Chapter 1

Everyone says I'm a madwoman, that I'd scheme against my own three-year-old daughter.

My husband died in a car accident, and the settlement came to three million dollars, paid in full into an account under our daughter's name.

The seventh day of mourning had barely passed when I filed suit against my little girl, who can't even string a sentence together.

Demanding half of that money.

My mother-in-law sat in the court mediation room, screaming and wailing.

"What a sin! She just wants to run off with my son's blood money and remarry!"

The neighbors talk behind my back. My brother-in-law posts videos calling me a heartless woman.

Even the judge frowned as he tried to talk me out of it.

None of them know there's a diagnosis in my bag. Terminal liver cancer.

I don't have a year left.

And I know that the moment I die, the money in my daughter's account—

by tomorrow it would legally become my brother-in-law's bride price and his house.

I don't care about my name. I only want, before I die, to leave my daughter a way out.

……

The crying and shrieking wouldn't stop inside the mediation room.

"What a sin! God, are you blind up there!"

"My son's barely closed his eyes, and this vicious woman already wants to grab his blood money and run!"

My mother-in-law, Summer Lambert, had collapsed onto the marble floor, both hands slapping the tiles.

Tears and snot smeared across her face, she reached out and clawed at the judge's trouser leg.

Three-year-old Nina Abbott was terrified, shrinking into the corner, tears running down her face, too scared to make a sound.

I stood on the other side of the table, stone-faced, watching the whole circus.

Samuel Dickerson, my husband's own brother, shoved his phone right up at my face, shouting the whole time.

"Everyone, look at this heartless woman!"

"My brother's only seven days in the ground, and she's already taken her own daughter to court! Demanding half of a three-million-dollar settlement!"

"You'd scheme against your own flesh and blood, a kid who can't even talk straight. Are you even human, Carla Fox?"

Samuel bellowed at the top of his lungs, the camera nearly poking me in the nose.

Even the mediator beside us couldn't stand it and got up to block the lens.

"Family members, no filming! This is a court mediation room!"

The middle-aged judge in glasses rubbed the space between his brows and fixed his frown on me, disgust all over his face.

"Ms. Fox, the child is Paul's only blood."

"At the traffic police station, the three million the other driver paid was transferred into the child's account in front of your whole family."

"Now you're suing a three-year-old and demanding half the settlement. Do you understand what that means?"

The judge tapped the table, his voice heavy, and kept trying to reason with me.

"You're still young. You have a long road ahead. But this money is meant to secure that child's schooling and her future."

"As a mother, don't be so ugly about it."

Ugly about it? I let out a cold laugh and forced down the dull ache that had suddenly welled up in my right side.

"Your Honor, I am Paul's lawful wife."

"Under inheritance law, this settlement is marital property and part of his estate. I have the right to take my share. One and a half million."

"If mediation fails today, then let's go to trial."

The moment I said it, Summer scrambled up off the floor, jabbing a finger at my face, cursing.

"You shameless piece of trash! I knew you had a man on the side!"

"Taking my son's hard-earned money to keep some stray dog. Aren't you afraid Paulie will come back as a vengeful ghost in the night and strangle you!"

Samuel joined in, shouting. "You want to take the money and walk, fine, but you're not walking off with a single cent of the Dickerson family's money!"

"As long as I'm here, don't dream about touching one dollar of my niece's support!"

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were devoted to Nina. I watched this mother and son put on their show, cold-eyed.

Still cursing me, Summer reached out to yank Nina from her corner.

"Grandma's precious girl, don't be scared. Grandma's protecting you. Nobody's taking your money!"

Nina shrank back in terror, then threw her little arms out and lunged toward me, crying.

"Mommy, up… Nina's scared…"

My chest ached. I reached for my daughter—

but Samuel took a wide step and seized Nina's arm, gripping hard.

A three-year-old can't withstand a grown man dragging at her, and she burst out crying in pain.

"Let go of her!"

I shouted, rushing over to pry Samuel's hand loose and pulling Nina tight against me.

She was trembling all over, her little hands clutching at the front of my shirt.

Just then a sharp stab tore through my right side, every organ inside me twisting into a knot with the pain.

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. All I could do was bite down hard on my lip and keep silent.

"Carla, you can give up right now!" Samuel sneered beside me, glaring sideways with venom in his eyes.

"You won't get a dime of this three million!"

Seeing this, the judge closed the file in his hand, his face grim.

"Since the two parties cannot reach a settlement, the court will schedule a hearing."

"In the meantime, I expect both sides to show restraint and to do nothing that harms a minor."

I lifted Nina into my arms and walked out of the mediation room fast, without looking back.

The cursing behind me never let up, all the way out the courthouse doors.