My husband let our daughter die for his ex.

While our daughter is in danger, I begged my husband Dugan for help, but he refused and scolded me.

Worse, he froze the emergency credit card I'd set up.

"Using the child as an excuse to scam money and trying to turn this into joint debt? Don't you fear karma?"

Our daughter was hanging on by a thread. All she wanted was to see her dad.

But he replied coldly, "Joanna's the only daughter I've ever cared about. Anyone else's death doesn't concern me."

What he didn't know was that the one dying in despair was Joanna, the daughter he had with his ex wife Alicia Arbuckle.

***

"Evita Crocker, I should've never married you.

"Let this be a lesson. As long as you know your place, I won't divorce you for no reason."

Dugan said condescendingly, not even sparing me a glance.

I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm and stared at him numbly.

"The night before last, the hospital called. Our daughter is dead."

Before Dugan married me, he knocked up his ex-girlfriend Alicia. After giving birth to a girl, she walked out on them.

Dugan raised their daughter, Joanna, alone for five years, giving her everything she wanted.

Yet when it came to the daughter I bore him, he was always distant.

Dugan's tone grew even harsher.

"First you tried to turn Joanna against Alicia, and now you're lying for money. With a mother like you, our daughter would be better off dead."

I snapped. Grabbing his shirt, I accused him, "Why won't you believe me? She's your daughter! She could have survived! You killed her!"

In my fury, I began hitting him.

Then Alicia shoved me aside and stepped between us.

After two days without a mouthful of food or water, I felt like the world was spinning.

Joanna wasn't my biological daughter, but after eight years together, we were closer than most real mothers and daughters.

A month ago, Alicia suddenly showed up at our door, trying to stir up trouble. Joanna stood up for me and made her leave.

Then she held me tight and cried, telling me she wouldn't let anyone hurt me and that I was her only true mother.

But Dugan accused me of driving a wedge between Joanna and Alicia.

He cut off my card, bought Alicia a villa, and just moved out to live with her.

He frowned in disgust, spatting, "Don't waste my time with this pathetic act.

"Joanna's the only daughter I've ever cared about. Anyone else's death doesn't concern me."

For eight years, I took good care of him, Joanna, and our little girl, Loretta.

Before Alicia came back, Dugan and I at least treated each other with basic respect and hadn't fought once.

Tears streaming down my face, I forced myself to stay calm and looked at both of them.

"But the one who died was your dear Joanna!"

"Evita!"

Dugan's tone turned dangerous. "Joanna is quiet. She'd never go to a place like that. Besides, she's thirteen, not seven! How could she die in a stampede?"

I froze. At that moment, it felt like a crushing blow to my heart.

My daughter Loretta was seven.

Joanna liked peace and quiet, but Loretta loved being around people.

So he was so indifferent because he assumed the victim wasn't Joanna?

But Loretta was his daughter too!

I was shocked and heartbroken.

My heart ached for Loretta, for my eight years of devotion, and for Joanna who died tragically.

Alicia looked at me with a faint, mocking smile.

"Joanna was closer to you than to me, yet you used her as a cover for your unruly daughter. How dare you?"

Then, as if she'd just figured something out, her expression sharpened.

"If you curse Joanna today just to protect your daughter, wouldn't you harm Joanna to fight for the inheritance?"

Dugan immediately frowned and warned, "Get those twisted thoughts out of your head. If I ever find out you laid a hand on Joanna, you and Loretta can forget about living in peace."

I stood there, feeling as if my heart had been torn to shreds.

Our eight years of marriage became a total joke.

And what did my Loretta ever do to deserve this?

"Dugan Sewell, you don't deserve to be the father of Loretta or Joanna!"

I slapped him, my hand shaking uncontrollably.

But Alicia rushed over and took the hit for him.

"Alicia!"

Dugan instantly panicked as he shoved me aside.

I barely had time to react. My forehead hit the wall, and blood started running down my forehead.

But all he cared about was Alicia, his eyes full of worry.

"You've only just recovered from your illness. Why are you protecting me? Does it hurt? Are you dizzy? Shall we go to the hospital?"

I'd never seen Dugan so anxious yet gentle before.

I remembered when I once slipped on the stairs, I felt nauseous and wanted to get checked out.

But he was impatient and said I was overreacting.

Seeing the way he treated her, it felt like all my years of devotion had been for nothing.

Alicia buried her face in Dugan's chest, crying as she lashed out at me.

"Marrying you is the worst mistake of Dugan's life. You got caught using Joanna's name to scam money, and now you're angry and hit Dugan that hard. Are you trying to kill him?"

"Ouch, it hurts so bad, Dugan. Good thing it wasn't you who got hit. Otherwise, Joanna would've been heartbroken!"

Dugan's face darkened. The look in his eyes was terrifying, as if he wanted to tear me apart.

"Evita, have you lost your mind?"

"If you don't want me to divorce you, you'd better apologize to Alicia now."

Warm blood trickled down my forehead, blurring half my vision.

All he cared about was that Alicia had been slapped?

With a bitter, self-mocking smile, I said, "Apologize? You took away Joanna's chance to live. How can you call yourselves her parents? You think she'd still care about you?

"Dugan, if you don't go to the morgue and retrieve Joanna's body soon, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Perhaps my serious tone finally shook him. His brow furrowed, and for the first time, he wavered.

Alicia sneered, "If Joanna had been in trouble, she wouldn't be able to go to school. The school would have notified Dugan.

"You're just trying to get Dugan away from me, aren't you? Do you need to go to such lengths?"

I didn't want to argue with her, but I couldn't bear to see Joanna lying alone in the hospital morgue.

She was such a thoughtful, gentle girl. She called me Mom, helped take care of little Loretta, and even prepared birthday gifts for me.

Having been abandoned by Alicia when she was little, Joanna clung to me for the love she never had.

For Joanna's sake, I softened my tone, "There is a school exchange event recently. She wasn't feeling well and took the day off. She went to the fair with a few classmates. You can call them and ask."

"Why not call Joanna directly instead of her classmates? Did you pay those kids to lie for you?

"You really are scheming," Alicia mocked.

From the day Joanna drove her away, she began to hate me.

Dugan pulled out his phone and dialed Joanna's number.

I thought he had finally believed me and would soon go retrieve Joanna's body for burial.

But when the call connected, he froze. Instantly, he grabbed me off the floor and slapped me hard.

"You said Joanna was dead? Then why did she answer my call and hang up just now? Was it a ghost?

"Ever since I moved out, Joanna hasn't been answering my calls. Was this your plan all along?"

As he asked, he grabbed my throat, and I couldn't breathe.

"Evita, this is the first and last time. If I catch you using Joanna again, you'll pay dearly.

"Now apologize immediately to Alicia and Joanna, or get back to the garage and reflect on what you've done. You can come out when you're ready to say sorry!"

My mind went blank, and my ears were ringing.

It took me a long moment to gather myself.

Then I asked, "In a crowd so dense that someone could be trampled to death, do you really think her phone would still be on her?"

Before I could finish, Dugan dragged me toward the garage.

Alicia stopped him with fake concern.

"Dugan, her head is still bleeding. What if something really happens? It's my fault. I got sick years ago and didn't want to drag you and Joanna down, so I went abroad for treatment.

"Now that I'm back, Evita is just jealous. Of course she resents me. She just doesn't want to lose you.

"She's gone too far, though. Maybe I should leave for Joanna's sake."

Hearing that, Dugan's heart ached.

"I met you before her, and you're Joanna's biological mother. If she can't even accept that, what kind of person is she?

"You have just recovered. Stay here and rest. I won't give her another chance to cause trouble. It's just a minor injury, and she's not going to die from it."

He then explained to Alicia in a soft voice, "If it weren't for Joanna, I would have never married her.

"In my heart, no one matters more than you and Joanna."

Tears welled up in Alicia's eyes as she wrapped her arms around Dugan from behind.

She said, "I'm sorry, Dugan. You've been through so much these years."

Watching them so absorbed in each other hurt me deeply.

Back then, when Dugan kept his distance from me, I thought he was just emotionally reserved.

He was aloof toward Loretta as well, and I understood-maybe he didn't want to upset Joanna.

But now, his precious daughter, Joanna, was lying in a morgue, with no one to claim her body.

Here he was, telling Alicia how much he loved her.

When Dugan looked at me, his gaze was instantly filled with discontent.

He snapped at me, "What's that look on your face? I'm warning you, don't play any tricks again. If you wanna keep your position as Mrs. Sewell, apologize to Alicia now and then go to the garage to reflect on yourself!"

I let out a cold sneer and shook off Dugan's hand.

I had been his wife for eight years, but I had never felt that being Mrs. Sewell was something enjoyable.

In my first year of marriage, I had to take care of Joanna, who was attending kindergarten, while also caring for Dugan's mom, who suffered a stroke and was paralyzed.

I was pregnant at that time, but I still had to be Dugan's mom's caregiver.

After Loretta came into this world, I didn't even have the chance to have a break. Taking care of four people in the family became my daily life.

Dugan was allergic to protein, so I tried to prepare nutritious meals for him every day in various ways.

When Dugan's mom passed away three years ago, the burden on me finally eased a bit.

For Dugan, I provided advice and investment and helped him establish an express company. With my dedicated help, his company was finally about to go public.

Without my help, he would still be just an ordinary delivery man!

Now, I regretted it.

I realized that not all my efforts could pay off.

And I didn't wanna be the villain in Dugan and Alicia's love story.

"Let's get a divorce," I said lightly to Dugan, glancing at him calmly.

With that, I directly turned and left.

"What did you say?" Dugan's voice was filled with disbelief.

I stopped in my tracks, but I didn't look back at him.

"The hospital morgue only stores corpses for three days. If you don't wanna go to collect Joanna's body, I'll go. She called me 'Mom' for eight years after all.

"Hope you won't wait to regret it until Joanna is cremated.

"I'll send you the divorce papers as soon as possible."

Then, I went to the hospital to clean my wound.

But Dugan also followed behind with Alicia in his arms.

Later, as soon as I entered the consultation room, Dugan pulled me away and asked the doctor to examine Alicia first.

The doctor looked hesitant to speak. He first looked at Alicia and Dugan and then landed his gaze on me.

"Which one of you is Evita Crocker?" he asked.

I spoke up, "It's me."

"Go sit on the bed. You've bled a lot. You may need stitches."

With that, the doctor glanced at Alicia and said, "This is a hospital. Except for patients who are in urgent situations, those who have made appointments will be treated first. Didn't you guys see that this lady's condition is more serious? Go out and register first."

Dugan's face darkened. He had no other choice but to take Alicia to leave first.

He was the boss of a company after all, so he would do something stupid in public to embarrass himself.

I got three stitches on my head.

Fortunately, the wound was close to the hair, and special thread was used to avoid leaving a scar on my head.

After coming out, I saw Alicia lying on the transfer bed being pushed by the nurse, and Dugan was holding her hand with a worried look.

Alicia merely got a slap, but Dugan actually arranged a general physical checkup for her.

I was in a hurry to handle Joanna's funeral matters, so I didn't wanna waste my time here.

Just as I walked past Dugan, he grabbed my wrist.

"I've asked Joanna's head teacher. She hasn't been to school for two days.

"And Joanna isn't in the morgue of this hospital. Where did you hide her?

"I'm telling you, Evita, if anything happens to Joanna, I won't let you get away with it easily!"

As Dugan spoke, a trace of panic appeared in his eyes.

I looked at him in disappointment, telling him, "I just came to the nearest hospital to deal with my wound. Joanna needs peace. Of course, she's not here. She's in..."

Alicia suddenly interrupted me, piping up, "Dugan, don't be fooled by her!"

With that, she shot a glare at me and pulled Dugan's hand.

But this time, Dugan pressed his lips together silently. Seeing this, Alicia became so angry that her eyes reddened.

She snapped at Dugan, "Since that's the case, then go with her! But you have to know that I'm Joanna's birth mom! How could I not feel anything if something really happened to her?

"If I had known that you trusted Evita so much, I wouldn't have come back!

"I don't wanna do that checkup. And I won't keep staying here to disturb you two!"

With that, Alicia got off the bed and left.

Seeing this, Dugan hurriedly went to chase after her.

The last time I saw him so flustered was when Joanna was six years old, eating grapes and getting choked, almost suffocating to death.

Now, seeing Dugan and Alicia tightly holding each other in arms, I remained silent and turned to leave alone.

After Dugan's mom passed away, there was a small upward turn in the love relationship between me and Dugan.

He began to occasionally do simple household chores and would also take detours after work to buy my favorite cake.

When I had a cold or fever, he would also kindly pour me a cup of hot water.

But that was all.

Obviously, Alicia was different in his heart, and he had never been so worried about me before.

Later, I went to the morgue and saw the dead Joanna under the white cloth.

Finally, I couldn't help but burst into tears, crying with my body trembling uncontrollably.

I was told that the beds in the morgue were tight, and Joanna's body could stay here for one more night at most.

Without any hesitation, I hurriedly rushed back home and smashed Dugan's safe.

As I decided to divorce, he would no longer have the right to manage my assets and properties.

I bought the best place in the cemetery for Joanna.

Then, I picked up Loretta from school and went to Joanna's funeral together.

When Loretta had just entered elementary school, Dugan sent her to a boarding school, saying it was for her own good.

When Joanna was still alive, she liked Loretta very much.

At the funeral, Loretta held Joanna's portrait tightly, crying her heart out.

"Joanna, why did you leave me? I won't envy you for having Dad's love anymore. Please come back!"

I held the urn silently, with no tears in my red and swollen eyes.

All of a sudden, Alicia showed up, snatching away Joanna's portrait in Loretta's arms and smashing it onto the ground.

The glass shattered into pieces, just like Joanna's broken heart, unable to be repaired.

Alicia angrily pointed at my nose and cursed, "Evita, I know you hate me. But Joanna has been your daughter for eight years! She's still alive! Why do you hold this funeral? What do you mean? You want her dead so badly?"

She then turned her eyes and yelled at Loretta, "And you! You little brat! Stop crying like that!"

But Loretta, upon seeing Joanna's portrait broken, cried even louder. She hurriedly rushed over, wanting to collect the pieces.

However, she was kicked to the side by Dugan, who was furious at the moment.

Due to the pain, Loretta curled up her small body.

But still, she kept crying, "Mom, Joanna's photo is broken! It's broken! No..."

My heart ached as if it was being crushed, and I hurriedly ran towards Loretta with the urn in my hands.

But Dugan suddenly snatched the urn and smashed it onto the ground.

"No!"