Chapter 5

I looked into the room. My daughter's chest cavity was already open.

The heart monitor showed only weak fluctuations.

The doctor struggled free from my grip.

"Mr. Sterling's son suddenly had an allergic reaction. Our entire hospital has been called to the emergency, so the surgery must be paused."

"You can't leave!"

My voice was thick with tears as I fumbled for my bank card with shaking hands.

"However much he's paying you, I'll pay double! Just finish my daughter's surgery!"

Afraid they'd think it wasn't enough, I pulled out my phone to transfer money immediately.

That's when I finally saw the note on that deposit notification.

It was Ethan's rental fee for the doctors.

"Ma'am, this isn't about money."

"We're afraid of losing our jobs."

No matter how much I begged, the doctors pried my fingers loose one by one and left.

My daughter lay alone on the operating table.

Just half an hour more and she would have had a new lease on life.

But now, because of her own father, she lay there with her chest open, waiting to die.

A message from Melissa popped up.

In the photo, Oliver only had a slight rash.

Yet the hospital room was surrounded by layers of doctors.

Ethan sat by the bed, feeding Oliver my daughter's favorite strawberry cake.

Melissa's tone was full of triumph.

"Charlotte, didn't you act so magnanimous, wanting only money, not people?"

"How does it feel watching your daughter die right in front of you?"

"If you hadn't remarried, I might have even given you some money."

"You can only blame yourself for being so presumptuous—for that certificate and that pitiful title, you've cost your daughter her life."

I nearly crushed my phone in my grip.

Time ticked by second by second. If this continued, when my daughter's anesthesia wore off, she'd be in agony.

I dialed Ethan's number over and over again.

Not once did he answer.

Watching my daughter's heartbeat line grow weaker and weaker, I opened my phone's video camera and cried into it.

"Melissa, I'll give Ethan to you. Please just let the doctors come back, okay?"

"I'll give you all the money he transferred to me too!"

"Once my daughter's surgery is done, I promise to disappear far away and never bother your family of three again!"

The moment I sent the video, Ethan's call came through.

As soon as I answered, he raged on the other end.

"Charlotte! I only called away two assistant doctors. What are you pretending for!"

"To frame Melissa, you don't even care about your own daughter's life?"

Melissa sobbed beside him.

"Ethan, it's all Oliver's fault for having an allergic reaction during Mia's surgery. That's why you couldn't stay by Charlotte's side."

Ethan had a sudden realization.

"Charlotte, is this performance to remind me I haven't paid you my rental fee?"

"You shouldn't be Mrs. Sterling—you should change your name to Mrs. Money!"

The call was abruptly disconnected.

Along with the deposit notification came an avalanche of news reports.

"Mrs. Sterling Money-Obsessed: Husband and Daughter's Lives Both Available for Rent!"

"Unconscionable: Halted Daughter's Open-Heart Surgery Just to Film Framing Video for Money?"

With trembling hands, I dialed 911, trying to call doctors from another hospital.

But the ambulance was blocked by the swarm of media rushing to film.

I grabbed a surgical knife from nearby and swung it wildly.

Just to clear a path to survival for my daughter.

Meanwhile, Ethan was getting restless.

He kept clicking on the news reports, somewhat hesitant.

"Mia is still in surgery. Was I too harsh?"

Seeing Oliver bouncing energetically on the hospital bed, he still got up and headed toward the operating room.

When he arrived, the scene before him nearly brought him to his knees...