I ran.
Tears blurred my vision, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The hospital walls closed in, sterile and suffocating. I stumbled into a hallway, gripping the cold metal railing for support. My whole world had been ripped apart, but the torture wasn’t over.
From the nurse’s station, hushed voices carried through the air.
“Did you hear?”
“The poor woman doesn’t know… Will watched as his daughter died. He didn’t even hesitate before choosing to save his mistress’ child instead.”
Shock coiled around my chest, squeezing until I couldn’t breathe. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay still, to listen.
“Dr. Santiago wanted to try harder to save Hayley, but Will—”
“Shh! She’s here.”
The nurses froze when they noticed me. Their faces turned pale, their conversation cut short.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and steadied my voice. “Where’s Dr. Santiago? The one who operated on me and my daughter?”
One of them shifted nervously, glancing at the others as if unsure whether to speak. “He… resigned. Today.”
My lips parted. “Today?”
A heavy silence settled between us. Their avoidance, the hesitance in their eyes—it told me everything I needed to know.
The truth hit me like a punch to the gut. Will had erased him. Just like he erased Hayley. Just like he erased every trace of his crimes.
My fingers curled into tight fists, nails biting into my palms. He thought he could cover his tracks. That he could rewrite history and leave no evidence behind. That I would break, that grief would swallow me whole and silence me.
But he was wrong. I would find proof. I would make them pay.
Hayley deserved a proper burial. I arranged it myself. Alone. Will wasn’t there. Of course, he wasn’t.
The cemetery was quiet, the sky overcast, as if the heavens themselves were mourning with me. I knelt before the small urn, my fingers trembling as I placed Hayley’s favorite stuffed bunny beside her. Its worn fur still carried traces of her scent, of the nights she had held it close to her tiny chest, whispering secrets only a child could imagine.
A silent sob tore through me.
I had carried her inside me for nine months. Felt her tiny kicks, dreamed of the life she would have. I had rocked her to sleep, wiped her tears, kissed her scraped knees. I had watched her grow into a beautiful, bright little girl with the biggest smile and the purest heart.
And now… she was gone.
Memories crashed into me.
“Mommy, look!” Hayley beamed, bouncing on her feet as she clutched the amusement park tickets in her tiny hands. “We’re really going!”
I laughed, fastening her sneakers as she wriggled excitedly. “Of course, we are! I promised, didn’t I?”
Her eyes sparkled. “I wanna go on the biggest ride first! The one that goes super high!”
A deep chuckle joined ours. Will leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, smirking. “The biggest ride, huh? You sure you’re not too little for that, munchkin?”
Hayley gasped, placing her hands on her hips. “I’m not little! I’m brave, right, Mommy?”
I smiled, tapping her nose. “The bravest.”
With a dramatic huff, she ran up to Will, grabbing his hand and tugging him forward. “You’ll ride it with me, Daddy! You and Mommy, together!”
Will laughed, lifting her onto his shoulders with ease. “Alright, alright. But if I get scared, you’ll have to hold my hand, okay?”
She giggled, clinging onto him. “Deal!”
Her laughter filled the house, wrapping around me like the warmest embrace.
I thought we had forever. I thought we had more time.
Back then, I believed in moments like these. Then, another memory surfaced—one I had long buried.
Will. The first time we met.
I had just moved to the city, young and eager to start fresh. The streets bustled with energy, the sidewalks crowded with people lost in their own worlds. Then, in a blink, my purse was yanked from my arm.
“Hey! Stop!” I shouted, but the thief had already disappeared into the crowd.
I barely had time to react before someone sprinted past me, chasing after the thief with an intensity that took me by surprise. Moments later, he returned, my purse in hand, breathless but grinning.
“New here?” he asked, brushing dust off his jacket.
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. “Yeah.”
His grin widened. “Then let me be your guide.”
I thought he was my hero that day.
And for a while, he was. We built a life together, filled with promises and dreams. He made me feel safe, loved. I had believed in his kindness, his loyalty.
I had believed I was his world.
Until Karylle happened. Until I realized it had always been a lie. The stolen kisses behind my back. The hushed phone calls. The growing distance between us.
And now, this. The ultimate betrayal.
I wiped my tears, my grief hardening into something sharper. Something colder.
They took my daughter away from me. Then I would do the same.
