That was enough for me. As long as she started to doubt him, that was all I needed. But just then, the sound of an engine roared in the distance.

I turned my head and saw a black van speeding toward the repair shop.

Something about it felt eerily familiar.

Then, in an instant, it hit me—this was the same black van that had caused our accident in my past life.

And the driver? It was none other than my dad’s mistress, Eden Watson.

"Mom, watch out!" I shouted, running full speed to reach her.

Yet, it was too late. With a sickening thud, I watched in horror as my mom’s body was flung into the air.

The van never slowed down. It sped off into the distance, vanishing as if nothing had happened.

My mom collapsed in a pool of blood, unconscious.

I sobbed as I dialed emergency services, my hands shaking so badly I could barely press the buttons. At the same time, I reported everything to the police.

The ambulance arrived quickly. Inside, I trembled uncontrollably, clutching my mom’s hand as if I could anchor her to life.

Panic consumed me, but beneath it burned something darker—a seething, unrelenting hatred.

Monsters. My dad and his mistress, Eden, were nothing but monsters.

I thought that by avoiding the highway, my mom and I could finally escape this nightmare. But I never imagined Eden had been tailing us the entire time.

She must have seen us pull into the repair shop. She must have realized we’d discovered the sabotage to our car. That had to be why she resorted to something this desperate—this insane.

I wanted nothing more than to grab a knife and slash those two shameless bastards to pieces. But right now, my priority was my mom.

As I sat there, drowning in fear and rage, my mom’s phone suddenly rang.

I glanced at the caller ID—"Brother."

I froze. Then, with trembling fingers, I answered.

Before the person on the other end could speak, I choked back my sobs and blurted out, “Uncle, my mom was in a car accident! She’s being rushed to the hospital!”

A deep, urgent voice came through. “Elle? What happened? Your mom called me this morning—she said she’d be in Volkten this afternoon. How the hell did she end up in a car accident?”

Tears still streamed down my face as I quickly explained everything.

The moment I finished, my uncle let loose a furious string of curses. “I told your mother long ago that Zane was no good, but she wouldn’t listen!”

“If she hadn’t threatened to take her own life back then, I would’ve had someone break your dad’s legs and dump him in the river!”

"If your dad knew the kind of power the Calder Family holds in Volkten, he wouldn’t have dared pull this stunt—no matter how bold he thinks he is!"

"Elle, don’t worry. I’m bringing my men and we’re getting on the next flight over! That bastard of a father of yours and his homewrecking mistress—I swear, I’ll make them pay!"

When the call ended, I sat there in stunned silence.

From the way my uncle spoke, it was clear—my mother’s family was far from ordinary. I couldn’t believe she had hidden this from me—and from my dad—for all these years. Still, knowing I had my uncle as backup made me feel slightly more at ease.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, I anxiously waited outside the emergency room. Less than an hour later, my dad rushed in.

"What happened? How did your mom get into a car accident?" His fake concern made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, barely holding myself together.

"It was your so-called ‘business partner,’ Eden!" I snapped. "She ran my mom over and fled the scene!"

His brows furrowed as he scolded, "Calm down! Stop yelling! Your mom has spoiled you so much you don’t even have basic manners anymore!"

"Eden has no reason to hold a grudge against your mom. Why would she hit her on purpose? There must be some kind of misunderstanding! You better not go around making baseless accusations before we know the truth!" my dad said.

Misunderstanding? He and Eden had an illegitimate child out of their relationship. Yet, he had the audacity to talk about innocence?

I shot him a hateful glare. "Well, I’ve already called the police. It won’t be long before we find out exactly what happened!"

My dad scoffed and stepped aside to make a phone call.

I wanted to expose his hypocrisy right then and there—but what was the point? Even if I tore off his mask now, it wouldn’t change anything. I had no solid proof. Who would believe me?

Unless I could get my hands on undeniable evidence of his collusion with Eden, my words meant nothing.

Earlier, when I spoke to my uncle again, he told me to stay put outside the emergency room. He assured me he would handle my dad and Eden himself.

He also warned me not to completely fall out with my dad before he arrived. If pushed into a corner, my dad might do something desperate—and I was the one in danger.

The longer my mom remained in the emergency room, the more anxious I became. My palms were clammy with cold sweat.

Then, Eden arrived. The moment I saw her, I got instantly burned with rage. I clenched my fists, seething with the urge to tear her apart.

She walked up to me, her face a mask of innocence. "I already heard from your dad about what happened, but I wasn’t the one who hit your mom," she said smoothly.

"I was with my son all day—I didn’t go anywhere."

"My car was stolen last night. I even reported it to the police. I truly sympathize with what happened to your mother and I deeply regret it."

"Rest assured, once they catch the hit-and-run driver, I’ll make sure they pay a heavy price."

My dad quickly chimed in. "Thank you, Ms. Watson, for coming all this way. It was just a misunderstanding—please don’t take offense."

Eden smiled as if this were some casual inconvenience. "It’s no problem. My son happens to be hospitalized here too. I figured it was better to explain in person rather than over the phone."

Feigning surprise, my dad asked, "What happened to your son?"

Eden’s face clouded with sorrow as she let out a heavy sigh. "Kidney failure… Seeing him suffer at such a young age is tearing me apart."

My father sighed as well, shaking his head. "Life can be so cruel..."

Watching these two disgusting people put on a performance in front of me, I nearly lost it.

Yes, life can be cruel indeed—because if it were fair, it would have struck both of you down with lightning already.

Just then, the emergency room light flickered off.

The doctor stepped out. I rushed forward, heart pounding. "Doctor, how is my mother?"

The doctor shook his head and let out a weary sigh. "Her injuries are too severe. Even if we manage to save her, the best possible outcome… is that she’ll remain in a vegetative state."

It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. My entire world shattered in an instant.

Before I could process it, my father turned to the doctor, his face twisted in grief. “Doctor, no matter the cost, please—you have to save my wife! I’m begging you!”

The doctor’s expression remained solemn. "We've done everything we can. You should start preparing for the worst."

At those words, my father took a deep breath. His eyes turned red, as if he had just made some heartbreaking decision. "If that’s the case… we should let her go."

"I don’t want my wife to suffer. If she ends up in a vegetative state, she wouldn’t want to live like that anyway."

My entire body went cold. My dad didn’t even hesitate. The sheer audacity of his deceitful, disgusting act made my blood boil.

My rage erupted. “No!”

I spun to face him, voice shaking with fury. “Zane, my mother is still in the emergency room and you’re already in a hurry to let her die?! Is that what you want?!"

His expression darkened. In an instant, his mask slipped.

Before I could react, his hand flew through the air—a sharp, stinging slap across my face.