The Divorce Decision: No Second Thoughts

My daughter’s birthday fell on the same day as Aurora’s.

In an effort to please Aurora, my husband, Paul Sparks, had our daughter pick up a custom cake from the bakery and deliver it.

Tragically, our daughter was caught in a car accident and lost her life.

When the cake was recovered, it was smashed beyond recognition. From the smashed cake, Aurora’s picture appeared, along with a ring.

I took me a moment to realize that I was overwhelmed with hatred.

I was consumed by grief over my daughter’s death, while my husband was carrying on an affair with Aurora, all under the pretense of work.

Paul even went so far as to steal my daughter's ashes, all because Aurora demanded it.

Aurora showed up at my door, taunting me, “Why are your daughter’s ashes so little? It’s not even enough for a couple of face masks.”

No one should ever underestimate a mother’s drive for revenge. Even if I died, I vowed to drag these scumbags down with me, ensuring they’d be buried together with me!

——

“Miss Larks? Hello, your daughter was involved in a car accident on Harborview Road. Please come over and assist with our investigation.”

That day was supposed to be my daughter's birthday. I was busy setting up a party at home in the evening, while my husband took her out to pick up the cake.

How did she end up in a car accident? Wasn't my husband supposed to be with her?

I didn’t have the luxury to ponder these questions. I didn’t even change out of my clothes before rushing out.

When I arrived at the scene of the accident, the police had already collected my daughter’s body and had covered her with a white sheet.

"How could a mother let a young child go out alone? Do you have any idea how many cars were on the road during rush hour?"

Before I could reach my daughter, an older female police officer blocked my path, bombarding me with relentless questions.

A police officer standing nearby stepped in, casting a sympathetic glance in my direction.

Finally, I made it to where my daughter lay. Her eyes were closed, a serene smile gracing her lips, as if she were merely sleeping.

However, when I lifted the white cloth, I saw her lower body was bloody and torn into pieces.

My outstretched hand halted in mid-air. I gently touched my daughter's cold, tiny hand and the shockingly icy chill pierced straight through my heart.

The rationality I had clung to so desperately shattered in an instant. How could this happen? Where was my husband who was supposed to be with her?

My mind raced through countless possibilities, desperately hoping this was all a cruel illusion. I wanted to touch her more, to confirm that the lifeless body before me was indeed my daughter, but I couldn’t summon the courage.

"Baby... Baby, does it hurt?"

"I'm sorry, Mommy is sorry. It's my fault. I'm late..."

My tears fell on my daughter's face drop by drop. I gently hugged her upper body in fear of hurting her.

Before she stepped out the door, my daughter had looked at me with wide, expectant eyes, eagerly awaiting the birthday surprise I had promised. But now, as I stood there, she was lying motionless on the ground. How had everything turned so upside down so quickly?

Dear God, why? Why would you choose today to take her away from me? Wasn't this supposed to be a day of celebration, not heartbreak?

"Ma’am, if she is indeed your daughter, please sign this verification document so that we can finalize the necessary procedures."

My hands shook uncontrollably, the pen wavering as I scribbled my name, "Jessica Larks," in a jagged scrawl.

"Ma’am, you'll also need to collect your daughter’s belongings."

I glanced over at the spot the officer pointed to and my heart sank. There, amidst the wreckage, was the birthday cake. It had been reduced to a mess of torn icing and scattered cake. Then, a picture and ring that were presumably hidden inside now exposed.

In an instant, it felt as if I'd swallowed a live wasp. My stomach churned violently.

There, in the wreckage of the smashed cake, was a photo of my husband with Aurora.

But how could this be? Today was supposed to be my daughter’s birthday. Why was my husband and Aurora’s picture here?

My phone buzzed sharply in my hand. The caller ID displayed my husband's name.

I answered, my voice trembling with confusion and a surge of questions. But before I could utter a single word, his impatient voice blared through the speaker, "Jessica, why hasn't the cake arrived yet? Did she take it home? I need that cake delivered to Summit Global Hotel immediately. It's urgent!"

And before I could respond, the line went dead.

How could he be so heartless?

He asked a five-year-old girl to go out, alone, in a bustling city just to deliver a cake?

The very idea made my blood boil. My daughter, who normally wouldn’t venture out alone, had been sent on this errand by her own father. In her innocent mind, she might have thought it was a special birthday surprise meant for her.

Imagining her overcoming her fears and venturing out with hope only to end up in such a tragic state tore at my heart. The agony was so intense it felt like I was suffocating.

Just as I struggled to breathe through the pain, my phone buzzed incessantly with messages from my husband, each one more frantic than the last, urging me to hurry.

Oh, you wanted the cake, do you?

Fine! I’d make sure you would have it all!