He was always the one admired, the one respected. I learned to stay quiet, to endure, to give without asking. Even as his wife, even as the mother of his child, I never demanded more than what he was willing to give.
I handled everything—his needs, the household, the responsibilities—without complaint. I never wanted to provoke his anger or disappointment.
But this time… I couldn’t do it alone.
The fever had left me weak. I trusted him to bring Ashley home.
And because of Selindra… he failed.
Ashley paid the price.
She was only six. Six years old, with her whole life ahead of her. I couldn’t stop imagining her final moments—alone, afraid, calling for someone who never came.
I stayed at her grave until my tears ran dry, until there was nothing left inside me. When I finally stood, I felt empty—like everything that once made me human had been buried with her.
Not long after, I saw them.
Thorian walked through the estate grounds, Selindra beside him. She held an urn close to her chest, her expression fragile, almost pitiful. He looked at her with a softness I had never truly received—gentle, protective.