Chapter 5

Right. Back when Tania fought with him yet again and threw out the word divorce, Sebastian had agreed on the spot.

But she at least still had his child, still had a hold on him he couldn't shake. I had nothing.

He mistook my silence for regret. Before he left, he spoke, flat and cold:

"Take a few days off from the preschool. I'll set up the doctor for you. Once the cold's gone, get the tubal ligation done."

I lay in the hospital all night on an IV, and the fever finally broke.

The doctor said the wound had gotten a little infected, and warned me to move carefully these next few days.

To keep the stitches from tearing open and causing something far worse.

That whole night, Sebastian never showed.

The next morning, I sent Sara home to rest after she'd sat up all night with me.

I planned to finish the drip, then go see the lawyer myself and pick up the divorce agreement.

Then Sara suddenly got a call from Sebastian.

Turned out that when Tania went to wake Nina for breakfast, she'd found the girl gone.

Still no sign of her, and he wanted Sara to hurry home and look.

Sara had barely left when my phone jolted to life.

It was Nina's kids' smartwatch number.

The second I picked up, her crying came pouring through:

"Teacher Cooley, help—"

The call cut off, and when I dialed back, no one answered.

My heart dropped.

Then I remembered my phone was linked to the watch's live location.

I ripped out the needle and bolted.

I found Nina at the lake in the park near the hospital.

A woman had her dangling in the air, snarling:

"Your mom's a lunatic. I got a new perm on my day at work, and she decides I'm coming on to your dad!"

"Firing me wasn't enough. She had to sit on my severance too, so I couldn't cover my mother's medical bills. She died right in front of me!"

"She took my family from me, so I'll drop her daughter in and drown her!"

Nina's little face had gone bone-white, too scared even to cry.

I rushed over, holding up my phone:

"Put the child down!"

"I've already recorded what you're doing. Hand this to the police and it won't just be your job you lose!"

The truth was my phone had died long ago. I was bluffing.

Lucky for me, the woman bought it, caught off guard by my sudden threat.

Her head cleared.

She cursed me for sticking my nose in, set Nina down, and ran.

Nina threw her arms around my legs, sobbing:

"Teacher Cooley, she pinched me, it hurts so bad—"

I pushed up her sleeve. Sure enough, bruises in a few places along her arm.

After all, I'd raised her these past few years. I couldn't quite harden my heart.

"Nina, how could you go running off by yourself? That's so dangerous!"

She wiped her tears, small and wounded.

"You said you weren't my friend anymore. I thought you wouldn't come—"

"But you're still my student, and for now you're still my stepdaughter. If you're in danger, of course I'll come."

"I remember your mom's on your emergency contacts too. Did you call her?"

Nina shook her head and said quietly:

"She lied to me. I don't want to call her."

"And I didn't run off. Daddy said you were sick in the hospital. I wanted to see you, but Mommy wouldn't let me. I still wanted to say sorry."

"Mommy's good friend works here. She's brought me a few times. She's the one who told Mommy you had a baby coming."

"But I didn't know which room you were in, and then I ran into that lady, and she said she'd take me to find you—"

In an instant I caught the one detail that mattered:

"So your mom already knew I was pregnant?"

"Nina, what was the secret you wanted to tell me yesterday? That horror doll, did you really mail it to me on your own?"

Before she could answer, a figure came rushing toward us.