Right then, my phone buzzed with a text from Caleb:
'There's a dinner party tonight at 8 for Nina. It's all men, so it's not safe for her. You go to her place.'
For the first time in my life, I didn't reply.
Half an hour later, my phone rang.
It was Caleb.
His voice on the other end was cold and full of menace. "Lily, you're really testing my patience, aren't you? How dare you ignore my message?"
I was too weak to fight. "Caleb, I'm not feeling well. I can't go."
He let out a dark, sinister laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "Not coming? Fine. Then forget about getting your mother's ashes! Should I scatter them in a dung pit or dump them in a filthy sewer?"
His words hit me like a blow to the chest. I clenched my fists, biting back the pain. My voice was barely a whisper, but I forced myself to speak.
"I'll go."
The day my mother was cremated, I cried so hard that I thought my heart would break.
Caleb had watched in silence, a conflicted look passing across his face. Then, without a word, he had taken my mother's urn from me.
"If you're so upset, I'll hold on to it for you."
At that moment, I thought he was doing it out of kindness. I was so naïve.
But the minute the urn was in his hands, his expression changed.
A sinister smirk twisted his lips as he let out a low, mocking laugh. "You're such a fool, huh? From now on, you'll do whatever I tell you, or I'll scatter your mother's ashes like they're nothing!"
I quickly changed my clothes and rushed back home.
Caleb and Nina were already there, waiting, with clothes and jewelry neatly laid out, all planned in advance.
The second Caleb saw me, his expression soured. "What's with your face? You look like death. Are you sick or something?"
Nina, never one to miss an opportunity to take a jab, raised her eyebrows and laughed mockingly. "Lily! You'll do anything to get Caleb's attention, won't you? What did you do this time? Pile on a ton of makeup to play the 'tragic, sick beauty' act? Guess you learned from the best—your mom was a pro at that, too."
Caleb's face twisted with disgust.
His expression hardened as he roughly grabbed my arm, yanking me forward before shoving me into a chair.
Half an hour later, I found myself standing in front of the mirror, wearing the outfit they'd picked for me. It was a revealing dress that exposed my chest and back.