When I entered the funeral parlor, I saw Ivy stepping forward to light incense at the altar.

“Who told you to touch that?” I snapped.

I struck the incense from her hand with a sharp slap. Ash scattered, landing on the back of her hand. Ivy yelped and jumped back—straight into Dominic’s arms.

“Uncle… it burns!” she cried, cradling her hand.

Dominic looked at the slight red mark on her skin, his eyes darkening with anger.

“She was just trying to pay her respects, Elena. Did you really have to hurt her?”

Ivy turned her tearful gaze to me, pitiful as ever.

“Elena, I’m sorry. I only went to the wedding to bring you a gift… I didn’t know things would turn out like that!”

“Uncle’s already punished me. I truly regret what I did.”

She was playing innocent again—and, as always, Dominic fell for it.

I used to let it go for his sake. But not anymore.

I turned to him, my voice cold.

“Dominic, I’ll say it one more time. Take her away.”

Everyone in the hall knew it was Ivy who killed my mother. Whispers rippled through the crowd, and eyes turned toward her, full of blame.

Her pitiful expression twisted into rage.

“She was just an old woman! Even if I hadn’t hit her, she’d have died soon anyway!”

“And if Uncle hadn’t forced me to come light incense, do you think I’d want to be here?”

Before anyone could stop her, Ivy stormed forward and grabbed my mother’s urn.

“You don’t want me to burn incense?” she sneered. “Then no one will!”

My heart nearly stopped.

“No!”

The urn slipped from her hands.

A sharp crack rang out as it hit the ground—then silence.

Ash scattered in the air like dust in sunlight.

Gasps filled the hall.

I dropped to my knees, trying to gather what was left of my mother. My hands trembled. My eyes burned, but I forced the tears back.

Behind me, Ivy had gone mad—knocking over the mourning table, shattering vases, tearing down the wreaths. The funeral was ruined.

I gathered what ashes I could, placed them on a cloth, and walked out of the hall.

Dominic caught up with me.

“Ivy just has a bad temper… she couldn’t handle everyone blaming her,” he said quietly. “She went too far this time—I’ll take care of the funeral arrangements, don’t worry.”

His words made me sick.

I glanced at his hand gripping my arm.

“There’s no need.”

I pushed him away gently, my voice drained of emotion. I had no energy left to argue.

Dominic stared at his empty hand, stunned.

I hadn’t even made it down the steps when my phone rang.

“Ms. Shaw,” the nurse said urgently. “Your father’s oxygen tube was pulled out…”

Her words hit me like thunder.

I rushed to the hospital, clutching the bundle of ashes on my chest.

But when I arrived, his body was already covered with a white sheet.

“Who did this?!” I screamed. “Who got into his room?! I hired new guards, new nurses—how did this happen?!”

The head nurse knelt on the floor, trembling.

“It was Miss Mercer… she said your father was wasting hospital resources, and… the board agreed to stop treatment.”

“She has shares in this hospital… no one dared to say no.”

My vision blurred with rage.

“Stop fighting with her,” the nurse whispered. “Please, Miss Shaw. You’ll only make things worse.”

I couldn’t hear another word.

All I could see was Ivy’s smug face at the funeral. Her tantrum. Her hand destroys everything my mother had left behind.

I hailed a taxi and went straight home.

Before I even reached the door of the villa, I could hear laughter—music, people celebrating.

Then came her voice, loud and unfiltered:

“If Elena’s dad hadn’t saved my uncle, do you really think he’d ever have married her?”

“I will never let my uncle marry anyone but me!”

Ivy’s shrill voice pierced the air, her words cutting like knives.

“My mother died the first time he tried to marry, and my father died the second. Let’s see if Elena Shaw even dares to try a third time!”

Her arrogant voice echoed in my mind, again and again, like a cursed melody I couldn’t silence.

Something in me snapped.

I kicked open the villa door and slammed my hand on the speaker, cutting the music mid-beat. The room froze.

Without hesitation, I turned and slapped Ivy hard across the face.

Her head whipped to the side. Shock filled her wide eyes. Her hand flew to her cheek, red and swelling.

“You hit me?!” she shrieked. “No one has ever dared to hit me!”

She screamed for help, and within seconds, several people rushed in, grabbing my arms and forcing me to the ground.

“You think you can act like this just because your parents died?” Ivy sneered, towering over me. “You think you’re special?”

Her high heel slammed down on the back of my hand.

Pain exploded through my arm, and I screamed.

“I already killed your mother. I pulled out your father’s oxygen tube. And if I want, I can kill you too.”

“To people like me, your life means nothing.”

Someone turned the music back on. The party resumed like nothing had happened.

And then it got worse.

Ivy and her friends began kicking me—again and again. Someone dragged a knife across my arm, shallow but deliberate. Blood streamed down, and Ivy laughed, eyes bright with cruelty.

“You’ll pay for this,” I hissed through gritted teeth, rage blinding my pain. “Ivy, you will pay.”

She tilted her head, smirking.

“Pay?”

She turned to the others. “Tie her up.”

They dragged me to a small storage room, bound me, and taped my mouth shut.

Before leaving, Ivy crouched in front of me and smiled. “Open your eyes, Elena. You’ll see who really pays the price.”

I struggled against the restraints, fury pounding in my chest. Just then, the door creaked open.

Dominic stepped inside.

He looked at Ivy, then frowned. “What happened to your face?”

She didn’t answer directly. Instead, she glanced toward the cubicle where I was hidden. Her lips curled into a wicked smile.

“You always think I’m causing trouble.”

“Come on, let’s end the party. When Elena comes back, she’ll be upset again,” she said sweetly.

Dominic chuckled and flicked her nose affectionately. “You always make such a fuss.”

“Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

Ivy clung to his waist, white fingers tightening around him. “Uncle…”

He gave in easily. “I’ll take you somewhere.”

I could barely breathe as the door opened. From where I was hidden, I saw it all.

Dominic pinned Ivy against the wall.

His voice—low, tender, full of desire—was nothing like the cold tones he used with me.

“Ivy… you shouldn’t tempt me like this.”

“You know we can never be together, not publicly.”

My nails dug into my palms.

Eight years.

In eight years, the only time Dominic and I had slept together, he was drunk. And I had initiated it. I thought he was simply dispassionate. That he didn’t care for sex.

But now I knew the truth: he just didn’t want me.

“I know,” Ivy whispered. “That’s why I’ll always be your little pet.”

She pulled him into a kiss. Their bodies pressed together. Hands roamed. The moans, the way they touched each other—it was more than betrayal. It was humiliation.

And I watched it all.

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. The pain in my body was nothing compared to this.

Later, as they lay tangled on the couch, Ivy rested her head on his chest, her voice syrupy and smug.

“Uncle… I pulled out Elena’s father’s oxygen tube.”

For a moment, I held my breath, waiting.

Waiting for him to react.

To show even the smallest shred of outrage.

But all Dominic did was sigh and kiss her forehead.

“You really love causing trouble, don’t you?”

"Forget it, I’ll explain everything to Elena myself."

Dominic’s voice held no anger—only the same helpless indulgence he always showed Ivy.

She smiled sweetly, promised she’d never do it again, then tugged at his arm, pouting for him to stay a little longer.

I had long since lost count of how many times I cried. My tears dried, only to fall again.

When the lights finally flicked back on, Ivy stood before me in nothing but a thin camisole, her collarbone littered with red marks from their lovemaking.

She smirked.

“Did you hear that clearly?”

“In his eyes, the lives of your parents are just another one of my little ‘mistakes.’ So tell me, Elena—what do you have to fight me with?”

I didn’t respond. Didn’t move.

Seeing that I had lost the will to resist, Ivy scoffed, tossed a few final insults my way, and sauntered out.

The moment the door shut, I pulled out my phone and opened the voice recorder. Then, I hit send.

[This time, I’m taking Ivy to court—and I won’t stop until she’s sentenced.]

The reply from my lawyer came almost instantly:

[I told you to wait and gather everything for this moment. This time, we’ll win.]

[Send the divorce agreement to Dominic’s office. I want it on his desk before he hears from me again.]

After I handled my father's funeral arrangements, I sat quietly outside the operating room, waiting for my abortion. While reading over the legal complaint, my phone rang.

It was Dominic.

“The hospital was negligent about your father,” he said. “I’ve already held them accountable.”

“Let’s plan your parents’ funeral properly. I’ll pick you up when I’m done here.”

My voice was calm. “Alright.”

Just as I was about to hang up, he hesitated.

“Where are you?” he asked, uneasy.

I laughed softly, bitterly.

“Obstetrics and gynecology,” I said.

“Waiting for the abortion.”

The silence on the other end was followed by a sharp gasp—and then the clatter of his phone hitting the floor.

I ended the call and turned off my phone.

Then I stood and walked into the operating room.

Dominic, when I come out—

we’ll settle everything. One by one.

—

At his office, Dominic stared at the screen. The call had ended.

He dialed again. No answer.

Again. Still nothing.

Panic bloomed in his chest.

He shot to his feet, grabbing his coat.

Just as he reached the door, his assistant stepped in, holding a stack of documents.

“Sir, about the meeting—”

“Push it to tomorrow. I have something urgent.”

The assistant hesitated, then pulled one document from the bottom of the pile.

“This… Miss Shaw asked me to deliver this to you personally.”

Dominic reached for it.

Then froze.

His eyes landed on the bold black words at the top of the page.

Divorce Agreement.