A Debt Repaid In Blood, A Marriage Paid In Silence Chapter 04
Silence fell over the room once more. JulianÂ
snapped out of his shock, his eyes filled with utterÂ
disbelief.Â
“Do you really have to keep making a scene?! Why can’t you just be quiet for once!”Â
His friends immediately chipped in,Â
“Come on, Wren. It’s Lila’s birthday today. Don’tÂ
steal her thunder.”Â
“You had the baby–you have a responsibility. You can’t leave her without a complete family.”Â
“Stop acting petty and jealous. Can’t you just getÂ
along?”Â
They all talked over each other, pinning all theÂ
blame on me.Â
I knew it. Ever since I married Julian, everyone hadÂ
looked down on me.Â
“Gold digger.” “Manipulator.” “Trash.”Â
The insults were endless, and they cut deep.Â
But I wasn’t the weak, crying Wren Hale I used toÂ
- be. A few cruel words no longer made me fallÂ
apart.Â
“Julian Hartford, I’m serious about the divorce.Â
Nola’s a girl, and we both know your family doesn’tÂ
care about her. Let’s end this amicably.”Â
With that, I picked up my mother’s urn and headedÂ
for the door.Â
Julian’s eyebrows furrowed. He grabbed my wristÂ
tightly.Â
He was about to say something when Lila’s bestÂ
friend let out a shrill scream.Â
She pointed at the urn in my hand and shrieked,Â
“No wonder Lila’s been having heart palpitationsÂ
lately! You evil woman! You’ve been cursing herÂ
with this dark magic!”Â
My head spun. I had no idea what she was talking.Â
about.Â
The others looked just as confused. Lila’s faceÂ
turned deathly white, and she explained in aÂ
terrified voice,Â
“I’ve been throwing up nonstop these days, and myÂ
heart races for no reason. So I went to a psychic,Â
and he said someone in this house is putting aÂ
curse on me!”Â
Tears streamed down Lila’s face as she looked atÂ
me with a pitiful expression.Â
“If you hate me this much, I’ll leave. But please,Â
spare my life. I’m carrying Julian’s baby!”Â
With that, she stumbled to her knees in front ofÂ
me, looking utterly helpless and abused.Â
The room erupted in anger against me.Â
“Wren Hale, you’re a monster! How could you do something so evil!”Â
“Get her out of here! She’s shameless, completelyÂ
heartless!”Â
I wrenched my arm free and shouted in anger, “What are you talking about?! This is my mother’s ashes, not some cursed object! Are you all brain dead to believe Lila’s lies!”Â
As soon as the words left my mouth, a fewÂ
people’s faces turned bright red withÂ
embarrassment.Â
But someone still sneered, “She’s just a shamelessÂ
liar, refusing to admit what she’s done.”Â
I tasted blood in my throat, sick to death ofÂ
arguing with them.Â
But Julian blocked my way and snatched the urn from my hands.Â
Panic shot through me. I stretched out my handÂ
and screamed, “Give it back! Give me my mother’s ashes back!”Â
Julian pushed me away, his eyes filled with disappointment.Â
He tried to open the urn, but it was sealed shutÂ
tight.Â
Lila’s best friend let out a cold snort.Â
“If it won’t open, then smash it! Let’s see what’s really inside!”Â
My heart hammered so hard it felt like it wouldÂ
jump out of my throat. My voice cracked withÂ
tears,Â
“Please. Just give it back to me.”Â
Mocking laughter broke out around me. SomeoneÂ
shook their head and drawled,Â
“What a good actress. Putting on a whole showÂ
for us.”Â
Julian was about to smash the urn to the ground,Â
but his eyes fell on my teary eyes, and heÂ
hesitated for two seconds.Â
Finally, he said coldly,Â
“You want the urn back? Apologize to Lila. Sincerely. Or I’ll flush the ashes down the drain.”Â
My blood turned to ice in my veins. I stared at Julian with bloodshot eyes.Â
Without a second thought, I bowed at aÂ
ninety–degree angle to Lila, as everyone aroundÂ
me muttered insults and stared at me with disdain.Â
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hurt you, shouldn’t have hit you. Please forgive me.”Â
Everyone held their breath, waiting. Those endlessÂ
seconds felt like an eternity, and I felt like my dignity was being trampled into the dirt.Â
Finally, Lila let out a soft laugh and helped me up.Â
“I forgive you, Wren. We’ll be good friends from now on.”Â
Julian’s face softened a lot. He held out the urn toÂ
- me.Â
“Don’t hurt Lila again. I hope-”Â
“AH!”Â
Lila suddenly let out a scream, clutched her chest, and collapsed to the ground.Â
Her body slammed straight into Julian’s hand.Â
The urn slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. My mother’s ashes spilled everywhere.

