After My Daughter Died, I Never Forgave My Ex-husband

After arriving at the cemetery, I rushed to my daughter's grave, my heart pounding in my chest. A group of people were already there, pushing and shoving with the cemetery staff. Amid the chaos, a woman in a white dress stood in front of the grave, clutching a penguin doll. It was Kate.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw the grave had been dug up, the pink coffin of my daughter now exposed to the world. The sight was like a dagger to my heart, piercing me with a pain so intense I could hardly breathe.

I walked over, my steps heavy with anger and grief, until I stood directly in front of Kate. My voice was cold and steady as I asked, "Did you let them dig it up?"

Kate looked up, clearly startled to see me. But then she smiled, a sickeningly sweet expression that only fueled my rage. "Sister Rachel," she began, "it’s you. Yes, I asked them to—"

Before she could finish, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face, the force of it knocking her to the ground. The slap echoed through the air, a sharp, satisfying crack. But the satisfaction was fleeting, overwhelmed by the hatred and despair bubbling up inside me. I moved to kick her, driven by an uncontrollable need to hurt her as much as I was hurting.

But before I could, Adam suddenly appeared. He pushed me away, his face twisted in anger. "Rachel, how long are you going to keep this up? I only saw Kate once since she came back and now you’re hitting her? Where’s your dignity?"

His words stung, but not as much as seeing him rush to Kate’s side. He helped her up and she collapsed into his arms like a delicate, helpless creature. Her voice was soft and tremulous as she spoke, "Rachel, why are you doing this to me? I only came back to say goodbye to Adam."

She clung to the penguin doll, her grip tightening as if it were a lifeline. "This was the pet doll we raised together. Even though we’re apart, it’s like a bond that still ties us together. I wanted to bury our Peggy here and then Adam and I will have no more ties. This cemetery is the best in the area and there’s only one plot left. Please, Rachel, let us have it so we can bury our Peggy."

She looked up at Adam with teary, imploring eyes and he stared back at her, his expression conflicted. Then his gaze shifted to the tombstone and the color drained from his face. His eyes widened as he saw the photo of Tania and her name etched into the stone.

He looked back at me, fury replacing the shock. "Rachel, why did you erect a tombstone for Tania in advance? Are you trying to curse our daughter?"

His words were like a slap to my face and for a moment, I was too stunned to speak. The absurdity, the cruelty of his accusation, left me reeling. I could barely process what he was saying—this man, who had abandoned us when we needed him most, who was now accusing me of something so vile.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my voice trembling with rage and heartbreak. "Curse? Adam, our daughter is already gone! She died because you were too busy with her!" I pointed at Kate, who was still nestled in his arms. "You don’t deserve to mention Tania, not after what you’ve done."

Adam’s face twisted with guilt and anger, but I didn’t care anymore. The man I once loved, who I had spent my entire life caring for, was nothing more than a stranger to me now.