From Ashes to Hope) Chapter 27
Tears streamed down my face, unstoppable like a broken dam.
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If only John hadn’t taken Lily to see Raina, perhaps Felix wouldn’t have
discovered Lily was his daughter. If only John had watched over Lily more
carefully, not giving anyone a chance to take advantage, perhaps Lily would still
be alive.
“Ms. Evans, please don’t grieve too much,” Officer Lee said softly.“Lily
would want her mother to be strong, she wouldn’t want you to be consumed by
sadness.”
I wiped away my tears, trying to compose myself.
Just then, Officer Lee’s phone rang. He saw it was his colleague, who had
accompanied John to the detention center, and quickly answered, putting the call
on speakerphone.
“Nick, do you have the results?” he asked calmly. “I’m with Ms. Evans, just tell
us directly.”
“Yes, Officer Lee, Raina Monroe confessed to switching the babies,” Nick
replied.
“Where is the switched baby now?” I asked urgently, unable to contain my
anxiety.
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“She said she didn’t know how to take care of babies. The baby kept crying,
and she ignored it. When she checked on it later, the baby was already dead.
Fearing exposure, she bought a baby from human traffickers and disposed of the
dead infant,” Nick said.
ago.
My heart clenched painfully at those words. My daughter had died so long
“Are you sure Raina didn’t kill my daughter herself?” I asked, my voice filled
with disbelief.“She could even kill her own father, is there anything she wouldn’t
do?”
you
Officer Lee patted my shoulder gently. “Ms. Evans, I understand how
feel,” he said solemnly. “But we must trust the law, everything must be based on
evidence. Raina Monroe has admitted to some of the facts, and we will continue
our investigation accordingly.”
“We will now arrange for Raina Monroe to identify the location where she
disposed of the baby, and we will also conduct inquiries in the surrounding area
to see if anyone saw a dead infant five years ago, or if any family adopted a baby
around that time. We will do our best to uncover the truth and give you an
explanation.”
I bit my lip and nodded slightly.
Although the pain in my heart hadn’t lessened, I understood that I could
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only rely on the police investigation to find the truth.
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“Okay, I trust you. I hope you can find more clues soon,” I said, my voice
hoarse.
The police took Raina Monroe to the roadside near the western cemetery,
the place she had described.
The atmosphere was solemn, a sense of oppression hanging in the air.
The area near the cemetery hadn’t changed much over the years. It was still
the familiar scene, but now it was filled with tension and anticipation.
Raina walked slowly along the road, her footsteps heavy, her eyes filled with
complex emotions.
After walking for a while, she pointed at a tree pit, her voice trembling
slightly.“It should be here, it was too dark, I don’t remember clearly.”
The police immediately began to carefully excavate the area Raina had
identified.
They dug with shovels, the soil piling up beside them, the sound of metal
scraping against earth a constant rhythm.
As they dug almost half a meter deep, everyone’s hearts were in their throats.
However, they didn’t find what they were looking for.
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Disappointment filled the air, but the police didn’t give up. They brought in
trained police dogs and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding hills.
The dogs weaved through the trees, their sensitive noses sniffing the ground,
as if searching for a glimmer of hope.
The police followed closely behind, not missing any suspicious spots.
Days turned into weeks, but their search yielded no results.
The case, like a ship lost in the fog, reached another dead end.
Raina’s appeal was rejected, and her execution date was approaching.
On the day of Raina’s execution, the sky was overcast, heavy clouds hanging
low, as if mourning this tragedy.
I saw John again outside the execution ground. He looked haggard, his eyes
bloodshot, the wrinkles on his face seeming deeper.
He stood there silently, his figure looking particularly desolate under the
gloomy sky, as if burdened by years of regret.
When he saw me, his lips trembled slightly, his voice hoarse and
shaky.“Please forgive me,” he pleaded, his bloodshot eyes filled with pain.
“Every moment, I’m filled with regret. How could I have been so foolish? I
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shouldn’t have taken Lily to see Raina. I’m a sinner, I pushed my own child into
danger. If I could turn back time, I would never have done such a stupid thing.”
He seemed to be caught in a whirlpool of pain, pulling at his hair, his face
contorted in agony.
“And I shouldn’t have believed Raina’s lie when I noticed Lily’s clothes had
been changed,” he continued, his voice filled with despair.“She said Lily had wet
herself, and she had changed her clothes. How could I be so stupid? Why didn’t I
think more? Why didn’t I check Lily carefully? I was so easily fooled by her…”
“If I had discovered the problem sooner, even a little bit sooner, maybe we
could have found Lily’s remains…” His voice was choked with emotion, every
syllable laced with despair.“Every night, I dream of her crying, blaming me, her
incompetent father.”
gone.
After all these days, I had gradually come to terms with the fact that Lily was
The waves of pain and grief had slowly receded, leaving only a peaceful
shore.
Faced with his lament, my heart felt like a stagnant pool, unmoved.
I was like a detached observer, watching his pain and self–blame with a
calm detachment.
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“There are no ‘what ifs,” I said softly.“This is all fate’s arrangement, Lily and
I simply weren’t meant to be together for long. I just hope she can be reborn into
a happy family in her next life, grow up safe and carefree.”
Hearing my words, John slowly released his grip on his hair, his hands
falling limply to his sides. He slumped, as if his bones had turned to jelly.
His eyes were filled with pain and self–reproach, a deep–seated regret,
etched into his very being, a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.
<<< From Ashes to Hope…
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