Chapter 2

From the mouths of babes, yet it set off a storm in the livestream.

Grant Thornton's expression instantly darkened to the extreme as he laughed coldly.

"Stella Johnson, you're even using a child to lie? Get out here right now and apologize, clear Lily's name!"

I floated in midair, watching the undisguised disgust in his eyes, and laughed bitterly.

In his heart, Lily had never been a despicable homewrecker, but a student who needed his protection.

As his wife, wanting to get rid of her was deliberate harm.

Five years ago, I obtained evidence that Lily had tampered with my thesis and tried to interfere in our marriage.

I laid the evidence before Grant Thornton.

Right in front of me, he threw all those documents into the shredder.

"Stella Johnson, Lily is just a young student. How could you forge these things to destroy her future?"

When I couldn't take it anymore and posted it online, to protect Lily, he shoved me hard onto broken glass.

He forced me to issue a public statement admitting I was mentally unstable and had maliciously slandered Lily.

I refused through gritted teeth.

The next day, he brought people to smash my mother's tombstone and dig up her ashes.

He even threatened to destroy the urn, demanding: "Will you apologize or not?"

I trembled all over, and could only kneel in the cold mud and compromise.

To let my mother rest in peace, I bowed and apologized at the hospital-wide meeting, admitting I was insane.

Grant Thornton piled all the blame on me, then threw down divorce papers, forcing me to leave with nothing.

My reputation was destroyed, everyone accused me of being jealous and crazy.

I was forced to flee to this remote city, barely scraping by.

Until seven days ago, to save enough for my daughter's medical bills.

I chose to work an extra night shift.

But I was kidnapped and sold by a gambling client who needed money.

After some packaging, I became a kind-hearted donor, forced to give up my heart.

I permanently closed my eyes on the operating table.

My soul followed the heart back to the country.

What I never expected was that the recipient of this heart would be Lily.

Not only did Grant Thornton personally perform her surgery, he held my heart and pressed a tender kiss on Lily's forehead.

"From now on, you'll be whole."

I broke down, I felt hatred.

Until I followed Lily and arrived precisely at this rental apartment.

I watched her point to her own chest in front of my daughter, revealing a malicious smile.

"Your daddy said he'd find me the cleanest heart, but I think only your mommy's heart is worthy of me."

"So I recommended a trafficking channel to a thug at your mom's workplace. Then I successfully got this heart."

"You don't know yet, do you? The one who installed this heart for me was your daddy."

I went crazy trying to strangle her.

My hands passed through her neck again and again.

But I couldn't kill her. I was powerless.

At this moment, in the living room, Annie clutched the black box tightly in her arms, her small knuckles turning white.

"Mommy was taken away by that bad lady, burned to ashes, all here."

Grant Thornton walked back to the living room, his eyes full of contempt.

"Even bought an urn as a prop, how unlucky!"

He suddenly waved his hand, snatching the black box from Annie's hands and smashing it hard on the floor.

The wooden box shattered into pieces, powder instantly scattered everywhere.

"Don't throw my mommy!"

Annie let out a scream, falling to the ground, desperately trying to gather the ashes with her small hands.

Those were my ashes.

I wanted to rush over and hold my child.

My outstretched hands passed straight through her thin shoulders.

I had no tears, only felt that empty, bloody hole in my chest beginning to fill with bone-chilling cold wind again.

Grant Thornton watched the child's frantic movements, his brow twitching imperceptibly.

If it were fake, would it be necessary to go this far?

Lily walked out from behind Grant Thornton, her toes stepping on the pile of ashes, grinding hard.

"Don't be angry. Stella can't stand you being good to me, so it's normal for her to use pet dog ashes to disgust people."

She pulled out a photo showing a golden retriever with Annie.

Three years ago, Annie was diagnosed with a severe genetic disease.

Her immune system was weak, she couldn't be exposed to furry pets at all.

That photo was just randomly taken by a nurse when she was getting tested at the hospital.

"Stella must hate me to death now. I'd rather not have this heart than have you become like this because of me."

Grant Thornton grasped her wrist in return, his voice softening.

"This heart came from an overseas medical assistance program, it has nothing to do with Stella Johnson. Stella Johnson truly hasn't changed, full of schemes!"

The livestream comments were scrolling frantically, Grant Thornton's eyes swept over them.

[Wait, those aren't pet dog ashes, right? That angel dog in the photo was still sunbathing on the city hospital lawn this morning!]

His gaze froze for a moment.