Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Chapter 1

According to the rules, relatives were not allowed to view the process at crematorium.

Supported by the icy steel bed, Sylvia Lloyd paid her way into the crematorium's inner sanctum.

The air was tinged with the scent of burning, intermingled with the ash that danced in the sunlight. Perhaps it was someone's ashes. Soon, her precious daughter would become just that.

Sylvia was clad in a long black dress that barely covered her gaunt frame even in the smallest size, her eyes, swollen and red from crying, now held a serene calm.

She reached out to touch the cold, stiff hand that protruded from beneath the white shroud, and into her daughter's palm, she placed two pink paper stars. "Wait for me, Stella."

Time seemed to stand still until a worker approached, pulling Sylvia away to reveal Stella's face under the shroud.

At eight years old, Stella was frail and thin, her ribcage starkly defined, with a noticeable dip at the bottom.

welled up again as she gazed at that dip. She had

loss. At least your daughter's kidney saved another child, who will now live a happy life in

that child happens to be my husband's illegitimate son. Right now, they're celebrating his grand birthday party. Did you know? Today is also my daughter's birthday." The worker was taken aback, unable to comfort the despairing woman before

smile, "Go ahead, let's not delay. I hope my daughter

to move the body to the furnace, perhaps out

wasn't afraid; Stella was finally at

doesn't Daddy like me,

like

to you because of

daughter, destroyed by Rupert Garcia's

Instead, he had put her in a surgery room to donate a kidney to his son, leaving her to die alone

ironic thing was that a blood-stained children's watch lay beside her, dialing her father's number. And yet the

line, Sylvia had held back tears and hugged her daughter, fearing her sobs would scare her precious

son, boldly accusing Sylvia of harming them, Rupert had