He Killed My Grandmother for His First Love

Chapter 5

When I came to, I was already in the hospital.

It was the staff from the morgue, those who had called me to claim my grandmother's body, who had found me and rushed me to the ER. I thanked them with a hoarse voice. My injuries weren't serious, so they discharged me a few hours later.

But I had no time to rest. I needed to find the surveillance footage, proof that Elaina had sicced her dog on my grandmother. That video was the only evidence I had to sue her for murder.

The attack had happened in a quiet, remote park. Hardly anyone ever went there, which was why my grandmother didn't get help in time. She died alone.

After some digging, I found a camera tucked near an old tree. It had been installed by the children of an elderly woman who lived nearby. Her late husband used to take her on walks through that park, and even after he passed, she came back every evening, same time, same path. Her kids had set up the camera for her safety.

With their permission, I copied the footage to my phone. Clear as day, it showed Elaina setting her dog on my grandmother. That was all I needed.

Or so I thought.

As soon as I stepped out of the park and into a surveillance blind spot, I heard a voice that made my blood run cold.

"Charlee. Hand it over, and I'll let you walk away," Elaina said coolly.

She stepped out of a white van, flanked by several burly men.

Instinct kicked in. I backed up fast, ready to bolt, but I wasn't fast enough. One of the men snatched my phone out of my hand. Before I could even scream, a baseball bat slammed into the back of my head.

Everything went black.

The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Elaina setting my phone on fire. Watching it melt into ash.

When I woke up, I was tied to a chair, mouth taped shut. My head throbbed, and the air reeked of mildew and dust. Elaina leaned in, grabbed my chin, and whispered against my cheek.

"Recognize this place? I picked it just for you. Perfect spot to finish what we started."

I looked around, disoriented, then it hit me.

She'd brought me back to my grandmother's house. The house Phillip always refused to step foot in, calling it "too dirty." Claimed he was allergic to dust.

But now, I saw the truth.

It wasn't dust he was allergic to. It was people like us. People without the money or pedigree he worshipped.

And then I saw it, on Elaina's wrist. My grandmother's jade bracelet. The one she'd worn every day for decades.

Elaina followed my gaze and dangled the bracelet in front of my face like a trophy.

"This ugly little thing is the only thing worth keeping from that dump. Don't worry, I'll play with it for a few days... and then I'll toss it in the fire. Let it burn right alongside that old hag."

Rage shot through me. I lunged at her, teeth bared, but the men behind me yanked me back hard into the chair, holding me down.

Even now, I couldn't understand it.

How could Phillip fall for someone like her?