Lily began to cry softly.
“Daddy, you’re right. Isabella really is too pitiful. Mom has no empathy, and on top of that she keeps accusing you. She’s so controlling, always forcing me to eat green peppers and never letting me have burgers. She’s awful. She deserves this. It’s better if she never stands up again.”
Hearing that, I covered my mouth as tears streamed down my face.
Daniel had completely lost his mind. And my daughter stood with him, unable to distinguish right from wrong. But her heartlessness made me wonder if I even wanted her anymore.
I sank into despair and dialed my best friend Emily Brooks.
“Emily, I regret it all.”
On the other end, Emily was startled.
“What happened, Sophia? What’s going on?”
I told her everything, and she was stunned.
“That bastard dared to do this to you? I’ll kill him!”
“No, Emily. Just take me away. I’ll avenge myself. I just want to escape.”
After a long silence, Emily replied,
“All right. I’ll have my brother Ethan come get you.”
I didn’t sleep a wink that night, my mind spinning on how to get away from this toxic father and daughter.
The next morning, as usual, police officers came to take my statement. When they saw my condition, their brows furrowed. Not a single part of me was uninjured. Everything below my waist had been severed. The fact that I was alive was a miracle.
“Ma’am, based on your account—those were the same men who kidnapped your daughter before? Then this was revenge?”
I glanced at Daniel and said firmly,
“Yes. Please, you must catch them.”
Daniel jumped in righteously,
“Officers, I have something to say. How could those men know where my wife was hospitalized? How could they track her down? Is Newark really this dark and dangerous? How are ordinary citizens supposed to live safely?”
I shot him a look. He spoke as if he weren’t the mastermind behind it all, but a devoted husband fighting for his wife.
The performance made me sick.
“Officers, please catch those bad men. My mom is too pitiful. Now she needs tubes even to use the bathroom—what will we do?” Lily cried, and the officers, guilty for failing to protect me, gave Daniel a sympathetic nod before leaving.
“Doctors, nurses, I beg you, please save my wife. She has sacrificed so much for this family, but she’s suffered this tragedy! No matter the cost, no matter the equipment, do everything you can to heal her!”
Daniel’s act of devotion moved several interns and nurses to tears—even applause.
“Doctors, nurses, please—my mommy lost her legs. Can’t you make them grow back?” Lily asked innocently.
One of the interns smiled gently, patting her head.
“No, sweetheart. Your mom’s legs were too badly damaged. Amputation was the only way to save her life. Medicine can’t regrow legs, not yet.”
I held out my hand.
“Lily, come here.”
She walked over. “Mom, what is it? Are you feeling better?”
“You just said you wished my legs could be restored, right? I’ll give you an idea—jump out of that window. Then my legs will come back.”
