My gaze locked onto Charles, holding a
bouquet of roses, Chloe’s favorite.
“Charles, why did you send Lily to that
place?! You killed her!”
I was beside myself. Chloe screamed.
“Ah! Uncle, a ghost!”
“Sister–in–law, why are you dressed in white?
That photo, it’s terrifying! Are you trying to
scare me?”
Chloe was terrified, feigning a panic attack.
Charles shielded her.
“Mindy, enough!”
I threw the video at him. “She’s dead! Watch
this!”
Charles’s face fell. “What’s going on?”
Chloe clung to Charles, “Uncle, this is fake!
Look at the editing! Sister–in–law, why are
you lying?”
“Sister–in–law, I know Lily’s at the academy.
If you have a problem, just say it! We’re
family!”
Charles relaxed. “It’s a pathetic video. If it
were real, wouldn’t you be more frantic?”
“You claim Lily is your life. If something really
happened, wouldn’t you be devastated?”
He sneered. “The academy was Chloe’s idea.
She practically runs the place. The staff know
she’s Chloe’s niece; they’d take extra care…”
Lightning struck.
“…What did you say?”
“Chloe started that academy?”
It clicked. Why the intense focus on Lily?
Chloe had never liked Lily. When Lily was
three, I came home to find Lily bruised. Chloe
had abused her. The nanny stopped it just in
time.
“Chloe!” I screamed. “You killed my
く
daughter! I’ll kill you!”
I grabbed a knife, lunging for her. Chloe hid
behind Charles.
“Uncle, save me! She’s crazy!”
“Enough!” Charles grabbed my wrist, took the
knife. “Mindy, if you hurt Chloe, you’ll pay.”
I laughed, tears streaming down my face.
“You’re in this together!”
“That place is a death trap! You two killed
her… I’m calling the police!”
Charles‘ face darkened. “Don’t even try. She’s
my life.”
He paused. “There have been deaths at the
academy, but it wasn’t Chloe’s fault. It’s the
staff’s negligence.”
“Don’t threaten Chloe. And stop cursing your
daughter. If you call the police, I’ll make sure
you never leave this house.”
He locked me in the basement for a week.
The nanny tormented me daily.
<
No.
A week later, I was released, gaunt and
defeated. I overheard Charles and Chloe.
“Uncle, why don’t you divorce her?” Chloe
purred, nestled in his lap. “We’re not related!
Marry me.”
وو
He sighed. “I dream of marrying you, but
Grandma… I need to work on her.”
“You’re an adopted daughter. Grandma sees
you as her granddaughter. If I’m patient,
maybe she’ll agree.”
I closed my eyes, tears welling up. Then, a
cold rage filled me. Let them have their
moment. I would get revenge for Lily, even if
it killed me.
Three days later, I faked a business trip,
escaped my guards, and went to The Bad
Girls‘ Academy. Charles and Chloe returned
to the family mansion. Charles knelt before
Grandma Evelyn, proposing to Chloe. She
slapped him.
“You monster! Lily is dead! How dare you
propose?”
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“realnovel“.
Chapter Two
Charles slapped a hand to his face, then
looked up sharply. “Grandma, what are you.
saying? This is Mindy’s ploy to get my
attention. Why are you playing along?”
“Lily’s still at the academy. The teacher
texted me yesterday; she’s doing well,
learning to behave…”
Grandma Evelyn was furious, her face red.
She raised her cane, whacking it against
Charles’s.head.
“You ungrateful wretch! You don’t even
believe me?”
“I don’t understand. What spell has Chloe
cast on vou? She’s your adopted sister!
Г
You’re disregarding basic decency. You have
a wife and daughter, yet you’re with her. Are
you even human?”
Charles’s face was pale, his lips pressed
tight, his eyes distant, yet filled with anger.
“Grandma, did Mindy tell you this?”
“I knew it. The divorce is a performance.
She’s vain; she wouldn’t give up being Mrs.
Harrison.”
“She can’t have my love, can’t keep me, so
she complains to you. Don’t believe her…”
Grandma Evelyn was exasperated, pointing at
Lily’s photo.
“Are you blind? Can’t you see?”
“What normal person uses their child’s photo
as a funeral portrait? You think this is a joke,
Charles? I raised a monster!”
“You were so angry at Chloe that you sent
your five–year–old daughter to that hellhole
a criminal killing machine!”
–
“Mindy begged you, and you did nothing! All
you care about is that green–tea bitch.”
“Poor Lily, that sweet child, murdered by you
two bastards!”
Chloe’s face was pale, trembling. But a flicker
of triumph shone in her eyes.
Charles was stunned, frozen, his face ashen.
He stared at the photo, shaking his head
violently.
“No… it can’t be. The teacher said Lily was
improving, I was going to pick her up soon.
How could she be dead?”
“Grandma, tell me this is all a lie.”
Grandma Evelyn closed her eyes in despair,
refusing to look at him.
“There’s nothing more to say. I’ve agreed to
let Mindy leave. Go get a divorce.”
She turned and walked away.
Charles remained kneeling, his mind a
whirlwind. He’d planned it all. Lily would
<
confess at the academy, apologize to Chloe,
and that would be the end of it. But
something went wrong.
