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Chapter 6
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Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 11
"If he made a mistake, then he should accept the consequences. I won't interfere in this matter. And from now on, I will not interfere in anything related to Tommy."After saying this, Jennifer got into the vehicle and drove away without looking back.At that moment, she wanted only one thing: to see Andrew again, even if he would never forgive her.-Three days later, Jennifer finally arrived at my hometown. The courtyard lay silent. In the corner stood the apple tree, its base carefully wrapped in burlap.The sight made her eyes redden again.From the nearby village school came the sound of children reading aloud."The sun is big and bright…"Jennifer followed the familiar voice and looked toward the classroom. She saw me standing at the front with a textbook in my hand.After returning home, I had applied to teach at the village elementary school. My Cyrus would never have the chance to attend school, but the children in the village still could.After class, I carried my l
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 10
The moment his words fell, the door behind him swung open. Phillip jerked his head up in panic and met Jennifer's icy stare."What did you say?" Her voice was quiet, yet each word carried a cutting chill. "Say it again. Who did you call a bastard?"Phillip stumbled back two steps, stammering. "I didn't say anything. You must have misheard."When he saw her expression ease slightly, he hurried toward her again. "Today is important for Tommy. Let's go to the school together."Jennifer pulled her arm away from him. "I've already said it many times. I'm not going. And I won't go in the future either."A memory flashed through her mind. That day, Andrew had stood in the cold wind just as Phillip stood now, begging her to stay. She had pried his hand from her arm for the sake of the man standing in front of her.Her indifference had pushed her own son toward death.A flicker of panic rose in Phillip's chest. For the first time, he felt that something had slipped completely out of his
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 9
Jennifer struggled to sit up in bed. Then she froze.Warm yellow light spilled from the living room.Jennifer pushed the door open and saw Cyrus sitting on the floor with a stack of cardboard boards in his hands. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. "Mom, can you play with me?"He lifted the boards toward her with a hopeful smile.Jennifer nodded quickly, joy rising in her chest. They sat on the floor and played together.For a moment, she felt lighter than she had in days.When she looked up again, she saw me sitting under the lamp, sewing a deep blue backpack. The thread moved clumsily through the cloth in Andrew's hands.Just then, someone knocked on the door. Jennifer turned her head. In the blink of an eye, both Cyrus and Andrew were gone."Cyrus! Andy!" Her voice echoed through the room, but the house remained silent. No one answered.The knocking grew louder. Then Phillip's voice came from outside the door. "Jenny! Jenny, are you in there?"Phillip stood outside in a
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 8
Jennifer tried to explain again, but I had had enough. I had given her more than one chance.I had gambled with time. I believed that, little by little, Cyrus and I would come to mean more to her.I had lost that bet. The price was my son's life.If I had not given her so many chances, if I had taken Cyrus back to the countryside earlier, would any of this have happened?When Jennifer realized she could not persuade me, her grip tightened. She tried to drag me out of the station. "Come home with me first. We can talk about everything there, okay?"I could not hold back any longer. "Jennifer, this is a public place. Forcing me will not help. I'm not going with you."My raised voice drew attention. People nearby began to gather. They noticed Jennifer's uniform and hesitated to interfere, but the circle around us kept shrinking.That alone said enough.Jennifer still refused to give up. She pulled my hand to her forehead. "Andy, I know I was wrong. Please give me one more chance.
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 7
I lowered my head. I did not want to keep making excuses for her.Hurt was hurt. Intentional or not, it still left a scar in Cyrus' heart."Later, I comforted him. I told him everything would get better once school started. I said he would make lots of new friends. But he never got the chance."I lifted my head and looked straight at Jennifer. The hatred inside me had nowhere to go. It spilled out as endless tears. "Jennifer, do you know what Cyrus said to me the day we registered for school?"Regret and unease filled her eyes as she looked at me."He said he felt sorry for you. He said you worked so hard every day. He told me he would study hard. One day he would become a great hero who served the country, just like his mother."Jennifer's gaze dropped to the brand-new backpack beside her. Pain flooded her face, and the tears finally broke free.I picked up my luggage. After one last look at the house, I turned and walked away.Only one bus ran between the train station and th
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 6
The woman who never cried, no matter how much blood or sweat she shed, finally had red eyes.Jennifer stood there for a long time before she managed to force out a complete sentence. "Where… where is Cyrus buried? I want to see him one last time."I saw the regret in Jennifer's eyes and turned my face away. "He's not buried anywhere. I had him cremated."Pain twisted across her face. Grief overflowed in her eyes."Why? Why didn't you bury him properly?" she demanded. "Everyone says the dead should return to the earth. You didn't even leave him a whole body. How can he rest like that?"I pulled Cyrus' memorial photo against my chest and brushed my fingers gently over his young face. "Cyrus was never happy living here. I'm taking him home."Jennifer stared at the photo in my hands for a long moment before she spoke again, her voice heavy. "Why? I worked so hard to earn military merit. Wasn't it all for the sake of giving you and Cyrus a better life?"A quiet laugh escaped me as I
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 3
The night after we finished registering for elementary school, Jennifer did not come home.Cyrus and I sat in the courtyard, enjoying the cool air. He lay across my knees and watched me struggle to sew a loose strap on his backpack."Dad," Cyrus said, peering up at me. "When I start school, I'm go
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 2
I took a deep breath, lifted my chin, and decided to cremate my son without telling her.Jennifer had already cast this family aside. I had no reason to keep dragging things out with her.After the cremation, I would take my son back to my hometown. Before that, I had three days to deal with everyt
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 1
On the fourth day after my son died, I ran into Jennifer Cassell in a hospital corridor.One hand steadied Phillip Lennox. The other held Phillip's son. The three of them looked exactly like a happy family. Except I was her husband.The smile vanished from Jennifer's face the moment she saw me. "W
Ashes Under the Willow Tree Chapter 4
Every time Cyrus smelled shortbread cookies, he would run to the door with a wide grin to greet her.But Jennifer never knew the truth. My son had asthma. He did not like dry, crumbly shortbread cookies at all. What he loved was seeing Jennifer come home safe.A hollow ache spread through my chest
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