Chapter 1

My son fell from a tall roller coaster and was rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, my husband was busy on a date with my stepsister, Hailey.

When I got the call from the hospital billing department, I honestly thought it was a prank.

Nobody in my family was supposed to be sick.

But the caller's voice was frantic. "Your son is in critical condition. He fell from a tall roller coaster and has multiple fractures all over his body."

Hearing those words, my brain went completely numb.

Today was my son's sixth birthday. Because I had to rush a project at work, I asked my husband to take him to the amusement park. How on earth did he fall from a roller coaster?

On my way to the hospital, I spotted my husband waiting in a long bakery line with my stepsister, Hailey.

I rushed up to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"Your son is in the hospital, and you're standing here playing house?"

"Since you don't know how to be a father, we don't need you anymore."

Julian was stunned by the slap, and his temper flared up instantly.

"Leo is playing on the rides at the park right now. I just stepped out for a second to help Hailey buy her birthday cake!"

Hailey looked at me with puppy-dog eyes, her voice dripping with mock hurt.

"Yeah, Chloe, how could you just storm in and hit Julian without even asking what happened?"

Looking at the two of them standing so close, their hands almost touching, I lost it.

"Are your arms and legs broken, Hailey? Do you need a grown man to hold your hand just to stand in a damn line?"

Julian immediately stepped in front of Hailey, shielding her from me. He frowned, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"I wanted to come with her, Chloe. Stop being so dramatic. It's only been a few minutes. What could possibly go wrong?"

Watching him protect her like a precious doll, my heart turned cold, inch by inch.

I finally realized that between me and Hailey, he would never choose me over her.

"Julian, do you even know how old your son is?" My voice shook violently.

"He's eight. What are you throwing a tantrum for now?" Julian rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin.

I stared at him, utterly speechless.

Leo is six. I used to think Julian just had a bad memory for dates.

But now I realized he hadn't even listened to the safety regulations the park staff repeatedly warned him about.

He just wanted to dump our son onto the longest ride so he could run off to buy a cake with Hailey.

"Do you know that kids under ten aren't allowed on that roller coaster?" My voice trembled.

The frantic words of the park staff on the phone echoed in my head:

"The child fell from the high-speed coaster. He has multiple severe fractures and is currently in the ER. You need to get here right now!"

"We repeatedly asked if the child was ten, and we explicitly told you the danger. But you checked the box online and signed the waiver saying he met the requirements! How could you lie about your own kid's age?!"

The image of my tiny, fragile son falling from the sky flashed through my mind. I looked at Julian, my eyes dead and cold.

"Julian, I want a divorce."

I turned around to hail a taxi to the hospital. But he grabbed my wrist, looking utterly shocked.

"You're divorcing me just because I helped Hailey buy a cake?"

Hailey gently nudged his arm, wearing a sad, sacrificial smile.

"Julian, forget it. I don't need the cake anymore." Her eyes welled with tears as she looked toward the bakery window, looking like the ultimate victim.

"It's fine. Go with Chloe. Please don't fight because of me. If Chloe wants it, I can give up anything--my family, even you, Julian. I just want peace."

Julian's heart immediately melted. He glared at me, his eyes full of accusation.

"I was just standing in line with her. When did you become so bitter and jealous, Chloe?"

I wrenched my arm free from his grip, got into a taxi that had just pulled over, and slammed the door.

I think I heard Julian yelling my name, but I didn't look back.

When I arrived at the hospital, Leo was still in surgery.

The nurse handed me a stack of consent forms.

"The child fell from a significant height. There is severe trauma to his head, chest, and abdomen. Sign here, please. Where is the father?"

My hand shook so violently I could barely hold the pen.

"He's... busy."

The nurse gave me a look of deep pity but didn't ask further.

I sat outside the operating room, shivering from the cold.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my mother, Eleanor. Her voice was sharp and furious.

"Chloe! What is wrong with you? Julian was just helping Hailey buy a cake, and you had to make a scene!"

"They grew up together. What's wrong with them being close? Don't think just because you married Julian, you own him!"

"Now Richard is giving me the cold shoulder because of you! Hailey finally started accepting me as her stepmother, and you're trying to ruin my marriage!"

I stared at the closed doors of the ER, tears silently streaming down my face. "Are you done?"

"Do you have any idea that to accompany Hailey, Julian lied about Leo's age and put him on an extreme roller coaster meant for older kids?"

"Leo fell off. He is in surgery right now, fighting for his life!"

I thought my mother would at least ask how her grandson was doing.

But after a few seconds of silence, she sighed.

"Well, they didn't know it would cause an accident. Why are you taking your anger out on Julian and Hailey?"

"Fine, I'll apologize to Hailey on your behalf, okay? You're so petty. You didn't get that from me."

She hung up on me.

A minute later, she posted a photo collage on Instagram.

In the center photo, she was holding Hailey's hand affectionately, with Julian sitting right next to them.

The caption read:

My sweet girl is finally back home. My heart is so full.

Someone commented:

What a handsome son-in-law and beautiful daughter. Such a perfect family.

My mother didn't correct them. Instead, she liked the comment.

A wave of nausea hit me.

I aggressively tapped the screen to lock my phone, but in my haste, I accidentally answered an incoming call from Julian.

"Hey, Chloe, look, I'm sorry. I won't be able to make it to the park to pick you and Leo up."

"Eleanor said Hailey is back, and we're having a welcome-home dinner for her. She's worried you'll feel awkward if you come, so how about I pick you guys up after we finish?"

"I'll throw Leo another birthday party tomorrow and take him out again. Don't be mad, okay?"

I cut him off.

"No need. Leo is in the hospital. He won't be going anywhere."

He paused, finally sounding a bit nervous. "What do you mean? What happened to Leo?"

"The General Hospital. If you still have an ounce of decency as a father, come and see what you've done."