Winter's End, Spring's Reckoning

Jonah and his parents yelled in unison.

"Fiona, how could you be so cruel? Jonah's body hasn't even gone cold, yet you're already bringing Tina back to your parents?" Jonah looked at me as if I had committed a terrible crime.

In his eyes, even if he was already dead, I should dedicate my entire life to the Lloyd family. How could I possibly leave them and go back home?

"Yes, Fiona. Jonah has just died, yet you're already bringing Tina back to your parents. How do you think the village will see us? We'll be utterly humiliated!"

"Jonah might have passed, but we're still a family! Let us know if you have any trouble. We'll surely help you!"

They might have kindly offered help, but when you truly needed them, they were nowhere to be found.

Adele rolled her eyes condescendingly as she touched her baby bump. "Mom, Dad, just let her go! We'll be much better off having two fewer useless mouths to feed."

"Adele!" Jonah rebuked.

Adele's eyes instantly reddened. "How dare you yell at me! Noah, I married you and bore you a child, yet you're siding with an outsider?"

Then, ignoring Jonah's reaction, she ran off.

Jonah instantly looked regretful. He snarled at me, "Look at what you've done! If anything were to happen to Adele, I'll make you pay!"

He quickly chased after her.

I chuckled self-deprecatingly, only to see my in-laws looking at me with a complicated gaze.

"Fiona, N-Noah was just concerned. Adele is pregnant, just let her have her way more."

"Jonah might have just passed away, but you're still a part of our family. Don't even bring up going back home to your parents anymore."

I know why they would say that. They couldn't bear to part with my three briefcases full of cash from my wedding gifts and my five amazing brothers.

It brought them pride to be able to boast about my brothers. Besides, my brothers doted on me completely.

They were the ones who came up with the wedding gifts for me.

Sadly, in the past seven years since I got married, only half a briefcase was left.

Just as I was thinking about that, Jonah returned with Adele around his arm. Adele was no longer aggrieved. On the contrary, she was smiling widely. She kept touching her earlobe.

I had a closer look and realized that those were the earrings Jonah gave to me as a wedding gift!

All these years, I couldn't bear to wear it, so I kept it as new in my jewelry box. Yet, it was on Adele right now. An inexplicable rage rose in me.

"Those are my gold earrings!"

Adele snickered and rolled her eyes at me. "No. It's mine! Besides, it has my name on it."

She took off the earring to see her name engraved on it. Jonah was looking rather sheepish. I was dumbstruck.

Adele whispered in Jonah's ear, "Did you hear what I just said?"

Jonah looked a little troubled. "My brother just died. It's not the right time!"

Adele frowned, and he immediately corrected himself, "Alright, alright. I'll agree. Don't get mad."

Looking at his apologetic gaze, a terrible, uneasy feeling rose in my heart. I immediately returned home to see the horrible state it was in.

I was shocked to the core.

The entire house was rummaged. Someone violently hacked off the wooden chest. The items that I carefully locked inside the chest were completely gone.

A strong sense of helpless despair washed over me, and I started bawling out, sobbing.

Could I not change my fate even in this life?