Xavier never cared about me or our child, let alone my feelings. Even now, after losing our baby, he did not even realize it had happened.

I took a step back, my voice cold as I said, "Don't touch me, you filth."

Once, I had clung to him, desperate for his attention. However, I could no longer stand him coming near me.

Xavier started to step forward, but Reina spoke up first. "Eloise, Xavier asked you a question. Did you give birth? Why are you hiding the baby? He's busy, and you must be more understanding. You—"

"Reina, shut your mouth!" I raised my hand and slapped her across the face, pouring all the pain of losing my daughter into that single strike.

I growled, saying, "You know what you did to me. Don't push me, or I swear, I'll kill you."

Xavier was about to say something, but at that moment, his expression twisted with fury. He shoved me hard, and I stumbled, nearly dropping the vial holding my daughter's ashes.

He yelled, "Eloise, she's your sister, and you hit her?"

My voice trembled with rage. "Sister? What kind of sister wraps her arms around her brother-in-law like that and throws herself at him?"

Reina leaned pitifully against Xavier's shoulder, her eyes welling with tears. "Xavier, it's my fault. Don't blame Eloise… She's just given birth, after all."

I looked at Xavier. "Why don't you ask her what she did before running off to sleep with you last night?"

Xavier's expression darkened. "Reina? What could she have done? Eloise, not everyone is as manipulative as you."

His words cut into me like a knife. He had not been home in so long and never cared about me. Of course, he would not care what Reina had done to me, either.

In his eyes, I was just a villain.

I thought about my baby kicking inside me as if she were protesting—protesting the fact that her father never paid attention to her.

The physical and emotional toll of my pregnancy had been unbearable. The pain, the exhaustion, the loneliness—it had only gotten worse over time.

I had begged Xavier to stay, had even dropped to my knees, pleading for just a little of his time—just once.

I had even promised him that after the baby was born, I would leave, and he would be free. For a moment, he hesitated. He looked at me with an expression I could not quite read—something between satisfaction and conflict.

"Are you serious?" he had asked.

The pain had been unbearable, but I had nodded, tears streaming down my face. I had known him since we were kids. I had found him under a bridge, homeless and alone, and begged my parents to take him in.

From that day on, he had become my brother in name, though we were not related by blood. When my dad passed away, my uncle took Reina in, leaving me and my mom to fend for ourselves.

I did not want Xavier to end up back on the streets, so I begged my mom to keep him with us. Due to that, he had hated me for years.

He had wanted to leave with Reina, but before my mom passed away, she had entrusted me to Xavier. She told him that only with him by my side could she rest in peace.

Xavier had agreed, but he had never once mentioned marriage. So, I had lived in this nameless, meaningless relationship with him.

My mom had died without ever seeing the wedding she had dreamed of. After we buried her, Xavier finally showed his true colors.

"Your mother was just as selfish as you," he had said coldly. "Did she think she could tie me to you forever?

"I've done more than enough for you. Don't expect anything else from me. My bride will only ever be Reina."

He even said, "There's no one for me except her. I don't love you. I don't want you. This is what you deserve."

He had wanted to marry Reina, but because of me and the baby, she had refused. I had already decided to let go—so why was he still so cruel?

"Xavier, our baby is gone," I choked out, my voice breaking. "She's dead. It was Reina. Reina pushed me down the stairs, and that was why I gave birth too soon. It was all because of her!"

Xavier hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to my stomach before a cold smirk tugged at his lips.

He said mockingly, "Eloise, you're getting really creative. Now that you know you can't fool me, you're trying to pin this on Reina? You think I'd believe you?"

Tears blurred my vision, and my heart ached so painfully that I could hardly breathe.

"It was her!"

I lunged forward, rage burning through me, desperate to make Reina pay for my daughter's life.

Reina let out a terrified shriek and clung to Xavier, trembling. "Xavier, help me! Eloise is trying to kill me! What did I ever do to deserve this? Why does she hate me so much?"

Xavier pulled her protectively into his arms, and before I could react, his hand struck my face with a vicious slap.

"Enough, Eloise! She's your sister, and you're accusing her of this? Just because your baby is gone doesn't mean Reina had anything to do with it!"

Reina whimpered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks, and Xavier's expression instantly softened. He gently wiped them away with his fingertips, his touch unbearably tender.

The sight of it was like a knife twisting in my heart.

When we were kids, Xavier was like that with me, too. If I cried, he would always be the one to wipe my tears away.

Nonetheless, that was a lifetime ago. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped caring, and I had no idea when or why it had happened.

Xavier spoke to Reina in a soft, comforting voice before turning to me, his eyes ice-cold. "Eloise, I won't let you slander Reina like this. Apologize to her."

I shouted, "I won't!"

Xavier had not expected me to defy him.

I did not remember when he started hating me, but I remembered how I used to feel about him. For years, he had been my entire world. I loved him, so I always tried to please him, walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting him.

Yet, he never noticed, and he never cared. To him, my feelings were nothing but a nuisance, something to be trampled on without a second thought.

No matter what I did, I was always in the wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I could never compare to Reina.

Xavier arched a brow, briefly startled. He warned me, saying, "Eloise, don't test my patience."

I had nothing left to say to him. I turned to go, but my defiance only seemed to enrage him more.

He stormed toward me, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me down, forcing me onto my knees in front of Reina. He snapped, saying, "I told you to apologize!"

Reina smirked at me before turning back to Xavier with a sweet, innocent expression. "Xavier, it's okay. Eloise didn't mean it."

Xavier's heart melted at her supposed kindness. "Reina, you're always too forgiving. She hit you, and she falsely accused you. She needs to apologize."

Then, he looked at me, his gaze sharp with warning. "Anyone who hurts Reina will pay for it twice over."

My mind flashed back to high school when a group of guys had cornered me. Xavier had come charging in, shielding me, fighting them off. Now, he was the one hurting me.

Maybe it was because I refused to beg. Perhaps it was because I did not break the way he wanted me to.

Xavier suddenly released me, only to drive his foot into my shoulder, sending me sprawling onto the floor. He snarled and said, "Eloise, don't push me. Apologize. Now."

"I won't!"

His expression darkened. "What did you say?"

I shouted, "I said I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?"

The words had barely left my mouth before his hand came down on my face again. The force of the slap sent me reeling, my body turning to the side.

The vial in my hand slipped from my grasp, and the glass shattered as it hit the floor with a sharp crack.

My daughter's ashes scattered across the floor, and I scrambled to gather them with my hands like a madwoman.

Xavier frowned. "Eloise, what is wrong with you? Why are you bringing dirt into the house?"

Reina's eyes flashed with something sinister before she leaned weakly against Xavier's shoulder. She said softly, "Xavier, it wasn't on purpose. I'll clean it up."

She stood up and grabbed a broom while Xavier pinned my arms back to keep me from stopping her.

"No! That's my daughter's ashes! Reina, what are you doing?!" I screamed, thrashing desperately, but it was useless. I could only watch as Reina swept away every last trace of my precious baby.

"Xavier, where should I dump this?" Reina asked casually.

Xavier finally let go of me. "Flush it down the toilet. It's disgusting. You shouldn't touch it—so much dust, you'll make yourself sick."

He reached for the dustpan, fully intending to dump my daughter's remains into the toilet.

"No!" I let out a bloodcurdling scream and threw myself at him, collapsing at his feet.

"Xavier, please, I'm begging you! Don't throw it away! That's our daughter. Those are her ashes!"

My swollen, tear-streaked eyes barely opened, but the desperation in them was unmistakable.

For a split second, Xavier hesitated. However, Reina's voice cut in smoothly, pulling his attention away.

She said, "Eloise, why are you lying to Xavier? You gave birth to a healthy baby, so why are you making up these horrible stories? This can't be ashes. No mother would curse her child like that—no matter how angry."

With just a few gentle words, she twisted the entire situation. As a result, Xavier's brief hesitation vanished.

He scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "Almost had me there. But Reina's right—if you cared about this baby so much, why are you still here acting normal? If she were dead, you'd be falling apart."

Then, without warning, he kicked me aside and headed straight for the bathroom, dustpan in hand. I watched in horror as he moved to dump my daughter's ashes into the toilet.

I shouted, "No! Please, don't do this!"

Xavier chuckled. "If it means so much to you, then apologize to Reina."

I nodded frantically. "Okay! I'll apologize!"

I dropped to my knees, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as I choked out the words. "Reina, I'm sorry."

Xavier was not satisfied. He said, "Not good enough. Get on your knees properly and bow."

I clenched my teeth so hard I thought they might crack, but I obeyed. I bowed deeply and apologized. "Reina, I'm sorry!"

Reina's eyes glowed triumphantly before she quickly masked it with a kind expression. She reached down, pretending to help me up.

"Eloise, just don't lie again, okay? I won't hold it against you."

Her fingers dug into my arm, her sharp nails biting into my skin, making me tremble in pain.

Xavier finally seemed satisfied. "Now that's more like it. But don't think this means I believe you. Keeping something this filthy in the house is bad for Reina's health."

Without another word, he casually tipped the dustpan forward, letting the ashes pour into the toilet bowl.

"Xavier! No!" I let out a strangled sob and stumbled forward, plunging my hands into the water, desperate to save what little I could.

Yet, as my fingers touched the ashes, Xavier pressed the flush.