Chapter 1
When the atmospheric river storm and mudslides struck, I threw myself over my son, Felix Goodwin, to protect him.
When my husband, Andrew Goodwin, rushed in, he only had time to grab Felix and get him out.
By the time the rescue team arrived, my limbs were already paralyzed. Now, I needed both Andrew and Felix to help me to the bathroom.
Felix threw a set of disownment papers at me.
He said, "I want to get married and have kids one day. If any girl sees you like this, who would ever want to marry me?
"Mom, let's not make this any uglier than it already is."
Andrew said, "Didn't you risk your life for him in the first place? Wasn't it all to save him?
"Do you want him to be alone for the rest of his life because of you?"
With tears streaming down my face, I signed the papers and left the house alone.
Years later, I was rummaging through a trash can for food, dragging a trash bag behind me, when I saw Andrew, Felix, and the woman Andrew had always loved together in a car.
The three of them looked like a happy family, chatting about the good old days.
I was shocked to learn that it wasn't because Andrew didn't have time to save me.
He was rushing to save Lily Linley, the love of his life.
Felix said in a cutesy voice, "Good thing we kicked my mother out, or Lily couldn't be my new mother now."
I died with grief and fury burning in my heart.
When I came to, I realized I was back at that moment, trapped under the ruins with Felix.
*****
"Mom, where are you going? Come back! I need you to protect me," Felix shouted.
He lay under the rubble, his eyes going wide in disbelief as he watched me crawl out.
I didn't look back as I dragged myself out of the ruins.
In my previous life, I'd thrown myself over him, using my own body to give him a world of safety amidst the chaos.
What did I get for it? He kicked me out of our home like I was nothing.
The scene of him whining and snuggling up to Lily's arm was burned into my memory.
Felix, with that twisted look on his face, could force me to sign those disownment papers, yet he'd be grinning and sucking up to another woman like she was his real mother.
Why should I bother keeping a son like that?
I cast one last glance at Felix, his face etched with despair and helplessness, and then spun toward the survivors' supply station nearby, my heart pounding in panic.
"Please, help my son!" I pleaded.
As they dabbed alcohol on my wounds, I caught sight of a familiar figure staggering toward the rubble.
My heart skipped a beat.
It was Andrew, my husband.
He rushed over to where Felix was trapped, not caring about the cuts on his arms as he quickly scooped him up and carried him out.
Felix was sobbing his heart out in his arms, and Andrew glanced back at the ruins.
After a brief pause, Andrew kicked through the last rickety beam supporting the concrete slab.
My breath caught in my throat.
In my previous life, when the concrete slab collapsed after Felix was rescued, it wasn't some natural disaster.
It was a man-made disaster, all because of Andrew.
Now I understood why they couldn't stand me in my previous life.
I was never meant to make it out of those ruins alive.
By some freak chance, I ended up crippled, but somehow, I survived.
I was such a fool, thinking Andrew didn't have time to save me. I even reassured him, saying I didn't blame him.
It was like a hand clamped tight around my throat, and I couldn't breathe at all.
Frozen, I could only stare as Andrew kicked out the last support, seized Felix, and dashed to another spot.
I knew where he was going. That was where Lily was buried under the rubble.
In the distance, I saw reporters and cameramen piling out of their vans, making a beeline straight for us.
I quickly squeezed out a few tears and collapsed to the ground with a theatrical thud, putting on my best pitiful act.