My daughter died, but my husband asked me to apologize to the murderer.

The son of my husband's first love had been relentlessly humiliating my daughter, spreading rumors everywhere.

Unable to bear the shame, my daughter slit her wrists and took her own life.

I was furious and wanted revenge on the culprit.

But my husband slapped me several times, grabbed my hair, and slammed my head against the wall.

"Are you crazy? How can you be so vicious? Why are you picking a fight with someone so much younger than you?"

"Your daughter is already dead, and now you want to make the living suffer too?"

Yes, I wanted him to suffer.

Why should the murderer get to live peacefully?

***

I had been sick and hospitalized for a week.

But when I returned home, I noticed something wrong with my daughter.

She no longer had her usual lively and cheerful spirit.

She was silent, withdrawn, and I even saw her secretly crying at night.

I asked my husband.

"What happened these days?"

Without lifting his head from his phone, he chuckled at something on the screen.

"Nothing happened. You're overthinking it. She's just acting all mopey, as if the whole world owes her something."

"She's nothing like..."

He paused, suddenly remembering something, and didn't finish his sentence.

That was impossible! My daughter, Nina, had always been such a cheerful child. Something must have happened.

One day, while Nina was at school, I was cleaning her room and found a pair of bloodstained pants under her bed.

My head spun, and a wave of fury rushed through me.

I knew exactly what that meant.

Holding back my surging emotions, I confronted Liam.

"Are you telling me you really don't know what's been happening to Nina these days? You honestly have no idea?"

Liam avoided my gaze and shoved me aside.

"How would I know? It's girl stuff, don't bother me."

His evasive eyes only fueled my suspicion. He definitely knew something, and he was deliberately hiding it from me.

I didn't press him further, nor did I dare to ask Nina directly.

I knew how sensitive girls her age were.

I decided to check the security footage from a few days ago. The more I watched, the more enraged I became. My blood ran cold, and fury surged within me.

In the footage, I saw a seemingly polite boy entering my home.

I didn't recognize him, but it was obvious that Liam did.

Because Liam had brought him in.

Liam warmly welcomed the boy into our house, and after giving Nina a few instructions, he left.

I heard him say.

"Nina, this is your brother Alex."

After Liam left, Alex kept trying to get close to Nina.

Before long, he pulled her into a room and shut the door.

I could hear my daughter crying.

She shouted loudly for her father.

I even heard banging against the door.

But no matter how much she screamed, no one came to help her.

Because Liam wasn't home.

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. My eyes reddened as I kept watching that door.

Filthy scum. I wanted to find him. I wanted to kill him.

But I had to keep watching. First, I had to find out exactly who he was.

The next day, Alex didn't come alone. He brought a woman with him.

In an instant, I understood everything.

That woman was none other than Liam's ex-girlfriend, Maya.

So Alex was Maya's son. No wonder Liam treated him so well and brought him into our home.

Nina locked herself in her room, refusing to come out. Alex deliberately taunted her through the door, saying.

"Uncle, do you think she doesn't like me? She won't even come out."

Liam kicked open Nina's door and yanked her by the hair.

"How could you be so rude? A guest comes over, and you don't even come out to greet him. You've been completely ruined by your classless mother."

Laughing and chatting with Maya, Liam left, while Alex pushed Nina back into the room.

Once again, I heard her helpless screams and cries.

I couldn't stand it anymore; my tears flowed uncontrollably.

This trash—he was so arrogant, and right in my own house.

In my daughter's room.

I had to kill him. Absolutely.

Fighting back my emotions, I went to find my daughter.

She was silent the entire way. I tried everything to cheer her up, but she didn't say a word.

Several times, she opened her mouth to say something, looking at me, but in the end, she closed it with tears in her eyes.

My heart ached, but I hugged her tightly.

"Nina, don't be afraid. Whatever happened, Mommy's here. I'll avenge you."

Finally, her tears flowed, and she timidly whispered.

"Mom, I'm scared."

"Mom, Dad said not to tell anyone."

"He said if anyone finds out, he will kill me."

I held her even tighter. I needed to give her enough sense of security.

I wanted my lively, cheerful daughter back.

"Don't be afraid. Anyone who bullies my Nina, I'll kill them first."

Yes, I would kill him first.

I found a fruit knife in the kitchen and stuffed it into my pocket before heading to Maya's house.

As I approached the door, I could hear laughter inside.

Liam was there.

"Alex, your grades have been great lately. Keep up the good work, okay? Uncle will come over to tutor you every day."

"Uncle, can I go to your house again?"

"Not right now. That nasty woman is back, and she's as fierce as a tiger."

"Then bring Nina next time!"

"Sure, I'll bring her tomorrow."

Damn it!

I kicked open the slightly ajar door.

Liam saw me, startled for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"Monica, what are you doing here?"

I looked at him with my back teeth clenched.

"What do you think I'm doing? Don't you have your own home? Don't you have your own kid? Why are you so eager to tutor someone else's child?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm a tutor. What's wrong with helping a child study?"

Huh!

A tutor.

"Did she pay you? Even a single penny?"

"Did you ever get a single cent from her?"

Maya, seeing me, smiled smugly.

"I offered to pay him, but Liam didn't want any. It's not my fault."