On Children's Day, Dexter turned our son into a little wooden horse, hung him beneath the carousel's central frame and let his illegitimate daughter ride it for three hundred full rounds.

Just because our son, who had two color eyes, said there was a vengeful ghost clung to the carousel, anyone who rode it would be engulfed in ghostly energy and soon die.

Amanda, the illegitimate daughter didn't take it seriously, but the moment she got on, she felt dizzy and faint.

Dexter insisted our son had drugged her, so he bound him tightly and sealed him into the carousel as punishment.

He angrily said, "Such a young age, yet just as vicious as your mother. A son reflects his father's failings, today I'll teach you a good lesson."

I rushed over upon hearing the news and indeed saw a thousand-year-old ghost devouring my son inside the wooden horse. I slapped Dexter across the face, twice and shouted, "You beast! Leslie is only five, his soul hasn't even fully formed. He'll die!"

He grew more impatient and kicked me onto the pirate ship ride, turned it to its highest spin setting and said, "What era are we in and you still believe in this feudal superstition? Didn't you lie to my mom saying you’re the reincarnation of the King of Hell? If you’re so powerful, save him yourself!"

"It's just an apology to Amanda, why make such a fuss?" With that, he rushed off to the hospital with the illegitimate daughter in his arms, never once noticing our son's agonized moans.

By the time I managed to smash open the wooden horse, dizzy and weak, my son was already shrouded in dark energy, his body mangled and bloody.

Above our heads, Dexter was lighting up the city's fireworks to wish his illegitimate daughter a happy Children's Day.

I let out a bleak laugh and looked to the soul-reaping envoy who had arrived and said, "Tell my father that my karmic debts from my past life are now repaid. In three days, my soul will return to the underworld. I'll take up the throne of the King of Hell. Erase the century of lifespan I once gifted to Dexter from the Book of Life and Death."

——

My son's body turned into a pool of black water, sticky decay in my arms. No matter how many times I cried his name, I couldn't bring back that sweet, handsome little boy.

"Leslie ... my Leslie." Grief tore at my heart, made it hard to breathe.

After subduing the malevolent spirit, the envoy looked at me with pity and tried to console me, "Please accept my condolences, my lady. The ghost was too vicious, the prince's soul has already been shattered."

His voice grew bitter, "And that Dexter dared to treat you like this. To give him a long-life fate, you endured 999 tortures in the prisons of hell, losing half your powers, only to feed a thankless wretch."

I shut my eyes in agony and picked up Leslie's tattered little shirt, I tried to absorb the last trace of warmth.

Before took up the role of King of Hell, one must endure three lifetimes of emotional trials.

In each of those three lives, Dexter treated me with tenderness and devotion, even gave his life to saved mine.

So, when the trials ended, I gave him one more lifetime, hoped we could grow old together in the 21st century, repayed my debts and ascend with no attachments.

But I never expected that in this life, he would be cruel and heartless, hated me deeply, completely unlike the man who once loved me to his bones.

I saw the truth too late and it cost Leslie his life. The debts were settled, it's time for me to go.

Three days later, the yin energy will be at its peak, second only to the Halloween Festival.

If I die in the most brutal way that day, my power will surge. I'll sever all worldly attachments and become the first female King of Hell in ten thousand years.

After wiped my tears, I asked the envoy for a soul-gathering stone. Maybe a sliver of Leslie's soul still lingered in the place he loved most in life.

Even if he couldn't reincarnate as a human, he could still be reborn as a kitten or puppy and find a good home.

But when I returned to the villa, I found the 200-square-meter living room set up like a funeral hall.

Amanda sat in the center, she played with Leslie's memorial photo. The frame was even decorated with pink diamonds, the kind that little girls loved the most.

When Amanda saw me, she immediately raised her little hand and hurled something at my face, she used Leslie's memorial photo to smashed my head open and made it bleed.

Dexter lounged on the leather sofa, he held Emma in his arms with a look of doting affection. He said, "Good job, Amanda. If you're still mad, smash her a few more times."

Instinctively, I grabbed the photo to look. Judged by the strokes, it was clearly drawn by Dexter himself. But he didn't even know Leslie had two moles on the right side of his face.

My grip loosened. The photo frame crashed to the floor, shattered into pieces.

Faced my bloodshot eyes, Dexter narrowed his phoenix eyes and smiled, "Leslie pulled a prank today that made Amanda get a shot at the hospital. I just set up this little shrine to cheer her up. Don't make a fuss."

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails drew blood from my palms. I sneered, "Aren't you afraid you'll really curse Leslie to death like this?"

He paused, then crushed his cigarette and pressed it hard against my arm, branded a scar. He cursed angrily, "Victoria, what nonsense are you spouting? Only idiots like you care about this feudal crap."

"Some stinky priest once said I wouldn't live past twenty. Look at me now, strong as ever and with a net worth of hundreds of billions, right?" he mocked.

Emma cradled a frightened Amanda in her arms, the child sobbed pitifully. She said, "Victoria tricked Leslie into drugging Amanda, that was already too much. But now she even smashed the photo frame and cut my poor Amanda's hand. Huhuhu, my poor baby girl ..."

The wound was finer than a strand of my hair. But with just one glance, Dexter nearly lost it. He forced me to kneel on the shattered glass and yelled, "Apologize to my daughter now!"

This mortal body was incredibly weak, my knees oozed thick blood.

I struggled to straighten my spine, I bite back tears with a bitter smile, "But Leslie really is dead. He died in the carousel."

Silence fell instantly.

Dexter had never seen such lifelessness in my eyes. His hand loosened slightly, but when he heard the mother and daughter cried again, he gripped even harder, almost crushed my shoulder blade.

He mocked, "Shameless. All this just to avoid an apology? You're lying Leslie is dead? If he were, why hasn't anyone reported it to me?"

"Fine, since you say he's dead, I'll just burn his room down." With that, he stormed upstairs to our son's bedroom and tossed in a Cartier lighter.

Flames instantly spreaded from Leslie's children's books.

"No!" I cried out. The blaze stung my eyes.

Leslie's final lingering soul might be hid in those very belongings!

I stumbled up the stairs, grabbed a bedsheet to smother the flames, collapsed among the embers as most of my skin burned.

Amanda followed behind, she clapped and laughed, "Wow! Fireworks! I want to see more!"

"If Amanda likes it, then let's burn it again." Dexter smiled indulgently and lit the fire again.

A wave of intense fury and hatred surged inside me, made me cough up a mouthful of blood. But right now, I was just a powerless mortal.

Father once told me, when weak, endure the shame. When the time comes, made them paid a hundredfold.

I crawled before Amanda, I begged in a pitiful voice, "Amanda, I was wrong. I apologize on Leslie's behalf. Please don't hold it against us."

For once, Dexter frowned. In his eyes, I was never the kind of woman to swallow her pride.

He irritably rubbed his thumb and dragged me to Emma's feet and said, "You need to apologize to Emma too. You nearly harmed our precious daughter. Hurry up and lick the dust off Emma's shoes."

They must've had several rounds earlier in the day. Aside from ashes, the tips of her shoes also had traces of something white and murky.

Emma coyly rubbed against his chest and said, "Oh, you're so perverted."

Dexter said, "What's there to be shy about? Having a big puppy lick your shoes, how fun is that?"

"She owed you and your daughter anyway. Just an orphan my family adopted. I was kind enough to treat her like a sister, but my mom insisted I marry her, saying she was the reincarnation of the King of Hell. That's what tore you and me apart. Who knows what trick she pulled?" As he spoke, he shouted at my face. "Hurry up."

My eyes widened, I met Dexter's gaze of loathing and my whole body trembled.

Before my tribulation, I had lived a thousand years. I had never suffered such humiliation. Even in my past three lives, he had always cherished me like a treasure in his hands.

But no matter how powerful I had once been, right now I was just a pitiful mother tried to save her son.

Forced my trembling hands to still, I bent down.

Just as my lips were about to touch the shoe, Dexter kicked me away while said, "Ugh, forget it. Your mouth would only dirty Emma."

He gently wiped Emma with a silk handkerchief, then tossed the soiled cloth onto me and raised his phone, shook it mockingly and said, "I recorded that disgusting, shameless look of yours. I'll show Leslie when he gets back so he knows what a disgrace you are. Emma's clearly the better fit to be his mom."

"Unlike you, you'll do anything to get my attention and please me. So cheap!" After finished cursing, he went downstairs, still holding Amanda, off to celebrate Children's Day.

"Has Amanda's pain gotten any better after all afternoon?" He rubbed his nose affectionately against Amanda's chubby cheek, the image of a loving father.

When he saw Amanda frowning in pain, his eyes reddened. A tear slid from the corner of his eye toward the soul-gathering stone in my hand.

I clutched my belly and stood, let a single tear fall as I laughed bitterly.

To activate the soul-gathering stone, the tears of both parents were required.

Just a moment ago, I was still worried how to make someone as cold and heartless as Dexter shed a tear, turned out, it was this easy.

Unfortunately, his precious daughter wasn't just sick, she was tainted with ghostly energy. There was no way saving her.

Didn't want to watch their display of father-daughter affection any longer, I followed the light of the soul stone to a corner of the bedroom.

There lay a hand-drawn family portrait, its corners curled from being touched countless times.

The lines were rough, like a child's doodle.

But in truth, it had been Dexter's birthday gift to Leslie last year.

That was the only time he ever celebrated Leslie's birthday. He had barely picked up the pen when Emma called, so he rushed to finish the drawing, shoved it at Leslie and walked out.

I carefully folded the paper, tears flew down my cheeks. All Leslie ever wanted was a complete family.

As I folded the paper, I noticed a line of childish writing on the back.

I flipped it over: [I hope Daddy can love Mommy forever, so Mommy will always be happy! :)]

I collapsed to the floor, I laughed and cried at once.

In the dead of night, Leslie's flickering soul slowly drifted into the soul-gathering stone.

Downstairs, every channel on every television was broadcasting, [Wishing little Miss Amanda a happy Children's Day!]

Just a wall away, Dexter was deliberately making Emma scream loudly, even shouted my name now and then. But I no longer cared.

I simply tucked the drawing into my sleeve and whispered through tears, "Don't worry, Leslie. Mommy will make everyone who hurt you pay the price!"

At dawn, Dexter left for work. I walked into their bedroom.

Emma lay spread out in an "M" shape on the bed. Upon seeing me, she deliberately twisted her waist, flaunted the marks all over her body.

A small toy, dirtied between her legs, tumbled out.