Ashes at the Celebration

"Nina won't be able to be there."

Samuel was infuriated. "Enough of this nonsense! I'm telling you! If it were not for the others wanting to see you, I wouldn't have called you in the first place! You're being ungrateful!"

I took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll bring Nina over."

Samuel tutted over the phone and said, "I knew you were pretending! Nina is fine! Don't be late and don't embarrass me tonight!"

At night, I attended the celebration party for Samuel at the hotel. In the distance, I saw Dana in a tight-fitting red dress. She was sitting next to Samuel.

I quietly took my seat. The other firemen who saw me were stunned. Their eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Compared to Dana — who was dressed up to the nines — I was in a raggedy t-shirt and my hair was disheveled.

When Samuel saw me, he frowned and said in detest, "Why are you dressed up like this? Didn't I tell you it was a party? Can't you put on a little bit of makeup? You're embarrassing me!"

I ignored him. I picked up the cutlery on the table and started wiping it hard with a napkin. Everything in front of me felt dirty.

"Where's Nina?" Samuel questioned me. He said impatiently, "This is an important day for me. Why isn't she here?"

My heart hurt terribly. "I told you. She won't be able to come."

"What do you mean by that?" Samuel snatched the spoon in my hand and threw it on the table. "How the Hell did you raise her? Since when did Nina become so naughty?"

Dana quickly tugged on Samuel's arm. "Samuel, please calm down. That's not what Rachel meant. She—"

"That's exactly what I meant!" I sprang up and looked at them coldly. "Nina won't be able to come today. She won't be able to come forever!"

"What do you mean?" Samuel was stunned. Then, he fumed. "Explain yourself right now!"

I took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the raging emotions in me. I enunciated every single word, "Samuel. I begged you! I begged you to save Nina! But you didn't… You saved her instead!" I angrily pointed at Tilly, who was sitting on his lap.

Tilly immediately wailed out crying.

Dana pulled Tilly into her arms, consoling her, "Don't be scared. It's alright."

Suddenly, Samuel swung his arm without a second of thought and I immediately felt a sting on my cheek.

"Rachel, I'm warning you. Stop with this nonsense at once!" he roared at me, shouting at my face.

"Go bring Nina over right now! If not, you can say goodbye to this home!"

I looked at him coldly. I suddenly found it amusing. This was the man that I loved for ten years. This was the family that I was trying so hard to protect.

From the moment that Nina passed away, everything was gone.

"You disgust me, Samuel!" I threw a plate on the floor, causing it to shatter into pieces.

Time seemed to have stopped. Everyone looked at me in shock. A few seconds later, everyone reacted.

"Rachel, calm down. Let's talk it out."

"There are kids here..."

"Samuel and his team worked really hard. Let's all sit down and have a good meal."

I picked up the bag I brought along with me and placed it right in front of Samuel.

Dana suddenly stood protectively next to Samuel. She said, "Rachel, don't do this. Samuel has not seen Nina for two days. He just misses her. Just bring her here. She is his daughter after all."