Love in the Eye of the Storm

Chapter 8

Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. The room spun, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Mrs. Adams always referred to my brother, Daniel, as "Mr. Daniel." Hearing his name in this context, knowing what had happened... it was like my soul was being torn apart.

I knew Alexander's heart wasn't mine anymore. I knew he wasn't the man I had fallen in love with, but I never imagined he would allow Chelsea to desecrate the graves of my brother and Buddy.

"Chelsea said she's been having nightmares," Mrs. Adams continued, her voice trembling. "She told us some so-called expert advised her to plant peach trees in the back garden to cleanse the bad energy. So she had Mr. Daniel's grave dug up."

I barely heard the rest. All I could think about was my brother's grave. Chelsea had torn apart his final resting place. Daniel, who had saved her life all those years ago, was now disrespected in death.

My body shook with rage. I wanted to scream, to rush to her and stop this madness. But my frail body couldn't keep up with the storm brewing inside me. Blood trickled from my lips, a metallic taste that only fueled my anger.

"Ms. Madeline! Are you okay?" Mrs. Adams rushed to my side, her hands shaking as she tried to steady me. Her tears only made things worse.

"I'm c-calling Alexander right now. We need to get you to the hospital," she sobbed. "Are you sick? We need to check you out."

"I'm not going to the hospital," I snapped, wiping the blood from my lips. "I need to see Daniel. Please, take me to the back hill. I'm begging you."

Mrs. Adams hesitated, torn between wanting to help me and knowing how important this was to me. With a heavy sigh, she nodded and helped me downstairs.

The walk to the back hill felt endless, too long for my weak body. We had the driver bring the car around, but it still took several minutes to reach the base of the hill. When we finally arrived, my heart sank.

There, at the foot of the hill, were two excavators. The graves were destroyed. Where Daniel and Buddy had once rested in peace, small peach tree saplings now stood in their place. My dog's remains had been shredded by the machines and tossed into the nearby river, lost forever. Daniel's tombstone was shattered, and his urn, his urn was broken, with ashes scattered everywhere.

"Buddy... Daniel..." My knees buckled, and I collapsed, cradling the broken pieces of Daniel's urn. Tears streamed down my face as I tried, helplessly, to gather whatever was left of him.

Daniel had been the best person I knew, he would've thrown himself into danger to save others. He was a hero. And now, even in death, he couldn't find peace. All because of Chelsea.

Mrs. Adams and the other housekeepers knelt beside me, trying to help me gather Daniel's ashes into a new box. They cried, too, wiping their tears as they worked.

Suddenly, I heard Chelsea's voice, dripping with disdain.

"How disgusting."

She stood there, staring at me like I was the one at fault. My hands trembled, but I set down Daniel's box and stood up, slapping her hard across the face.

"How dare you!"