My husband, Ethan Parker, brought our daughter on a trip to the countryside with his first love, Mandy Sanchez. Halfway through, he abandoned our little girl and left with Mandy. When our daughter was surrounded by wolves, I could not reach him.

By the time I arrived, the car was empty—the only thing left behind was a bloodstained piece of pumpkin pie. As I was dealing with my grief, Ethan finally answered his phone.

"We're celebrating Thanksgiving. Why are you ruining the mood?"

I internally scoffed at that man's audacity. Well, happy holidays indeed! Let me deliver a bloody pumpkin pie for you to really get into the spirit.

......

As I pushed the door open, a shocking scene greeted me—the living room was brightly lit and filled with laughter and cheer. A round table was laden with a lavish Thanksgiving feast, the air heavy with the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie.

My heart sank, and a chill ran through my body. My husband, Ethan Parker, and his first love, Mandy Sanchez, sat side by side on the couch, cuddling intimately, their faces adorned with content smiles. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law, Janet Wright, sat across from them.

Janet was cradling Mandy's son, Timothy Blake. She was spoon-feeding him pumpkin puree, his little face covered in crumbs as he giggled. He looked just like Heidi did at that age.

I stared at the pumpkin pie and remembered Heidi, my daughter, and my heart instantly clenched. Immediately after, I felt my vision blurred, and I nearly fainted on the spot.

"Well, if it isn't Amelia! Why the long face on such a festive day?" Mandy caught me standing in the doorway, her voice dripping with mockery. She leaned further into Ethan's embrace as if staking her claim.

Ethan looked up, his face clouding with annoyance when he saw me. "Can't you at least try to look cheerful on Thanksgiving? Also, I've told you many times to be mindful of your appearance. Learn from Mandy, will you?"

My messy, mud-stained clothes were clearly out of place. Yet, he showed no concern, his eyes filled only with complaint and disgust.

I took a deep breath, struggling to control my emotions. I looked at them and asked coldly, "Ethan, where's Heidi?"

Janet, overhearing my question, patted Timothy in her arms. "You have some nerve asking that! That child of yours is just like you—ill-mannered and inconsiderate! Running off on Thanksgiving! Nothing like our sweet Timmy here..."

"Say that again!" I snapped, glaring at Janet. My voice was piercing and unfamiliar, catching everyone off guard. They had never seen me lose my composure like this before.

Ethan was the first to recover, jumping up from the couch and pointing at me in fury. "Amelia! Have you lost your mind? What's wrong with you?"

I ignored him, approaching Janet step by step, my gaze locked on the child in her arms.

"You have no right to speak of Heidi! None of you do!" I shouted, my voice growing louder with each word.

Anger surged in me, threatening to consume me whole.

Ethan was taken aback by my sudden outburst. He stared at me in disbelief, his eyes filled with disgust and anger.

He said indifferently, "Amelia, what are you trying to do? Look at yourself. Is this how a wife and mother should behave?"

My lips trembled as I spoke. "Mother? Do you have any idea what happened to Heidi..."

However, Mandy's soft, weak voice cut me off as she looked at Ethan with tear-filled eyes.

"Ethan, don't be mad. Amelia's probably just upset seeing me here. Maybe I should leave with the baby, so I don't upset her further..."

"Mandy, just stay. She's the one who should leave." Ethan stopped her without hesitation. Then, he turned to me angrily. "Amelia, are you done with this tantrum? Go somewhere and think about what you've done today. I'll deal with you later!"

"I..." I opened my mouth but found I had nothing left to say, no explanations to give.

I looked at Ethan hopelessly, realizing the man who once professed his love for me had turned into a stranger, cold and heartless.

Without another thought, I turned and dragged my heavy steps toward Heidi's room upstairs.

"Ethan, you should have listened to me and never married that woman! Look at her, acting like a madwoman, bringing shame to our family!"

"Mom, don't be upset! Let's enjoy the holiday with Mandy and ignore her!"

As I listened to their exchange, my heart was filled with despair. I stumbled into Heidi's room and collapsed onto her bed. Tears fell silently, soaking her pink bedsheet. The pain was unbearable, and I could feel it even in my bones.

The room still held Heidi's sweet scent, like candy. Yet, my world had lost all its sweetness.

I blamed myself for being weak.

If I had insisted on staying with Heidi instead of giving in, if I had not trusted Ethan so easily, Heidi would not have...

I covered my face as I cried; the pain was too much. Regret and self-blame nagged at me, and it was suffocating.

A soft thud broke the silence as something slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. I looked down to see Heidi's favorite doll lying there, its hollow eyes staring up at me, silently accusing the cruelty of fate.

My hands trembled as I picked up the doll, clutching it tightly. It was as if holding it close could somehow let me feel the warmth Heidi had left behind.

"What are you doing?" Ethan's impatient voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.

I looked up at him, feeling nothing but disgust. He once felt so familiar, yet he seemed like a stranger.

"What do you think?" I asked, my voice as frigid as ice.

"What's with that attitude?" Ethan frowned, his tone full of displeasure. "I'm asking you a question. Why are you giving me that look?"

"I have a question for you." I stared directly at him, enunciating each word. "Why did you leave Heidi alone in the car?"

"Why? Why?" Ethan laughed mockingly as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. "Amelia, are you out of your mind? The car broke down, and Timmy suddenly had a fever. We had to call for help, but the ambulance could only take three people, so we left Heidi in the car for a bit."

"The ambulance could only take three people?" I repeated his words, my heart clenching.

The pain was almost unbearable.

"Yes, what else?" Ethan replied impatiently, "Should we have left Mandy and the kid stranded in the middle of nowhere? Besides, we arranged for someone to pick up Heidi. It was just for a short while, so what's the problem?"

"Arranged for someone? Just for a short while?" I stood up abruptly, swatting away his hand, my eyes blazing red. "Ethan, do you know that because of your damn 'short while', Heidi, she..."

My voice choked, unable to continue the horrifying truth.

Ethan frowned impatiently. "What are you trying to say?"

"Heidi, she..." I took a deep breath, trembling as I spoke, "She was killed by wolves!"

As I said those words, I felt every part of me crumbling, my body ice-cold, and everything went dark.

Ethan was stunned for a moment, then angrily scolded me, "Amelia, you've really lost it! I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to make up such a horrible lie about Heidi! You're truly despicable!"

The contempt and mockery in his eyes were hurtful. I looked at him in disbelief, my voice shaking as I asked, "What do you mean? Don't you believe me?"

He pointed at me, his tone harsh. "Amelia, I can't believe I was so wrong about you. You'd stoop this low just to get what you want! My mother was right; you're not fit to be a mother!"

"Ethan, don't be angry. Amelia probably just wants your attention, and that's why she's lying..." Mandy suddenly rushed in from outside, grabbing Ethan's arm with feigned concern.

The smugness in her expression was barely concealed. Yet, Ethan seemed oblivious. He patted Mandy's hand affectionately, then turned to glare at me.

"Amelia, I'm so disappointed in you! Look at how great Mandy is as a mother, and then look at yourself. Do you think you're fit to be a mother?"

He took a deep breath, his tone ice-cold. "I've decided. From today, Heidi will live with Mandy for a while. Let Mandy guide her properly, and you can learn from Mandy how to be a real wife and mother!"

"No problem, I'll take good care of Heidi," Mandy agreed, flashing a victorious smile.

I stared at Mandy, my anger beyond expression. "You're nothing but a homewrecker. What right do you have to guide someone else's child? You've raised a liar yourself!"

"Hey!" Mandy, stung by my words, became enraged. She leaned in close, whispering venomously, "You're so tough now, but I wonder if you were this tough when you heard about Heidi's death?"

Before she could say more, I slapped her hard in the face. The sharp sound echoed through the quiet living room.

I realized it was Mandy; it had to be her. I should have known all along that Heidi's tragedy was connected to this vicious woman.

Rage and fear consumed my reason. I lunged at her, ready to tear her apart.

Ethan’s anger was instantly ignited when he saw Mandy holding her face while I looked like a madwoman.

"Amelia, what are you doing?!" he shouted.

Before I could respond, Mandy threw herself into Ethan's arms, sobbing. "Ethan, I just told her about Heidi's plans because it was getting late. I didn't want her to worry, but she suddenly went crazy and hit me!"

As she cried, she shot me a hateful glare, as if I were some unforgivable criminal.

Ethan held Mandy protectively, glaring at me. "Amelia, I see now. You've completely lost your mind. Get out! I don't want to see you!"

I pointed at Mandy, shouting furiously, "You still want her to raise Heidi? This woman already got Heidi killed! You have no right to choose a mother for Heidi!"

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared and threw them at him. "Sign it! We're getting divorced!"

Tears streamed down my face as I continued, "We've been married for years. Even if you've fallen out of love, do you really think I'd joke about our daughter's life?"

Ethan stared at me, silent for a moment. Then, he picked up the divorce papers.

"Amelia, I know what game you're playing. You're trying to force me to give in! Too bad. If I hadn't received an update from Heidi, I might have almost believed your act!"

He pulled out his phone and played two voice messages, and Heidi's voice rang out.

"Dad, Simon has picked me up! I'm safe!"

"Dad, I'm staying at my best friend Mia's house tonight. Don't worry about me!"