His redemption after our daughter’s death

Jane’s POV:

My hands are trembling, with sadness or anger I fail to determine. I take a screenshot of the post and send it to him. “If you care, can I expect an explanation?” I hit the send button and look at my daughter.

He sees the message but doesn’t reply. Then I realize I should inform him about Bella’s death.

I dial him, but his phone is unreachable. “Seriously?” I frown with frustration. Even after seeing my message, he didn’t reply but switched off his phone. I was at least expecting him to attend our only daughter’s last rites.

“Ma’am, the car is at the hospital’s door to carry your daughter’s body.” My blood boils at the mention of "body," but it’s the truth. And the reason for it is her father is enjoying his life with his dick.

I take my daughter into my arms again and head to the car for the cemetery. Halfway there, I get a call from Leo, Zack’s assistant. At first, I disconnect the call, not wanting to talk to anyone related to Zack.

Again, he is calling. I pick up this time, considering it might be an emergency.

“Yes, Jane speaking,” I answer coldly.

“Mrs. Smith, the boss went out of the country and he might not be available for a couple of days.” A tide of rage surges through my veins.

“When he returns, ask him to go to hell.” It’s hurting me how he can be so stony-hearted. He dropped Bella in the middle of the road and didn’t even care to ask if Bella was safe and sound.

“Is everything alright, Mrs. Smith?” Leo’s soft voice forces my tears to roll down.

“B-Be-Bella,” I stammer. For the first time, I am crying to someone.

“What happened to the Princess?” Yeah, Leo adores Bella a lot and always cares for her.

“She is no more, damn it.” My cracked voice is filled with pain and disappointment.

“W-wh-what?” He is trying to process my words. “Where are you? I’m coming.” The shock and urgency are clear in his voice.

“On the way to the cemetery.” I hang up, clutching my Bella. Soon, her body will turn into ashes. There won’t be anything left for me to hug or caress. How will I stay on this earth with the flashback of her being hit by the truck? What kind of mother am I? I let my daughter die in front of my eyes. How could I?

I get out of the car when it stops at the cemetery gate. The cemetery manager looks at me with sympathy. Even in this situation, I manage an ironic smile. When unknown or unfamiliar people can feel my pain, my husband, my so-called life partner, isn’t around.

Everything is ready to start the last rites for my doll, and Leo appears. “I’m here.” I nod bluntly. Frankly, I don’t have the strength to greet him at this moment.

The manager hands me Bella’s urn. It’s the heaviest thing I have ever lifted. I cry for a long time while hugging the urn. Her birth moment, those tiny fingers holding my index finger for the first time, those cries for milk—yeah, she was a foodie. Was. Now, I need to use past tense for my daughter. It’s like stabbing my heart with uncountable knives. She was a sleepyhead too. Even in the morning, she didn’t want to go to school.

“Mommy, let your Bella sleep for a while, please.” Her plea still echoes in my ears. I wish I had let her sleep then. Maybe I could have avoided her death.

“The grave is ready, Mrs. Smith,” Leo says with a heavy voice.

“Jane, it’s Jane. Don’t add his surname with mine.” I stand up from the ground and reach the grave. Yes, my daughter’s grave. When she was born, I thought she would be the one to perform my last rites. How ironic! Now, I am burying my daughter’s urn in the grave.

The grave covering is done. I sit by the graveside.

“Jane! Let’s go. It will hurt more the longer you stay.” Leo is trying to be a shoulder for me.

“Let me stay. You may leave now.” My gaze is frozen on the grave. “Anyway, thanks for coming. It means a lot.” I share my gratitude as he really cares for Bella.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t do anything for our Princess.” His tear drops on my hand. I lift my face to look at him.

“When her father left her in the middle of the road, I don’t expect you to be sorry. Still, thank you. Now, leave me alone for some time. I need to be with her.” I return my gaze to my daughter.

“Sure, just know, for anything, I’m just a call away.” I nod softly, and he leaves.

I hug the grave and let my tears carry my grief. And then the rain starts, perhaps the sky is sharing my pain.

...

Two days pass. I am hugging Bella’s photo frame to my chest when my phone beeps. I check the message, and it’s from my useless husband. “Listen, I’m having a business trip with Jessica...” I feel like breaking my phone in anger, but it’s just a mere thing to bear my rage.

I shake my head in dismay and type back for the last time, “I want a divorce ASAP without any alimony.” I immediately block him and throw the phone on the bed.

Everything is hurting, my body or my heart, I don’t know. And as if to disturb me further, my phone rings. I pick it up; it’s the cemetery manager.

“Ma’am, someone is digging up your daughter’s grave, and I am failing to stop them.” It feels like my world is spiraling. I run without thinking for a moment.

I reach the cemetery, and the scene in front of me is shocking. Zack and Jessica are standing by the grave, and a few people are digging it up.

I can’t believe I lived with this man for more than five years. How did I end up with an INHUMAN MAN?