Buried Love Series Ashes of Regret (Sophia and Ryan)
Regret 61

BOOK6 Chapter6

I screamed in despair, but all I could do was cause the lights in the room to flicker erratically.

Whether by instinct or a mother's intuition, I saw a look of shock flash

across her face. She gritted her teeth and retorted to Michael, "That's impossible! I don't believe it! My daughter would never do something like that... She's been missing for years, her fate unknown. She must have been harmed by someone!" Rachel couldn't stay silent any longer. She stepped forward, fury in her eyes, trying to twist the truth.

nothing but impossible when it comes to money, anyone can betray. Love can be abandoned, and so can family. Your daughter was

a faithless a

My mother, driven by rage, scrambled to her feet and charged at

Rachel in a frenzy.

"You're lying! You're lying!"

To protect Rachel, Michael shoved my mother hard.

She crashed into the hallway table, dazed for a long moment, a large lump forming on her forehead as she slumped motionless.

I hovered helplessly, nearly driven mad with worry, unable to do

wwww

anything but scream and cry, trying to keep the pain from tearing me

apart.

Just then, my mother's phone rang.

With trembling hands, she answered, and within seconds, she collapsed unconscious.

It was a call from the hospital, informing her that my father had passed away despite their efforts to save him.

My father was old, and after everything that had happened with me, his health deteriorated rapidly, multiple illnesses taking their toll.

All our relatives had cut ties with us because of the money we'd borrowed, and the only valuable thing left was the house they lived in. But Michael Hayes and Rachel Green had seized the deed.

They couldn't sell it, nor did they have anywhere else to go, leaving them at the mercy of Michael and Rachel's torment and humiliation.

In the end, my mother left, utterly broken.

I wanted to follow her, but my soul remained tethered to Michael,

to break free.

unable to

After my mother left, they hurled insults, their words becoming crueler until they eventually laughed, packing up to go to Rachel's prenatal checkup.

It tore me apart to see them so happy together as a family.

How could a murderer, who had taken everything from me, live such a blissful life?

God, are you even watching?!

If I

hadn't died, my child would have been born, cherished by two generations.

But why should Rachel and her unborn child get to have it all?!

I raged silently, but I couldn't harm them in the slightest. I was like a broken kite, unable to soar, dragged along behind Michael, scraping, tearing, and scorned. While they waited at the hospital, an intern forensic pathologist called Michael with an update on the autopsy.

When he mentioned that I was missing a rib, Michael paused.

BOOK6 Chapter7

a rib?"

Issing a

on the left side of the chest, and the left clavicle had also been fractured and repaired with a metal pin, likely from a car accident."

That's right.

I'd been in a car accident four years ago, saving Michael's mother. I had pushed her out of the way and was hit instead.

The rib was badly shattered, puncturing my internal o***s, so the doctors had to remove it.

Michael's hesitation lasted only a few seconds; I wondered if he was

thinking

of me.

me.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"Anything else?"

"There are various scars, all documented, but nothing particularly

unusual. The police are still comparing with the missing persons database from four years ago, but there's no match yet. No family has reported her missing. We're running a DNA test, and results should be ready in about three days." "Got it. Let me know when you have the results."

"Will do. Oh, and Mr. Hayes, the victim's bone age analysis came back-she was twenty-five. We also found traces of ether in her mouth, confirming your earlier theory. The killer is very likely someone with medical training." After a brief exchange, Rac Rachel emerged from the ultrasound room.

She handed Michael a black-and-white ultrasound image, beaming with excitement.

"Honey, look! Our son is so lively, so adorable! He's growing so well. In a little over a month, we can do a 4D scan and see his face!"

Michael stared blankly, lost in thought.

He gave a half-hearted response, clearly distracted.

he

new he was finally thinking of me

I knew

But he was still filled with hatred, too scared to even consider the

But he was

possid it be such a coincidence?

How could

HOW

Twenty-five years old, a fractured clavicle, a missing rib...

All too coincidental!

Under Rachel's urging, he gradually snapped out of it and

accompanied her to the mall to buy baby items.

I trailed behind them, feeling the joy they experienced as expectant parents, watching as they carefully selected comfortable products for their unborn child.

On their drive home, they passed by the entrance to my family's alley.

I caught a quick glimpse and saw two long incense sticks burning at the entrance. My mother was sitting there, stumbling and holding my father's urn, staring blankly into space.

In h his final moments, my father didn't even have a proper funeral. He was taken straight from the hospital to be cremated, without even a day to rest.

And yet, they continued to revel in their stolen happiness!

I couldn't even be there for my father's last journey, forced instead to remain tethered to them.

I

Three days later.

Community workers came knocking early in the morning.

They were from my family's neighborhood, faces I recognized well.

They used to be kind and gentle, but ever since Rachel slandered me, they looked at me with nothing but contempt.

"You're Phoebe Barnes' ex-husband, right?"

Michael frowned, clearly displeased.