Delivering My Son's Ashes to His Father's Party - Chapter 4: Chapter 4
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Her words turned the room against me.
Olivia's face flushed crimson. "The SATs are over. Tyler, go get Charlie immediately. Keep him away from this unfit mother before she ruins him completely!"
Maeve added her dagger: "Joanna made Charlie's favorite beef pizza. She acts more like his mother than you ever did."
After years of sacrifice, endless nights, putting Charlie before everything - this was their measure of motherhood? That this scheming woman's pizza outweighed a lifetime of love?
The irony tasted bitter.
I laughed - a broken sound edged with tears.
"Enough!" Tyler roared. "Charlie isn't some pawn in your jealous games. A neglectful, irresponsible woman like you doesn't deserve him. Leave if you want, but my son stays. He's a Ford. Bring him out now!"
The laughter died in my throat. Red-rimmed eyes locked on Tyler, I spoke slowly: "I brought Charlie."
"Where?" Tyler scanned the room. The others craned their necks, Olivia even rising from her seat. "Where's my grandson?"
From my bag, I lifted the urn and slammed it onto the table.
"Right here."
The deafening crash of the urn hitting the table sent shockwaves through the room, making everyone jump in their seats.
Eyes wide with horror, they stared at me like I was some kind of grotesque creature.
For two agonizing seconds, the air was thick with stunned silence.
Joanna was the first to break it, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Wendy, Tyler just asked where Charlie is. What kind of twisted joke is this? Bringing out an urn to curse your own son? Are you seriously here to ruin everything on purpose?"
Their gazes burned into me, full of revulsion.
People shuffled back, as if I carried some kind of curse.
Olivia clutched her chest, gasping for breath before jabbing a finger at me. "Wendy, this is beyond cruel! Where is my grandson? Tell me right now!"
"He's right here!" My voice cracked with emotion, raw and desperate.
"Enough!" Tyler's voice boomed, his face dark with fury. "First, you lied to me at the vet, saying Charlie was dying. Now this? Have I spoiled you so much that you think you can get away with sick stunts like this?"
I met his glare head-on. "Check for yourself. See if I'm lying."
For a moment, his anger wavered. Something in my tone must have gotten to him, because he finally pulled out his phone.
"Zachary, drop everything. Find Charlie. Now."
Hanging up, he turned back to me, his voice ice-cold. "Don't think your little performance changes anything. The second I prove you're lying, you'll never see him again. I swear it."
His rage was palpable, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might shatter. He'd rather believe I'd lost my mind than accept the truth.
Then, his phone rang.
Zachary's voice, shaky and hesitant, filled the room. "Mr. Ford… I just confirmed… your son… he died the day you sent him to take the SAT."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Olivia's face flushed crimson. "The SATs are over. Tyler, go get Charlie immediately. Keep him away from this unfit mother before she ruins him completely!"
Maeve added her dagger: "Joanna made Charlie's favorite beef pizza. She acts more like his mother than you ever did."
After years of sacrifice, endless nights, putting Charlie before everything - this was their measure of motherhood? That this scheming woman's pizza outweighed a lifetime of love?
The irony tasted bitter.
I laughed - a broken sound edged with tears.
"Enough!" Tyler roared. "Charlie isn't some pawn in your jealous games. A neglectful, irresponsible woman like you doesn't deserve him. Leave if you want, but my son stays. He's a Ford. Bring him out now!"
The laughter died in my throat. Red-rimmed eyes locked on Tyler, I spoke slowly: "I brought Charlie."
"Where?" Tyler scanned the room. The others craned their necks, Olivia even rising from her seat. "Where's my grandson?"
From my bag, I lifted the urn and slammed it onto the table.
"Right here."
The deafening crash of the urn hitting the table sent shockwaves through the room, making everyone jump in their seats.
Eyes wide with horror, they stared at me like I was some kind of grotesque creature.
For two agonizing seconds, the air was thick with stunned silence.
Joanna was the first to break it, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Wendy, Tyler just asked where Charlie is. What kind of twisted joke is this? Bringing out an urn to curse your own son? Are you seriously here to ruin everything on purpose?"
Their gazes burned into me, full of revulsion.
People shuffled back, as if I carried some kind of curse.
Olivia clutched her chest, gasping for breath before jabbing a finger at me. "Wendy, this is beyond cruel! Where is my grandson? Tell me right now!"
"He's right here!" My voice cracked with emotion, raw and desperate.
"Enough!" Tyler's voice boomed, his face dark with fury. "First, you lied to me at the vet, saying Charlie was dying. Now this? Have I spoiled you so much that you think you can get away with sick stunts like this?"
I met his glare head-on. "Check for yourself. See if I'm lying."
For a moment, his anger wavered. Something in my tone must have gotten to him, because he finally pulled out his phone.
"Zachary, drop everything. Find Charlie. Now."
Hanging up, he turned back to me, his voice ice-cold. "Don't think your little performance changes anything. The second I prove you're lying, you'll never see him again. I swear it."
His rage was palpable, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might shatter. He'd rather believe I'd lost my mind than accept the truth.
Then, his phone rang.
Zachary's voice, shaky and hesitant, filled the room. "Mr. Ford… I just confirmed… your son… he died the day you sent him to take the SAT."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
End of Delivering My Son's Ashes to His Father's Party Chapter 4. Continue reading Chapter 5 or return to Delivering My Son's Ashes to His Father's Party book page.