Chapter 4

"Stop it! You haven't made a big enough mess yet? You just want Chloe dragged through the mud, don't you?!"

Ethan slapped the phone out of my hand.

"You're just pissed because I haven't been coming home lately! If you have a problem, take it out on me! Don't let your dad pull these dirty tricks behind my back!"

Supporting myself on the sofa, I slowly got to my feet.

"You claim my dad slandered her. Do you have proof?"

Expecting me to ask, Ethan sneered and unlocked his phone.

I thought it would be surveillance footage or a formal email, but it was just a screenshot of a SnapChat group chat between Chloe and her roommates.

"Did you hear? Chloe is sleeping with Ethan! Professor George found out and went ballistic."

"Professor George already told the department heads. The board is discussing it right now. In a couple of days, her reputation will be trash."

"Hahaha, she deserves it! Let's get popcorn."

I cast a piercing look at Chloe. She shrank back for a second, then immediately glared back with fake defiance.

It seemed she truly was getting dragged across campus lately.

Guilty of being a side chick, she naturally assumed my dad or I had leaked it. So she fabricated this chat log and pinned the blame entirely on my father.

Too bad for her—ever since she hooked her claws into Ethan, she hadn't stepped foot on campus. She had no idea Dad had already died.

I swiped his phone away and turned to pick up the ceramic urn holding Dad’s ashes.

"You call this garbage proof? All it proves is how despised she is. Tell her to reflect on her own disgusting behavior."

With that, I turned to walk away. Time was running out, and I had no time to waste bickering with these two.

"Stop right there!"

Chloe screeched and grabbed my arm, her eyes flashing with malice.

"My mom took out massive loans to send me to this city! You're not going to ruin my life!"

Caught off guard, I lost my balance and crashed to the floor, instinctively curling my body to protect the urn.

I failed.

The ceramic shattered across the hardwood. Pale grey powder scattered under the bright sunlight.

My head went blank. I crawled frantically toward the ashes, inch by inch.

No... No! This was the last trace my father left in this world!

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make a mess on the floor!"

The culprit apologized profusely, grabbed a broom, and briskly swept the ashes into the trash can.

"I'll clean this dirty mess up right now!"

I watched in horror as the powder vanished into the dustbin, a metallic taste of blood rising in my mouth.

Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulder tenderly.

"You're too soft. She treats you like garbage and you're still apologizing? It's just a cheap vase. What's there to be sorry about?"

"Don't say that, Ethan... Natalie hates me. Everything I do is wrong in her eyes."

I couldn't take it anymore. I shoved both of them aside with all my strength and frantically dug into the trash can with my bare hands, pulling Dad's ashes out.

The bin was full of disgusting garbage, tangled with my father's remains.

I fell into complete despair. Clutching the tiny handful of clean ashes left, I curled into a ball on the floor, letting out a raw, animalistic howl of grief.

Why? Why did they have to strip away the very last thing I had left of him?

Why couldn't I even give my father a dignified funeral?!

I sobbed until I could barely breathe. Only then did Ethan's voice soften with a hint of hesitation.

"Is it really worth throwing a tantrum over an antique vase? How much was it? I'll pay your dad back!"

"Forget it. Since he refuses to clear Chloe's name, I'll just call the Dean myself."

Under Chloe's bewildered gaze, he dialed the Dean's office.

"Is the Dean in? I need to speak with him."

"Sorry, the Dean is out at the coast today attending Professor George's funeral."

Ethan's pupils constricted. The phone slipped right through his fingers and crashed to the floor.

"What... what did you say?!"