(From Ashes to Hope) Chapter 13
Menu
“You still haven’t seen her true colors, you can’t wake a person who pretends
to be asleep!”
Under my sharp questioning, his expression gradually stiffened, frozen,
stunned by my words. His bloodshot eyes were now filled with struggle and pain,
the blood vessels a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil.
His lips trembled slightly, like two leaves swaying in the cold wind, wanting
to retort but silenced by the cruel reality, unable to find any excuses or
justifications.
His body seemed to be drained of all strength, he swayed, like a deflated
balloon, all his pride and arrogance gone. He was like a defeated warrior, his
fighting spirit extinguished.
He remained silent for a long time, then his eyes widened suddenly, as if a
storm was brewing within them, a mixture of shock, regret, and pain.
I knew he finally understood what I meant.
“The security footage you showed me was from two days ago,” I continued,”
Lily had already been cremated by then. Don’t you think that compared to Raina’s
allergy, you should be discussing with your beloved how my daughter was
framed?”
12:54
0.0%
< <From Ashes to Hope…
Menu
My voice trembled with emotion, each word an accusation against this
injustice, a cry from the depths of my soul.
As he stared at me in shock, I continued relentlessly, “Even though Lily has
left this world, I won’t let anyone blame her! She was so young, so innocent, she
doesn’t deserve this slander.”
As soon as I finished speaking, John’s phone slipped from his grasp, landing
on the floor with a thud, the sound echoing the collapse of his defenses.
His
world.
eyes were filled with even deeper despair, like a thick fog engulfing his
A moment later, as if struck by lightning, he reacted, quickly bending down
to pick up the phone, then turned and left without hesitation.
His back looked hurried, like a startled rabbit; yet also like an explorer drawn
by the light of truth, eager to seek answers, to unravel the mystery in his heart.
I sat on the sofa, watching his retreating figure, my heart filled with mixed
emotions.
Resentment coiled within me like a venomous snake, occasionally flicking
its tongue; longing for Lily surged through me like waves crashing against the
shore; the desire for truth burned like a flame in my soul.
He shouted towards the door, “Dismiss the bodyguards!”
12:54
18.1%
< <From Ashes to Hope…
Menu
His voice carried a commanding tone, as if trying to break free from all
external restraints. John reached the door, ready to leave this unbearable place,
but at that moment, as if struck by something, he stopped abruptly.
He stood frozen in the doorway, the light and shadow dividing his body into
distinct halves, then he slowly turned around.
When his gaze landed on the urn I was holding tightly in my arms, he
seemed to freeze.
His previously calm face was now flooded with remorse, guilt and regret
spreading across it like spilled ink.
Then, he slowly walked towards me, each step heavy, as if his feet were
shackled by heavy chains.
To my surprise, he knelt before me, a gesture of a devout penitent.
His voice was choked with emotion, a tremor from the depths of his soul, I’ll
take you to the cemetery, let’s bury Lily together.”
I looked at him, my gaze calm, undisturbed by his words. “You’re not worthy,”
I replied simply.
These three simple words were like three icy blades, piercing his heart,
making him shudder.
12:54
37.4%
< <From Ashes to Hope…
Menu
Under my frosty stare, he lowered his head, his once proud head now bowed
as if weighed down by an invisible mountain.
Suddenly, he raised his hands and slapped himself hard across the face
several times. The sound of the slaps echoed through the room, like
self–inflicted punishment.
The sound of him slapping himself echoed through the room, each one a
heavy blow against his conscience, a ruthless judgment of his past mistakes.
His tanned skin quickly turned red and swollen, the marks like scars of his
guilty conscience gradually emerging.
His chin trembled slightly, a heart–wrenching self–punishment, a tremor
from the depths of his soul.
This was probably the first time John, at thirty years old, had been slapped.
In his past life, he had always been proud and successful, like a favorite child
of fortune.
He had walked with his head held high, envied by all, never imagining that
one day he would kneel on the ground in such a pathetic state, enduring
self–inflicted punishment, like falling from the clouds into the dust.
He didn’t even know that his daughter had left this world forever, that he
was completely oblivious when she needed him the most. His coldness and
12:54
54.0%
< «From Ashes to Hope…
Menu
neglect were like an invisible sword, severing the bond that should have existed
between father and daughter.
What was even more unforgivable was that he, together with his
ex–girlfriend, had baselessly slandered his daughter, disturbing her innocent
soul even in death.
It was a desecration of a pure life, a grave dereliction of his duty as a father.
And his act of soiling Lily’s ashes was an unforgivable sin.
Those ashes were the last remnants of Lily in this world, carrying her
laughter, tears, and attachment to this world, yet he had shown no respect,
instead trampling on them recklessly.
One incident after another flashed through my mind, each one like a sharp
knife, carving deep wounds in my heart.
I felt that his self–inflicted slaps were a reward for him.
Such punishment was too light for the wrongs he had committed.
A person like him didn’t deserve forgiveness, he should be sent straight to
hell, to suffer eternal torment in endless darkness and pain.
His actions had crossed the line of what a father, a human being, should do.
12:54
73.2%
< «From Ashes to Hope…
John left the room, his heart heavy with complex emotions.
Menu
Before leaving, he left his driver and car for me, perhaps as compensation,
perhaps as an expression of his guilt.
He himself, driven by a strong sense of purpose, hailed a taxi by the roadside.
The taxi sped towards the hospital like an arrow, as if every second delayed
would take him further away from the truth.
His eyes held an unprecedented determination, a burning flame, determined
to find out what was going on with the security footage, what had happened to
Lily.
Every question was like a thorn in his heart, urging him to seek answers.
12:54
