Kaelen stared at the corner, a chill rising from the depths of his soul.

He snapped back to reality and shoved Cora. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”

“You’re her mother, and you’re cursing your own daughter with such vile words!”

Cora staggered from the push, her eyes instantly turning red.

“I’m cursing her? Kaelen, she was a part of me, my own flesh and blood!”

“She was born so small because I didn’t have enough to eat. I waded into the freezing river in winter to catch fish so I could have milk. I stayed up all night in the summer, fanning her when she had heat rash.”

“I raised my child with everything I had, only to watch her die in my arms!”

“Kaelen, how can you say I’m cursing her?! Do you even have a heart?!”

Cora’s grief-stricken voice echoed through the empty hallway.

But she refused to cry in front of Nell. She was afraid her daughter would worry, so she bit down hard, swallowing her tears.

She stepped forward and grabbed Kaelen, pulling him inside.

“Kaelen, go see her now. She was holding on until the very end, waiting for you…”

But in the next moment, Kaelen violently threw her hand off. Unprepared, Cora fell heavily to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through her right wrist, and her face went white.

Kaelen looked down at her, his eyes like frozen lakes.

“Cora, if you dare curse Nell one more time, I’ll file for divorce.”

With that, he glanced at the drawer in the corner, turned, and walked away.

Cora watched him leave, the pain in her heart far worse than the pain in her hand.

In a daze, she thought she heard a whisper, faint as a mosquito's buzz—*Mommy, don’t cry…*

Cora trembled. She instinctively looked toward Nell’s drawer, murmuring, “Nellie…”

She pushed herself up through the pain, one step at a time, until she reached the refrigerated unit.

The moment her forehead touched the cold metal, her tears finally broke free.

She choked out the words, “Nellie, I’m so sorry. Mommy failed you. I couldn’t even get your daddy to see you one last time…”

The only sound in the silent morgue was her suppressed sobbing.

When Luke arrived, he saw the heartbreaking scene.

A flicker of pity crossed his eyes, but he still had to speak. “Cora.”

Cora quickly turned her head, wiping her tears before facing him. Her voice was hoarse. “Luke, what is it?”

Luke’s face was grave. “Cora, is Nell’s coffin ready?”

“We just got notice from upstairs. The power to the cold storage will be cut for maintenance in two days.”

“Once Nell is taken out, she has to be buried immediately. Otherwise… the only other option is cremation.”

The color drained from Cora’s face. She nearly collapsed.

But she forced herself to stand straight. “Luke, I understand. I’ll figure something out.”

Luke nodded, then pulled a form from his pocket.

“Cora, if you decide on cremation, you and your husband will both need to sign this.”

“The slots are limited. You’ll have to bring the signed form back by tomorrow morning, or you’ll lose the spot.”

Cora took the paper, fighting back tears, and rushed out of the clinic.

She spent the entire day running to every funeral home in town, but she couldn’t find a suitable coffin.

By the time she left the last one, the sun was setting.

Cora stood on the street, looking down the road toward home. For a moment, she thought she saw her Nell standing there, waving at her.

“Mommy! Let’s go home.”

In that moment, she finally broke.

She clutched her chest and doubled over, the pain so intense she could barely breathe.

Her Nell was so afraid of pain, and now cremation was her only option.

Cora squatted on the curb and finally let out a raw, desperate wail.

“Nellie, I’m so sorry. Mommy couldn’t find you a bed to sleep in…”

“Blame me, Nellie. Curse me…”

Her cries were heart-wrenching and utterly helpless. Just as she felt she was about to suffocate, she heard Kaelen’s voice.

“Shauna, here’s that special cake I promised you, to celebrate you getting into the top three in your class.”

Cora looked up and saw Kaelen across the street with Cheryl and Shauna.

Cheryl smiled and said, “Kaelen, you shouldn’t spoil her so much.”

Kaelen’s smile was gentle. “Daughters are meant to be spoiled. That’s how I raise Nell at home, too!”

Hearing those words felt like a knife twisting in Cora’s heart.

Just then, Kaelen seemed to sense something and turned his head. He saw Cora’s red, swollen eyes.

He froze, then walked over to her.

He was about to speak when he saw the funeral home behind her. His expression changed instantly.

“Cora, you couldn’t fool me at the clinic, so now you’re putting on a show here? Do you really think you’re some kind of actress?”

Looking at his disgusted, impatient eyes, Cora had no will left to argue.

She pulled the cremation form from her pocket and held it out with a tragic smile.

“Kaelen, you destroyed Nell’s coffin.”

“I’m begging you. Just sign this. At least let Nell be cremated through the proper channels…”

Kaelen’s eyes landed on the word ‘Cremation’, and a tide of fury surged within him.

He saw Nell’s name written in the space for the deceased, and a wave of irritation washed over him.

After a long moment, he reached out and took the form.

Cora had just breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next second, she watched as Kaelen lifted his hands and ripped the form to shreds…