My Daughter’s Funeral, My Husband’s Regret

On my daughters fifth birthday, my husband turned her party into a welcome-home bash for his precious ex.

I stood there, clutching the birthday cake, and looked at Ethan Reed.

He only frowned, his voice dripping with impatience. We can celebrate Lilys birthday another day, Chloe. Stop throwing a tantrum over nothing.

Just then, our five-year-old daughter, Lily, walked through the door.

I opened my mouth to comfort her, but Hailey Miller beat me to it. She knelt down, grabbed Lilys hands, and smiled sweetly. "Hey sweetie, I brought a special gift just for you. It's in your room!"

Innocent and confused, Lily followed her into the bedroom.

The next second, a piercing, blood-curdling scream echoed through the house.

I rushed inside. There, on Lilys little bed, lay the cold, skeletal remains of a dog. Right next to it was its fully preserved, intact fur.

It was Buddy. Lily's beloved golden retriever.

Lilys face went dead white. Her chest heaved violently as her asthma triggered on the spot.

"Ethan! Get her and her sick things out of my house right now!" I screamed, pulling my trembling daughter into my arms.

But Ethan immediately stepped in front of Hailey, shielding her from me.

"Hailey hates live dogs, Chloe. She did this so Buddy could stay with Lily forever. She was only trying to be nice!"

I stared at him, my heart turning to ash.

In that single moment, I realized this marriage was dead.

I held my wheezing daughter tightly, my voice shaking with rage.

"That was Buddy! Lilys favorite dog! What Hailey did will scar this child for life!"

Ethan knitted his brows, ready to defend Hailey again.

I didn't give him the chance. With tear-filled eyes, I spat out the painful memories. "Buddy was Lilys third birthday present. I brought him home when he was just a tiny puppy. She was so happy she couldn't sleep all night!"

"For two years, he ate with her, slept with her, and was her best friend! How could you let this psycho torture and kill him?!"

Standing behind Ethan, Hailey sneered, looking completely unbothered.

"It was just a cheap mutt, Chloe. Lily isn't that fragile. She won't be scarred."

She sighed dramatically. "I was just worried she'd be sad if we simply gave the dog away. That's why I preserved its bones and fur. Honestly, she should be thanking me for my thoughtfulness."

Her shameless lies shattered the last of my self-control.

I lost it.

I grabbed the glass cup from the nightstand and hurled it straight at the disgusting pair.

The glass slammed hard against Haileys arm. She let out a sharp cry of pain.

Instantly, her eyes welled with tears, and she bit her lip pitifully.

"If I knew Chloe hated me this much, I wouldn't have come today. I was just trying to be nice, and now I'm accused of ruining Lilys birthday..."

Seeing her cry, Ethan rushed to support her, glaring at me with pure venom.

"You are a literal madwoman, Chloe! Not only did you disrespect Hailey, but you also have zero respect for me!"

I wanted to scream at him for being so blind, but Lilys breathing suddenly grew incredibly shallow.

Her tiny gasps felt like physical stabs to my chest.

Her asthma attack was getting worse.

Panicked, I tried to push past Ethan to get the emergency inhaler from the nightstand.

But he grabbed my arm, blocking my path. His voice was cold and commanding. "You are not leaving this room until you apologize to Hailey."

I looked at my suffocating, trembling daughter. My heart was being shredded by a dull blade.

For Lily, I had to swallow my pride and my tears.

I lowered my head and whispered hoarsely to Hailey, "Im sorry. I lost my temper."

But the moment the words left my mouth, Hailey reached out and shoved me hard.

My lower back slammed violently against the sharp corner of the desk. The pain was so intense I couldn't stand up.

Hailey quickly took two steps back, gasping in mock shock. "Oh my god, Chloe, how could you be so clumsy? If you can't even take care of yourself, how can anyone trust you with Lily?"

Ethan instinctively reached down to help me.

But Hailey grabbed his arm, her voice sweet and urgent. "Ethan, Lily is still struggling to breathe. We need to check on the baby first."

Ethan hesitated for a fraction of a second, then scooped Lily out of my arms and walked out of the room with Hailey.

I slumped on the cold floor.

Watching their retreating backs, a bitter ache swelled in my chest.

My tears fell silently, mixing with the blood on my bruised hands.

I forced myself up, leaning heavily against the desk, and dragged myself to the bathroom.

I turned on the shower, letting the hot water wash away the suffocating smell of blood.

After cleaning up, I forced my aching body out of the bedroom.

The moment I stepped into the living room, a heart-wrenching cry echoed through the house.

I ran into the room. Lily was collapsed on the freezing hardwood floor.

Hailey stood beside her, holding an inhaler, looking completely lost.

Like a wild animal, I threw myself over my daughter, cradling her. My fingers brushed against her ice-cold cheek as I screamed at Hailey, "What did you do to her?!"

Hailey quickly hid the medicine bottle behind her back, trying to look nervous.

"II was just trying to give her the medicine. I didn't know I grabbed the wrong one. It was an accident!"

Lilys face was turning blue, her breathing so faint it could stop at any second.

I didn't have time to fight. I ripped the emergency inhaler from Haileys hands and pressed it to Lilys mouth.

After a few deep puffs, Lilys stiff body finally began to relax.

Her breathing gradually slowed, and the heavy rock in my chest lifted slightly.

With bloodshot eyes, I glared at Hailey. The rage inside me was begging to be let loose.

"If you don't know how to take care of a child, don't touch her medicine! If anything happens to Lily today, I swear I will ruin you."

Frightened by the raw hatred in my eyes, Hailey shrank back.

She immediately hid behind Ethan, her eyes red as she whimpered, "I've never taken care of kids before. It was just a mistake. I feel terrible about Lily too..."

Ethan wrapped a protective arm around her and turned to me, his face filled with irritation.

"If you hadn't thrown a fit in the bedroom, Hailey wouldn't have had to step in and watch Lily. This is entirely your fault."

I clenched my fists to shoot back, but the front door opened.

Ethans parents walked in, carrying expensive gift boxes.

The moment they saw Hailey, their faces lit up with joy.

They rushed over, grabbing her hands, asking how she was doing, chatting warmly as if she were the daughter-in-law.

I stood in the corner, holding my traumatized daughter.

Lily and I were like ghosts, completely invisible to their warm family circle.

Mrs. Reed spared me a brief, cold glance. Her voice was commanding. "What are you standing there for? I brought fresh seafood. Go to the kitchen and make dinner."

I didn't want to fight in front of my daughter.

I gently patted Lilys back to soothe her, then walked into the kitchen alone.

When dinner was served, Hailey was the star of the table, pouring wine for my in-laws.

Then, she picked up a serving spoon, piled my bowl high with various crabs and shrimp, and smiled fake-sweetly. "Chloe works so hard taking care of Lily. You should eat more of this to recover."

I stared at the seafood in my bowl. Silently, I began to pick it out and push it to the side of my plate.

Hailey immediately frowned, looking deeply hurt.

"Your mother-in-law brought these fresh ingredients herself, Chloe. You won't even take a bite? That's so disrespectful."

Mrs. Reeds face darkened instantly. She snorted in disgust. "What did you expect? Shes just a cursed orphan with no manners. No wonder her parents died early."

The cruel words stabbed deep into my chest.

Years ago, it was my parents who helped the Reed family survive their financial crisis, which led to my arranged marriage with Ethan.

But on my eighteenth birthday, my parents died in a horrific car crash.

Since then, I was branded a "cursed child" who brought misfortune to her own family.

Everyone avoided me like the plague. Only Ethan kept his promise, staying by my side and shielding me from the nasty rumors.

I thought Ethan would defend me this time, just like he used to.

Instead, he reached over, scooped the seafood I had set aside, and dumped it back into my bowl. His voice was firm. "My parents brought this. Hailey is just being a good guest. Eat it. Stop making a scene."

Looking at his cold profile, my memories rushed back.

During our first anniversary dinner, the chef had accidentally added shellfish to my dish.

I had broken out in hives and could barely breathe. Ethan had been so devastated and angry at himself that he slapped his own face, staying up all night by my hospital bed.

But in just a few years, everything had changed.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and whispered, "I'm allergic to seafood, Ethan. I can't eat this."

Ethan paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference. "Its just a minor allergy. You can handle a few bites. Don't ruin everyone's mood."

Looking at his heartless face, my love for him died a little more.

I forced myself to take a few bites of the seafood.

Within minutes, my neck and arms broke out in angry, itching red hives.

The itching spread like wildfire across my skin, and my throat began to tighten.

Seeing the severe reaction, Ethan finally panicked.

Ignoring his parents and Hailey, he swept me up in his arms and rushed me to the hospital.

In the examination room, the doctor stared at my lab results with a deep frown.

"Your allergy levels are off the charts. You have a severe seafood allergy! Why on earth did you eat so much of it?"

"A little more, and your airway would have swollen shut. Do you not value your own life?"

I kept my eyes down, my throat too tight to utter a single word.

Ethan stood beside the bed, quietly apologizing and taking the blame upon himself.

Once the doctor left, we were the only ones left in the room.

He grabbed my wrist, his voice carrying a tired, defensive tone. "I didn't mean to force you, Chloe. But today was a special occasion. You embarrassed my parents and Hailey. You were being childish."

He sighed, trying to reason with me. "Hailey isn't a bad person. Were going to be a family eventually, so you need to learn to tolerate her. Making a war out of this helps no one."

Hearing him protect Hailey even now, the last shred of my childhood affection for him shattered completely.

After the IV drip finished, Ethan drove me back.

The moment we stepped into the courtyard, my heart stopped.

There, piled in a messy, dirty heap in the corner of the garden, were my parents' belongings.

The picture frames were covered in dirt, and their precious ornaments were scattered everywhere.

Panic seized me. I rushed over and grabbed the housekeeper, demanding to know what was happening.

Before the housekeeper could speak, Hailey strolled out of the living room.

"I had them thrown out," she said casually.

"Im going to be living here permanently now. Keeping a dead couple's stuff around is bad luck. The Reed family already agreed to it."

Those were the only things I had left of my parents.

With tears streaming down my face, I rushed forward to grab the photos.

Seeing this, Hailey suddenly lost her balance and fell straight back into the artificial pond.

Behind me, Ethans face went pale. He ran past me without a second thought, diving into the water to pull Hailey out.

She was soaking wet, shivering pitifully in his arms.

Ethan turned to glare at me, his eyes filled with absolute disgust and fury. "Just because of what happened at dinner, you decided to push her?!"

"She threw away my parents' things! I was just trying to stop her! She tripped on her own!" I cried out, my body shaking violently.

Ethan let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "Hailey is gentle. Why would she throw herself into a pond? Youre still making excuses."

He turned to the gardeners. "Burn all of it. Now."

The fire roared to life. My parents' smiling faces in the photos twisted and blackened in the flames.

It felt like my own chest was being burned alive.

Desperate, I lunged forward, trying to grab whatever photos were left.

My fingers instantly blistered from the roaring heat, the agonizing pain shooting up my arms.

But Ethan showed no mercy. He grabbed my shoulder and threw me away.

I crashed onto the hard dirt, my palm tightly clutching a half-burnt photo of my mother.

My tears mixed with the soot on the damaged paper.

Hailey, wrapped in Ethan's jacket, walked over to the fire.

Noticing the half-burnt photo in my hand, she snatched it away and threw it back into the flames.

She leaned down, her hand gently stroking her flat stomach. Her voice was quiet, but her words were poison.

"I didn't want to be this cruel, Chloe. But I'm pregnant with Ethans baby."

"I can't let my unborn child be surrounded by the bad luck of dead people. Getting rid of this trash is for the good of our new family."

I froze, my mind going completely blank.

Ethan walked over and grabbed my arm. His voice was incredibly calm, as if he were discussing the weather.

"It was an accident, Chloe. Hailey is too weak to get an abortion."

"Keeping the baby will give her some security. Don't worry. You will always be the mistress of this house."

A flash of malice crossed Haileys eyes, but she quickly masked it with a fragile, apologetic look. She took a step toward me.

"Chloe, Im not trying to take anything from you. I won't cause any trouble."

"I only cleared out the old things for my baby. Youre a mother too. You should understand."

Understand?

My dog was killed, my daughter was hospitalized, I nearly choked to death from an allergy, and my parents memories were reduced to ashes.

And now, she was pregnant with my husband's child, forcing me into a corner.

Why should I understand?!

The bottled-up pain and humiliation of the entire night exploded.

I raised my hand and slapped Hailey hard across the face.

The sharp sound echoed in the garden. Hailey froze, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

Ethan shoved me away, his eyes filled with profound disappointment. "Ive given you all the respect and dignity you deserve, Chloe. But you are just too small-minded to tolerate anyone else."

That night, Ethan stripped me of all my authority in the house. He ordered the servants to put Haileys needs first.

For the next few days, I was treated like a maid in my own home.

I had to cook Haileys meals and prepare her herbal teas. If she wasn't satisfied, she would dump the hot liquid onto my hands, forcing me to start over.

She would purposely smash glass cups on the floor, and I had to clean up the sharp pieces bare-handed.

For Lily's sake, I endured it all.

But Lily was a sensitive child. She saw the exhaustion and sadness in my eyes.

She would often grab the hem of my shirt, using her soft, tiny hands to gently rub my blistered palms, whispering, "Don't be sad, Mommy."

Looking at her pale, sweet face, the last of my patience broke.

We had to leave this toxic house.

I printed out the divorce papers. While waiting for Ethan to return, Lily ran through the front door, holding a stray puppy.

The puppy looked almost exactly like Buddy.

Lily held it tightly, her eyes shining with pure joy.

Hailey happened to come downstairs. Seeing the dog, her face darkened. She marched over to kick the puppy out.

Lily clung to the dog, refusing to let go.

In a fit of anger, Hailey kicked Lilys leg hard.

My heart stopped. I rushed forward to shield my daughter, but Hailey grabbed my wrist, pinning me against the staircase railing.

Seeing me trapped, Lily panicked. She lunged forward, scratching Haileys arm to pull her away.

During the struggle, Hailey gave a violent shove.

Lily lost her balance. Her tiny body rolled violently down the stairs.

My eyes widened in horror. I threw myself forward to catch her, but I lost my footing too.

The world spun. The last thing I heard was my daughter's terrified scream, and then, darkness.

"Chloe!" a voice screamed before I faded out.