Three Years In Chains, A Lifetime Of Vengeance

After returning to Maple Villa Complex, I rushed straight to my room while gripping the box tightly in my hand.

Beyond the window, the carefully maintained garden still looked vibrant despite the winter season. Sunlight struck the fountain, and its droplets glittered like scattered diamonds.

Even so, the beauty and calm around me held no meaning.

My attention stayed fixed on the small box I carried. Though it barely weighed anything, it pressed heavily against my thoughts.

This was the Christmas present Lily had prepared for me.

Parts of the star-patterned wrapping paper had worn thin, and the edges had started to fray. It showed how carefully Rose must've protected it all this time.

The surface was covered with stickers. There were shiny stars, round little unicorns, and colorful rainbows. I could almost see Lily smiling while placing them there. In my mind, she leaned close to her work with full concentration, her tongue peeking out slightly as she pressed every corner down.

A four-digit lock secured the box. I wondered what number she had chosen. Perhaps it was her birthday, or maybe mine. It could also be a date that meant something special to us.

After drawing in a slow breath, I entered my birthday into the lock: 0316.

A quiet click sounded as the latch released.

The answer felt so obvious that I could almost imagine Lily whispering beside me, "Of course it's Mommy's birthday. That's a very important day."

My hands shook while I carefully raised the lid.

Only a small booklet rested inside.

The cover showed a drawing Lily had made with crayons. Three stick figures stood together while holding hands in front of a small house. A crooked tree stood beside it.

Stars of many sizes filled the sky above them.

Under the drawing, she had written a title in pencil. Some letters were reversed, yet the words were still clear. "Lily's Heartfelt Words."

I gently ran my fingers across the uneven handwriting. Despair mixed with a painful sense of anticipation until it nearly overwhelmed me.

Before opening to the first page, I paused and took several deep breaths to calm myself.

The entry showed a date written in uneven numbers. It was about a week after I was taken to prison.

"Today, Sofia started living with us. Dad said Mom is in prison and won't come back for a long time. Sofia is here to look after me. But I don't like her smell. It is unpleasant and makes my nose itch. I miss Mom's smell. Hers smells like jasmine. Dad and Sofia keep drinking in the living room. They make so much noise that I can't sleep. I want to hear the stories Mom used to tell me. I hold the scarf Mom left behind. It still smells like her."

Each page marked another passing day and showed how Lily's happiness slowly disappeared.

"Today is my birthday. I'm five years old now! Dad forgot about it. Sofia laughed and said kids don't need birthdays. There wasn't a cake or any presents. When Mom was here, she made a princess cake and gave me a puzzle box. I hid the puzzle box so Sofia wouldn't find it. Mom, when will you come back and celebrate my birthday?"

My chest tightened with pain, making it hard for me to breathe.

While I sat in prison last year, I imagined her waiting happily for her birthday. I survived those long nights by picturing her smiling as she blew out the candles.

In reality, she had nothing.

"Christmas came today. My teacher said Santa gives presents to every child. But I only want a Christmas card from Mom. I drew many pictures for her, but Dad said they can't be mailed. Did Mom send me a card for Christmas? I check the mailbox every day, but nothing is there. Rose said she wants to see my mom's card, too. Mom, did you really send one?"

I sent one, Lily.

At that time, I sat at the cold desk inside my prison cell. I kept rewriting the card and drawing pictures on it again and again while begging the guard to make sure it was mailed.

Michael and Sofia had even cut off the fragile connection between Lily and me.

The entries that came after grew even more painful to read.

"Today I heard Dad and Sofia fighting in the garage. They were arguing about money. I tried to be brave and asked Dad if he could take me to see Mom because I miss her a lot. Dad got angry right away and said I was annoying. Sofia stared at me and said Mom caused all the trouble. They hit me and locked me in the garage. It was cold and dark. For a long while, I kept crying. Mom, when are you coming back?"

My dear child, everything happened because of my mistake. I trusted people who never deserved it.

If I hadn't been so blind, if I had understood what Michael was truly like, and if I hadn't taken the blame for him... Would Lily have grown up safely beside me, living a happy life?

Tears poured from my eyes and dropped onto the diary, smearing the childish writing.

I quickly tried to wipe the pages dry, yet each attempt only made the letters blur even more.

The final page of the diary already looked smeared. Compared to the earlier pages, the handwriting appeared weak and uneven, as though Lily had struggled to write every word.

"My head is spinning. I feel so hot. Dad, I do not feel well... Sofia, please take me to the hospital... I'm cold... Mom, where are you? I miss you..."

That was where the writing ended. Several uneven marks stained the page after something had dried. Were they tears? Or drops of sweat from her fever?

My mind could hardly face the thought of Lily's last moments. She must've lain there burning with fever inside a dark and freezing room. Again and again, she must've called for me, while the two adults who should've protected her ignored her weak cries.

Without thinking, I pulled the diary against my chest and collapsed onto the carpet. My body curled inward as my shoulders shook and tears streamed down my face without control.

Oh Lily, my poor girl.

Once I was sent to prison, her short life had been filled with neglect, cruel words, and violent abuse.

The birthday gift she had wished for, the Christmas card she had been waiting for, and the hug she had wanted from me... None of it came to her.

In the end, they even took away her right to live.

Michael and Sofia showed no mercy. They were nothing but monsters.

A fierce hatred began growing inside me faster than ever before.

Those two traitors were the ones who had sent Lily to an early grave.

I raised my head at once and brushed away the tears that clouded my sight.

In the mirror, I saw red, swollen eyes and a pale face. The pain was gone. What remained in my eyes was vengeance.