Chapter 5

When I pulled the urn out of my bag, the noise in the courtyard came to an abrupt halt.

The crowd stood frozen, eyes wide in shock, and I could feel the weight of their judgment hanging in the air. They all thought the same thing, what kind of mother would pull a cruel stunt like this at her child's celebration?

"Have you lost your mind?" Ryan exploded, his voice rising. "Today is Keira's day! Even if you're upset, there's a time and place for everything. How dare you bring an urn here and curse our daughter? You don't even deserve to be a mother!"

His words hit me like a slap. The crowd began murmuring in agreement, their disapproval palpable.

Ryan's mother looked pale, her face drained of color. "Lena, is this how you repay me for planning this celebration? Are you angry at me? Are you trying to give me a heart attack by bringing an urn here?"

Ryan grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging in. "Where is Keira?"

"I told you, she's right here," I said calmly, pointing at the urn. "This is Keira."

Before I could say another word, Ryan slapped me across the face with a force that left me reeling.

"Enough of your drama!" he shouted.

His mother rushed forward, pulling him back. She spoke softly, almost pleading, "Lena, whatever issues you and my son have, now is not the time. Please, for my sake, stop this nonsense. Just bring Keira here."

I couldn't hold back the flood of emotions anymore. My voice cracked as I broke down, tears streaming down my face. "Mom, this really is Keira."

Ryan's fury was palpable as he reached for his phone, dialing Keira's number. "Why is her phone off? Did you take it from her? Are you forcing her to go along with this sick joke?"

With trembling hands, I opened my phone and sent him three video clips.

The first video showed Keira's critical condition notice and death certificate.

The second video was from the morgue.

The third was from the crematorium, where Keira's body was being pushed into the furnace.

Ryan's face went pale as he watched, and then he collapsed to the ground, gasping, "No, it can't be... Keira can't be dead..."

He called the hospital. When he got confirmation, he clutched the urn, his cries echoing through the courtyard.

The crowd gathered around, peering at the videos on Ryan's phone. Their expressions turned grim, their eyes filled with shock and sorrow.

Ryan's mother wailed, her sobs wracking her body. She grabbed my hand, her voice shaking. "Lena, tell me what happened. How did my precious granddaughter die?"

"Ryan Greene killed Keira," I said, my voice cold and steady, despite the tears in my eyes.

Choking back my own grief, I told them everything.

"No matter how hard I tried to get through to him, he wouldn't listen. He'd rather perform a simple surgery for his mistress's daughter than come back and save his own child."

Ryan's mother screamed in despair, slapping him across the face. "You monster! You killed your own daughter! My poor, brilliant granddaughter, her life was just beginning!"

"I didn't believe Lena," Ryan muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I thought she was lying to me."

I shouted at him, my voice thick with fury. "You didn't 'not believe' me, Ryan. You didn't even try to think about it!"

"No matter how much I explained or begged, even when I fainted from crying, you didn't care at all."

"But you believed every one of Sophia's lies, didn't you? You let her tear us apart."

"For twenty years, Ryan. Twenty years. And in all that time, I never did anything to betray you."

"I managed our home, I raised Keira, and I kept the peace. I turned a blind eye to your relationship with Sophia. I tolerated your behavior for Keira's sake. But you never saw my sacrifices. And now... you let our daughter die."

I was choking on the weight of it all, my grief so overwhelming it felt like I was suffocating.

"I'm so sorry," Ryan sobbed, his voice broken.

"What good are apologies now, Ryan?" I snapped, bitterness pouring out of me. "Can they bring Keira back?"

Ryan fell to his knees, his tears soaking into the urn as he cried out in desperation. "Keira, I'm so sorry. I regret everything. Please, God, give me back my daughter."

"Keira's spirit won't forgive you either," I muttered under my breath.

Ryan slapped himself frantically, his voice filled with agony. "Keira, Daddy was wrong. Please come back."

Suddenly, Mia, Sophia's daughter, walked over, her voice syrupy sweet. "Uncle Ryan, the dead can't come back to life. Don't be sad. Maybe this was meant to be. Mom says your marriage was only held together by Keira. Now that she's gone, you can divorce and marry my mom. If you leave everything to me in your will, I'll take care of you when you're old."

Ryan stared at Mia in shock, his face twisted in disbelief. "Get out of my sight," he growled, shoving her hard.

He'd missed his chance to save his own daughter because he was too busy operating on this ungrateful brat.

Sophia rushed forward to cradle Mia in her arms.

"Who are these people?" Ryan's mother demanded, her voice filled with confusion.

The relatives and friends were fuming now, their eyes blazing with anger.

"This woman," I said through clenched teeth, "is Ryan's mistress. And the girl is her daughter. Ryan abandoned his own daughter to operate on her instead."

"Beat them!" someone shouted.

The crowd, unable to hold back their fury, surged forward, striking Sophia and Mia.

"Ryan, save us!" Sophia cried out, but he didn't even seem to hear her.

He was too consumed by his grief, clutching the urn like it was his lifeline, as if his soul had left his body.