Chapter 3

The lawyer who picked up was one I knew well.

I told him plainly, "Draw up a divorce agreement for me. I want a divorce. Tomorrow you'll go as my representative and get Jasper Dickerson to sign it."

"And I want to file for asset preservation. Freeze the house for now."

"Every asset that's mine, not one cent goes to them. Everything that belongs to me, they don't touch."

The lawyer agreed without hesitation. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."

When I got back to the hospital, I found my mother keeping watch over Dolly, heartache all over her face.

The moment she saw me, she started muttering complaints about Jasper under her breath, every word laced with resentment.

I gave her a small smile. "Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of this."

She looked worn out, so I sent her home to rest.

After she'd been gone a while, I tried to lie down on the empty bed beside Dolly's, but I couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

I took out my phone and saw that Jasper still hadn't sent me a single message. Not one word asking how his daughter was.

Instead, he'd put up a post. From the maternity ward.

Running around, packing things up for Renee, changing diapers for her son.

But I couldn't remember him ever caring for Dolly like that. He'd always said a kid's diapers were too filthy, that he didn't want to touch them.

I let out a faint sigh.

Just then, Dolly woke up.

She called out softly, "Mommy."

I rushed over and gently gathered her into my arms.

Dolly said in a small voice, "Mommy, does Daddy not want me anymore?"

For a moment I had no words.

I wanted to comfort her, to tell her Daddy loves you very much.

But I didn't want to lie to her either.

Then Dolly said, "Actually, I know. Daddy doesn't like me."

"One time when you weren't home, Daddy looked at me like he couldn't stand me and said, why couldn't you have been a boy?"

I looked at her, my heart aching, and said quietly, "If Daddy and Mommy get a divorce, could you accept that?"

Dolly nodded. "I don't want Daddy to bully you."

"Last time Auntie came to our house, you were so worn out, and Daddy didn't help at all. He even fought with you."

Her words made my eyes sting all at once.

In those days, my daughter was the only one who helped me.

She was only five, clumsily picking through vegetables for me, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash.

At night, when I was so tired I couldn't straighten my back, she'd ball up her little fists and pat my shoulders.

After Jasper and I fought, I'd curl up on the couch and cry without a sound, and more than once Dolly had come over and held me gently.

She understood everything.

I looked into her eyes and nodded, steady. "All right. Then Mommy will get the divorce, and it'll be just the two of us from now on."

Dolly gave a little hum and kissed my cheek.

Right then, she caught sight of a photo on my phone.

It was one of Jasper's posts.

She pointed at one of the pictures. "Mommy, isn't that the present Grandma gave you?"

I froze, and only when I zoomed in did I see it. On Renee's wrist was the gold bracelet my mother had given me.

Around my mother-in-law's neck was the necklace my mother had given me.

That jewelry had gone missing a long time ago.

Because it was from my mother, I'd been heartbroken then, and I'd searched for it for ages.

Jasper had comforted me, saying, "It's all inside our own house anyway, so it can't really be lost. Stop looking. Maybe one day it'll just turn up on its own."

I believed him and stopped searching.

But it never crossed my mind that he'd already taken my jewelry and given it away.

Just then, my phone rang.

I glanced at the caller ID, and my brow drew tight.