My mother-in-law has gotten kidnapped, and yet my husband, Josiah Broadway, decides to celebrate the success of his childhood sweetheart, Vivian Spencer's performance with her.

The kidnapper has requested a ten-million-dollar ransom. If he doesn't receive the money in his bank account in an hour, he'll kill the hostage immediately.

But my calls to Josiah's phone never go through. When there's only one minute left on the timer, Josiah calls me back calmly.

"Since that hag is already that old, she might as well die. I'm not wasting my money on her."

Just like that, my mother-in-law is thrown into the sea by the furious kidnapper. The search-and-rescue team has to resort to using long hooks in order to fish her corpse out of the sea.

As soon as the body is delivered to the crematorium, Josiah sends me a voice message excitedly.

"Have your mom's corpse sent to the studio! Vivian's performance needs a corpse anyway! Using a real corpse will make the whole performance seem more realistic!"

I'm pissed off, to say the least. So, that bastard thinks that my mom is the one who died, huh?

After that, I have my mother-in-law's corpse, which is completely disfigured from all the fishing and hooking, sent to the studio without any hesitation.

By the time I arrived, Josiah Broadway was feeding Vivian Spencer a bite of cake, holding it right up to her lips.

They were smiling at each other like they were in a romance drama.

"With a real body as a prop, Vivian's performance is definitely taking home the gold."

Vivian immediately pressed herself against him, clinging to his arm and rubbing up against it.

"It's all thanks to you, Jo. Without you, where would I find something this realistic?"

The moment Josiah saw me, his face twisted with contempt.

"Your mom just died, and you're dressed like that? She never had much dignity when she was alive. Now her body's rotting like this… Guess the kidnappers figured her money was dirty and not worth taking."

I had thought Vivian had been the one who delayed the ransom.

But Josiah actually thought the dead woman was my mother?

Besides, what gave him the right to insult her like that?

Back when he had nothing, it was my mother who funded his startup.

Vivian wrinkled her nose as the body was wheeled in.

"That's disgusting. Don't let it dirty the set. This dress is couture."

I frowned. "She's dead. Show some respect."

Josiah scoffed and kicked the body.

"Respect? That shameless woman should've died a long time ago. If her body can be useful as Vivian's prop, that's more than she deserves."

I almost laughed from sheer anger.

A ten-million-dollar ransom meant nothing to Josiah. He had spent more than that on handbags for Vivian.

Yet he had dragged it out until the hostage was killed, and now he stood here, toasting champagne with Vivian like nothing had happened.

How cruel.

"Jo, don't be so hard on Sienna. Her mom just died, so it's normal she's upset," Vivian said sweetly. "Her mom can't come back to life. At least she can still be useful. If her sacrifice helps my art, that's meaningful, isn't it?"

Josiah pulled her closer and said, "See how kind Vivian is? Yet you just stand there with that blank face. Your mom deserved what she got."

He added with a smirk, "Don't worry. After the explosion tears her apart, I'll be generous and give you a plastic bag to collect the ashes."

Watching them cling to each other, I felt cold all over.

How long had they been sleeping together behind my back?

"Do whatever you want with the body. Blow it up, burn it, I don't care," I said flatly. "But insult my mother again, and you'll regret it."

Josiah shoved me. "Who the hell do you think you are to threaten me?"

He raised his hand to slap me, but his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and hung up immediately, annoyed. "My dad's assistant again. So damn irritating."

Vivian leaned into him, soft and clingy. "Is your dad pushing you about a meeting again? How annoying. He's always interrupting us."

She added, "Forget it. Don't let it ruin your mood. The next act is about to start. All the journalists are waiting to see your big moment."

At that, Josiah grinned and gestured for the crew to drag the body to the blast point.

"Set it up. We're starting now!"

I had been married to Josiah for three years.

Carina Dusk, his overbearing mother, had never once treated me like I was worth anything. She mocked me for not being able to get pregnant and said it was karma. Even my mother wasn't spared from her insults.

What she didn't know was that I had hidden Josiah's infertility diagnosis to protect his pride.

Carina would pinch me in my sleep when Josiah wasn't home. When I woke up startled, she'd just smile and ask what was wrong.

Once, she shoved me while I was cooking. Hot oil splashed across my hand, blistering my skin. But all she said was that I was in her way.

At the thought of this, I clapped slowly.

"Go ahead. Blow it up. This is your choice. Just don't regret it later."

The media swarmed around Josiah immediately.

"Mr. Broadway! We heard today's performance will be unlike anything before."

Josiah beamed. "We're using a real human body as a prop for a live explosion. Vivian's performance is going to win the gold, no question about it."

The journalists lit up. This was headline material.

Josiah turned to me, his eyes full of disgust. "Sienna, if you ruin Vivian's performance today, you won't get a single bit of your mother's ashes back."

I laughed. I really wanted to see his face when he realized that the corpse was his own mother.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text.

"Ms. Howard, Mr. Broadway Senior is on the way. Has Mr. Broadway brought his mother back yet?"

The message was from Josiah's father's assistant, Michael Stone.

Oh… this was getting interesting.

I was about to reply when Vivian squealed.

"Baby! What are you doing here?"

A dog had run up to the body, sniffed it, then lifted its leg. A stream of urine hit the corpse.

The smell spread instantly.

Vivian ran over, scooped the dog up, and looked at me with mock innocence.

"Oh, Sienna, Baby doesn't know any better. I'll apologize for him. But it's fine, right? Your mom's about to be blown up anyway. A little smell won't matter. Think of it as a final cleansing?"

Josiah burst out laughing, rubbing the dog's head. "No need to apologize. I think Baby does know better. You see, even a dog thinks her mom's filthy."

People around us murmured. Some looked at me with pity.

But I smiled.

Josiah frowned. "What the hell are you smiling at?"

I said calmly, "Animals relieve themselves wherever they want. That's just what they do."

Josiah's face darkened. "Sienna! Are you calling Vivian an animal?"

Suddenly, the director's ecstatic voice cut in. "All units ready! Demolition team, in position! Ten-second countdown!"

"Ten… Nine…"

I turned toward the entrance.

Josiah frowned. "What are you looking at? Hoping someone's coming to save you? Let me make this clear. No one is saving your worthless mother today."

The next second, the bomb went off, and the body was blown into the air.

The explosion ripped through the stage, sending the entire performance into a fever pitch.

Right then, Vivian, dressed in full costume, charged onto the stage with a sword in hand. She drove the blade down again and again, like she was trying to vent every last ounce of rage.

The corpse, already mangled beyond recognition by the brutal hooks that had hauled it up from deep water, collapsed further with each strike until it was barely more than a ruined mass.

From the audience, Josiah was on fire with excitement.

"That's it, Vivian! Go for the heart! Don't let her have a moment's peace even in death!"

I stayed in the shadows, silent, just watching.

Carina had always been obsessed with status, constantly insisting she was the most elegant woman in high society.

If she could see this now, she'd never believe that her final moments had been reduced to this spectacle, and that her own son was turning her into something to be mocked and defiled.

When it ended, Vivian glanced my way, her face full of smug satisfaction.

Josiah rushed onto the stage, swept her into his arms, and kissed her hard. Their kiss was so intense that their lips clung together.

Around them, people gasped and gushed, calling it a love story straight out of a fairy tale.

Backstage, with his face still flushed, Josiah walked up to me and slapped a document against my face.

"Guess you knew better than to cause trouble just now. Sign the divorce papers! Vivian's about to accept her award. I'm proposing to her in front of all the media. So do us a favor and get lost, you pathetic piece of trash!"

As he spoke, he shoved a plastic bag into my arms. "Don't forget to take your shameless mother with you!"

I signed the divorce papers without hesitation.

Josiah blinked, clearly not expecting that. Afraid I might change my mind, he immediately sent the papers off to his lawyer to finalize things.

Vivian walked over, her voice soft but laced with cruelty.

"Jo loves me so much that he even turned your mom's body into fireworks for me. Don't you think your mom should be thanking me? Oh, right. She's blown to pieces now. Guess there's nothing left to thank me with."

I looked at her smug face, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Back then, when Carina thought I couldn't have children, she had tried to force me into a divorce. She even spread rumors behind my back, claiming my mother was some kind of prostitute and that I was illegitimate.

She made sure everyone heard. Even Josiah had once questioned me about it.

Now it was obvious that he hadn't doubted it at all. He had believed every word Carina said.

Josiah wrapped an arm around Vivian, glaring at me with open disdain. "Sienna, take the hint and get out of here. You're an eyesore."

He let out a cold laugh. "Out of respect for your mom's 'contribution' to Vivian, I'll have security wait ten minutes before throwing you out."

I remained calm. "You can keep the remains. It's yours now. I don't need them."

I paused, then added, "Just make sure when Mr. Broadway Senior gets here that you both remember you were the ones who blew that body to pieces."

Josiah's expression darkened instantly. "Are you trying to scare me with my dad? Let me make one thing clear, Sienna. My family answers to me now. Blowing up your mom's body is nothing. Even if I scattered both you and your mom's ashes, my dad wouldn't be able to do anything to me!"

I let out a laugh. "Josiah, I only told you that 'Mom' was kidnapped. Why are you so sure the one who died was my mother and not yours?"

Josiah burst out laughing and looked at me like I was insane. "My mom? You think those broke kidnappers would dare touch her? Sienna, did that explosion scramble your brain?"

He jabbed a finger against my head.

"If it were my mom, they'd be asking for more than ten million. Your mom's the only one cheap enough for that price. One strand of my mom's hair is worth more than your mom's life."

He continued, "Besides, my mom has tens of millions sitting in her accounts. How could kidnappers possibly kill her? If they only wanted a measly ten million, she could've paid it with a flick of her finger! Try using that waterlogged brain of yours for once!"

I was indeed using my brain.

Last week, on Carina's birthday, I had picked out an expensive bracelet at an auction, planning to buy it as a gift for her.

But Josiah saw the payment slip and completely lost it, accusing me of secretly funneling money back to my "poor and useless" family.

No matter how I tried to explain, he wouldn't listen. Right in front of me, he froze all the secondary cards.

What he didn't realize was that his mother's card was one of them. He had cut off Carina's only way out of the kidnapping situation himself.

Vivian smirked, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

"Sienna, just stop pretending. Her remains are right here. Honestly, someone as low as your mom… This is probably the best ending she could hope for."

Then, unbelievably, her dog lifted its leg, about to pee right in my face.

I dodged instantly.

That was it. I had given them enough respect.

I lunged forward, grabbed Vivian by the hair, and slammed her face straight into the puddle of dog piss. Then I drove my foot into her, sending her crashing to the floor.

She screamed.

"Sienna! Are you out of your damn mind?"

Josiah's eyes turned bloodshot. He charged over, grabbed me, and slammed my head against the wall.

Still not satisfied, he wrapped his hand around my throat and slammed me onto the floor again and again.

"How dare you hurt Vivian? You've got a death wish!"

Vivian clutched her face, sobbing. "Jo… My face hurts… She made me drink dog piss…"

"Vivian, don't cry," Josiah said, his voice full of tenderness. "I'll make her apologize to you right now."

I shot him a cold glare, and his expression turned icy.

"You're not happy about it?" he snapped. "Then don't expect to walk out of here in one piece today."

He grabbed the bag of shredded flesh and, to everyone's horror, dumped it all into the dog's bowl.

The dog wagged its tail excitedly and immediately buried its head in, devouring the flesh.

The sickening crunch of bones being chewed echoed through the room.

"See that, Sienna? To me, you and your mom aren't even worth as much as a dog," Josiah said with a sneer.

Right then, hurried footsteps thundered in.

Josiah's father burst through the door with a group of bodyguards.

"Josiah! Your mother's been murdered by the kidnappers. Her body was dumped into the sea! Yet you're here fooling around with this disgraceful woman like nothing happened?"

The color drained from Josiah's face. His eyes slowly shifted toward the dog bowl in disbelief.