A Father's Revenge

Chapter 3

Belle was unaware that Viola suffered from depression.

When I found out Viola had been taken away, I hastily called to inform her of Viola's condition, but she didn't believe a word I said.

I also heard her say over the phone. "Buy me this pair of shoes."

Apparently, she could buy things for others, yet my baby girl had never received anything from her mother.

If she even wanted a skirt, Belle would criticize her, saying that girls should dress modestly, not to attract attention.

The day after Viola's death, Belle never showed up. Instead, she posted about reuniting with her first love on f*******:.

[Even after many years, he still makes my heart race.]

Her daughter's body was barely cold, yet she was rekindling her relationship with her first love. Such a thought made me restless. But despite my countless calls, no one answered.

It was a surprise that her best friend came. It was Elsie May.

After laying a bouquet of flowers at Viola's grave, Elsie came to comfort me.

From her, I also learned about Belle's recent activities.

Belle wanted to rekindle her relationship with Lester, so she promised to find a wife for Beck. After Viola ran away, she had been searching for several girls for him.

But no one would be interested in Beck's bad reputation and his lame leg. As a result, Belle took care of Beck herself, managing everything for him, including dealing with his waste, and even covering the family's expenses.

But Beck returned her favor with scolds. "You know, you are the most shameless among the many women around my father. No one can drive you away."

Even suffering such humiliation, she still smiled at Beck. "As long as we're all comfortable together, I don't mind such hardships."

But when Viola was a child, Belle forced her to wash her wet pants and forbade her from having dinner so that she would learn her lesson and never wet her clothes again.

I often doubted whether Viola was really Belle's daughter.

Since tomorrow would be Viola's funeral, I contacted Belle through Elsie's phone.

The voice on the other end of the call was one I knew well, Belle's first love, Lester.

"Tell Belle to answer the phone."

He seemed to recognize my voice too, responding, "It's you again, Belle's... current husband. What's this call about? Haven't you had enough fun breaking us up back then, now you're jealous of our meeting?"

He then sneered, "Don't worry. Belle is very happy here. Just take care of yourself."

I frowned, my voice filled with disgust on the phone. "Let her answer it!"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard Belle's voice comforting Lester so gently from the other end of the phone.

Moments later, her impatient voice sounded through the line, "Phil, what is it that you want? Are you never satisfied? Your daughter takes after you, never considering the feelings of others."

"You have no right to judge Viola. On the day she passed, she longed to see you, but you were tending to serve that wretched boy back then, indifferent to her fate."

Belle couldn't tolerate my raised voice and retorted with a sneer, "First, it was university admission, then depression, and now suicide. What excuse comes next?"

Her annoyance grew stronger. "Phil, you were the one who tore me away from Lester in the beginning, and now you're so desperate to interrupt our peaceful time just for your college student-to-be daughter! You always accuse me of being heartless, but you're the hypocrite, cursing your own child."

Years of marriage, it seemed, meant nothing to Belle, and our daughter's loss pained her not at all.

A storm was brewing within me, my shoulders shaking with the force of my emotion. "Belle, tomorrow is Viola's funeral. If you still consider yourself a mother, come and say goodbye to her."

"I have no time for that," she cut me off abruptly. "Beck has no mother, and he's disabled. I must look after him. I don't have the luxury of dealing with your games. Besides, aren't you now seeing my best friend? You and your daughter are two of a kind."

Once again, she hung up, blocked Elsie's number as she did mine, and severed our ties as husband and wife.

I realized then that our relationship had been a mistake from the start.