As the words reached Cassie's ears, an intense surge of betrayal seemed to pierce her heart. Breathing became arduous, and the physical symptoms of her pregnancy intensified. Overwhelmed, she hastily went to the bathroom, where she vomited while trembling uncontrollably. Tears refused to flow due to the sheer terror gripping her. Only one thought echoed relentlessly in her mind, "The body does not belong to Roy... He is not dead..."
And then her underbelly ached. She just held her underbelly and quivered. Shirley finished making breakfast, and as she entered the bathroom, she saw Cassie squatting on the floor. She thought that there was a problem with Cassie's baby, and she just screamed and asked whether Cassie felt comfortable.
Cassie's mind went blank. She even lost consciousness. She just spoke absent-mindedly, "Roy...is dead... The police asked us to identify the body...."
Upon hearing the news, Shirley succumbed to a faint, unable to withstand the overwhelming shock.
In contrast to Irish, Cassie had not yet witnessed the loss of a loved one firsthand. Her parents were still alive, and the passing of her grandmother had occurred during her early childhood, preventing her from experiencing profound grief.
Overwhelmed by Roy's alleged death and Shirley's sudden collapse, Cassie found herself in a state of confusion and uncertainty. Unsure of how to proceed, she instinctively called Irish.
When Joseph and Irish arrived at Cassie's house, Shirley woke up. On the way to the police station, Shirley cried and shouted while Cassie kept still, just clenching Irish's hands tightly.
Irish felt so nervous.
The darkening clouds in the sky mirrored the increasingly somber atmosphere within the car. Tension hung heavy in the air, palpable to all occupants. The bustling streets remained congested, exacerbating the already crowded conditions. Joseph's driving, typically steady, became erratic. He narrowed through numerous alleys and even crossed intersections when the traffic lights had already turned red.
Irish could observe his side face from the rearview mirror.
He looked serious, closing his lips tightly. The radian of his lips was as fierce as a knife.
In the mortuary, some police were already there.
Chalmers assumed control of the case, his gaze briefly flickering over the report provided by the legal expert. He then surveyed the gathering of concerned relatives before his attention settled on Joseph. Speaking in a casual tone, he remarked, "The Lakes seem to have their fair share of cases. It's hard to believe this is what life should be."
Joseph still kept silent.
Irish felt unhappy when she heard it, "Chalmers, what do you mean? Do you suspect my husband? Last night we were together. He didn't even go out."
Chalmers didn't say anything and just stared at Joseph.
Joseph just said lightly, "Can we come in to identify the body?"
Chalmers shifted his gaze towards Cassie, his eyes fixed upon her. "Are you Roy's wife?" he inquired.
Cassie nodded anxiously in response.
"I want to prepare you mentally," Chalmers continued, his voice remaining steady. "When we arrived at the scene, Roy had already suffered a fatal burn in the car. His body was extensively charred, and the vehicle itself was completely destroyed. We were only able to identify him as the owner of the car through the license plate."
Irish felt choked.
Cassie's voice trembled, "You mean my husband was...burned to death?"
Chalmers nodded.
Cassie pressed her chest. Her heart ached as if it had been cut by a knife.
"Are you ready?" Chalmers asked, seeking Cassie's preparedness. "If you are, please follow me. Afterward, we will need your cooperation to create a formal record of the proceedings."
Irish couldn't just let Cassie in. The car was destroyed. What could the body be like? Cassie was now pregnant. She couldn't bear such a stimulus.
Irish said lightly, "I will come with Joseph."
"I..." Cassie quivered wholly, shaking her head, "I need to go in...to prove it's not him."
Shirley's eyes got red. She pulled Cassie's hands subconsciously and said, "Me too."
"Mom..." Cassie held Shirley's hands, too.
"I don't believe that my son is dead. I don't believe it!" Shirley turned to be resolute. At the same time, she looked so tired.
Just at this moment, Irish was watching Shirley. Somehow her hatred seemed to be gone. Shirley was an aggressive woman and a disgusting mistress who drove Irish's mother to death. Meanwhile, she now appeared as a pitiable woman yearning for her husband's affection. Despite her misdeeds, she remained a mother to Roy and Ruby, evoking a sense of compassion.
Shirley had experienced the joys of having a husband, a son, and a daughter in her life. There was even the possibility of her becoming a grandmother in the future.
Perhaps, in some sense, she had faced divine retribution as she had lost her husband and her daughter, leaving her son as the only remaining family member who might have died too.
Irish's gaze shifted towards Shirley, and she noticed that both of Shirley's sideburns had turned white. The signs of aging were evident, and Shirley's allure from the past had faded. She now bore the appearance of an elderly woman who had weathered numerous hardships. The sight of her stirred a sense of pity inside Irish.
Irish felt upset.
The act of hating someone or forgiving them both carried their own pain. While it was often said that forgiveness was easier than harboring hatred, in Irish's perspective, the latter seemed to be a simpler path to tread than the challenging journey of forgiveness.
Hatred was just a feeling.
Forgiving is required to withdraw previous pains based on hatred. Those bad things had to be memorized and then buried. It was so cruel.
Irish had suffered greatly from hatred, so now she was considering forgiving.
This kind of pain was nothing compared with that of hatred.
Seeing the situation, Chalmers nodded and then took them into the mortuary.
The temperature in it was lower than outside.
As Irish entered, she couldn't help chilling and then pulled Joseph's hands subconsciously. He also held hers tightly. Irish could obviously feel that his hands were also cold.
There was only one bed.
There was a white bedsheet on it. It upheaved slightly, and under it, there shall be a body.
There were other police inside the mortuary. Seeing them coming, they gave their way.
Chalmers walked forward and pulled one corner of the bedsheet, looking at them four. Cassie clenched her hands tightly. Her lips even became pale. She just nodded lightly.
The white bed sheet was opening little by little.
When one scary face appeared in their view, Shirley screamed out.
Cassie was frightened and just fell onto the floor.
"Cassie!" Irish was shocked and immediately supported her. The scene she saw just now was still hanging in her mind.
What a terrible face it was!
It was totally burned.
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