Geoffrey was not there. He disappeared without me knowing where he was.

The nurse called me again and again. She finally told me desperately, “Mr. Geoffrey said that he was busy and asked you to do the delivery yourself, Mrs. Xaviera.”

I later learned that Catalina had just returned to Andorra that day. Geoffrey had accompanied her to the amusement park for the whole day. Yet at the same time, I was lying in a hospital bed and covered in blood from giving birth to our child.

Geoffrey posted a photo of him and Catalina on his Instagram Moments. I still remember very well the caption that was written on the photo that read ‘Welcome back, my lovely princess’.

I asked Geoffrey angrily when he arrived home at that moment. Unfortunately, he became impatient and temperamental.

He said loudly, “Childbirth is a woman's job, Xaviera. So I cannot help you. At the same time, Catalina has just returned home, so she should be welcomed. You should be sensible and stop making trouble like this.”

From then on, Catalina's presence made less and less sense to me. She even ‘accidentally’ sat on my husband's lap during a family gathering. She also dared to feed him fruit while smiling sweetly.

Catalina was also very bold in showing off the jewellery Geoffrey had given her in front of me. She deliberately said, “Xaviera, don't worry about your relationship. Geoffrey is just too used to spoiling me like a child.”

Geoffrey just watched coldly from start to finish. He even said casually, but with the intention of bullying me, “Xaviera, be more generous, okay?”

Gradually, I stopped arguing and making trouble. I gave all my love to my daughter. But at this moment, she was gone.

***

The next morning, I went to the funeral home. I stood in front of the mourning hall and looked at the portrait of my daughter.

She was smiling so sweetly as if she had just fallen asleep. But I knew she would never wake up again.

The old man stood to the side with a cane. His face was deathly pale. I saw him constantly trying to call someone. Unfortunately, no one answered his calls.

The old man finally became angry. He slammed his stick hard on the floor.

“Where is Geoffrey at this moment? Why isn't he here yet?”

His assistant shakily handed over the tablet in his hand. “I know, Mr. Theodore. Mr. Geoffrey was staying at The Blackstone Hotel last night."

The screen of the tablet clearly showed Geoffrey hugging Catalina's waist. He kissed her impatiently in the hotel corridor.

Theodore saw the photo and became furious. His whole body was trembling, but I just smiled stiffly. As I had suspected from the beginning, my husband would refuse to see his daughter even for the last time.

Unexpectedly just as the funeral began, the door to the funeral hall suddenly opened. Geoffrey entered wearing a black suit. Catalina was also beside him. Her arm seemed to be tightly wrapped around Geoffrey's. She was wearing a bright red dress as red as blood. It really stung my eyes.

Catalina smiled and leaned close to Geoffrey's ear. She deliberately let everyone hear her words.

“Geoffrey, this is the funeral of a jinxed child, right? Should we try on wedding dresses after this?”

Geoffrey chuckled at Catalina's words. He pinched her face in amusement.

“As you wish, Catalina.”

I stood there stoically. My nails dug deep into my palms, but I didn't feel any pain.

The old man was angry at the words of both of them. He stepped forward and slapped Geoffrey hard.

“You beast! This is your daughter's funeral, Geoffrey.”

Geoffrey tilted his head. He wiped the corner of his bleeding mouth.

“Grandpa, are you old and confused? Xaviera even dared to fake her funeral just to gain your favour. Do you trust her more than I do?”

I suddenly looked up and stared at him in disbelief. I couldn’t believe he really thought my daughter's funeral was a charade I was acting out.

My voice trembled violently at this moment. “Geoffrey, no matter how much you humiliate me, I can bear it. But today is the funeral of Jocelyn, our daughter!"

He sneered as if I had said something very funny. He still wrapped his arms around Catalina's waist.

He then announced loudly, “Catalina is pregnant. This is the child I've been waiting for.”

Catalina touched her flat stomach proudly. She looked at me provocatively and said, “Don't be sad, Xaviera. She's just a child. Dead is dead. Then you can still have another child, right?”

I was so angry that my whole body was shaking. I couldn’t barely stand up.

On the other hand, the guests were whispering. Some shook their heads, some sneered and some picked up their cell phones to record the scene.

The funeral hall was in chaos at this moment. Geoffrey and Catalina dropped Jocelyn's portrait and the white flowers in front of the urn they trampled.

The old man was so angry that his face turned blue. He then raised his stick to hit him.

Geoffrey grabbed him and said coldly, “Grandfather, I beg you not to be fooled by Xaviera. She's the best at acting.”

After saying this, he pulled Catalina away and turned around. They ignored the state of the funeral hall that had been turned upside down by the two of them.

Catalina's high-heeled shoes also ‘accidentally’ kicked over the incense burner on the offering table. The ashes were scattered all over the floor.

After the funeral, I stood alone in the empty funeral hall, looking at the mess on the ground. My daughter's last photo was of a grinning scar. I gently wiped away the dust on the glass.

I whispered, “Jocelyn, I will take you home.”

***

Back to the villa, I packed all my stuff in silence. I put my daughter's toys, clothes and picture albums into the suitcase one by one.

Finally, I picked up the divorce agreement on the coffee table. I also signed my name with a single stroke.

I said briefly, “Geoffrey Ethelbert, from now on, you and I will never see each other again in life or death. I swear!”

Before leaving, I looked back at this place that I once called home. The surface of the swimming pool was calm and wave-free as if it had never swallowed the life of a child. I closed the door and left without looking back.

I hugged my daughter's urn and said softly, “My lovely Jocelyn, we are free now.”

***

Meanwhile, at the other place, the banquet was filled with drinks. The crystal chandeliers were also shining.

“Mr. Geoffrey, congratulations. I heard that Ms. Catalina is pregnant?”

A certain boss smiled and toasted with Geoffrey. Geoffrey's lips were slightly hooked at this moment. His fingertips rubbed Catalina's waist and nodded.

Catalina shyly lowered her head and stroked over her flat belly. But a panic flashed under her eyes.

Right at this moment, Vincent Maverick, the president of Maverick Group, held up the champagne and walked over to this side.

Geoffrey frowned for a while. He stared intently at his business rival.

He had previously intercepted Vincent's overseas cooperation by underhanded means, causing the Maverick Family to lose hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now he was naturally a bit defensive towards him. Vincent's eyes were cold, but there was a smile on his lips that he was determined to win.

Vincent said, “I heard that on the day of the burial of Mr. Theodore’s grandchild, you were accompanying your new love to try on wedding dresses?”

Geoffrey's face sank suddenly. “Mr. Vincent, you will be held legally responsible for spreading rumours.”

Vincent laughed lightly. He then raised his hand to sign something. The next second, the giant screen in the banquet hall lit up.

The surveillance video of the emergency room resuscitation was played little by little until death was announced. The death certificate was written in black and white:

Name: Jocelyn Ethelbert

Cause of death: Acute respiratory failure caused by drowning.

And the time of death was exactly the day he gave little punishment to his daughter. On the screen, Geoffrey hung up more than a dozen phone calls, the last call recording only a few seconds.

I cried and called him at that moment. Unfortunately, he indifferently said, “If you want to die, die far away”.

Geoffrey stumbled back. He knocked over the champagne tower. He rushed to the front of the screen.

He said with a hoarse voice, “This…this is impossible!”