Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man - Chapter 128: Chapter 128
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The ambulance driver was kind enough to drive us to the funeral home.
The prison guard handed us some paperwork. After I signed everything, Mom and I stayed for Dad's cremation.
When we got home with his ashes, Mom handed me a phone number.
"Nerina, this is your grandfather's old commanding officer. You need to make this call."
I stared at the number, anger burning in my chest.
Dad's last words—it was obvious someone had threatened him into taking his own life.
Was I really going to run away?
But looking at Mom's frail shoulders and swollen eyes, I dialed the number anyway.
I couldn't put her in more danger. No matter how much it killed me, I had to get her to safety first.
The call connected quickly. A stern, elderly voice answered.
After a brief conversation, he told me someone would come for us tomorrow.
I hung up and spent the entire night sitting with Mom beside Dad's ashes.
At dawn, we went to pick out a burial plot for him.
We wanted to bury Dad next to Grandma.
But the plot right next to Grandma's was right beside Elias Hartwick's grave.
I sighed. "Mom, let's find a different section. We'll move Grandma too."
Mom noticed the Hartwick headstone and nodded, ready to go find the cemetery manager with me.
But as soon as we turned around, there was Cassian with Selene on his arm.
Selene's face twisted when she saw the urn in my hands.
"Nerina, what the hell are you doing? My brother's dead and you're still not done torturing him?"
Before I could answer, she lunged for the urn.
"What kind of trash are you bringing here to disrespect my brother?"
I shoved her away hard, protecting Dad's ashes.
She stumbled backward, letting go. Cassian caught her before she could fall.
"You okay?"
Selene shook her head, clutching her chest where I'd pushed her.
Cassian's face went black with rage.
He stepped forward and smacked the urn right out of my hands.
Even though I saw it coming, I couldn't match his strength.
The urn flew through the air, and Dad's ashes scattered all over me, all over the ground.
I stared down at the silver-white dust covering everything, seeing red.
"Cassian, do you have any idea whose ashes you just threw around?"
He bent down and picked up the broken urn, split clean in half.
"Whose? What do I care?"
"All I know is you hurt someone you shouldn't have."
With that, he hurled the broken urn at my shoulder.
I just stood there, stunned. My heart felt connected to my left shoulder somehow—throbbing, aching, going numb.
"Nerina..."
Mom rushed over but didn't dare touch my injured shoulder.
She was crying, screaming at Cassian. "You monster! What did the Caldwells ever do to you? Why are you doing this to my daughter, to my husband?"
I wrapped my good arm around her, speaking softly.
"Mom, forget it."
"It's my fault for being so blind. For believing the wrong person. For loving the wrong man."
Cassian's eyebrows lifted slightly. Finally, he looked directly at me.
But I didn't want to look at him anymore. Not even for a second.
I patted Mom's back, let her go, and slowly crouched down to gather Dad's ashes.
Something warm was trickling down my left arm—blood mixing with the silver-white dust.
Cassian just stood there watching. Even when Selene tried to get his attention, he seemed not to hear her.
The sky was getting dark. Mom and I managed to collect all the ashes mixed with dirt into my jacket before the wind picked up.
As we were leaving, Cassian stepped in front of me.
"Nerina Caldwell, whose ashes were those?"
"Tell me again. This time, if you say it, I'll believe you."
I smiled at him—a light, bitter laugh.
"Cassian, it doesn't matter anymore. Like you said, it's got nothing to do with you. And after today, it never will again."
I pushed past him and walked away from that cemetery with Mom, never looking back.
We bought Dad a new urn and had the cemetery workers retrieve Grandma's ashes too.
When we got home, there was a young man with military bearing standing by our door.
I knew—our ride out of here had arrived.
The prison guard handed us some paperwork. After I signed everything, Mom and I stayed for Dad's cremation.
When we got home with his ashes, Mom handed me a phone number.
"Nerina, this is your grandfather's old commanding officer. You need to make this call."
I stared at the number, anger burning in my chest.
Dad's last words—it was obvious someone had threatened him into taking his own life.
Was I really going to run away?
But looking at Mom's frail shoulders and swollen eyes, I dialed the number anyway.
I couldn't put her in more danger. No matter how much it killed me, I had to get her to safety first.
The call connected quickly. A stern, elderly voice answered.
After a brief conversation, he told me someone would come for us tomorrow.
I hung up and spent the entire night sitting with Mom beside Dad's ashes.
At dawn, we went to pick out a burial plot for him.
We wanted to bury Dad next to Grandma.
But the plot right next to Grandma's was right beside Elias Hartwick's grave.
I sighed. "Mom, let's find a different section. We'll move Grandma too."
Mom noticed the Hartwick headstone and nodded, ready to go find the cemetery manager with me.
But as soon as we turned around, there was Cassian with Selene on his arm.
Selene's face twisted when she saw the urn in my hands.
"Nerina, what the hell are you doing? My brother's dead and you're still not done torturing him?"
Before I could answer, she lunged for the urn.
"What kind of trash are you bringing here to disrespect my brother?"
I shoved her away hard, protecting Dad's ashes.
She stumbled backward, letting go. Cassian caught her before she could fall.
"You okay?"
Selene shook her head, clutching her chest where I'd pushed her.
Cassian's face went black with rage.
He stepped forward and smacked the urn right out of my hands.
Even though I saw it coming, I couldn't match his strength.
The urn flew through the air, and Dad's ashes scattered all over me, all over the ground.
I stared down at the silver-white dust covering everything, seeing red.
"Cassian, do you have any idea whose ashes you just threw around?"
He bent down and picked up the broken urn, split clean in half.
"Whose? What do I care?"
"All I know is you hurt someone you shouldn't have."
With that, he hurled the broken urn at my shoulder.
I just stood there, stunned. My heart felt connected to my left shoulder somehow—throbbing, aching, going numb.
"Nerina..."
Mom rushed over but didn't dare touch my injured shoulder.
She was crying, screaming at Cassian. "You monster! What did the Caldwells ever do to you? Why are you doing this to my daughter, to my husband?"
I wrapped my good arm around her, speaking softly.
"Mom, forget it."
"It's my fault for being so blind. For believing the wrong person. For loving the wrong man."
Cassian's eyebrows lifted slightly. Finally, he looked directly at me.
But I didn't want to look at him anymore. Not even for a second.
I patted Mom's back, let her go, and slowly crouched down to gather Dad's ashes.
Something warm was trickling down my left arm—blood mixing with the silver-white dust.
Cassian just stood there watching. Even when Selene tried to get his attention, he seemed not to hear her.
The sky was getting dark. Mom and I managed to collect all the ashes mixed with dirt into my jacket before the wind picked up.
As we were leaving, Cassian stepped in front of me.
"Nerina Caldwell, whose ashes were those?"
"Tell me again. This time, if you say it, I'll believe you."
I smiled at him—a light, bitter laugh.
"Cassian, it doesn't matter anymore. Like you said, it's got nothing to do with you. And after today, it never will again."
I pushed past him and walked away from that cemetery with Mom, never looking back.
We bought Dad a new urn and had the cemetery workers retrieve Grandma's ashes too.
When we got home, there was a young man with military bearing standing by our door.
I knew—our ride out of here had arrived.
End of Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man Chapter 128. Continue reading Chapter 129 or return to Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man book page.