Chapter 3

I looked up. It was Vivian.

She was staring down at me, her eyes filled with pure, unadulterated malice.

"Chloe, seeing you reduced to this... it’s absolutely thrilling!"

"Why don't you take a guess? Why did your precious little daughter suddenly have a heart attack today?"

Vivian’s laughter was sharp and piercing. A cold dread washed over me.

I froze, and then the realization hit me like a truck. I lunged at her, screaming:

"It was you?! You did this to Lily! If you hate me, come at me! Why would you hurt a child?"

"I’m warning you, Vivian! If you touch Lily again, I will drag you to hell with me!"

Vivian shrugged, completely unfazed.

"Chloe, whatever you care about the most, I will destroy. I just hope you and your brat don't die too quickly. I’m not done playing with you yet."

I remembered what Dr. Carter said and yelled,

"Is Julian still alive? Where is he?!"

A flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with a smirk.

"Isn't he dead? He died right in your arms, remember? Have you lost your mind?"

She turned to walk away.

But I was faster. I blocked her path.

"You’re not leaving until you tell me the truth."

Vivian laughed mockingly.

"Chloe, instead of wasting your time blocking me, you should go back and look at your daughter. Who knows, maybe she..."

My heart stopped. I pushed past her and sprinted back to the ICU.

Inside the room, the heart monitor was beeping frantically. I screamed for the nurses.

When they saw Lily’s condition, they glared at me in shock. "Ms. Miller! Do you want your daughter to die? Why did you unplug her oxygen?!"

"She hasn't even regained consciousness yet! She needs constant care!"

"I’ve never seen such an irresponsible mother!"

Their words stabbed into my chest, making it hard to breathe.

She was my baby. Why would I ever hurt her?

It had to be Vivian! She was trying to kill my daughter!

I ran out like a madwoman, searching for her, but she had already vanished.

With nowhere to vent my rage, I collapsed in the hallway, crying and praying that my daughter would survive.

It wasn't until midnight that Lily finally fluttered her eyes open.

Seeing me, her eyes welled up. She reached out a tiny, weak hand and whispered through cracked lips,

"Mommy... I’m sorry. I made you worry."

I gently stroked her hair, my voice cracking.

"It’s okay, baby. Mommy is here. Just get better."

I dipped a cotton swab in warm water and gently dabbed her dry lips. My tears fell onto the back of her little hand.

"Don't cry, Mommy. Lily is brave..."

I forced my tears back and squeezed out a smile.

For the next few days, I stopped taking side jobs. I stayed by her bedside every second, reading her favorite fairy tales over and over.

Seeing her soft smile was the only peace I had in this world.

A week later, I went to fill out the discharge papers. I asked the nurse to watch Lily for a few minutes.

But when I returned, I saw Vivian standing right by Lily’s bed.

I don't know what she said, but Lily’s face was deathly pale.

"Vivian! What the hell are you doing here?"

"You already hurt my daughter once! I won't let you touch her again!"

I violently shoved Vivian away and wrapped my arms around Lily.

Vivian immediately put on a sweet, hurt expression.

"Chloe, did I do something to upset you? Lily is my niece. Why would I ever hurt her?"

"Stop lying!" I screamed. "I heard you! You and Julian have been lying to me this whole time! Stop acting innocent!"

Vivian blinked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Even if we did, what can you do about it? Look at you. You’re a broke loser who can't even afford your kid’s medical bills. You deserved to be tricked."

The blood rushed to my head. I grabbed Vivian by her hair and slammed her against the wall.

But before I could do more, a cold, familiar voice cut through the air.

"That's enough, Chloe. Stop acting like a psycho."

My breathing stopped. I slowly turned my head.