Chapter 4

Kate's POV

The ringtone pierced the darkness.

I was half-asleep in the blood, my whole body aching like I'd been hit by a truck. My phone vibrated frantically on the nightstand, the screen showing an unknown number.

"Hello..." My voice was hoarse.

"Is this Ms. Kate Sterling? This is Officer Miller from the Ohio Police Department." The voice on the phone was serious and heavy. "Regarding your mother Helen Crawford..."

My heart stopped beating.

"What? What happened to my mom?"

"I'm very sorry to inform you that Ms. Crawford was in a car accident early this morning. She died at the scene."

The phone slipped from my hands, crashing to the floor.

Three days later, St. Mary's Church.

Mom's funeral was held at the town's largest church. I wore a black mourning dress, sitting in the front row, holding mom's urn in my arms. Alex sat beside me, but the distance between us was greater than the entire church.

Mom was dead.

After receiving my desperate text, she drove all night from Chicago to save me. But she never made it.

And it was all because of me.

Just as I was drowning in overwhelming guilt, I saw that figure.

Anna Cross entered the church wearing a black dress, carrying white lilies, walking slowly. Her face wore an expression of grief, like a genuinely mourning friend.

My sanity completely snapped.

"How DARE you come here!" I shot to my feet. "You MURDERER!"

Everyone turned to look at me, the church instantly falling into dead silence.

Anna stopped, her face showing a hurt expression: "Kate, I know you're in pain, but..."

"Pain?" I roared, charging toward her. "YOU killed my baby! YOU killed my mother!"

"Kate!" Alex quickly stood up trying to stop me, but I'd already lost control.

I shoved Anna hard, she staggered backward: "You MONSTERS! You destroyed everything I had!"

"I never hurt anyone!" Anna said loudly, her eyes innocent. "I've been trying to help you both!"

"Help?" I laughed hysterically. "You call that HELP?"

The guests around us started whispering, some trying to intervene, but I no longer cared.

Anna straightened her wrinkled dress, suddenly pulling an envelope from her purse: "Kate, I didn't want to bring these out at a time like this, but you're forcing me to clear my name..."

"What is that?" I glared at her.

Anna's face was full of painful expression: "I never wanted Alex to get hurt, so I kept these hidden... but since you're publicly accusing me, I have no choice but to prove my innocence..."

She pulled several photos from the envelope, handing them to Alex: "I'm sorry, Alex. I should have told you sooner."

Alex took the photos, his face instantly turning ashen.

"What is this?" I rushed over trying to see, but Alex protected the photos against his chest.

"These are photos of you and Daniel in New York." Anna's voice was filled with fake anguish. "Three months ago, while you were pregnant. You two at a hotel entrance, in a coffee shop..."

"What?" I felt the world spinning. "That's impossible! I never saw Daniel!"

But Alex was already looking at the second, third photos. I could see his expression change from shock to anger to despair.

"These are FAKE!" I screamed. "Anna, you fabricated these photos!"

"Kate, I know you want to deny it," Anna sighed, "but these were taken by my private investigator. I kept hoping it was just a misunderstanding..."

She pulled out another paper from the envelope: "And here are your call records. Kate, you talked to him every day while pregnant."

Alex's face grew even paler. He stared at the "evidence," the last trace of trust in his eyes disappearing.

"Alex, these are ALL FAKE!" I grabbed his arm. "You have to believe me! I never betrayed you!"

But Alex shook off my hand, his voice trembling: "Is this why you wanted to go to New York so badly? Is this why you hated me for stopping you?"

"NO!" I cried desperately. "Alex, this is a TRAP! Can't you see?"

The guests around us started pointing and whispering. I could hear their gossip:

"So that's what happened..."

"No wonder she was so angry..."

"Cheating and then having the nerve to attack others..."

Anna watched the crowd's reaction, satisfaction flashing in her eyes, quickly replaced by sadness: "I'm truly sorry, Alex. I kept hoping I could protect you..."

Alex stared at the photos in his hands, like his soul had been hollowed out. The pain of betrayal and anger intertwined in his eyes.

"You betrayed our marriage!" Alex suddenly exploded, pointing at me and roaring. "You were pregnant with my child while meeting other men! Do you know how DISGUSTING that is?"

"NO!" I wailed. "It's not like that! Alex, I never..."

"How long are you going to keep LYING?" Alex bellowed. "The evidence is right here! Photos! Call records! What else do you want to deny?"

"You'd rather believe Anna than me!" I fought back desperately. "I'm your WIFE! Your wife of seven years!"

This sentence completely ignited the rage in Alex's heart.

Filled with endless anger and pain, he charged toward the altar and grabbed mom's urn.

"Alex! What are you doing?" I realized what he was planning, desperately trying to stop him.

"Since you're so disgusting, let Helen see her daughter's TRUE FACE!" Alex raised the urn high, madness in his eyes. "Let her see what kind of daughter she died for!"

"NO! That's my MOTHER!" I screamed, rushing toward him.

But it was too late.

Alex hurled the urn toward the ground with all his strength.

"CRASH!"

The white urn shattered in front of the sacred altar, mom's ashes scattered across the church's marble floor.

The entire church fell into deathly silence.

I knelt on the ground, trying to collect mom's ashes with trembling hands. Those tiny white particles slipped through my fingers, like everything I'd lost.

"Mom... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I cried heartbrokenly.

Alex looked at me, a flash of regret in his eyes, quickly covered by anger: "This is all YOUR fault! If you hadn't betrayed our marriage..."

"I DIDN'T!" I screamed desperately. "I never betrayed you!"

Anna approached us, her voice filled with fake sympathy: "Kate, are you still going to deny it? Alex has seen the evidence..."

I struggled to stand up and refute, but Alex's anger had completely spiraled out of control.

"ENOUGH!" He roared, suddenly shoving me hard. "How long are you going to keep up this ACT?"

I was completely unprepared, my whole body falling backward.

"BANG!"

My head struck the stone steps hard, instantly making me dizzy.