He Faked His Death And I Came For Our Daughter’s Ashes Chapter 02

He Faked His Death And I Came For Our Daughter’s Ashes Chapter 02

“Daughter? You mean Tessa’s ashes?”

Brandon’s face darkened, his brows furrowing. “Mandy, you shouldn’t joke about Tessa.”

“Why would I joke about that?”

I met his gaze without flinching. He stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.

“Tessa had a great appetite, a strong body. She never even caught a cold. She was perfectly fine, and now you’re telling me she’s dead?”

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, a familiar female voice came from behind me.

It was Celeste Weber.

“Mandy, let’s talk calmly.”

She stepped closer, casually handing Brandon a prescription bottle and a pink thermos, her voice soft with reproach. “You left in such a hurry this morning. You forgot your meds again.”

Then she turned and glanced at the urn in my arms.

“That box… that’s for pets, isn’t it?”

She wasn’t wrong about that.

After selling my wedding ring to pay for Tessa’s cremation, the only thing I could afford was a small pet memorial urn.

“Mandy, even if you want Brandon to feel guilty, using your own child to play the victim is pretty low.”

I looked at Celeste’s face, the one that always looked so kind and innocent.

I smiled slightly. “No one plays the victim better than you.”

“Mandy! That’s enough. Celeste only came here because she was worried about you.”

Three years later, seeing Brandon jump to her defense like that didn’t stir anything in me.

“Forget it, Brandon,” Celeste said, tugging at his sleeve.

Her voice was small and soft. “Mandy’s upset. I don’t blame her… but she’s not wrong. I am pitiful. If my husband and father hadn’t died one after another, I wouldn’t have to be here making people hate me.”

She turned her head away, pressing her palm to the corner of her eye, forcing a sad smile.

“Anyway, I see you’re carrying a suitcase. Did you book a hotel yet? Why don’t you come back with us? I’ve kept all the things you left behind. The townhouse is big enough for plenty more people.”

Her words were light, but every word was like a needle.

I knew her game too well.

She knew exactly how to push my buttons and make me lose my mind.

She just wanted to flaunt the fact that she was living with him.

“No thanks. I have things to do.”

I held the urn tightly and turned to leave. I hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Brandon caught up to me.

He grabbed my arm nervously, rushing to explain. “She’s only there temporarily. Her lease ended, and she couldn’t find anything decent.”

“The one place she did find had an unemployed guy next door who kept harassing her, so I…”

I cut him off calmly, gently pulling my arm away. “That’s between you two.”

Brandon’s expression froze.

He seemed to be waiting for me to explode, to fire off a string of bitter accusations, to scream, “Who is she to you, your wife or me?”

But nothing came.

“Besides, we’ve been divorced for three years. What you do has nothing to do with me.”

His expression was complicated. After a long pause, he finally said, “You’ve changed.”

How could I not have changed?

Even if I tore into Celeste and won, it wouldn’t bring Tessa back.

I smiled. “You should be happy. Isn’t this what you always wanted?”

He opened his mouth as if to say something.

But I kept walking, pulling my suitcase behind me. The rumble of the suitcase wheels muffled his voice.

Inside the taxi, the driver greeted me cheerfully. “Where to, miss?”

I held the small urn close, letting its chill yield to my warmth.

I wiped my eyes and said softly, “Morning Light Memorial Park.”