My Heart Beats On Inside Him

Mom raised her hand and slapped Kendrick hard across the face. "You weren't this desperate back when our families were social equals, Kendrick. You've suddenly learned how to kneel and beg now that you're bankrupt and on the verge of death, huh?"

Kendrick kneeled in the pouring rain, refusing to leave until he saw me.

I allowed him in since the doctor said he would likely die if he didn't return to the hospital.

I was sitting on Daniel's lap while he was standing there in a miserable state. I slowly read aloud the love letter he had written me, saying, "I'll provide you with the best future, Jasmine."

I let out a derisive laugh and tore his heartfelt letter to pieces. "You can't even afford your medical bills, Mr. Fisher. What kind of future could you possibly give me? Do you intend to give me your bloodied lungs, your failing heart, or that pocket change from moving bricks at a construction site?

"You can still walk out of here alive if you get lost right now; otherwise, you'll be leaving on a stretcher. Do you get what I'm saying, you pathetic loser?"

Kendrick raised his head and stared straight at me, his gaze terrifyingly chilly and his voice incredibly hoarse. "You'd better remember what you said today, Jasmine Lawson. I'll make you regret this one day."

He turned and left with bloodshot eyes, his frail silhouette unsteady in the downpour, stumbling repeatedly and nearly collapsing.

I was already completely numb with pain; I felt nothing at all, even as my fingernails dug deep into my palms. I yelled after him as he walked away, "I'll be waiting for you, then! I'd like to see just how long your miserable life can last!"

That sentence marked our final parting.

Kendrick hated me so much that he fought desperately to survive. He seized every single chance, and within four years, he successfully restored the Fisher family to its former glory, coming back even stronger than before.

He returned to Brindlehow once he was armed with enough capital to destroy the entire Lawson family.

It was said that Kendrick's first order of business upon his return was to exact revenge on the Lawson family, and now everyone was waiting on the sidelines, looking forward to the unfolding drama.

In the meantime, the head of security scurried over to Kendrick with a fawning smile and said, "T-That madwoman..."

Kendrick gestured for him to be quiet, his black overcoat brushing against the crushed lilies on the ground. He came to a stop three steps before the coffin, casting a shadow over Mom's hunched back.

I looked at him in panic, fearing that he would retaliate against Mom.

Mom suddenly looked up, her clouded eyes looking frighteningly bright. "K-Kenny?"

Those around immediately fell silent after hearing that long-forgotten nickname that hadn't been used for four years.

Mom's filthy sleeves were pulled back slightly to reveal needle marks, evidence of the forced sedatives administered at the asylum. She still smiled like a child catching sight of candy, asking, "You brought Jasmine back, didn't you?"

She pointed her emaciated finger toward the empty coffin and said, "Oh, wait. Jasmine is asleep right now. She's right here—right inside this coffin..."

Kendrick's pupils dilated sharply as he rushed toward the coffin in a few quick strides. "Did Jasmine really die?"

Mom smiled dazedly and reached out to pat the coffin. "Jasmine is right here. She's wearing her red dress right now. She looks so beautiful!"

Kendrick's breathing hitched. He pushed his hands forward in a panic, causing the coffin to crash heavily onto the ground and kick up a cloud of dust. He froze slightly after noticing that the coffin was empty, his breathing gradually easing.

Mom beamed with joy as she began talking to the empty space around her. "Kenny came to see you, Jasmine. You must be very happy now, right?"

Those around immediately grew restless, their whispers breaking out all around.

"That crazy old woman is acting up again. That coffin is obviously empty, yet she insists someone's in there!"

"Get her sent to a psychiatric hospital at once! She's such a harbinger of misfortune!"

That coffin was empty because my body hadn't been placed inside yet. That funeral was taking place that day, while the burial itself was set for the day after tomorrow.