A Honeyed Tragedy

When I was looking at the bodies already covered with white sheets, a wave of emotions surged through me.

Their closest family treated their lives like a joke, sending them off without giving them any chance to survive.

I saw a wrist sticking out from under one of the sheets, with festering blisters that made me shudder.

Why would such dangerous wasps be found in a tourist area?

I realized this wasn't a simple accident. Someone must have done it on purpose.

I called the police and asked them to investigate.

After I went to the police station and gave my statement, they quickly found out that a man had bought and released those wasps.

The officers handed me a photo and asked if I recognized him.

I knew right away it was Eric Peterson, Chloe Peterson's younger brother.

Why did I remember him so clearly?

A year ago, Eric tried to take indecent photos of me, but I caught him.

When I reported it to the police, Daniel found out. Rather than taking my side, he threatened me with divorce and forced me to sign a settlement agreement.

At the time, I loved him so much I couldn't bear to leave. I knew that once we got divorced, there'd be no going back.

When I first got together with Daniel, I already knew he pined for someone else. But he never hid it. In fact, he introduced Chloe to me openly.

He swore he wouldn't make me jealous because of her. He also promised he'd cut off all contact with her.

But once Daniel had money, he forgot his promises and secretly stayed in touch with Chloe.

Because her brother was the one who caused me such distress, I kept my grievances to myself. I'd never forget his face.

I realized he had planned to target me this time too. But since he didn't know I hadn't gone on the trip, it ended up hurting Daniel's family instead. That made me feel a twinge of guilt.

Leaving the police station, I checked my phone and saw two messages that proved Daniel had caused his family's death by using the money meant for their surgery.

Suddenly, I noticed the second message mentioned a local hotel.

I finally realized what that woman's voice on Daniel's end had meant.

Checking the transaction history, I confirmed he'd booked a hotel room.

The first two-thousand-dollar charge was from a jewelry store.

I called and spoke to the staff, who told me that Daniel had placed a deposit on a diamond ring. That was when I finally understood that Daniel had been cheating on me.

I gripped my phone, wanting to tear that pair of adulterers apart. Any guilt I'd felt for Daniel disappeared.

I calmed down quickly, knowing I couldn't act recklessly. Otherwise, I might lose the evidence and let him twist the facts against me.

"Officer, someone charged 3,000 dollars on my credit card without my consent. He used it to book a hotel room. Can I get that money back?"

I went back to the police station and showed the officer my evidence.

The officer verified it and said they'd investigate. I nodded and went back to the hospital to handle the arrangements for Daniel's family's bodies.

In the morgue, six bodies were laid out in a row.

My phone rang sharply. It was Daniel.

I picked up, and his furious voice blasted through. "Linda, did you call the cops? Great, now everyone knows I cheated. I only used 3,000 dollars. Did you really have to take it this far?"

Looking at the bodies under their sheets, I still forced myself to ask, "Your family is in the morgue. Aren't you going to see them one last time?"

"That's your family. Your parents died because you're a jinx. Just have them cremated already. I'm sick of looking at them. Linda, stop changing the subject. Tell the cops we're legally married so they'll leave."

"What if I don't?"

"Then we'll get divorced."

Without thinking, I said, "Alright."

He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so decisively. After he had hung up, he called me several more times, but I blocked him.

I contacted the crematorium, and those six bodies became six urns of ashes.

I felt sad for them. Their closest family chose to spend the life-saving money on his mistress rather than save them.

I paid back the money I had borrowed and spent tens of thousands to buy them the best urns I could find.