Chapter 7

7

Grace's vision went black as she collapsed to the floor.

She frantically crawled over, shaking the golden retriever violently while weeping pitifully.

"Liam, wake up!"

"We were going to spend the old hag's money together—you can't die!"

"You're about to become a father! Come back to me!"

Seeing the golden retriever had stopped breathing, she began screaming at the empty air.

Only silence answered her.

Her lover was dead, while my son's soul had returned to his body.

The black-robed Ajarn, seeing Grace's hysterical state, grabbed his bag and fled.

Watching this scene, I felt an indescribable satisfaction.

This wasn't over yet. Her punishment was still to come.

I paid the white-robed shaman and took the earliest flight back the next day.

When I pushed open the front door, Grace had already tidied the house.

She was brewing soup in the kitchen, looking surprised to see me but quickly composing herself.

"You're back, Mom. I made soup—let me get you a bowl."

She kept talking to herself, bringing me a large bowl of soup.

I glanced at the slightly murky broth, pretending to accept it while watching for her next move.

I deliberately mentioned the golden retriever. "Where's the dog? Why isn't he home today?"

Pain flashed in her eyes, but she dodged the question. "He was too noisy. I got rid of him."

Then she kept urging me to drink the soup immediately.

Seeing her frantic impatience, I guessed what she was planning.

Meeting her intense stare, I raised the bowl and splashed the soup directly in her face.

I stopped pretending and confronted her directly.

"Grace, so eager to kill me? Too bad your plans failed."

"My son treated you well, and that dead dog is your punishment for harming others!"

Hearing my mocking tone, she finally looked up at me in dazed realization.

Then understanding dawned, her face filled with shock and hatred. "You did this? You killed my Liam!"

She tried to claw at me, but I slapped her to the ground.

"You brought this on yourself. This is what you both deserved."

I looked down at her, my voice cold as ice.

"Liam Anderson deserved to have his soul shattered. He won't be reincarnating anytime soon!"

Grace's eyes burned crimson as she pointed and shrieked at me.

"You old hag! You'll get what's coming to you!"

"You're the one who should die! You're the one standing in our way!"

I burst out laughing.

"I should thank you two thieves for not killing me sooner—otherwise I wouldn't have lived to see your downfall!"

"The thought of you sleeping with a dog makes me sick!"

"You were so desperate you couldn't tell man from beast!"

Grace trembled with rage.

"Shut up, you old hag!"

She glanced toward my son's room and let out a crazed laugh.

"If Liam's dead, your son won't live either."

"What does it matter if you know? I just fed him rat poison. He's probably meeting his maker right now!"