Part 2She Abandoned Our Child

I forced a wry smile, cleaned up my son's room, locked the door, and went out to print a new copy of his photo.

When I returned, the front door was wide open. Fear gripped my chest, and I ran inside.

Finn's bedroom door had been violently forced open. Tristan was standing in the living room, casually directing a couple of moving men as they hauled Finn’s toys and books out of the room.

I rushed over, screaming, "Stop! Get out of my house!"

Tristan crossed arms, looking entirely unbothered. "Johnny, Diana bought this place. She told me her father-in-law, my dad, doesn't like the hospital. He's going to live here from now on. She said I can redecorate the room however I want."

I shook with rage.

When we got married, Diana was just a broke rookie cop. I was the one who bought this house and put her name on the deed as a wedding gift.

I lunged forward, grabbing Tristan by his hair and dragging him toward the door. "This is my house! Get the hell out before I call the police for trespassing!"

Seeing the fight, the movers quickly dropped their boxes and bolted. Tristan shrieked, clawing at my hands.

Suddenly, a burly, disheveled older man rushed out of the bathroom, shouting obscenities. "Let go of my son, you bastard!"

Tristan’s father, Mr. Ward, charged at me, delivering a heavy blow that sent me crashing to the floor.

My head spun, and before I could recover, the older man pinned me down, cursing as his fists rained down on my face.

My face swelled, and blood began to seep from my eye. My screams echoed through the empty house.

The door flew open, and Diana rushed in. She pulled Mr. Ward off me, her face pale with anger. "What is going on here?"

Tristan threw himself in front of his father, sobbing dramatically. "Diana, don't blame my dad! Johnny was trying to kick us out, and he attacked me! My dad was only trying to protect me!"

My face was covered in blood, my body convulsing with pain. I reached blindly for my phone on the floor, but Diana snatched it away before I could touch it.

"Johnny! You attacked them first, and now you want to play the victim?" she yelled. "I was the one who invited Tristan and his father to stay here. If you have a problem, direct it at me! Don't attack innocent people!"

I coughed, spitting a mouthful of dark blood onto the floor.

Diana knelt down, using a tissue to wipe the blood from my chin, her voice softening slightly. "I know you're hurting, but making a scene like this won't help. Just drop it, please. For my sake."

Tears of blood slipped down my cheeks.

Seeing Diana take his side, Tristan grew bold. He began tossing Finn's remaining things into the hallway like trash.

"What is this box?" he asked, picking up a small, polished wooden container.

I struggled to lift my head, my eyes locking onto the small box. It was Finn's urn.

"No... please..." I croaked, my voice barely a whisper.

Diana didn't hear me. She glanced at the box and sniffed. "I've never seen it before. Just throw it out. It looks like bad luck anyway."

With a casual flick of her wrist, she snatched it from his hand and tossed it toward the trash pile.

"No!"

I lunged forward, but the heavy wooden box hit the wall and shattered right over my head.

My son's grey ashes rained down, mixing with the fresh blood pouring from my scalp.

In that instant, the world faded, and all I could see was Finn lying in that dark alley, covered in blood.

The last thread of my sanity snapped. I began to wail, a desperate, animalistic sound. I thrashed on the floor, throwing whatever I could reach, completely hysterical.

"Get out! All of you, get out! Get the hell out of my house!"

Diana shielded Tristan and his father, screaming back at me. "Johnny, it’s just a stupid wooden box! Why are you acting like a madman?"

A sharp, stabbing pain flared in my chest, cutting off my breath. I vomited another mouthful of blood and collapsed into the darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, the hospital room was quiet and empty.

I reached for my wallet, pulling out the small passport photo of Finn I kept in my pocket. Holding it close to my chest, I dialed a number.

"Hello? I’d like to file a formal complaint against Police Captain Diana Chen."