Chapter 4

I had no idea how long I'd been crying when my phone suddenly rang. It was David.

I stared at his name flashing on the screen, feeling nothing but bitter irony. I hung up, but David just called right back.

After ignoring his calls a few times, he finally sent a text: [Emily, please talk to me. I know I made mistakes, but think about Lily. Divorce is a big step. Sophie means no harm. She'd never try to replace you or Lily.]

He actually believed that my daughter and I needed his mistress to grant us our place.

I stared at that message, my heart feeling like it had been laid out on a cold, hard block, sliced slowly by a dull blade.

Just then, an unknown number popped up on my screen. Before I knew it, I answered.

It was her. That familiar, nauseatingly sweet voice, Sophie's. But this time, all the fake timidity was gone, replaced by naked triumph and provocation.

"Emily? It's me, Sophie," she said.

I gripped my phone so tightly that my nails were digging into my palm.

"What do you want?" I asked, straining to keep my voice level.

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to check in, see how you're holding up." She let out a light laugh, dripping with a victor's glee. "You looked so pale at the hospital today. I was worried about you."

I stayed silent, waiting for her to get to the point.

"Look, you shouldn't take it so hard. Men, especially successful ones like David... It's pretty common for them to have women on the side."

Her tone was casual, like she was discussing the weather. "If anyone's to blame, it's you for letting yourself go and failing to keep your man interested."

My chest was tight, and I could barely breathe.

Sophie's voice was full of venom as she said, "Actually, I should thank you, Emily. If you hadn't been so 'understanding' and gotten rid of that baby back then, David wouldn't have felt so guilty.

"He wouldn't have treated me so well, or been so desperate to give me and our child a real place in his life."

A chill ran through me.

So they were already together back then.

Meanwhile, I was just a clueless idiot, torturing myself over losing that child.

"Sophie Lane," I spat out through gritted teeth, "don't get ahead of yourself."

"Ahead of myself?" She let out a mocking laugh. "Why shouldn't I be? Emily, you've been clinging to the Mrs. Sullivan title long enough. Time to hand it over. David loves me, you know.

"He told me he only feels alive when he's with me. Do you have any idea how much he hates it when you call? And your cooking? He always says mine suits his taste way better than yours ever could."

She paused, her voice dropping to a poisonous whisper. "Oh, let me share a little secret. You really thought Lily's fever was just some random accident?

"That night, David was supposed to stay with her, but I told him I wasn't feeling well, so he rushed right over to me. Funny, isn't it? Looks like it's pretty obvious who matters most to him."

It was like my whole world had shattered.

My brain felt like it just blew apart.

Lily's fever nearly turned into pneumonia. She was stuck in the hospital for a whole week.

I always blamed myself, thinking it was an accident, that I hadn't looked after her well enough.

But the truth was... it happened because he ditched us for that homewrecker.

All because of his negligence, all because of their disgusting cheats.

A tidal wave of hatred swallowed me whole, worse than when I first found out he was cheating.

"Sophie!" I screamed into the phone, completely losing it. "You're evil. You two deserve to rot in hell."

"Oh, Emily, why are you yelling at me?" Sophie faked surprise, then laughed, her voice full of smug satisfaction. "Don't waste your energy. If you think you're so tough, come and try to win him back.

"But David treats me like a queen now, and the baby I'm carrying? That's the real heir he's been dreaming of. You and your precious daughter? Just wait. You'll both be kicked out soon enough."

With that, she hung up.

Sophie's words hit me like venom-tipped icicles, stabbing straight through my heart and freezing away any last trace of softness in me.

I would never forget how terrifying that night was when Lily had that fever.

Her little face was flushed bright red, her breathing was fast and shallow, and she lay limp and lifeless in my arms.

I raced to the hospital with her in the middle of the night, so desperately that I nearly begged the doctors on my knees.

Where was David when all this happened?

He told me he was working late, caught up in some urgent project, and couldn't leave.

His voice on the phone was rushed, with that subtle brush-off in his tone.

I believed him, even felt bad for how hard he was working.

But the truth was, he was wrapped up in another woman's arms, abandoning our seriously ill daughter just because his mistress complained she wasn't feeling well.

Hatred twisted around my bones like wild vines, squeezing my throat until I could barely breathe.

I gritted my teeth so hard that the iron-sweet taste flooded my mouth like blood and rage mixed together.