Her Last Lesson

I wiped the shoes until they were spotless, polished enough to reflect my ruined face.

When I finished, I grabbed Evelyn's pant leg.

"Can you open the door now?"

I looked up at her, humble and desperate, as if clutching the last straw in the world.

Evelyn kicked me away.

My head struck the wall, and my skull buzzed.

Victor covered his mouth and let out a soft laugh.

"Evelyn, he still doesn't seem to understand what he did wrong."

That kick shattered the last thread of hope in me.

I climbed up from the floor and rushed toward the storage room, trying to find a hammer or a crowbar.

I had to break the door open.

Evelyn was faster. She grabbed my hair and slammed me against the wall, pinning me there.

I could not move.

"Are you done acting insane?"

Her arm held me like an iron clamp.

Victor strolled toward me and leaned close to my ear.

In a voice only the two of us could hear, he whispered, "I want your children dead."

My whole body jolted.

"That way, my son can inherit everything from the Hart family without anyone standing in his way."

It was as if lightning struck me.

"It was you! Victor!"

I struggled wildly and roared at Evelyn.

"It was him! He's trying to kill our children! Evelyn, wake up!"

Disgust only deepened on Evelyn's face.

She screamed, "If you dare slander Victor one more time, I'll lock you in there with them!"

Her distrust hurt more than any torture could.

Then a heavy thud came from inside the sauna.

My daughter's coughing stopped.

My son's faint crying also disappeared.

Inside, there was only a deathly silence.

My heart went cold in an instant.

"No. No..."

I murmured, all strength draining from my body.

Victor looked at my despair and suddenly spoke in a voice full of fake kindness.

"Daniel, my son has leukemia. He urgently needs a bone marrow transplant."

His face was tragic, as if he were the savior here.

"Sign this agreement and consent to donate bone marrow to my son. Then I'll persuade Evelyn to open the door."

He took out a document and a pen.

"Otherwise, I'm afraid the children really won't make it."

So this was his real goal.

He wanted to trade my children's lives for his son's.

Just then, from behind the door, my son's last weak cry came.

"Daddy... I feel so bad..."

I completely broke.

I could not lose them.

I grabbed the agreement and signed my name at the bottom without reading a single word.

My hand trembled so badly that my signature came out crooked and broken.