Chapter 3

The kid said, "Mom, that's the girl whose dad doesn't even want her.

"It's because her mom's a dirty woman. No wonder her dad ditched her!"

I had no clue where a little kid learned to talk like that, but those words really hit Viola hard.

Viola shouted, "No, that's not true!"

She ran straight to Taylor, crying as she hugged his leg and called out, "Daddy!"

But then, Chloe's kid came over and shoved Viola aside, hands on his hips. "He's not your dad. He's my godfather!"

Viola just stood there, staring blankly at everything happening in front of her. She didn't even react when she was shoved to the ground.

She couldn't care less that her brand-new dress was now smeared with dirt.

I was about to go help Viola, but before I could move, Taylor immediately snapped at me.

He said, "Is this how you raise your kid? She's always starting fights at kindergarten. She has no sense of decency and doesn't behave like a proper girl at all, just like her mother."

My chest tightened with pain. "She's just a child who only wants her dad's love.

"Taylor, I could let it slide when you ignore her, or even when you don't help her up after she falls. But how can you just stand there and let someone else push your own kid around?"

Taylor's face went rigid, then he let out a cold, mocking laugh, brushing off the spot on his pants where Viola had touched him, his disgust obvious. "Who knows where that kid came from? I won't accept her as my daughter."

Everything spun around me.

My voice trembled as I said, "Taylor, how could you say something like that right in front of Viola? If you don't believe me, go ahead and get a DNA test!"

Taylor just looked at me, completely indifferent. "What's the point of a DNA test? I've never been with you. Faking the results would be a piece of cake for you."

I was so furious that I couldn't even speak, while Viola broke down in tears, completely overwhelmed.

"Hey, did you hear that? My godfather said you're not his kid. You're just a bastard!" Chloe's son laughed even louder, pulling faces behind Taylor's back.Chloe's son laughed even louder, pulling faces behind Taylor's back.

He added, "Hey, isn't that the superhero toy I threw away? Why do you have it? Guess you love picking up other people's trash!"

He pushed it even further, kicking the toy right out of Viola's hands. It slammed into the wall and broke into pieces.

Viola was bawling, snot and tears all over her face as she crawled on the floor, scrambling to gather up the shattered pieces of her toy .

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. I wanted to just storm over and teach that brat a lesson.

That superhero toy was the only thing Taylor had ever given Viola. Viola treated it like her most precious treasure. It turned out that it was just someone else's trash all along.

I once asked Viola, "I thought you liked dolls?"

Viola pouted, glaring at me with those big eyes. "Nope, I like this as well. Daddy must've figured out I liked it, so he secretly bought it for me."

However, she didn't like this toy at all.

Viola liked pink dolls and fairies.

She loved watching fairy cartoons. Whenever she saw cartoons with monsters, she'd barely give it a second glance before flipping the channel.

But every night before bed, Viola would still wipe her superhero toy clean with a wet wipe, tuck it in under a tiny blanket, and let it sleep beside her.

She said it was because her daddy was always too busy for her, so he sent a superhero to keep her company instead.

I used to think Taylor was just clueless about being a dad, which was why he always gave Viola stuff that only boys liked for her birthday.

But now I realized those were just things Chloe's kid didn't want anymore.

Only now did I realize just how deeply Taylor resented me.

At that moment, I was completely worn out. I just wanted to finally face Taylor and bring up divorce.

But before I could get a word out, Viola suddenly collapsed.

In an instant, the hospital corridor erupted into chaos.

A doctor said, "Her blood pressure's crashing. Prep for resuscitation. Her oxygen's tanking. Start the transfusion now!"

Doctors and nurses rushed back and forth, and Viola's tiny body was quickly wheeled into the emergency room.

I was freaking out, grabbing Taylor's hand and begging him to help Viola. With his pull, I was sure he could make sure she got the best care.

But he just shoved my hand away, totally indifferent.

He said, "Saving lives is the doctors' job. It's got nothing to do with me.

"Queenie, drop the drama. You wanted to be Mrs. Knowles, and you got what you wanted.

"Don't even dream about anything else that isn't yours!"

I stared at Taylor, my eyes rimmed with tears. "What about Viola? She's your daughter. Are you really this cold?"

He turned to look at me, his eyes icy.

He said, "I'll say it one last time. She's your daughter. She has nothing to do with me. If you want her father to take care of her, go find that guy you had a kid with!"

I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe that he could be this cold-blooded.

I wondered if he was going to just stand by and let Viola die right in front of him.