Chapter 4

His face twisted with rage, and out of nowhere, my dad slapped me across the face.

He snapped, "Violet! You little liar! You'd even go this far to stop your mom from apologizing!

"You really think I can't track her down? If I find her, you and your mom will never set foot in Ostville again!"

I stared at him coldly, then gave a mocking laugh after a long pause.

I said, "Go ahead, search all you want. If you really think you can find her, then do it. Take her if you can."

My dad glared at me, his expression icy. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "You said it yourself. Don't you dare regret it later."

He slammed the door and stormed out, leaving the principal looking at me with a troubled expression.

The principal said, "Violet, it's not that the school doesn't want you, but you really pissed off Mr. Tyler."

Before he could finish, I already knew what he meant.

"I understand," I said quietly.

I quietly finished the withdrawal paperwork and went back to my dorm to pack up my things.

When I pushed open the door, I saw Mom's memorial photo sitting on the desk.

I traced my fingers over her smiling face, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Mom, if I hadn't gotten sick, would you still be here?" I whispered.

My vision blurred with tears, and in a daze, I found myself back on that night before the surgery.

Mom was about to undergo the operation to save my life.

But suddenly, Dad stormed into the hospital room and struck her across the face, sending her crashing to the floor.

He snapped, "Was it you who posted online, calling Julia a homewrecker? Now she's in the hospital with a heart attack. Are you happy now?

"How could you be so cruel? You knew she had a heart condition and still went out of your way to push her over the edge!

"If anything happens to Julia, I swear I'll make you pay for it for the rest of my life!"

He didn't care about Mom's explanation. He grabbed her and dragged her straight toward the operating room, hell-bent on forcing her to give Julia her heart.

Mom was crying and screaming, her voice raw with desperation. "I can't give her my heart! If I do, Violet won't make it. She'll die!"

But Dad didn't believe her. He stared at her, cold and unfeeling.

He said, "Betty, cut the act. Julia's heart failed because of you. This is payback for what you did to her.

"I'll get you the best artificial heart out there, and someday I'll make it up to you and Violet. Right now, keeping Julia alive is the only thing that matters."

Dad had his men tie Mom up and force her into the operating room, dragging her in against her will.

I heard Mom's gut-wrenching screams, and even though my chest was burning with pain, I dragged myself off the bed, crying as I crawled toward the door.

"Dad, my chest hurts so much. Please, let Mom go," I pleaded.

But he stared at me, his eyes full of cold disgust.

He said, "Your mom messed you up. You're just a kid, but you lie like it's nothing.

"If she hadn't nearly killed Julia, why would I ever force her to give up her heart? She brought this on herself."

To prevent me from getting close to the operating room, he ordered the bodyguards to force me down on the cold floor and keep me there.

That night, the surgery dragged on forever. It felt like a whole century had passed.

Finally, the doors to the operating room swung open, and the doctors wheeled Julia out.

Her father kept fussing over her, asking about her well-being.

To ensure she receives proper care, a helicopter was dispatched overnight to transport her to a hospital abroad.

From start to finish, not a single person even remembered Mom.

When I burst into the operating room, Mom was sprawled on the table, drenched in blood.

Her chest cavity was empty, hollow, and gaping.

There was no artificial heart. It was all a lie.

In that moment, I stood rooted to the spot, coldness seeping into my bones.

I picked up the scalpel, ready to follow my mom.