Jane's POV:

“Bellaaaaaaa!” I scream at the top of my lungs as her little body, stained with blood, hits the ground.

The world around me fades as I hold her in my arms. I glance at the truck that just hit her—there's no number plate or anything to identify it.

“Mommy...” Her faint voice grips my heart with excruciating pain. I lift her small body and run toward my car, but she takes her last breath in my arms.

My steps freeze, and time seems to stop. Did I just lose my daughter?

“No, no. Baby, my sweetheart. Here is your Mommy. Sorry, please. Mommy got late. Don’t punish Mommy like this.” I shake her body, but there’s no movement. Fresh blood droplets roll down from her lifeless form.

My vision blurs with tears. “Bella, just get up. It’s not the time for a prank.” I kneel on the road. The rough asphalt hurts my knees, but it’s nothing compared to the agony in my heart as I hold my daughter’s body.

I hug her tightly to my chest. “Noooooooooo!” Just an hour ago, she was alive, breathing, giggling, and being mischievous. Now, she’s a memory. She won’t play in the backyard or demand ice cream anymore.

“God, please. Give her back to me. I will never trust anyone else with her safety. Pleaseeeeeeeee!” The air echoes the desperate cry of a mother holding her only daughter’s lifeless form.

...

~An hour ago~

"Ma'am, I'm leaving. Here is your medicine, and I’ve put food in the refrigerator. Once Bella comes home, you can heat it up in the microwave." I nodded at my maid, feeling weak from the fever that was plaguing me.

"Let me know how your husband is doing. Take care and bye," she said with a smile before leaving.

I looked at the wall clock. It was almost time to pick Bella up from school. I took my phone and sent a reminder message to Zack, my husband.

"Don't forget to pick up Bella, please." I said immediately.

"On my way."

It was Bella’s first month at school. Such a sweet and gentle girl. I admired her picture and waited for her tiny hands to wrap around me with love.

My eyes closed with exhaustion after they left, and my phone rang. Zack’s name appeared on the screen.

“Jane, I’m dropping Bella off halfway. Pick her up from there. I have an emergency and need to leave. Bye.” Before I could respond, he hung up. I rushed out. My daughter was too young to be alone there.

How irresponsible could he be? He can’t fulfill his fatherly duties for even one day. Earning money and paying bills isn’t enough, doesn’t he understand that? I started the car and headed out.

He might be the CEO of Smith Group, but there is life beyond that.

I reached the location after a 20-minute drive. It was horrifying, and I felt guilty for trusting Zack with our daughter.

I got out of the car, and Bella was standing on the opposite side of the road. Her smile widened when she saw me.

“Mommmyyyy!” she called out with a giggle and started to run toward me.

“Don’t run, baby. Mommy is coming to you.” I took a step toward her, but a high-speed truck was heading straight for Bella.

“Bella, move!” I ran to her, but the truck hit her and kept going.

“Bellaaaaaaa!” My world shattered in an instant.

...

“Did you file an FIR?” The hospital receptionist asks with concern, jolting me out of my memory.

“No, I didn’t have time,” I reply numbly, still holding Bella against my chest.

“Please, allow us to conduct a post-mortem before we issue the death certificate.” The doctor extends his hands to take Bella.

“No, she’s been hurt enough. I won’t let you do more. Can you finish everything without causing her further pain?” He nods sympathetically.

They proceed with their formalities, and my mind goes blank. What am I supposed to do now? How will I survive without the reason for my happiness?

My phone beeps, and I check it. It’s a confirmation message from Little Sunshine, confirming our summer vacation booking. My heart aches. I was going to surprise Bella with the trip today. Now, it’s an impossible dream. I never imagined I’d be hugging my daughter’s dead body instead of taking her on vacation.

The hospital staff give me sympathetic looks, but it does little to soothe the raging storm inside me. I feel a mix of sorrow and anger that threatens to consume me. The thought of having to live without Bella is unbearable. Every corner of our home will be empty without her laughter, every morning dull without her cheerful greetings.

“Ma’am, would you like some water?” a nurse offers, her voice gentle. I nod, unable to speak, and take the glass with trembling hands. The cold water does little to wash down the lump in my throat.

Tears roll down my cheeks, hitting the phone screen. “Ma’am, the formalities are done. We’ve informed the police about the accident.” I nod at the nurse and go to Bella.

Her body lies on the bed, covered with a white sheet. The moment I never imagined is now a harsh reality.

I place my hand on her head, now wrapped in a bandage, and kiss her forehead.

I should inform Zack. I take my phone to dial him, and a notification from Zack’s ex-girlfriend, Jessica, pops up. I click on it. A picture shows Jessica kissing Zack’s cheek while he closes his eyes in contentment. The caption reads, “I can’t express my gratitude toward Smith Group for the collaboration. Such a sweetheart the CEO is!”

My grip tightens on the phone. He left our daughter alone in the middle of the road to be with his ex.

“Why, Zack? Why did you do this to us?” I whisper, my voice breaking. I can’t believe that he chose his ex over our daughter. How could he? My mind replays every moment, every smile, and every giggle of Bella’s that I’ll never see again.

He doesn’t deserve to be a father. I glare at the post, feeling the world crumble around me. Holding my daughter’s dead body with one hand and the proof of my husband’s betrayal with the other, I am struck by a storm of emotions, with no way to survive but to endure.

Jane’s POV:

My hands are trembling, with sadness or anger I fail to determine. I take a screenshot of the post and send it to him. “If you care, can I expect an explanation?” I hit the send button and look at my daughter.

He sees the message but doesn’t reply. Then I realize I should inform him about Bella’s death.

I dial him, but his phone is unreachable. “Seriously?” I frown with frustration. Even after seeing my message, he didn’t reply but switched off his phone. I was at least expecting him to attend our only daughter’s last rites.

“Ma’am, the car is at the hospital’s door to carry your daughter’s body.” My blood boils at the mention of "body," but it’s the truth. And the reason for it is her father is enjoying his life with his dick.

I take my daughter into my arms again and head to the car for the cemetery. Halfway there, I get a call from Leo, Zack’s assistant. At first, I disconnect the call, not wanting to talk to anyone related to Zack.

Again, he is calling. I pick up this time, considering it might be an emergency.

“Yes, Jane speaking,” I answer coldly.

“Mrs. Smith, the boss went out of the country and he might not be available for a couple of days.” A tide of rage surges through my veins.

“When he returns, ask him to go to hell.” It’s hurting me how he can be so stony-hearted. He dropped Bella in the middle of the road and didn’t even care to ask if Bella was safe and sound.

“Is everything alright, Mrs. Smith?” Leo’s soft voice forces my tears to roll down.

“B-Be-Bella,” I stammer. For the first time, I am crying to someone.

“What happened to the Princess?” Yeah, Leo adores Bella a lot and always cares for her.

“She is no more, damn it.” My cracked voice is filled with pain and disappointment.

“W-wh-what?” He is trying to process my words. “Where are you? I’m coming.” The shock and urgency are clear in his voice.

“On the way to the cemetery.” I hang up, clutching my Bella. Soon, her body will turn into ashes. There won’t be anything left for me to hug or caress. How will I stay on this earth with the flashback of her being hit by the truck? What kind of mother am I? I let my daughter die in front of my eyes. How could I?

I get out of the car when it stops at the cemetery gate. The cemetery manager looks at me with sympathy. Even in this situation, I manage an ironic smile. When unknown or unfamiliar people can feel my pain, my husband, my so-called life partner, isn’t around.

Everything is ready to start the last rites for my doll, and Leo appears. “I’m here.” I nod bluntly. Frankly, I don’t have the strength to greet him at this moment.

The manager hands me Bella’s urn. It’s the heaviest thing I have ever lifted. I cry for a long time while hugging the urn. Her birth moment, those tiny fingers holding my index finger for the first time, those cries for milk—yeah, she was a foodie. Was. Now, I need to use past tense for my daughter. It’s like stabbing my heart with uncountable knives. She was a sleepyhead too. Even in the morning, she didn’t want to go to school.

“Mommy, let your Bella sleep for a while, please.” Her plea still echoes in my ears. I wish I had let her sleep then. Maybe I could have avoided her death.

“The grave is ready, Mrs. Smith,” Leo says with a heavy voice.

“Jane, it’s Jane. Don’t add his surname with mine.” I stand up from the ground and reach the grave. Yes, my daughter’s grave. When she was born, I thought she would be the one to perform my last rites. How ironic! Now, I am burying my daughter’s urn in the grave.

The grave covering is done. I sit by the graveside.

“Jane! Let’s go. It will hurt more the longer you stay.” Leo is trying to be a shoulder for me.

“Let me stay. You may leave now.” My gaze is frozen on the grave. “Anyway, thanks for coming. It means a lot.” I share my gratitude as he really cares for Bella.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t do anything for our Princess.” His tear drops on my hand. I lift my face to look at him.

“When her father left her in the middle of the road, I don’t expect you to be sorry. Still, thank you. Now, leave me alone for some time. I need to be with her.” I return my gaze to my daughter.

“Sure, just know, for anything, I’m just a call away.” I nod softly, and he leaves.

I hug the grave and let my tears carry my grief. And then the rain starts, perhaps the sky is sharing my pain.

...

Two days pass. I am hugging Bella’s photo frame to my chest when my phone beeps. I check the message, and it’s from my useless husband. “Listen, I’m having a business trip with Jessica...” I feel like breaking my phone in anger, but it’s just a mere thing to bear my rage.

I shake my head in dismay and type back for the last time, “I want a divorce ASAP without any alimony.” I immediately block him and throw the phone on the bed.

Everything is hurting, my body or my heart, I don’t know. And as if to disturb me further, my phone rings. I pick it up; it’s the cemetery manager.

“Ma’am, someone is digging up your daughter’s grave, and I am failing to stop them.” It feels like my world is spiraling. I run without thinking for a moment.

I reach the cemetery, and the scene in front of me is shocking. Zack and Jessica are standing by the grave, and a few people are digging it up.

I can’t believe I lived with this man for more than five years. How did I end up with an INHUMAN MAN?

Jane’s POV:

“Stoppppp!” I blare, “Don’t you dare to continue.” My shivering tone is echoing in the air.

“What are you doing here?” Zack’s surprising eyes are hurting me more at this moment.

“That’s none of your concern. Just tell me, what the hell are you guys doing here?” I ask when my voice is filled with disbelief. How can a human be so heartless?

“Are you stalking me or what? How do you know that I am here?” I feel disgusted to hear him.

“Whatever!” I turn my gaze to Jessica. “Would you answer me what is going on here?” The hatred I am carrying right now for them I can’t measure.

She pouts her lips, acting naive. “I just lost my puppy. My baby, and I want to bury him here. After all, this grave is so beautiful.” My fists tighten when I find Bella’s urn is thrown aside.

I glare at her with red eyes, “C’mon, give me a break you senseless woman. How can you do this with someone’s grave for your doggy?” I don’t know what to do with these pieces of shits here.

“I already asked my manager to compensate this family.” I feel disgusted to even look at them and intend to dig out the dog’s urn from Bella’s grave.

The bodyguards’ hold me tightly and I am trying to release myself. “Leave me,” the crack part inside me is vocalizing. Their nails are digging into my arms but it’s not hurting more than seeing the dog’s urn instead of Bella’s into the grave.

“Stop it, you nonsense.” Zack screams, “I knew that you are bird-brained. But brainless, I had no idea.” His words are not giving me the feeling of being insulted.

“It’s okay, Zack. She is trying to show humanity.” Jessica gets closer to him and holds his arms while rubbing his chest gently. Zack holds her hand and blinks at her softly.

And then he turns his face to me with rage. “See! Her generosity. Just say sorry to her.” My anger reaches its high peak.

“Sorry about my foot.” I toss the bodyguards and start doing what I want. They are again up to hold me and I am throwing punches without any senses of getting hurt or vice versa.

“Bloody hell!” Zack yells out, “It’s all because of this urn, right?” He points at Bella’s urn and before I could take any step he kicks it harder. The ashes scattered on the ground. My soul is trembling with grief.

“You jerk, why do you always think about Jessica only?” I hold his blazer and keep throwing punches on his chest. “Inhuman, ruthless, heartless. You really need to think from your manhood only. How did you become so cruel because of her?” I sob, the earth’s air is giving me the scent of poison. “Why did you marry me when you wanted Jessica only? Why did you ruin my daughter’s life?”

He moves my hands and slaps harder on my face, “smack!” The surrounding is frozen for a few seconds.

“Halt your drama and leave from here. Stupid woman. I have a reputation.” He clenches his jaw.

“Reputation! Hahaha-” I lose my mind and keep laughing. “A dickhead also has a reputation, I never could guess it.” I keep chanting and he pushes me harder. I stumble behind when a strong arm wraps my back.

“Boss, please, watch out.” It’s Leo here.

“Leo, just take her home and buy a teddy for Bella in the form of an apology for that day.” I knit my brows at his thought. A teddy as to compensate for abandoning his little daughter in the middle of the road.

“Are you okay?” Leo asks with concern filled eyes.

“I don’t know. I really don’t.” I murmur.

Leo helps me to stand up properly and looks at Zack with an upset gaze. “Boss, your daughter, Bella is no more. She died on that day.” There is a brief pause on Zack’s movement.

I kneel on the ground bursting into tears when my eyes are on the fallen ashes of Bella.

“I’m sorry, my baby. Mommy failed you in every way. I couldn’t save you from the accident and now I failed to protect your grave. Even your urn is shattered.” I thud on the ground several times. “I’m such a bad Mommy. So bad...”