His First Love's Curse

The lights on the search boats flickered in the distance while the reflective strips on the rescue team’s uniforms glimmered as they moved.It had been eight hours since my daughter went missing. All that remained on the shore was a single small shoe.My vacant eyes followed the rescue boats slowly returning to shore. The rescuers came one by one to offer their condolences. Looking at the endless darkness of the ocean, I couldn’t stop thinking how terrified my little Celeste must be at the bottom of the sea.As though I were a broken doll stripped of its soul, I stumbled step by step toward the water as if in a trance. A quick-acting police officer pulled me back, forcing me to return home under their watch.The entire villa was brightly lit, and the garden was adorned with flowers and decorations. Dressed in a pink princess gown with a crystal crown, Queenie Lane stood at the center of a lively crowd.My husband, Sutton Cook, stood by her side, lovingly holding her hand as they c

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, he had carried me all the way to his office and gently set me down. Taking out a first aid kit, he grabbed some alcohol wipes and saline solution.“It’s just some scrapes, nothing serious,” he said softly. “If it hurts, let me know, and I’ll be gentler.”He knelt on one knee beside the sofa, his gaze focused as he cleaned my wounds. His touch was so delicate as though he was restoring a priceless treasure.I looked at him, flustered. “Who are you? Why are you helping me?”Lowering his head, he murmured, “Why don’t you tell me why those people were bullying you first?”Anger flared in my chest. With a face full of rage, I recounted how the Verdant Group had commissioned a project from my father but kept delaying payment for various reasons.As a result, my father was left financially strained and buried in debt.He paused, his hands still, then asked for my father’s name before stepping aside to make a quiet phone call.Not long after, a middle-

“Mr. Cook, your daughter fell into the sea and passed away. Didn’t your wife tell you?” The hesitant voice of his secretary came through the phone.Sutton’s voice was filled with anger and disbelief. “That’s impossible! She was fine when I left!”He stormed over and grabbed my wrist tightly. “Where are you hiding our daughter? Is this one of your tricks? Just because I spent my birthday with Queenie, you’re vicious enough to curse your own child?”Sutton’s face twisted in fury, but his panic was evident in his trembling grip.I held back the searing pain in my chest, my bloodshot eyes staring at him. “Have you forgotten? Our daughter is only six years old. You left her alone by the sea. Did it never cross your mind that she might have been scared to tears and looking for her father?”“I... I’ve taken her down that path home countless times. She’s even gone back by herself a few times. I didn’t mean for this to happen…” Sutton released his grip, his vacant gaze fixed on me.“You’r

Sutton knelt at my door like a lifeless statue. No matter how his assistant pleaded, he remained unmoved. “I won’t get up until you forgive me.”I found it utterly ridiculous.When I went out for groceries, I saw that other than Sutton still kneeling, a row of the bodyguards who had previously humiliated me were beside him. Their faces were swollen and bruised, their bodies covered in ghastly marks. They looked at me with pleading eyes.I ignored them and walked around. “What bad luck.”By the time I returned, Sutton had somehow managed to buy the houses of my neighbors on both sides. The once small and quiet house was now crowded with people. Sutton was lying on the sofa as a doctor carefully treated his injured knees.“If you keep this up, it’ll lead to venous thrombosis and necrosis. Your leg might be permanently disabled.”“If losing my leg means Cheyenne will forgive me, then so be it,” Sutton replied without hesitation.With a sneer, I slammed the door shut and refused to

It was the day we would lay my daughter to rest, but without her remains, all I had was one of her little shoes. I carefully polished it until it was spotless before placing it into the urn along with the protective charm I had prayed over.‘Celeste, it’s Mommy’s fault. I failed to protect you. Back then, your father agreed to take us on a family trip to the seaside. You were so excited that you couldn’t sleep all night.’“When I come back, I can finally tell my friends that Daddy took me to build sandcastles and collect seashells at the beach!”“Mommy, do you think Daddy will lie to us again? Last time he promised to take me to the amusement park, but he broke his promise.”“If Daddy lies to me again, hmph, I’ll... I’ll ignore him for three whole days!”‘Celeste, were you so angry that you’ve decided to ignore us forever in this lifetime?’I cradled the urn in my arms and gently opened the door. As always, Sutton was silently keeping watch outside.“I’ll go with you,” he said,