Chapter 3

Seeing I was unmoved, Brandon scooped Chloe into his arms and said impatiently,

"Wait here. I'll go to the rescue station and write it for you. It'll also give Chloe a chance to change, so she doesn't catch a cold."

With that, he ignored me, carrying Chloe with long strides towards the rescue station. Chloe looked up, a smirk playing on her lips as she met my gaze.

I hoped Brandon would be just as calm when he found out the one who died was his own sister.

After he handed me the handwritten confirmation, the police car arrived. Since the body had already been washed away, and there was no surveillance footage or other witnesses, the officers looked at me hesitantly.

Before they could say anything, I directly handed Brandon's handwritten accidental death confirmation to the police.

"The search and rescue company here is owned by my husband, he also led the rescue, and the drowning victim was his sister. With this accidental death confirmation, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

The police probably didn't expect things to go so smoothly. After asking Brandon a few simple questions about the rescue, they left. I didn't want to stay there either. After picking up Kimberly's changed clothes on the beach, I prepared to leave.

But I hadn't walked more than a few steps before Brandon stopped me. He held out his hand.

"Give them to me."

"What?" I looked at Brandon, puzzled.

He pulled a lighter from his pocket, threatening to set the clothes ablaze. Even though Kimberly and I rarely got along, seeing this, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

"Brandon, don't you know the custom here? Even if we can't find her body, we're supposed to bury her last worn clothes as a symbolic grave, a cenotaph, so her spirit can rest."

"If you burn these clothes now, do you want her to never find peace even in death?"

Chloe looked at me mockingly.

"A cenotaph? Harper, are you okay?"

"I heard people say that only those who've done too many bad things end up drowning in the ocean."

"Someone like your sister, a real menace, doesn't deserve a peaceful end even in death, let alone a cenotaph."

Brandon nodded in agreement.

"Your sister was always defiant, and she'd give me attitude every time I asked your dad for some money. What a piece of work! If you ask me, even in death, she won't settle down. To avoid trouble, I have to burn her clothes today."

"To make sure her spirit is gone for good, so she can't cause any more trouble."

Their synchronized cruelty made my heart pound furiously in my chest. Even if it was *my* sister, he couldn't be this vicious. I pointed a finger at his face and yelled,

"Isn't she your sister? Aren't you afraid of karma for talking about her like that?"

I clutched the clothes and turned to leave, but Brandon clamped his hand around my throat. He stared at me with chilling malice.

"Don't push your luck, Harper. You're leaving those clothes here today."

I glared back at him.

"Brandon, if you touch me again, my dad will never give you another dime."

At that, Brandon violently shoved me into the ocean.

"What else does your dad have besides his dirty money? What kind of man can't even have a son?"

With that, he snatched the clothes and then kicked me hard.

I struggled out of the water, staring blankly at Brandon. The man who had pursued me for ten years, from high school until now, had changed completely just one month after our wedding? And was now even physically abusive?

Chloe whined playfully at Brandon.

"Brandon, be careful, you almost fell after that kick."

Brandon pulled her into his arms, comforting her softly.

"Don't worry, your man here is agile. Hitting a woman is a piece of cake."

"Alright, let's go burn those clothes."

Chloe giggled.

"You carried me all that way, you must be tired. Just sit back and watch, I'll burn them."

Brandon sat on the sand, filming her with his phone. Chloe pinched Kimberly's tank top, her face full of disgust.

"This girl dressed pretty provocatively, didn't she? That low cut, like she *wanted* men to stare."

She then picked up Kimberly's skirt, sniffed it, and sneered,

"Ugh, there's even a man's scent on this skirt. How many times must she have been with someone?"

She said, holding the clothes up to the camera. Brandon played along, praising her.

"Chloe, you're so smart. You notice even the smallest details."

"We need to film all this. If Harper, that bitch, tries to cause trouble, we'll post it all online and ruin her and the Davis family's reputation."

Chloe smiled at me.

"Harper, Brandon is just worried about being taken advantage of. You understand, right?"

It was Brandon's own sister. If *he* understood, that was all that mattered. While they weren't paying attention, I subtly sent my location to my bodyguards.

Just as Chloe was burning Kimberly's clothes, a bright light shone from the distance.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing the large and imposing bodyguards approaching, Brandon recoiled in terror.

I looked down at him, my voice cold.

"Brandon, we're getting a divorce."