Burned to Ashes

When Shirley Elliot returned to the country, Colton Walton asked me for a divorce.

"If it weren't for that accident eight years ago, you would never have had the chance to marry into the Walton family. Since you have taken Shirley's happiness for eight years, you should be content by now. I will give you time to sort everything out, but there is no room for discussion about the divorce."

His neat signature on the divorce agreement stabbed at my heart, but what hurt more was the unwillingness.

Eight years had passed. Even raising a cat would develop some attachment, let alone a husband and wife who had lived under the same roof.

I held back the tears in my eyes and hurried after Colton, wanting to ask for an explanation. But outside the study, I heard his mother, Claire Walton's voice. "Colton, I respect your decision, but I also don't want to see you regret it later, so let me ask you this. Mira is a good girl. After so many years of marriage, do you really have no feelings for her at all?"

My hand that was about to push the door froze in mid-air. I held my breath unconsciously, a tiny spark of hope flickering in my chest.

"Mom, I understand what you mean." Colton's tone carried no trace of reluctance. "I have thought about it seriously. Toward Mira, I feel gratitude, and I feel pity, but I absolutely do not have romantic feelings. I have always been waiting for Shirley to come back."

Whatever was said after that, I could no longer hear clearly. All that remained was my heart, shattered completely.

In the end, I had hoped for too much.

During these eight years, the occasional gentleness Colton showed me was perhaps all directed at another person through me.

Even the nights he stayed up with me when I had a high fever were probably because, in the darkness, my face resembled Shirley's.

The divorce papers slipped from my hand together with my tears. At that moment, the people inside opened the door and saw me standing there in a daze. His face instantly filled with disgust. "Mira, you're supposed to be the Elliott family's daughter, yet you stoop to eavesdropping like someone with no manners! No wonder your parents never liked you!"

The words struck right at my deepest wound. My body swayed, nearly losing balance.

Claire reached out to steady me, her lips moving for a long time before she finally chose to defend her son. "Mira, don't take it to heart. Colton... he didn't mean it that way..."

I gave a self-mocking smile and was about to explain when my phone suddenly rang urgently.

It was the caregiver in charge of my mother's daily care. "Miss Elliott, your mother's condition suddenly worsened. Please come quickly."

Without caring about anything else, I wiped my tears and immediately drove to the nursing home.

Along the way, my mind was in turmoil, memories flooding back uncontrollably.

Not long after my mother gave birth to me, my father got involved with his secretary and had Shirley.

From then on, loving the house and its crow, Shirley became the daughter he cherished most. Under constant instigation and targeting from Shirley and her mother, my father grew increasingly cold toward me and my mother.