He Killed My Grandmother for His First Love

Chapter 2

Phillip picked up the divorce papers from the floor and shot me an annoyed look.

"You really want to divorce me?"

He let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"All because Elaina threw a little tantrum?"

A tantrum.

That's what he called her setting her dog on my grandmother.

"You toss the word 'divorce' around like it's nothing," he added, shaking his head. "God, Charlee, why are you always so petty?"

So in Phillip's eyes, my grandmother bleeding out on the pavement was just me being petty.

"Stop being so dramatic," he said, waving it off like it was nothing. "I'll go with you tomorrow and apologize to your grandmother, okay? She's been craving that seafood I make, hasn't she? I'll cook it myself."

With that, he crumpled the papers again and casually tossed them into the trash, like the whole thing was a joke to him.

What he didn't know was… he'd never get the chance to apologize.

Elaina's dog tore through my grandmother's carotid artery. By the time she reached the hospital, she was already gone, bled out before they could even try to save her.

I looked at Phillip's smug, self-satisfied face and felt a wave of nausea rise in my chest. I couldn't stand to look at him, let alone argue. Wordlessly, I pulled the divorce papers from the trash, smoothed them out, and placed them neatly on the table.

My voice was cold. Flat.

"No need for apologies. Just sign the papers."

The truth was, my grandmother had been craving seafood. But every time she asked, Phillip found some excuse, always "too busy with work." What he didn't know was that I knew exactly where he'd been, wrapped up in Elaina's arms while I sat by my grandmother's side, making up lies to cover for him.

"Charlee!" he suddenly snapped. "You're so ungrateful! I've put up with you for so long!"

"It was just a dog bite! People get bit all the time, but you act like the world's ending! Elaina washes her dog every damn day, she didn't even complain! So why the hell are you so worked up?!"

So now he was saying my grandmother was dirtier than Elaina's dog.

His words cut through me like glass.

But instead of breaking down, I laughed. A cold, bitter laugh.

"Worked up?" I echoed. "Phillip, if I let a dog loose on Elaina, would you still call it a tantrum?"

Before I could even finish the sentence, he moved, jerking forward like he was about to slap me.

His eyes turned icy, dark with rage.

"If you ever touch Elaina," he growled, "I swear I won't let you off easy."

A shiver ran through me, like someone had dumped a bucket of ice down my spine.

He used to tell me there was nothing going on between them. That I was just overthinking it.

But now?

Now, he didn't even bother to pretend.

The cigarette in my hand had burned down again, the ash trailing dangerously close to my fingers. I barely noticed. Slowly, I closed my eyes, took a breath, then opened them again.

I grabbed my bag off the sofa.

"If you don't sign the papers, I'll file in court. And you know how that ends."

I was a lawyer. And Phillip knew damn well that if I took this to court, I'd win.

I turned and walked out the door.

Just before it clicked shut behind me, I heard the sharp, violent crash of the coffee table shattering inside.

"Charlee! If you walk out that door, don't even think about coming back!"

I didn't look back.

I could already picture it, him pointing at the back of my head like he always did when he lost control.

Outside, lightning split the sky in half, followed by a crack of thunder that rattled the earth. Rain poured down, fast and hard, drenching me in seconds. A dirty puddle pooled at my feet.

I took a deep breath and stepped into it without hesitation.

Suddenly, something flew past me, smashed right into the water beside my foot. Shards scattered everywhere.

It was the clay vase we made together at that pottery shop years ago. Our so-called "symbol of love." Elaina had broken it once, but I glued it back together.

Tried to save it.

Tried to save us.

Now, it lay shattered in filthy water.

Beyond repair.

Just like us.