Chapter 1

The day my daughter was declared brain dead, my husband, Lucas Ross, was honored as one of the "Top Ten Model Fathers of the City." All because he "righteously exposed his own daughter," revealing her as the hit-and-run killer.

But no one knew, he lied. He perjured himself to protect his first love and her daughter.

My daughter tried to plead her innocence, but no one would believe her. In the end, she swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills and left this world in despair.

Before the cameras, Lucas stood tall, shielding his first love and her daughter behind him, declaring, "I am a journalist. Revealing the truth is everyone's duty."

I held my daughter's lifeless body, numb with shock.

All I could hear was her tearful voice echoing in my mind, "Why would Dad lie and frame me? I'm his real daughter!"

I had no answer. But I knew one thing. I would not let her die in vain. Blood must be repaid with blood.

*****

Erica's tears streamed down as she said, "Mom, please don't try to save me. Living hurts too much... But I just don't get it. Why would Dad lie and hurt me? I'm his own daughter..."

After recording her final message for me, Erica swallowed the whole bottle of sleeping pills without a second thought.

When she was found, her face was deathly pale, her limbs were cold, and her breathing was so weak it seemed it could disappear at any second.

As I rushed into the hospital, my head was buzzing. My emotions were completely shattered.

Shaking uncontrollably, I pleaded desperately, "Doctor, please save her! My daughter is only twenty. She's so young. She hasn't even had a chance to really live..."

The doctor sighed and rushed to save her.

I dug my nails into my palm, barely holding it together.

Erica still needed me. I couldn't fall apart now.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and called Lucas. The man I hated with every fiber of my being.

He was the one who destroyed Erica.

A week ago, Erica was hauled off by the cops, accused of killing someone in a drunk hit-and-run.

Blood-stained clothes supposedly belonging to the victim were "found" in her room.

Plus, there was a witness. Lucas, my husband. Erica's own father.

He swore up and down that Erica was the hit-and-run killer.

He claimed, "She came home that night reeking of alcohol, all panicked and jumpy. There's no way she didn't do it! I'm a journalist. I always tell the truth."

I shouted, "Lucas, have you lost your mind? Do you even realize what you're saying?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When I turned around, I saw Lucas letting out a sigh of relief, looking almost relaxed.

A wave of dread washed over me.

While Lucas was out, I went through his phone.

The bloody truth sent a chill straight down my spine.

The real hit-and-run culprit was Maisy Synder. Her mom, Candice Synder, was Lucas's old flame.

Maisy was the one who drove drunk and hit someone. Candice, desperate, turned to Lucas for help.

Candice wrote: [Lucas, what are we supposed to do? Maisy's just a kid. If she gets busted, her life is basically over!]

In their chat, Lucas reassured her: [Relax. Maisy's like a daughter to me. I'd never let something like this ruin her life.]

Lucas: [I'll figure something out. Don't cry...]

So Lucas's solution was to make Erica take the fall?

Erica was his own flesh and blood!

In the midst of all this madness, I couldn't even bring myself to be surprised.

Just for those two, Lucas had ditched Erica and me more times than I could count.

On Erica's birthday, Lucas bailed on us to go fix Candice's plumbing.

When Erica was burning up with a fever and having seizures in the middle of the night, Lucas was out at Disney with them, enjoying the fireworks show.

He literally dumped Erica and me on the side of the highway once, just so he could rush back for Maisy's parent-teacher conference.

Stuff like this happened all the time.

Every single time, he'd act all high and mighty and say, "Candice and I are just friends. She's divorced. Can't you show a little compassion? Stop being so jealous and petty!"

I kept letting it slide for Erica's sake, over and over. But he should never, ever have harmed Erica.

Lucas, you bastard!

I stormed up to Lucas, completely losing it, demanding, "Why the hell would you do this?"

But he shoved me hard, sending me crashing to the floor.

He said, "Candice and Maisy are in such a tough spot. I had to help them. I'll take care of Erica later. Don't worry."

With the evidence lacking, Erica was released for the time being.

But after coming home, she became silent, withdrawn, barely speaking.

She was like a withered shadow, completely drained of life.

Watching her fade like that ripped me apart. I kept thinking that if I could just prove her innocence, maybe I'd get my Erica back.

But before I could even react, Lucas made his move.

He published an article that publicly shamed Erica, nailing her to the pillar of disgrace.

The headline screamed: [Exposing my own daughter as the true hit-and-run culprit. A father's righteous sacrifice!]

As a former journalist, Lucas had a large online following.

Within minutes, his article shot past a hundred thousand reads and blew up in everyone's feeds.

By the next morning, the whole city was convinced Erica was the real hit-and-run culprit.

Even if I screamed myself bloody trying to defend her, nobody would believe Erica was innocent.