Chapter 4

After tending to the cut on my forehead, I headed straight to the courthouse and filed for a pre-litigation asset freeze.

By the time I finished, it was already dark outside.

I pressed my finger against the smart lock.

It displayed, "Verification failed."

I tried again, but nothing happened.

I punched in the password, but it flashed "error."

It wasn't until the third ring that Edward finally opened the door.

Olivia sat in the living room with the kid in her arms; my mother-in-law was fussing with shoes for the child, Ryan was assembling a toy, and Grace was coaxing the kid.

No one even glanced at the bandage on my forehead.

Edward blocked the doorway. "Olivia's villa is way out in the sticks, and it's a hassle for the kid to get to school. This place is in the school district, so for now, you take Annie and move to Oceyn."

"So you deleted my fingerprint?" I asked.

"After what happened yesterday, I was worried you might hurt the kid again."

I lowered my eyes, a bitter, self-mocking smile tugging at my lips. Without saying a word, I went into the bedroom and dragged out my suitcase.

Edward felt a surge of irritation seeing me comply so easily.

When he noticed the bandage on my forehead, his tone softened up a bit. "Does it still hurt? Once Olivia's kid starts school, I'll have them move out. You and Annie are my real family."

I pulled away from his hand, zipped up my suitcase, and walked out.

Before I left, the nanny fed Annie the baby food I'd made that morning.

When Olivia's daughter reached out for some, the nanny smoothly passed her the bowl.

Before I could even say anything, she spooned two big mouthfuls into the kid's mouth, one after the other.

Less than two minutes later, the kid broke out in a rash all over, and her cries got weaker and weaker.

Edward grabbed the kid and shoved me out of the way. "Charlotte, what did you put in that food? Did you do this to get revenge?"

My mother-in-law pointed right at me and screamed, "Yesterday you pushed her. Today you're hurting the kid. You're nothing but a poisonous woman."

I tried to explain, but nobody cared to hear me out.

After the kid was rushed into the ER and finally out of danger, my mother-in-law dragged me straight to the hospital. "Apologize to Olivia."

I pulled my arm away. "I wasn't the one who fed her."

Ryan blocked my path. "The kid's still in the ER. Admit it for now. What's the big deal?"

Grace frowned. "Right now, with everything going on, all you care about is clearing your name?"

I turned to leave, but Edward grabbed my wrist. "You can't even apologize, not even once?"

He shoved his phone right up to my face.

On the screen was the authorization form for my mom's meds tonight.

His team developed that drug. Without his sign-off, my mom can't get her next shot. "Apologize to Olivia, or your mom won't get her meds tonight."

I was shaking all over, my eyes burning red as I yelled, "Edward, that's my mom's life on the line."

He pushed me down to my knees, hands pressing hard on my shoulders. "I won't sign until Olivia forgives you."

As my knees hit the floor, I suddenly remembered how, back when my mom was sick, he'd hold me close and promise, "As long as I'm here, I'll never let you be afraid again."

He remembered exactly what I was most afraid of losing.

And he was using it all to hurt me.

My mother-in-law still wasn't satisfied. "Slap yourself. Don't stop until Olivia says you can."

My ears buzzed after the first slap.

Blood flooded my mouth after the second slap.

The third slap broke me, and the tears finally spilled over.

Olivia sobbed, "It's okay. I don't blame you."

But no one told me to stop.

Right before I blacked out, I heard Edward sigh. "If you'd done what you were told, none of this would've happened."

I had no idea when I blacked out, but when I came to, the nurse told me my mom was gone.

Grace sent the video to our family group chat. My mom saw it. Her heart gave out, and she never got her last dose.

I rushed into the hospital room.

The monitor was dark, and my mom lay there, so still, the IV still taped to the back of her hand.

She'd suffered her whole life, and the last thing she ever saw was her daughter being forced to slap herself in front of everyone.

I sat with her until dawn, signed the cremation papers, and personally carried her into the crematorium.

When I held the urn close, it finally hit me that there was no one left in this city waiting for me to come home.

After taking care of everything, I held Annie and boarded the plane to Stormport.

Before the cabin door closed, I turned off my phone and didn't look back.