Chapter 1

Sophie Carter, the scholarship student Richard Hawthorne supported, said she wanted to make a wish under a sky full of stars on Christmas Eve.

To make her happy, Richard flexed his power, mobilized the police to block off a mile in front of her university, and had the fireworks crafted into star shapes.

That night, 3 million dollars' worth of Starfire Fireworks exploded in front of the university, so Sophie could make her wish, and the whole city ground to a halt.

Meanwhile, Emily Hawthorne, my daughter with Richard, born with a weak heart, suddenly spiked a fever that night. Her temperature shot up to 106.7°F.

On the way to the hospital, the blocked roads forced our driver to take a detour, costing us precious time. The fever and her heart condition hit all at once, and despite everything, she didn't make it.

Afterwards, Sophie wiped her tears in front of the cameras, looking all aggrieved. "Mr. Hawthorne only wanted to grant my Christmas wish. What's wrong with that? It's not my fault his daughter was sick. Why blame me?"

Richard turned on me, said I hadn't taken care of our daughter, and threw me out of the house.

Half-crazed with grief, I stormed over to the villa where Sophie was staying, demanding answers.

Richard kicked me down the stairs. My head smashed against the marble, and I died right then and there.

Only after I died did I realize that Sophie was the female lead, and I was the tragic side character meant to highlight her misery. No matter what I did, she'd always overshadow me, and my ending was doomed to be tragic.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back an hour before my daughter's fever started.

Back for another round, I swore I'd never let my daughter die so miserably again. This time, I'd fight and rewrite our story.

This time, I'd make Richard and Sophie answer for everything they did to us.

*****

I jolted awake, my heart pounding so hard that it felt like it might shatter my ribs.

The air conditioner showed 78.8°F, the humidifier puffed out white mist, and a half-full glass of water sat on the nightstand. This was the last thing I remembered an hour before Emily's fever started.

"Mom." A soft, sweet voice came from the next room.

I practically rolled out of bed, not bothering with slippers, and rushed barefoot to the nursery. Pushing the door open, I saw her figure curled up under the covers, cheeks still rosy, breathing steadily.

"Emily?" I called out, my voice trembling.

I hurried over and touched her forehead. It was warm, but not burning up. There was still time.

"Did you have a bad dream, Mom?" Emily asked, her sleepy eyes opening as her hand reached out to touch my face.

I pulled her into my arms, and the tears burst out. Her warmth, the way she felt, and her voice were so real. My daughter was still alive.

In my previous life, it was tonight that Richard, to please Sophie, had the police block off a whole kilometer in front of her university on Christmas Eve so that the whole city could watch her get her Starfire Fireworks.

And that night, my daughter's fever shot up to 106.7°F.

The ambulance got stuck outside the blocked roads, and the driver had to take a detour, wasting forty precious minutes.

By the time we got to the hospital, Emily was already in shock. Her heart couldn't take it anymore with the fever, and they couldn't bring her back.

I would never forget the way the doctor shook his head as he walked out of the ER.

Three days after Emily's funeral, Richard was already standing next to Sophie in front of the media, announcing the Sophie Foundation like nothing had happened.

And I would never forget the coldness in Richard's eyes when, after I was thrown out of the Hawthorne family, I showed up at Sophie's villa, half-crazed, demanding answers, and Richard kicked me right down those marble stairs.

"Charlotte, don't get ahead of yourself. Emily died because you didn't look after her. Don't think about blaming Sophie," he snapped.

The back of my head slammed against the edge of the marble step, and I heard my skull crack.

As I was dying, my life flashed before my eyes, and then it hit me that I was a character in a web novel called Stars in My Arms.

Sophie was the female lead, Richard was the male lead, and I was the tragic side character, there to make the female lead look more pure and kind.

My daughter was doomed to die, and I was destined to be trampled under their feet, a stepping stone for their epic romance.

No matter how hard I fought, the ending was already set. But now, I was back.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Emily asked, her hand gently wiping away my tears.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the surge of resentment, and forced a smile. "I'm okay, sweetheart. I love you so much."

I glanced at the clock. It was 8:10 PM.

In my previous life, Emily's fever started at 8:40 PM. By 9:00, it climbed to 102.2°F, and by 9:30, it spiked to 105.8°F. I called for an ambulance, but Richard had already blocked the roads at 8:00, and by 9:00, the entire city was gridlocked.

"How about we play a game, Emily?" I tried to sound cheerful. "Let's pack our bags and spend the night at Grandma's."

"Now? But it's dark outside," she said.

"That's right. It'll be like an adventure," I replied.

I scooped Emily up and began frantically packing, taking only the essentials like emergency heart medication, medical records, cash, and passport with me. Nothing else mattered. I needed to get us out of this villa, away from Richard's control.

At 8:20, I carried Emily downstairs.

The maid, Grace, was in the kitchen, slicing up fruit. She froze when she saw me with the suitcase. "Mrs. Hawthorne, are you heading out this late?"

"I'm taking Emily to stay at my mom's tonight," I said.

"But Mr. Hawthorne said Emily shouldn't go out at night. He's worried she'll catch a cold," Grace protested.

"I'm her mother. What I say goes," I replied, my voice turning icy.

Grace was totally on Richard's side. In my previous life, when Emily got sick, she dragged her feet finding the thermometer and making calls. It was all deliberate.

She knew exactly what Richard was planning tonight, and she couldn't wait for us to stay out of their way.

"You're putting me in a tough spot, Mrs. Hawthorne. Mr. Hawthorne will want answers when he gets back," Grace said.

"Let him ask me directly," I shot back.

I ignored her and headed straight for the garage with Emily in my arms. But the car keys were gone. They were always kept in the drawer by the front door.

"Looking for the car keys, Mrs. Hawthorne?" Grace followed me out, all sweetness and light. "Mr. Hawthorne had the driver take the car in for maintenance this afternoon. It won't be back until tomorrow."

I gave a cold laugh. It was more like making sure I didn't ruin his big night. Richard really thought of everything.

Emily's voice was barely a whisper as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Mom, are we not going anymore?"

"We are, sweetheart," I said.

I turned back inside and grabbed the landline. The line was dead, and my phone was gone, too. Grace must've hidden it.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, why don't you give it a rest?" Grace stood at the top of the stairs, looking way too pleased with herself. "Mr. Hawthorne has big plans tonight. You and Emily should stay home and behave."

I locked eyes with her, and suddenly, I let out a cold laugh. "Grace, how long have you been working for the Hawthorne family?"

"T-Twelve years."

"During the twelve years, your paycheck went from 1,000 dollars a month to 9,000. The Hawthorne family paid for your kid's fancy school and your husband's surgery. If I hand Richard proof that you stole my jewelry, what do you think he'll do to you?"

Grace's face turned very pale. "Mrs. Hawthorne, that's nonsense. I never—"

"That diamond necklace that disappeared last year? It's tucked in the lining of your closet back home. Should I call the cops right now?" I pressed.

I was bluffing. After I died back then, I saw Grace swipe a bunch of stuff, but the details were fuzzy. Judging by her reaction, though, I nailed it.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, I-I'll get your phone right away," she stuttered, scrambling to turn around.

"Don't bother." I'd already spotted it. My phone was sticking out of her apron pocket. I strode over and yanked it out before she could blink.

"You—"

"Move."

I shoved her aside, grabbed Emily, and marched out the villa door. The night was icy, but I was burning up inside.

No cabs in this gated community, and it'd take at least twenty minutes to walk out. There wasn't much time left before Emily developed a fever.

Just then, a pair of headlights cut through the darkness.

A black sedan rolled up and stopped right in front of me. The window rolled down, and a face I never expected to see appeared. "Charlotte?"

The man looked to be in his early thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with deep-set eyes and a face that would stand out in any crowd.

I recognized him. It was Daniel Grant, one of the few in Jinsband who ever stood up to Richard, and the real power behind the Grant family.

In my previous life, at Richard and Sophie's engagement party, he was the only one who didn't raise his glass in a toast. Later, when the Hawthorne family fell, word was that he had a hand in it.

"Hi, Mr. Grant," I said, holding Emily tighter, trying to keep my composure.

"Out with your kid this late?" he glanced at the suitcase in my hand. "Need a hand?"

I hesitated for a split second. "My daughter's about to spike a fever. I need to get her to the hospital, but I can't get a cab."

Daniel's brow furrowed slightly, and he opened the car door. "Get in."

There were no questions, no prying about why I was out here in the middle of the night with my kid, no asking why I wasn't already at the hospital. His straightforwardness made my eyes sting.

I settled Emily into the back seat and climbed in after her.

"The nearest hospital?" Daniel glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

"No, take us to Rowinlife Medical Center. They've got the best emergency heart care at night," I said, pausing. "It's on the west side of town, though."

"Buckle up," he said.

The car pulled smoothly out of the gated community. I held Emily close and kept checking her forehead. I could feel her temperature rising.

"Mom, I'm a little cold," Emily murmured.

"We're almost there. Hold on, sweetheart," I whispered.

I dug out the emergency meds from my bag, getting ready. If only I'd given Emily the fever meds half an hour sooner last time, or if only we'd made it to the hospital in time, maybe everything would've turned out differently.

As soon as we turned onto the main road, we slammed right into gridlock.

Red brake lights stretched endlessly, the whole street frozen solid. Horns blared nonstop, and people were getting out of their cars, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

"What's going on?" Daniel frowned.

I looked out the window, and my heart plummeted. This was it.

Richard had blocked off a whole mile around Highlink District so Sophie could have her 3-million-dollar Starfire Fireworks Show. And Rowinlife Medical Center was stuck on the other side of the blockade.

"Heard the road's blocked up ahead. Cops set up barricades, won't let anyone through," a driver from the car next to us shouted.

"Blocked? Why the hell is the road blocked?" someone demanded.

"Who knows? They say it's for some big event. What a damn joke, blocking the main road on Christmas Eve," the driver grumbled.

Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed. "Captain Lewis, what's going on with Maindin Road? Seriously? The Hawthorne family?"

He hung up, his face darkening.

"Richard pulled strings with the police to set off fireworks for that scholarship girl he's sponsoring," he said, glancing back at me, his eyes complicated. "You knew about this?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I knew. He had my car sent for maintenance, hid my phone, and made sure the nanny kept me from leaving."

Daniel was silent for a few seconds. "Your daughter's condition can't wait, can it?"

"No, she can't," I said, watching Emily's breathing grow more rapid in my arms. "If we have to take a detour, it'll take at least forty minutes. She won't make it."

Daniel pushed up his glasses and suddenly smiled coldly. "Hold on tight."

He jerked the steering wheel, sending the car onto the sidewalk. Amid gasps from onlookers, he drove against traffic through the bike lane and swerved into an alley.

"Mr. Grant, you can't just—" I blurted.

"Shut up and hold your daughter," he snapped.

The car zigzagged through the alleys at breakneck speed. Whistles from traffic cops echoed outside, but Daniel didn't blink.

Five minutes later, the car screeched to a halt at the emergency entrance of Rowinlife Medical Center.

"We're here," Daniel said.

I grabbed Emily and bolted out of the car, shooting him a look. Daniel rolled down his window and waved me on, a quick "go" gesture.

"Thank you," I croaked, then turned and rushed into the emergency room.

They finished registration and the temperature check in the emergency room. Emily's fever had already hit 101.3°F, and it kept rising.

"She has a congenital heart disease. A fever like this is dangerous. We need to bring it down right now." The doctor glanced at her medical records and sent her straight to the emergency room.

I stood outside the ER, my whole body trembling. But this time, it wasn't helplessness. It was rage, burning through my veins.

My phone buzzed. It was Richard calling.

I stared at the screen, watching the word "Honey" flash until the call timed out. He called again, and I powered off my phone.

An hour later, the doctor came out. "Her fever's under control. You got her here in time. If you were late for another half hour, it would've been dangerous. She needs to stay for observation. Go take care of the paperwork."

My legs gave out, and I had to catch myself against the wall to stay upright. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much."

While I was handling the admission paperwork, I turned my phone back on. Dozens of missed calls were all from Richard.

And one text read: [Charlotte, where did you take Emily? Call me back now.]

I erased it without a flicker of emotion, then punched in a number. "Hey, is this Avery? It's Charlotte Evans, Richard's wife. I've got a bombshell for you.

"Hawthorne Group illegally used the police to block the roads, and it nearly cost a critically ill patient their life. Yeah, I'm at Rowinlife Medical Center right now. Come find me."

After hanging up, I walked over to the window.

From the hospital's upper floors, I could see the night sky over Highlink District. Right now, Starfire Fireworks were exploding, dazzling and brilliant, visible to the whole city.

Richard and Sophie were enjoying such a beautiful fireworks show. But unfortunately, this dazzling display was about to become the fire that burns them to the ground.

I pressed my hand to the cold glass, a silent smile spreading across my face. The game has begun.