Chapter 1

I held back my anger and called her, wanting my daughter to see her one last time.

"Jack, are you sick? Ethan is ill and needs me. If you're going to be like this, we should just divorce."

As she wished, after the divorce, she regretted it and knelt before me begging for forgiveness...

"Daddy, save me, save Emily, I'm scared..."

I was speeding down the road, my mind filled with Emily's desperate voice.

Today was her fifth birthday. My wife Sarah had taken our daughter to a summer resort to play.

I was originally supposed to go too, but was discouraged by Sarah's coldness.

"Jack, I want to spend Emily's birthday alone with her. If you go, I won't go."

Sarah, who had previously been cold towards Emily, making such a request angered me.

But Emily's hopeful eyes made me nod in agreement.

Now, hearing the fear in her trembling voice, I regretted it.

"Daddy, Mom left with Ethan and Uncle Mark. I don't know what to do alone..."

"Emily, be good. Daddy's here. Run towards the place with the police badge, the uncles there will take care of you."

Hearing that Sarah had left Emily alone, my heart filled with bitterness.

Although anxious, I could only comfort her on the phone.

Just then, heart-wrenching cries mixed with the roars of wild beasts came through.

I suddenly remembered there were black bears kept at the resort.

I tried to keep my voice steady as I called Emily's name on the phone, while reassuring myself everything was fine.

When I arrived at the resort, I saw a crowd gathered in a circle.

"This poor little girl, how could she have gone to the bear enclosure alone? This is too cruel..."

One sentence made my suspended heart plummet to rock bottom.

I collapsed on the ground, weakly raising my hand to cover my chest.

I struggled to crawl forward, seeing the phone watch on her small hand, and completely broke down.

Using all my strength to stand up.

I saw the girl's white tulle dress had turned blood red.

It was the one I had put on her myself this morning.

Before leaving, she had hugged my neck and said in her sweet voice:

"Daddy, tonight Emily will blow out the candles with you. You have to give Emily a teddy bear, okay?"

After saying this, Emily stole a kiss on my cheek.

Seeing her mischievous look, the frustration in my heart disappeared.

But now she was lying on the ground like a lifeless doll.

A piece of flesh had been torn from her face, with only a bit of skin still connecting it.

Her limbs were twisted, and much of her hair was gone.

Even the delicate skin on her body had been clawed open by sharp talons.

This horrific sight made it hard for me to breathe, and my body began to sway.

I took out my phone to call 911, but couldn't aim at the screen for a long time.

The feeling of helplessness made me break down. I knelt on the ground begging the onlookers.

"Please help me call 911, save my daughter..."

Hearing the ambulance was on its way, my panic subsided a bit.

I turned to pick her up, but the bite marks on her body left me at a loss where to touch.

I could only carefully kneel beside her, softly calling her name in a choked voice.

"Dad... hurts... I... Mom..."

Emily's painful mumbling with closed eyes was her response to me.

Thank goodness, she was still conscious.

I understood her broken words - she wanted her mom.

Seeing my daughter so fragile and miserable, hatred grew in my heart.

But not wanting to disappoint her, as she was being sent into the emergency room, I called Sarah.