I sent over Hudson's number.
"Track the movements of whoever this phone belongs to."
When I heard the man on the other end answer with a low, steady "Understood," I finally let out a breath and sank into the chair.
Watching the traffic flow past beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, I exhaled slowly.
Hudson, you being dead is honestly a good thing...
Once everything was settled, I went straight back to the hospital.
An hour later, Gwen came out of the operating room.
The moment the anesthesia wore off, the first thing my little girl did was grab my hand.
"Mommy, why are you the only one here? Where's Daddy?"
"We all promised yesterday. While Gwen was in the operating room, Daddy was supposed to wait outside and protect Mommy for me. Why didn't he come?"
Tears welled up in Gwen's eyes in an instant.
My own nose stung.
The scene of Gwen dying in this hospital in my past life played through my mind again and again, like a film on a loop.
I gripped her hand tightly, swallowing down the ache inside, and soothed her gently.
"Mommy doesn't need anyone to protect her. Mommy's the strong, powerful woman you always talk about, remember? Mommy doesn't just not need protecting, she can protect Gwen too."
"Mommy bought you your favorite Princess Elsa. She's right here in the room. No more crying, okay?"
"Okay!"
A child's world is just that simple.
Watching the corners of Gwen's mouth lift, the knot in my chest loosened.
Gwen, don't worry. This time, Mommy will keep you safe. I'll keep this family safe.
Once she was settled enough to play on her own in the room, I stepped out to buy food.
But the moment I reached the hospital lobby, a swarm of reporters came charging straight at me.
Countless cameras and microphones thrust into my face all at once.
Under the relentless flashing of bulbs, Kitty pointed at me and shrieked, her voice shrill.
"It's this shameless witch!"
"It's her! She got my son killed!"
"My son is dead, and she still found time to send her parents abroad on vacation! How can there be a daughter-in-law this brazen in the whole world? Somebody give an old woman some justice!"
So they'd already gone after my parents and come up empty.
I laughed quietly to myself.
"Ms. Swanson, regarding what your mother-in-law has said, we'd like you to give us an explanation!"
"You've stated publicly on numerous occasions that you loved your husband deeply, so why drive him to his death? Can you be honest with us?"
"What's there to explain!"
Kitty shoved aside the reporter standing in front of me.
She jabbed a finger at my face and snarled through gritted teeth.
"This is nothing but a venomous, cold-blooded woman! She killed someone, so she should pay with her life! She should cover the retirement of me and Hudson's father! She should cover the retirement of Leah's parents too! Every asset under her name should be transferred into mine!"
In my past life, panicked and overwhelmed, I'd faced all of Kitty's demands without daring to say a word, only nodding again and again.
But this time, I shoved Kitty away.
I looked into the lenses aimed at me and spoke slowly.
"Hudson isn't dead."
The words were barely out before the whole scene erupted.
"What?! Not dead?!"
"Ms. Swanson, what is going on here?!"
"That's a load of garbage!"
Kitty lunged forward, seizing me by the collar, howling like a rabid dog.
"A truck sent my Hudson flying hundreds of feet, blood all over the ground, and you're telling me he's not dead?! Are you even human?!"
The instant Kitty finished, Leah's parents came rushing in from behind.
They pointed at me, eyes bloodshot, and ground out through their teeth.
"You filthy slut! Saying something like that, you've got no conscience at all! Our Leah was hit because of you, smashed to a bloody pulp, and you stand here saying she isn't dead. You really are an animal!"
‘Our daughter is dead because of you. How are two old people like us supposed to go on living now……’
Beneath the rising wails of Hudson and Leah's parents,
anger began to flicker in the reporters' eyes too.
They pressed forward, their tone no longer as polite as before, sharpened now into interrogation.
‘Ms. Swanson, you owe us an explanation for this, right now!’
‘You say Hudson and Leah aren't dead. Do you have proof?!’
‘Of course I do.’
I looked at the chaos in front of me and spoke in a flat, even voice.
The moment the words left my mouth, Kitty's head snapped up toward me, a flash of bewildered panic crossing her eyes.
She wanted to rush over and say something,
but the frenzied reporters had already walled her out.
‘Proof?! Where's the proof?!’
‘Show us!’
‘Bring out the proof!’
I looked at the countless cameras trained on me, arched an eyebrow, let one corner of my mouth lift, and took out my phone……
