Chapter 2

Without waiting for my response, Lorne gripped the controls once more.

This time, she didn't make me fly.

I splashed around in the water incessantly, hearing muffled voices through the walkie-talkie.

"Dashiell, think about where you went wrong."

"How dare someone like you defy my orders! Every second of your existence should be spent kowtowing to my dead parents, begging for forgiveness!"

Those images flashed through my mind, making my whole body tremble.

For these five years, I had never stopped atoning. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the gruesome scene of his parents' death in the car.

Back then, I was driving them back to their hometown when the brakes failed on the highway, sending us plummeting off a cliff.

Lorne's parents were impaled by tree branches on the cliff face, dying from blood loss and shock.

Though I miraculously survived, my soul died along with my remorse.

Now, my body was on the brink of death too.

Was it too much to ask for just a moment's respite?

Scarlett manipulated the flight controls, saying impatiently:

"Big sis is so noisy. How can she not even handle this small task? I can't believe she's your wife, Lorne."

Lorne snorted, "What kind of wife is she? From now on, just treat her like a servant.""Can I make her shut up?"

"Do as you please."

As the words fell, the plane dove downwards, heading straight for a row of trees with sharp branches.

In a dizzying, suffocating state, I slammed hard against the trees, blood spilling from my mouth.

Pain shot through my entire body, and my blood ran unusually cold.

They flew me around in circles five times, and when I landed again, there wasn't a part of my body that wasn't bleeding.

Scarlett feigned concern, "She's not dead, is she?"

Lorne stroked her hair, "It's fine, as her husband, I'll issue a letter of forgiveness."

Hearing this, I let out a bitter laugh.

Then I passed out completely.

When I came to in a daze, I heard the low moans and gasps of a man and woman in the throes of passion.

"Big brother, you're so naughty, insisting on doing it right next to big sister's sickbed."

Lorne snickered, "Don't you like it?"

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly playing along.

"I love it. I love it so much. Not just here, I want to do it in your bedroom, on the couch, in the living room, in the bathroom..."

Scarlett whimpered and moaned."Her leg only suffered a severe fracture, yet you arranged for an amputation surgery. Big brother Lorne, are you afraid she'll go out and find other men, embarrassing you? Could it be you still love her?"

Lorne sneered nonchalantly, "How could that be possible? I hate her to the bone."

My nerves were extremely tense, tears sliding one by one from the corners of my eyes, my fists clenched tightly under the blanket.

After they cleaned up and left, I finally opened my eyes.

There was no sensation in the lower half of my body.

Lifting the blanket, sure enough, my pant leg was empty.

My restrained heart shattered completely.

I clutched the blanket, my chest heaving violently as I sobbed hysterically.

I just wanted to see a cherry blossom rain before I died...

But now my leg was gone too.

I didn't stay in the hospital long.

Today was my son's death anniversary, as well as his birthday.

I prepared his favorite birthday cake for him and asked the store clerk to put three candles on it.

The second wish was to take "Brianna" to watch his favorite animated movie.

Three years ago, at the age of three, he accidentally drowned in a pond.

My sweet baby, you'd be turning two this year, wouldn't you?

When I returned home, I saw men's and women's clothes scattered on the floor.

They couldn't even be bothered to go to the bedroom.I held back my nausea as I pushed the wheelchair, only to notice a bouquet of baby's breath on the table.

A thought flashed through my mind, and my body gradually weakened. I fell from the wheelchair.

I crawled up the stairs to the second floor one step at a time, the wounds on my body reopening and bleeding.

But I still made it to Brianna's bedroom.

The small flower pot was completely bare, the plant having been uprooted.