Chapter 2

When I woke up in the hospital's emergency room, I saw that Charlie was being rescued right beside me. His tiny body was soaked in blood.

The moment I saw him, it felt as if a heavy hammer had slammed into my chest, leaving a dull, suffocating pain.

I struggled to get up, desperate to hold him. But the searing pain throughout my body kept me pinned down.

I opened my mouth, trying to call his name, trying to tell him, "I'm here. Don't be scared." But all that came out was a broken sob.

All I could do was watch helplessly as a crowd of doctors worked on him, tubes and machines covering his small body.

"Dad, I miss you... I haven't given Dad the picture I drew yet... Mom, has Dad come back? Mom, I want to see Daddy. Is he here?" Charlie murmured, repeating the same words over and over.

Suddenly, a doctor shouted, "His heart's stopped! His pupils are dilated. Get the defibrillator ready."

It was like my mind had been smashed—everything went blank, leaving nothing but hollow despair.

Charlie's tiny body jolted upward again and again under the defibrillator, only to fall back down each time.

My heart clenched into a tight knot. Trembling all over, I grabbed a nearby nurse and begged her to let me use her phone to call Andrew.

A woman answered. Her voice was sleepy and drawling. "Who is this? Why are you looking for Andrew so late at night?"

I didn't have the time to care who she was. Shaking, I shouted, "Where's Andrew? Put him on! It's urgent!"

But the woman took her time, speaking in a soft, affected tone. "Andrew is busy. I don't know if he'll take your call—"

"Hand the phone to Andrew! Now!" I screamed, completely losing control.

She must have sensed something was wrong. Muttering in annoyance, she said, "Andrew, Emily's calling for you."

Then I heard Andrew's voice. "Hello."

I broke down, sobbing. "Andrew, you need to come to the city hospital emergency room now. Charlie isn't going to make it. He just wants to see you one last time. Please, come now."

"Emily, what kind of stunt are you pulling this time?" Andrew's voice was thick with irritation. "Whose phone are you even using? Lying isn't enough anymore, so now you're cursing your own son?"

"Andrew, it's true. We were in a car accident. Charlie is really dying. I'm begging you—please come. He wants to see you," I pleaded. "Please... just come. He keeps calling for his dad..."

"Please help me prove it," I begged, turning desperately to the nurse holding the phone.

The nurse's expression was complicated, but she spoke firmly. "Sir, the child has suffered massive blood loss and is in critical condition. As his father, you should come to the hospital immediately."

But Andrew scoffed, "You two really know how to play off each other. Just now he called me saying you were about to die, and now you're calling to say he's dying. If you're going to put on a show, at least make it convincing. Don't lose your nerve and give yourselves away.

"You've really stepped up your tricks this time—what, even hired extras now?

"But listen, Emily. I'm not in the mood for your performance. If you're going to die, then die together. Just stop bothering me."

With that, he hung up.

Her expression was stunned and furious as she tried calling Andrew again. But this time, the call wouldn't go through.

I watched Charlie being resuscitated and cried until I completely fell apart. Fearing my emotional state would interfere with the rescue, the nurse urgently called for an orderly to wheel me into the observation room next door.

As I was taken out of the emergency room, a piercing alarm rang out from the monitor.