Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Your little girl... There is still evidence of the assault inside your daughter's body. She suffered violent abuse three hours before her organs were removed, and there were severe tears in her lower body..." The girl in front of me looked like a doll that had been torn apart. Her belly had a terrible wound, and so much of her was missing. It was heartbreaking. Her hands were folded as if in prayer. Even though she was so injured, she was still holding onto a fancy watch. I knew that watch. It was the birthday present she wanted to give her dad. There was sadness in the eyes of everyone around me. Some tried to say comforting words. However, all I could hear was a loud ringing in my ears. My heart felt like it was being chewed up in tiny, painful bites. My little five-year-old daughter had gone through something monstrous before she left this world. The police tried to talk to me, but I was in another world. Suddenly, a call from Jack Gordon snapped me back to reality. "Bring Cindy out now. She needs to apologize to Yvonne in front of everyone. We can't let this go," he demanded. "Yvonne's a shining star, and Cindy's trying to dim her light. How could my child be so cruel?" I could not find the words to answer him. I only had tears in my eyes as I looked at my daughter. Jack completely lost his temper on the other end of the phone. "If she doesn't apologize today, she’s no longer my daughter! You're both kicked out of the house now!" The phone went dead. I stood frozen in place, took the watch from my daughter's clenched hands, and followed as her lifeless body was taken to the hospital for DNA testing.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Jack was not surprised to see me in the hospital. He was busy with a cotton swab and iodine, cleaning Yvonne's cut. He simply glanced at me before he snapped, "Where's Cindy hiding? Do you really think you can keep her safe? I'll make you give up soon." Jack was so mad that he pressed too hard, and Yvonne let out a little hiss of pain. "If she won't come and say sorry, then it's her own fault for what happens next," Jack growled. "These fingers are just the right size. I need them for a special necklace that's supposed to bring luck. So, I'm taking this one," Yvonne said, holding up a finger. I was shaking all over, unsure if it was because of anger or fear. I scrambled over to Yvonne. "Give my daughter's fingers back!" Yvonne jumped when she saw me crawling over. She kicked me in the face and hid in Jack's arms. Jack frowned down at me. "It's been hours. It's too late to fix her fingers now. What's the point of giving them to Yvonne? "I'll get Cindy a fake hand later. Don't make a scene here and embarrass me!" he said. I could not believe what I was hearing. How could a father say such crazy things about his own daughter? He had cut off his sweet little girl's fingers to give to his childhood friend as a present. It was ridiculous. "Bring Cindy out now, or you'll have to say sorry to Yvonne yourself. Keep apologizing until she's not mad anymore!" Jack demanded, puffing with anger. Yvonne smirked beside him. She looked at me like I was nothing more than an ant, all high and mighty. However, in front of Jack, she acted like she was the nicest person in the world. "Don't worry, Jack. I'm not the type to hold a grudge. Let's not get upset over a kid. "I just don't get how Amelia raised her to be so sensitive. I asked her to call me 'Mom', but she can't even do that." She sounded like she was trying to make peace, but her words were actually stirring up trouble. Jack had his belt out, ready to give me a good whipping. However, this time, I was not going to just stand there and take it. I quickly stepped aside. "Cindy can't come," I said, my voice flat but filled with anger. I wished so badly that those two would feel the pain they had caused and would suffer like my daughter did. I wished they were the ones gone, not her. Slap! Before I knew it, a hard slap hit my face. My cheek turned red and swelled up, and blood started pouring from my nose. I crumpled to the ground in a heap. "If Cindy won't come to apologize, then you'll get her punishment," he said. Blood filled my mouth, but I could not help smiling through the pain. "Cindy's gone! She's dead! She's never coming back! Hitting me won't change that. You can't bring her back!" Jack looked stunned for a second, but then he got even angrier. He grabbed my chin so hard it felt like he might break it. "You're lying. You can't even come up with a decent excuse. How could I forgive her for what she did? "She’s only five, yet she’s already thinking about hurting Yvonne. What will she do when she gets older? Will she bully other kids or worse?" He lifted his arm to hit me again, but a nurse rushed in and stopped him. "Ms. Scott, we have the report about what happened to your daughter." I forced a sad smile, lifting my head to look at Jack with determination. "You still don't believe it?" Jack's eyes were dark, and he did not even pause before he spoke. "You'd do anything to trick me, wouldn't you? You even paid an actress to put on a show right here," Jack said, looking down at the young nurse with scorn. "Whatever Amelia is paying you, I'll double it. Now, get out of here! You're in the way!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Jack sent me away from the hospital like I was worthless, and he made sure to give me a warning. "In two weeks, Cindy has to apologize to everyone at my birthday party, or else I'll show you the consequences of being her mother." I held onto the watch in my hand so tightly it almost hurt. My daughter had been looking forward to Jack's birthday party even more than he was. She had planned his birthday present for three months, saving her entire allowance for a year to buy a fancy watch. Every morning, she would ask me with big hopeful eyes, "Do you think Daddy will like my gift? If he likes the watch, maybe he won't hate me anymore." My heart hurt every time she asked. I had hoped that the birthday party would bring our family closer together. However, my daughter was gone now. All my hopes and dreams were dashed. Holding my daughter's tiny urn, I was filled with regret. If only I had gone against my father's wishes and not agreed to the arranged marriage with Jack. Would things be different then? I did not even know about Yvonne when I first met Jack. He had been so kind to me when we united our families with our wedding. However, once Jack took over my family's business, he changed. He would bring Yvonne home and tell our daughter she would be the new lady of the house. He even bought Yvonne a pink crystal for $7.5 million at an auction. At the same time, he only gave me and my daughter $750 a month to live on. When I asked him about the bills for all the fancy things he had bought, he was distant. "You don't deserve my money," he said. "That $750 a month is a gift." I was too weak to fight back, and things got worse. I did not give my daughter a bright future. I had let her down. I dried my tears, trying to be strong. I had to make things right for Cindy, even if it was the last thing I did. I wanted to make those who hurt her pay. The day I got the DNA test results, I knew I needed the best lawyer in town. However, Jack was the top lawyer around. I could not bring myself to call him for a long time. When I finally did, Yvonne answered. "Jack's busy with my brother's case. Don't cause any trouble," she said. I held my phone tightly, feeling like something bad was coming. "What case?" I asked, my voice shaking without me even noticing. However, Yvonne did not want to explain and just hung up on me. When I tried calling back, Jack never picked up again. All the hope I had held onto for days shattered on the day of the trial. Yvonne walked in, hand-in-hand with Jack, both of them smiling and chatting. Right beside them was the man who had killed my daughter.