Set Free After Death

Harvey was very strong, and it seemed like he was about to take away Mom's urn to use for his so-called stray dog. In a moment of desperation, I bit down hard on his wrist.

The sharp, metallic taste instantly filled my mouth. I felt so disgusted I wanted to throw up.

"Dang it!" Harvey was seething when he threw a harsh slap against my cheek.

I was only focused on protecting the urn in my arms as I fell, but my head slammed straight into a corner of the table.

"Harv!" Nelly anxiously checked Harvey's arm. She then turned around and looked at me with displeasure. "Why did you bite Harv's arm, Maddie? He cares about you a lot! It's just an urn—don't you think he'd prepared something even better for Mrs. Lundell later?" she said.

I forced myself to get up while hugging Mom's urn. Blood trickled down my face, dripping onto the urn.

Mom cherished me a lot when she was alive, but the one she cherished the most was Harvey.

At that moment, I completely lost it. "Is that how he cares for me? By replacing me with a new bride at my own wedding and driving Mom to her grave?

"Don't forget what she had done for you, Harvey! Don't you remember who it was that rushed into the fire and got their face horribly burned, all just to save you when you were seven years old?"

I yelled, "I just want to leave right now—leave me alone!"

"That's enough!" Harvey strode over and grabbed my neck, pinning me against the wall.

The overwhelming sense of suffocation made it hard to breathe, but what made me feel at a loss was his low, guttural response.

"Maddison!" Harvey tightened his hold on me, expression twisted. "How long are you going to keep using this old, worn-out favor as an excuse? Is the life you currently have still not enough?"

With gritted teeth, he continued, "How dare you say that you're leaving! I've already felt guilty enough, so don't push it!"

My face was turning blue from suffocation. Tears and blood matted my skin, yet I dared not reach out to struggle against him. I was worried that I might drop Mom's urn as soon as I let go.

She had suffered a lot while she was alive. Now that she was dead, I wanted to save her the last of her dignity.

Nelly walked over just as I was about to die from strangulation.

She did not stop him but only said sadly, "Harv still loves you, Maddie. He only got married to me because everyone thought we were a perfect match. The company's stock price would only rise if we got together.

"But Harv also told me that you'll always be the one and only Mrs. Fisher in private. He's already doing so much, but why can't you and Mrs. Lundell try to understand him? Why are you focusing on the petty details instead?"

I could feel Harvey's anger rising as soon as Nelly was done talking. "Why can't you just be understanding like Nelly, Maddison? Why?"

His knuckles turned white from how hard he was exerting pressure. "Apologize to Nelly, and I'll promise you this. Other than in public, you'll always be the one and only Mrs. Fisher in private."

Harvey released me just as I was on the brink of suffocating. He looked down at me condescendingly—seemingly pitying me, but more than anything, it was commanding.

Rage suddenly overwhelmed my sense of reason. "I've told you, Harvey. I don't care about being Mrs. Fisher!"

I stormed into the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen knife, swinging it at them. "I only wanted to leave at first. But now, I want you dead!"

Just as I was about to strike them, Harvey spun into action. He shielded Nelly with an arm before kicking me out of rage in the stomach—where his precious child was.

I was sent flying into the bookshelf by his unexpected kick.

Immediately, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Blood trickled down my legs, staining the ground red in an instant.