As the words reached Cassie's ears, an intense surge of betrayal seed to pierce her heart. Breathing beca arduous, and the physical symptoms of her pregnancy intensified. Overwheld, she hastily went to the bathroom, where she vomited while trembling uncontrollably. Tears refused to flow due to the sheer terror gripping her. Only one thought echoed relentlessly in her mind, "The body does not belong to Roy... He is not dead..."
And then her underbelly ached. She just held her underbelly and quivered. Shirley finished making breakfast, and as she entered the bathroom, she saw Cassie squatting on the floor. She thought that there was a problem with Cassie's baby, and she just scread and asked whether Cassie felt comfortable.
Cassie's mind went blank. She even lost consciousness. She just spoke absent-mindedly, "Roy...is dead... The police asked us to identify the body...."
Upon hearing the news, Shirley succumbed to a faint, unable to withstand the overwhelming shock.
In contrast to Irish, Cassie had not yet witnessed the loss of a loved one firsthand. Her parents were still alive, and the passing of her grandmother had occurred during her early childhood, preventing her from experiencing profound grief.
Overwheld by Roy's alleged death and Shirley's sudden collapse, Cassie found herself in a state of confusion and uncertainty. Unsure of how to proceed, she instinctively called Irish.
When Joseph and Irish arrived at Cassie's house, Shirley woke up. On the way to the police station, Shirley cried and shouted while Cassie kept still, just clenching Irish's hands tightly.
Irish felt so nervous.
The darkening clouds in the sky mirrored the increasingly somber atmosphere within the car. Tension hung heavy in the air, palpable to all occupants. The bustling streets remained congested, exacerbating the already crowded conditions. Joseph's driving, typically steady, beca erratic. He narrowed through nurous alleys and even crossed intersections when the traffic lights had already turned red.
Irish could observe his side face from the rearview mirror.
He looked serious, closing his lips tightly. The radian of his lips was as fierce as a knife.
In the mortuary, so police were already there.
Chalrs assud control of the case, his gaze briefly flickering over the report provided by the legal expert. He then surveyed the gathering of concerned relatives before his attention settled on Joseph. Speaking in a casual tone, he remarked, "The Lakes seem to have their fair share of cases. It's hard to believe this is what life should be."
Joseph still kept silent.
Irish felt unhappy when she heard it, "Chalrs, what do you an? Do you suspect my husband? Last night we were together. He didn't even go out."
Chalrs didn't say anything and just stared at Joseph.
Joseph just said lightly, "Can we co in to identify the body?"
Chalrs shifted his gaze towards Cassie, his eyes fixed upon her. "Are you Roy's wife?" he inquired.
Cassie nodded anxiously in response.
"I want to prepare you ntally," Chalrs continued, his voice remaining steady. "When we arrived at the scene, Roy had already suffered a fatal burn in the car. His body was extensively charred, and the vehicle itself was completely destroyed. We were only able to identify him as the owner of the car through the license plate."
Irish felt choked.
Cassie's voice trembled, "You an my husband was...burned to death?"
Chalrs nodded.
Cassie pressed her chest. Her heart ached as if it had been cut by a knife.
"Are you ready?" Chalrs asked, seeking Cassie's preparedness. "If you are, please follow . Afterward, we will need your cooperation to create a formal record of the proceedings."
Irish couldn't just let Cassie in. The car was destroyed. What could the body be like? Cassie was now pregnant. She couldn't bear such a stimulus.
Irish said lightly, "I will co with Joseph."
"I..." Cassie quivered wholly, shaking her head, "I need to go in...to prove it's not him."
Shirley's eyes got red. She pulled Cassie's hands subconsciously and said, " too."
"Mom..." Cassie held Shirley's hands, too.
"I don't believe that my son is dead. I don't believe it!" Shirley turned to be resolute. At the sa ti, she looked so tired.
Just at this mont, Irish was watching Shirley. Sohow her hatred seed to be gone. Shirley was an aggressive woman and a disgusting mistress who drove Irish's mother to death. anwhile, she now appeared as a pitiable woman yearning for her husband's affection. Despite her misdeeds, she remained a mother to Roy and Ruby, evoking a sense of compassion.
Shirley had experienced the joys of having a husband, a son, and a daughter in her life. There was even the possibility of her becoming a grandmother in the future.
Perhaps, in so sense, she had faced divine retribution as she had lost her husband and her daughter, leaving her son as the only remaining family mber who might have died too.
Irish's gaze shifted towards Shirley, and she noticed that both of Shirley's sideburns had turned white. The signs of aging were evident, and Shirley's allure from the past had faded. She now bore the appearance of an elderly woman who had weathered nurous hardships. The sight of her stirred a sense of pity inside Irish.
Irish felt upset.
The act of hating soone or forgiving them both carried their own pain. While it was often said that forgiveness was easier than harboring hatred, in Irish's perspective, the latter seed to be a simpler path to tread than the challenging journey of forgiveness.
Hatred was just a feeling.
Forgiving is required to withdraw previous pains based on hatred. Those bad things had to be morized and then buried. It was so cruel.
Irish had suffered greatly from hatred, so now she was considering forgiving.
This kind of pain was nothing compared with that of hatred.
Seeing the situation, Chalrs nodded and then took them into the mortuary.
The temperature in it was lower than outside.
As Irish entered, she couldn't help chilling and then pulled Joseph's hands subconsciously. He also held hers tightly. Irish could obviously feel that his hands were also cold.
There was only one bed.
There was a white bedsheet on it. It upheaved slightly, and under it, there shall be a body.
There were other police inside the mortuary. Seeing them coming, they gave their way.
Chalrs walked forward and pulled one corner of the bedsheet, looking at them four. Cassie clenched her hands tightly. Her lips even beca pale. She just nodded lightly.
The white bed sheet was opening little by little.
When one scary face appeared in their view, Shirley scread out.
Cassie was frightened and just fell onto the floor.
"Cassie!" Irish was shocked and imdiately supported her. The scene she saw just now was still hanging in her mind.
What a terrible face it was!
It was totally burned.
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