Chapter 5 Destroy

A piercing cold settled deep within Jillian as she fixed her gaze on Dennis.

Once upon a time, he had sworn he would take care of her for life, yet now he stood before her and drove pain into her heart without hesitation.

To her, Dennis was nothing more than a complete bastard.

Drawing on what little strength she had left, she raised her hand and knocked his reaching hand aside. "Keep your hands off me," she said, and her face hardened into an unfeeling mask.

Without sparing him another glance, she spun around and headed upstairs. To her, this place no longer felt like home, and she knew she could not stay any longer. However, the instant she pushed open the master bedroom door, she froze where she stood. Melany was already inside.

At that moment, everything became clear to her. Dennis had returned for this reason. He had brought Melany into the house.

Jillian's eyes moved slowly across Melany before settling on the necklace resting at her collarbone. It matched the one Dennis had given her earlier that same day.

A sharp and humorless laugh escaped from Jillian as the realization sank in. Dennis hadn't wasted any time at all. He had even gone as far as buying identical gifts for two different women.

However, in the very next instant, that faint amusement disappeared. When she noticed what Melany held in her hands, shock flashed across her face.

"Why do you have my paper?" she asked. She rushed forward, but she failed to grab anything.

With practiced ease, Melany pushed her electric wheelchair backward and slipped out of Jillian's reach, while a smug smile lingered on her lips. "I never expected you could produce something this advanced at fourteen. You even wrote it by hand."

Worry gripped Jillian as she feared Melany might act on impulse, so she steadied herself and spoke in a gentler tone. "You already got everything you wanted, didn't you? That paper is old work, and it won't pose any risk to you. Please, just return it to me."

What she was asking for wasn't just a document. It was the first piece her late mother had patiently helped her complete. Although it was never published, it carried deep meaning for her. Above all, it was the last remaining thing her mother had left behind.

Instead of relenting, Melany's smile grew more pronounced. "But you seem to care about it so much. Tell you what-kneel down and beg me. Maybe then I'll hand it over."

"Don't take this any further." A warning edged into Jillian's voice as she struggled to hold herself together.

"So you refuse to kneel? In that case, I might as well destroy it." From her pocket, Melany took out a lighter, a habit she had picked up from smoking, and flipped it open with deliberate flair.

Panic surged through Jillian as she reacted without thinking. "Stop!"

Fear tightened around her chest as memories of fire came rushing back. When she was fourteen, a devastating blaze had injured her vocal cords and left her unable to speak for years. Even so, losing the last piece her mother left behind frightened her far more than the fire itself.

A sharp ache gripped her throat as the words forced their way out. "Fine. I'll kneel."

Because of the surgical steel pins in her knees, even the slightest bend brought unbearable pain.

While pretending to lower herself slowly, she kept her movements deliberate and strained. At the same time, she stayed focused, watching both the paper and the lighter from the corner of her eye.

Then, at the exact moment she had been waiting for, she tensed and surged forward, reaching for the paper.

Anticipating her move, Melany reacted without delay. As soon as Jillian lunged, the wheelchair reversed with a sharp mechanical sound and created distance between them.

"So this worthless thing actually matters to you. Interesting," Melany said, and her voice carried a cruel edge. "You should know something about me. I take pleasure in ruining whatever you treasure the most."

Without hesitation, she flicked the lighter open and brought it to life. Once the flame caught the edge of the aging paper, she gave a careless motion and dropped the burning paper onto the floor.

The sight of the fire stole Jillian's breath and sent a wave of terror crashing over her. As the flames climbed higher, dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.

Still, she forced herself to move because there was no time to stand frozen.

Pushing past her fear, she rushed forward and pressed her lips together as she stomped repeatedly on the fire.

When the flames were finally gone, half of the paper had already turned into ash.

A harsh laugh broke from Melany as she watched the aftermath. "What a pity. It almost burned down completely."

A veil of tears clouded Jillian's sight as she sank to her knees and gently collected the burned and crumbling fragments of the pages. She had almost saved it. Now, the final piece her mother left behind was beyond repair.

With a sharp motion, she wiped away her tears before lifting her head. In place of grief, a chilling stillness settled into her gaze. "So this is what you enjoy? Ruining everything that belongs to me?"

Without warning, she surged forward and slammed Melany's wheelchair straight into the wall, then yanked the lighter from her hand with force.

Although fear of fire had always controlled her, anger took over completely in that instant.

As her fingers shook, she flicked the lighter and held the flame close to Melany's carefully maintained hair, the same hair she spent heavily on each month.

Within seconds, the ends began to burn.

A panicked scream tore from Melany as she struggled helplessly. "Dennis, help me! Please save me!" Trapped against the wall and unable to move her chair, she flailed wildly in fear.

Hearing the desperate cries, Dennis rushed into the room at full speed. The moment he saw what was happening, his face hardened with fury. "Have you lost your mind?"

In just a few quick steps, he reached them and shoved Jillian aside with force. Even so, it was already too late. A large portion of Melany's once-pristine hair had been burned into a damaged and foul-smelling mess.

Burying her face against Dennis's suit, Melany broke into uncontrollable sobs. "She was trying to burn me alive! Dennis, there was fire... she lit me up! I was terrified."

With a dull sound, Jillian let the lighter fall to the floor. Without sparing them another glance, she focused on gathering the blackened pieces of her paper and carefully placed them into a small box. Only after finishing did she lift her eyes and meet Dennis's cold gaze.

Never before had she seen that kind of hatred directed at her.

The only other time she witnessed such fury was when her leg had been brutally beaten.

Back then, he faced those men with murderous intent, and now that same cold fury was directed at her.

A suffocating pressure tightened around her chest, as though something was crushing her heart.

In a flat and emotionless tone, she spoke. "She burned my things first."

Instead of believing her, Dennis stared as if she had lost all sense. "Melany is afraid of fire," he said sharply. "So how could she have set your things on fire?"