One moment, I was laughing with my daughter Hayley inside the car as we were about to head to the amusement park. The next, a crash—metal twisting, glass shattering. My scream was lost in the impact. Then darkness.

The beeping was the first thing I noticed. Steady. Cold. My eyelids felt like lead, my body sinking into nothingness. A sharp scent burned my nostrils—antiseptic, too clean, too clinical.

I was in a hospital. Then it hit me. My daughter Hayley.

Panic surged, but my body didn’t respond. I tried to move, but numbness held me captive. My throat was raw, my lips cracked. And then—voices. Distant, familiar.

Will. My husband. I focused, straining to hear.

“Don’t let her know.” His voice was hushed, urgent. “Make it look like you did everything to save Hayley, but it was useless.”

My breath hitched. No. No, no, no. What was he saying?

“She can’t know we used her heart.”

Heart?

The world tilted. My ears rang.

“To Karylle’s daughter,” he finished, voice steady. “Rather than saving her, you gave up. So we could use her heart.”

A different voice spoke, hesitant. The doctor. “And her uterus? Are you sure you want to remove it? If you do this, she won’t be able to bear a child again.”

Silence. A beat. Then—

“It’s for the better.” Will’s voice was cold, emotionless. “I don’t want a child with her anymore.”

The numbness in my body turned into something else. Ice-cold rage.

“All I care about is my daughter with Karylle. We’ve been trying to find a heart match for her and Hayley was the best one,. This is just an unfortunate event for the good of another one,” he continued. “I’ll make sure the sacrifice of my daughter Hayley will not be in vain. She’ll live inside Carmela’s body. And I don’t want anyone to compete with Carmela.”

The walls closed in. My lungs burned. My heart—what was left of it—ached with something too raw to name.

I wanted to scream. To rip the wires off. To make him look me in the eye and tell me how he could do this. But my body refused to move. Tears slipped silently down my face as the exhaustion pulled me under again.

Please, let this be a nightmare.

When I woke up, Will was next to me.

His eyes softened as he took my hand. “Helena,” he whispered. “You’re awake.”

I swallowed, forcing myself to play along. “Hayley?” My voice cracked. “Where’s Hayley?”

A shadow crossed his face. He squeezed my hand, his expression perfectly practiced—grief, sorrow, regret. “We lost her.”

The words should’ve shattered me. But I already knew the truth.

Tears welled in my eyes anyway. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, she—she was fine, she was singing, she—”

Will pulled me into his arms. “Shh,” he murmured, stroking my hair. “It was the accident. There was nothing we could do.”

I wanted to shove him away, to claw at his face and scream that I knew. That I heard him. But I didn’t.

I trembled in his embrace, playing the part of the grieving mother. The devastated wife.

“Can I see her?” I asked, voice small.

Will hesitated. Just for a second. “She… she was badly hurt,” he said finally. “Her face was—” He exhaled sharply. “We had to cremate her.”

Lies.

I let out a soft sob, burying my face in my hands. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m so sorry, Helena.”

No, you’re not, I whispered.

He didn’t even mention my uterus—and for the next few hours, he acted like a doting husband, as if he hadn’t killed my daughter!

Later that night, I forced myself out of bed. Every step was agony, my body weak, but I didn’t stop. I had to find that doctor. Had to confirm what I already knew. I need a witness! I was going to make them pay!

As I passed by a hospital room, laughter stopped me cold.

Will. And a woman’s voice I knew all too well.

Karylle. He was Will’s first love. The woman who left her years ago, and now? She was here—she ruined us!

I peeked through the small window. There they were, standing over a hospital bed. Will’s hand rested on Karylle’s waist, his smile soft as he gazed down at the child. I’ll bet she was about four years old while my daughter was six years old.

And my daughter’s heart was beating in that child’s chest.

Karylle leaned against him. “What if she finds out?”

Will chuckled. “She never will.” He kissed Karylle’s forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you and our baby. I love you both. And I will never let anyone hurt you.”

The world tilted. My vision blurred.

My husband had given away our daughter’s heart.

He had stolen my ability to bear another child.

And now, he was here—holding the woman who left him, loving the child he chose over ours.

I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth as silent tears slipped down my face.

I had lost everything.

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.

I stepped into the house, still numb from the funeral, only to freeze at the sight before me.

Karylle. Sitting comfortably on my couch.

Will stood beside her, arms crossed. “Karylle’s here to offer her condolences.”

I stared at him. Then at her. A slow, mocking smile crept onto my lips. “Condolences?” My voice dripped with bitterness. “I buried our daughter alone, Will. You weren’t even there. So don’t insult me by pretending you care now.”

Will’s face darkened. “What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”

I let out a hollow laugh. “Acting like what? Like a grieving mother? Like a woman whose husband didn’t even bother showing up to his daughter’s funeral?” My voice rose, sharp and unforgiving. “Tell me, Will, where were you? Oh, wait—I already know. With her.”

His jaw tightened. “You were the one driving the car, Helena.”

The words sliced through me like a blade.

I sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re blaming me?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “If you had been more careful, Hayley would still be alive.”

My stomach twisted. My hands shook. My heart cracked open all over again. “You coward,” I whispered, rage shaking through my body. “You know the truth, but you can’t even face it. It was an accident I never wanted to happen!”

Karylle stepped forward, her face carefully composed, but I saw right through it. The fake concern, the practiced sorrow—it made my skin crawl.

“Enough,” she said softly, tilting her head as if she were the reasonable one here. “You shouldn’t be fighting like this. Hayley just—”

“Stay away from me, from us!” I cut her off, my voice shaking with fury. “You ruined our family!”

Her lips parted, feigning shock, but I saw it. The flicker of something else. Satisfaction? Triumph? Whatever it was, it made my stomach churn.

Will moved instantly, stepping in front of her, shielding her like she was something fragile, something precious. His hand gripped her arm, his jaw tight with anger. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Of course. Of course, you’d defend her.” I shook my head, my chest heaving. “She’s the one who tore this family apart, and you stand there protecting her? While our daughter—” My voice broke, the weight of my grief pressing down like a crushing force.

Will’s eyes darkened. “This isn’t about Karylle. It’s about you. You’re the one who can’t let go of the past.”

My blood ran cold. “The past?” I echoed, my hands clenching into fists. “Hayley is dead. She is not the past. She was our daughter, and you—” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You weren’t even there.”

Karylle placed a hand on Will’s chest, as if calming him. “She’s grieving,” she murmured, glancing up at him like she was the victim in all of this. “She doesn’t mean it.”

I saw red.

“I don’t mean it?” My voice came out quiet, deadly. “I meant every damn word.” I turned my gaze to Will. “She took everything from me, and you let her. You chose her over me. Over Hayley.”

“What are you saying?” He acted innocent.

I was done. I turned and walked away, ignoring Will’s voice calling after me. I made it to my room, locking the door behind me before my legs gave out beneath me.

And then I broke.

I buried my face in my hands, sobs racking my body. Pain clawed at my throat, my chest, my soul. The weight of everything crashed down on me—Hayley, Will, the betrayal, the loss.

But I couldn’t stay like this.

It was time.

I wiped my tears and grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed.

“Hello?”

“I want to file for divorce.”

The words came out steady, final. There was no turning back.

The lawyer sighed. “Understood. We’ll begin the process immediately.”

I ended the call, my heart hammering.

This was it. I was leaving.

I pulled out my suitcase and started packing. Clothes. Essentials. But my hands hesitated when I reached Hayley’s things. Her favorite dress. The stuffed bunny she never slept without. Her tiny shoes.

I held them close, inhaling the faint scent that still lingered. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to fall apart again.

I would carry her with me. Always.

As I zipped up the suitcase, voices from outside caught my attention.

I stepped closer to the window.

It was Karylle.

Her voice was low, but I heard every word.

“Make sure no one finds out that I was the one who caused the accident of Helena and Hayley.”