Such Hatred
"Mom, have a chicken drumstick," Aidan said as he served one to Cassandra.
Cassandra lowered her head in silence to taste it.
"Why didn't your caregiver come back with you last night? Aunt Cassandra," Jack asked casually, smiling slightly.
"Oh, I sent her home to get some clean clothes for me," she replied.
"You should buy your mother more clothes, Aidan," Jack remarked.
"I hadn't even thought of that. I'll go buy some for my mom later.” Aidan scratched his head and laughed.
“Daddy, I want a chicken leg too,” Ethan said.
Hearing Ethan's voice, Cassandra looked up and gently placed a chicken leg in his bowl.
“There you go, good boy. Eat up.” Her voice was soft and trembled slightly due to her recent illness.
"Thank you, Grandma Cassandra. You're so kind,” Ethan said gratefully.
"Ethan, doesn't Grandma like that?" Isabella looked at Ethan with a hint of displeasure.
Ethan's mind raced, and he quickly replied, "Grandma is the best! You love me the most.”
"That's more like it. Eat more so you can grow tall,” Isabella urged.
"Got it, Grandma." Ethan gnawed on his chicken drumstick with relish.
The children's laughter and energy during dinner lightened the heavy atmosphere cast by the murder case.
After dinner, Jack and Alison played with the children for a while before putting them to bed.
"Daddy, don't sneak off with Mommy in the middle of the night!" Ethan jumped onto Jack and teased.
“I won't,” Jack replied with a smile.
"But you will! Grandpa ran off with another woman,” Ethan insisted, looking at Jack and Alison uneasily.
"Who told you that, Ethan?" Alison asked, looking at him in surprise.
“That's exactly what Grandma Cassandra told the nanny the other day."
“Which day?” Alison pressed.
"Just a few days ago, when you were gone," Ethan answered.
A pang of dread struck Alison.
Deep into the night, the children's steady breathing brought Alison some relief.
Jack returned from smoking on the balcony looking hurried.
"Come with me, Alison," he whispered.
Alison looked at him, confused.
He quietly pulled her out of the room, closed the door, and hurried down the dim corridor to a side hall. He pushed open a small door, and they vanished into the night.
Hiding behind a tree, they could clearly see the flowerbed.
A night breeze rustled the leaves. Police tape still cordoned off the flower garden.
Suddenly, a dark figure slipped quietly from the building. The figure paused briefly in the darkness to confirm that no one was around, then moved swiftly toward the flower garden, seemingly searching for something along the way.
Alison felt a wave of fear wash over her. Her hand tightened around Jack's and her palms began to sweat.
It was Cassandra!
After all these years of pretending to be sick, wasn't she tired of it?
Alison shook her head and sighed.
Just then, another dark figure appeared only a dozen meters away from Cassandra.
Out of the pitch-black night, a man's voice suddenly rang out.
"How could it be you? Mom?"
Cassandra halted abruptly.
"I came out to find Yana. They said she was nearby. Please help me look for her, Aidan,” she said, hurrying back to him and resuming her act.
"Why keep lying to me?" Aidan's voice carried both helplessness and anger.
She slowly sat down on the ground and shook his leg.
"Don't say anything. Aidan, help me back to my room. I need to sleep."
"Where is my father?" he demanded in a low, hate-filled voice.
"I...I don't know." Cassandra panicked and shook him desperately. "Aidan, I truly don't know."
"Hmph. Why don't we have her come tell you?"
Cassandra was utterly panicked now. She flailed wildly in the darkness, then clutched her head in apparent agony. "Impossible. Yana is already..."
"She's not dead. Tell me where Dad is. Otherwise, I'll never forgive you.”
"Why? Aidan, I only did it for your own good."
"But you hurt Alison..." Aidan said painfully.
"It's not like that. Let's go back to the room and talk about it, okay? Aidan," Cassandra said, a hint of panic in her voice as she glanced warily around.
"You weren't doing it for me at all, but for yourself. Otherwise, I wouldn't be this hurt and disappointed," he said.
Ever since Jack mentioned the hairpin, Aidan had understood his scheme. In this mansion, aside from his mother, no other woman regularly wore hairpins.
“Don't say that, my son. In this world, I'm the only one who truly cares for you," Cassandra cried.