Mommy's Coming, Sweetheart

Jace echoed, "That's right. It's only been a month. I don't believe any experience could turn someone completely insane in such a short time. What's more, this place is a paradise on earth, a secluded haven."

His face darkened inch by inch as he thought of it. "Willow, I'll give you one last chance. If you remain stubborn, then you can stay in this cattle ranch forever and live with this animal."

Hearing his words, Zara gave me a triumphant little smirk that no one else noticed, her lips curling up with satisfaction she couldn't hide. Seeing that I remained unmoved, Jace quickly lost patience. He gritted his teeth and snapped, "Willow, you really don't know what's good for you. Since you're beyond saving, I won't waste another second on you. Hand over our daughter, I'm taking her away from this place right now! I won't let my sweet, well-behaved daughter be raised to become something less than human!"

Because I didn't respond to him, he turned to the owner of the ranch and barked, "Where's my daughter? Where is she?"

The ranch owner was so flustered his legs went weak. He stammered but couldn't get a word out. "I've been paying you a hundred thousand a month to take good care of them, both mother and child! What are you hiding? Why don't you even know where my daughter is?"

Under Jace's sharp and suspicious gaze, the ranch owner went pale, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "Jace, don't scare him like that," Zara cut in gently. "The baby's only two months old. She can't be away from her mother yet. Honestly, besides Willow, no one knows where she might be."

Then she turned to me, trying to sound sincere. "Willow, the ranch owner's just a humble farmer. He's done his best looking after you this past month. Please don't make things harder for him than they already are, okay?"

Jace immediately caught her drift. He shot me a cold glare and warned in a low voice, "Willow, where have you hidden our daughter? If anything happens to our precious little girl, don't blame me for being ruthless."

I finished washing the big yellow ox's feet and then fetched a basin of water to find the little calf. "Baby, be good. Mommy's here to change your diaper."

Jace's face was ashen and he suddenly knocked over the basin of water in my hand. "Willow, I've had enough of you!"

He took out a pocket watch from his collar and opened it, revealing a small and soft custom-made photo of our daughter when she was just born. "That's just a calf, an animal! Open your eyes and take a good look at this little pumpkin. This is your own daughter!"

I stared blankly at the pocket watch, seeing the soft, chubby little baby on it. She was so tiny; her eyes hadn't even opened yet. Suddenly, the stench of blood and rot filled my nose. Terrifying images surged through my mind. It was as if the tiny baby, along with her swaddling clothes, didn't even have time to cry before being torn apart by countless sharp teeth.

It was as if a knife was stabbing into my body, gouging out my heart and scraping my bones, bit by bit. Although slow, each cut was deep and bloody. My whole body shuddered and I came back to my senses at the tender "moo-moo" crying sound. Then, disregarding everything else, I rushed towards the little calf that had fallen into the mud pit and held it tightly in my arms, feeling sorry for it. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Mommy's here."

Jace also rushed over, his eyes bloodshot and slapped me hard across the face. "Willow, don't push me!"

The slap from him made my head spin and a buzzing sound filled my ears. Still, I didn't care about any of that. All I could see was the wronged little calf in my arms. So, I familiarly lifted my shirt to feed it. "Good baby, don't cry. Once you drink Mommy's milk, everything will be alright."

"Oh my God!"

Amidst the gasps of the crowd, a look of utter shock washed over Jace as if struck by lightning. "Willow, you? All I did was send you and the child to the cattle ranch for a month's break. Were you really that wrong? Did you have to throw such a tantrum and do something so disgusting, blurring the lines between people and animals, just to spite me?"

He snapped, yanking my hair so hard it made a loud crack in my neck. I didn't feel any pain. I just kept nursing the little calf, gently patting its head. "Don't be scared, don't be scared. Mommy's here. Everything's okay."

After his brief breakdown, Jace suddenly let out a cold, cruel laugh. "Willow, you're such a good actress, huh? Let's see how long you can keep up the performance after I roast your precious little calf."

He snatched the calf from my arms. I frantically tried to stop him, but the cattle ranch owner held me firmly to the ground. Under the intense heat of the fire, the iron griddle quickly grew scorching hot. Bound by its legs, the little calf cried out miserably, its tearful eyes looking at me helplessly as the heat seared its flesh.

Meeting those clear, innocent eyes that knew nothing of death, I was suddenly struck by the memory of my daughter's bewildered gaze at me just before she was torn apart.

"Don't be afraid, Mommy's coming." Ignoring the searing pain in my already twisted arms, I threw myself onto the red-hot griddle amidst Jace's hysterical roars.