The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 1308

Danielle stood in the doorway, staring at the state of the apartment, a heavy lump forming in her throat.

The throw pillows on the sofa were tossed haphazardly, unwashed dishes piled up on the coffee table, and shattered ceramic pieces littered the floor—clear evidence of a violent outburst.

This was far from the spotless, brightly lit home she remembered.

“Mom.”

Danielle walked in, setting down the fruit basket she had brought, her brows knitting together tightly. “Why is the place such a mess?”

Vivian stood up, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes. Her voice was exhausted, drained of all life. “What else could it be.”

“Your dad came over yesterday and threw another fit. He said if I dare go through with the divorce, he'll smash this place to pieces.”

“All these dishes... he broke them.”

She sighed, avoiding Danielle's gaze as she looked down to tidy the pillows. “I didn't want to tell you. You already have enough on your plate with the company, the Davidsons, and Raffy... I didn't want to distract you.”

Danielle felt a sharp pinch in her chest. She stepped forward, grasping her mother's cold hands. “Mom, you never have to hide things from me.”

Niki, familiar with the layout, had already run into the bedroom and found the candy Vivian kept stashed away. She padded back over, reaching up to hand a piece to her. “Eat some candy, Grandma. You won't be sad if you eat candy.”

Vivian took the sweet but couldn't bring herself to eat it. She just clutched it tightly, watching Danielle bend down to pick up the broken ceramics, her eyes tearing up again. “I've already hired a cleaning lady. She's coming first thing tomorrow.”

“Don't bother cleaning that. Just sit down.”

Danielle didn't stop. She dumped the shards into the trash can, then grabbed a rag to wipe down the stains on the coffee table, suppressing the fury in her voice. “He's gone too far.”

“He's an absolute bully.”

She had experienced Orson's shameless tactics before.

But she never expected him to unleash this kind of cruelty on her mother.

Smashing up the house, throwing dirty accusations around, and slandering her own mother—just to extort a little more money.

“Mom, let me handle this from here on out.”

Danielle straightened up. “I'm going to hire the best lawyer in the state and gather every shred of evidence against him.”

“He wants the assets? I'll make sure he doesn't see a single dime.”

“He wants to ruin your reputation? I'll make sure the whole world knows exactly what kind of monster he is.”

Looking at the fierce resolve in her daughter's eyes, Vivian felt an overwhelming mix of heartache and pride.

She really had grown up. She could protect them now.

Right then, Danielle's phone rang.

It was Alexander.

She paused for a second before answering.

“Where are you?”

“At my mom's,” Danielle replied, glancing out at the dark night sky. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Alexander paused briefly. “I just wrapped up work and noticed you weren't home yet. I got a little worried.”

Danielle's heart warmed. Just as she was about to say she would be back soon, she heard footsteps approaching from the hallway outside.

Before she could react, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Vivian looked at his outstretched hand, noticing the distinct knuckles and faint calluses on his fingers.

After a moment's hesitation, she took the box, her voice softening a fraction. “Thank you. You shouldn't have gone to the trouble.”

“It's no trouble at all,” Alexander smiled. He then turned his gaze to Danielle. “Are you almost done? We can head back whenever you're ready.”

Danielle looked at her mother, then down at Niki, and nodded. “Just about.”

Vivian quickly spoke up. “What's the rush? Stay and have dinner before you leave. I'll go cook something right now.”

“No need, Vivian.”

Alexander immediately stopped her. “We've already eaten.”

“Besides, Niki has school tomorrow. We can't keep her up too late.”

Niki nodded emphatically. “That's right, Grandma! I have to wake up super early tomorrow.”

Knowing she couldn't convince them, Vivian dropped the offer.

She walked them to the door, watching as Alexander naturally slipped his hand into Danielle's, then scooped Niki up into his arms. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Maybe it really was time to let the past go.

The motion-sensor lights in the hallway flickered on and off as Alexander, carrying Niki and holding Danielle's hand, led the way down the stairs.

Vivian stood in the doorway, watching their silhouettes until they disappeared into the darkness. Only then did she slowly close the door.

Walking back to the coffee table, she picked up the box of vitamins, her fingers gently tracing the elegant packaging. A look of quiet relief finally graced her lips.