When my ex-husband, Hanson Rowse, got remarried, I jumped into the ocean with our ten-year-old daughter, Tess Rowse, in my arms.

The police called Hanson and my parents. The wedding reception was cut short, and they all rushed over.

My soul hung in the air above it all, watching as Tess was pulled from the water. The sight of her hit like a blade to the chest.

At the hospital, my parents looked at her with nothing but cold indifference.

My brother, Edward Wells, didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.

"You're just like your mother! Always causing trouble and pulling cheap stunts like this just to get attention."

Hanson's fists clenched. He scanned the area, and when he couldn't see me anywhere, anger spilled into his eyes.

"Where's Melody? She picked my wedding day to pull this stunt, and now she won't even show her face? If she really wanted to die, why leave behind this burden?"

At his words, Tess suddenly moved.

She stumbled toward the window, climbed up, and before anyone could react, she jumped.

The room went dead silent for a heartbeat. Then, the screaming started.

What they didn't know was this: the first thing Tess and I learned at that reform school was obedience.

My daughter Tess Rowse's small body hit the ground from the third floor. I thought that finally, we would be together again.

But they rushed her to the hospital, and the heart monitor that had nearly flatlined flickered back to life.

"This is how you watch a child? You just stood there and let her jump?"

Amelia Shortle, the officer in charge, looked furious as she questioned the group.

My parents' faces turned stiff and ugly. My brother, Edward Wells, ran a hand through his hair, irritated.

"How was I supposed to know she'd suddenly lose it and jump? She learned that from her mom. Always making a scene over nothing."

He looked like he had more to say, but my ex-husband, Hanson Rowse, cut him off.

"She's awake."

I rushed to Tess's side, watching her look around, dazed and small, her eyes searching. I knew she was looking for me. My chest tightened as I reached out and brushed her hair.

Hanson frowned as he studied her face, now starting to grow into its features. He lifted a hand like he was about to help her up, then stopped himself and pulled back.

"Where's your mom?" he asked, his voice cold.

"Mommy's sleeping. I need to go find her…" Her voice shook as she yanked out the tubes and tried to climb out of bed.

My chest ached. I tried to hold her, but my arms passed right through her.

Silly girl. I was dead.

I hated myself for being so useless. I couldn't even take her with me.

Edward let out a cold laugh. "Your mom took you and sneaked out of that reform school. Did she ditch you to go sleep around?"

The moment he mentioned the reform school, Tess's eyes filled with fear.

She scrambled out of bed and groveled in front of him, her words coming out broken and slurred.

"I'm sorry… I'll be good… I promise… Please… Please don't send me back…"

Hanson and the others froze, not knowing how to react.

I felt like my heart was being torn apart. I lunged forward, trying to hold her, but I could only pass through her again and again.

Tess broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, her whole body shaking as she grew more and more agitated.

Amelia was the first to snap out of it. She rushed forward, pulled Tess up, and held her close, trying to calm her down.

Edward scoffed. "Didn't expect a kid to act even better than her mom."

"Mr. Rowse, no matter what, she's still your daughter," Amelia said sharply.

"She's not." Edward snorted from the side. "She's not his. Melody had that trash with some random guy. Who knows where she came from?"

My parents' faces twisted with humiliation.

Hanson's hand tightened into a fist. The hand that had almost reached for Tess slowly dropped as his expression turned completely cold.

Even now, he still believed I had betrayed him.

To him, I was nothing, and Tess was something dirty I left behind.

The ache in my chest wouldn't stop.

Tears slipped down, soundless, vanishing into the air before they could ever fall.

A long time ago, I was still the Wells family's heiress.

I had a family that doted on me, and a husband I had grown up with, someone who used to love me like I was his whole world.

Then Julia Knowles showed up, and everything fell apart.

I never had anything against her.

But at a family dinner, she suddenly slapped herself hard across the face, then threw herself on the ground before me. She made my parents and the crowd think I was bullying her, that I thought I was above everyone.

She would go crying to Edward, saying I made things difficult for her at work.

On my wedding anniversary with Hanson, she ran out in front of everyone, clothes in disarray, and collapsed to her knees, begging me not to release some private video of hers.

She kept saying she was sorry, that she would stay out of our lives. She said that all she wanted was for me to let her go.

That same day, Edward took her to the hospital to diagnose her injuries. They said she had tearing injuries.

But I had never sent anyone to hurt her.

Hanson slapped me right then and there. "No matter how much you dislike her, you can't go this far."

Tess ran over, her tiny arms wrapping around his leg. "Don't hurt Mommy! Julia's bad! I don't want her to live in our house!"

Hanson shook her off in anger. Tess lost her balance and fell, but he didn't even look at her.

"Watch your mouth!"

I couldn't stand being accused of something I didn't do, and I definitely couldn't stand Tess getting dragged into it. I grabbed Julia, demanding she tell the truth.

But she just dropped to her knees again, trembling, crying that she wouldn't dare do it again.

After that, the way they looked at me and Tess changed. There was always suspicion in their eyes.

Julia kept playing the victim, feeding off their guilt.

To them, we became the cruel, unreasonable ones.

The last time, she used a blind spot to make it look like I pushed her off a second-floor terrace.

She broke her leg.

That was the final straw. They were completely done with me after that.

My parents looked at me with utter disappointment, as if they didn't recognize me anymore. Edward said he didn't have a sister like me.

I never went back to the Wells residence after that.

Hanson started staying away more and more, avoiding any closeness between us.

One day, someone drugged me.

When I woke up, I was naked in a bed with several men.

The door burst open. My parents rushed in, their worry twisting into shock and fury. Edward stood there, shaking as he stared at me.

I looked up, dazed, and met Hanson's bloodshot, furious eyes.

Beside him, Julia held Tess's hand and spoke softly, "Tess, your mom told you to wait outside, right?"

"Mommy told me to wait by the door. She said she was going to play a game in the room with those men…" Tess answered honestly, too young to understand what she was saying.

It hit me like a thunderclap.

I looked at Julia, noticing the slight curve of her lips and the challenge in her eyes. I knew then this was all her doing.

I lunged at her, ready to tear her apart, but before I could, Hanson struck me across the face, knocking me to the ground.

I stared up at him, disbelief crashing over me.

He still didn't believe me.

We had grown up together, yet none of that mattered more than Julia's tears.

I still remembered when she first came around. Hanson barely gave her the time of day. He stood firmly on my side.

All his attention, all his care, was mine alone.

I thought even if I lost my parents and Edward, he would still be there for me.

But the moment Julia came running to him in torn clothes, crying, and he bent down to help her…

I knew his heart had already started to shift.

Now, there was nothing left in his eyes, just a cold distance.

"Julia said before that Tess doesn't look like me. I chose to believe you," he said flatly. "Now, I think it's time for a DNA test."

Julia's lips curled, just enough to hide it, but her eyes gave her away.

The results came back fast.

"Not biologically related."

The second I saw it, I knew the test had been tampered with.

I tried to explain, but Hanson didn't even listen. He dragged me straight to the courthouse and filed for divorce. He didn't acknowledge Tess, either.

Word spread fast.

Soon, everyone heard that I was in a hotel room with a group of men, and then I was abandoned.

My family cared a lot about their reputation. The company even took a hit because of it.

My parents said I had brought shame to the family.

In the end, Edward sent both Tess and me away to a strict reform school.

They believed Julia. Said we needed to learn how to behave.

From that day on, life became like hell for Tess and me.

"Mommy's not a bad person…and I'm not trash…"

Tess's voice pulled me back.

I looked at her stubborn little face; something seemed to be crushing my chest, squeezing the air right out of me.

I drifted closer, eyes burning, and gently brushed her cheek.

If I hadn't let go of her in the water, if I had just held on tighter, she wouldn't have been swept away. She wouldn't be here alone, getting blamed for everything.

My tears fell without a sound, landing on her arm.

She seemed to feel something. Suddenly, she yanked free from Amelia's grip, grabbed a fruit knife off the table, and drove it toward herself.

Amelia didn't react in time. She let out a gasp.

Blood hit the floor.

I froze, staring at the knife just inches from sinking into Tess's stomach.

A hand clamped down around the blade, and blood poured out instantly.

It was Hanson.

At the last second, he caught the knife meant for her.

For a split second, I was pulled back into the past.

Back when I was younger, a man had followed me home and cornered me with a knife. Hanson had grabbed the blade back then, too, just like this, holding it tightly to keep it from reaching me.

He used to protect me.

Even after we got married, after Tess was born, he still loved me the same.

But now…

"Hanson!"

Edward rushed over, grabbing a handful of tissues and pressing them against the wound, his voice tight with panic.

"Why are you helping her? If Julia sees this, she's going to worry."

My parents hurried over as well, crowding around him with concern.

Only Tess shrank back at the sight of the blood, clutching her head.

"Mommy… I want Mommy…"

Edward turned on her, anger flaring. "Stop talking about your mother! She's a disgrace! And you, if you don't behave, we're sending you back again!"

"I don't want to go!" she shouted back.

"That's enough." Hanson cut him off.

He looked at Tess, something complicated flickering in his eyes. It seemed like he was finally noticing something was wrong.

"If you tell me where your mom is, you won't have to go back to that reform school."

Tess nodded right away. She lifted her hand and pointed out the window, toward the ocean.

"Mommy's over there."

Her small, simple words sent a chill through the room.

Amelia grabbed her radio, her voice steady. "Search the waters where the child was found. Check for any other survivors…or bodies."

Hanson's jaw tightened. The veins in his forehead stood out as his fists clenched. The wound that had just stopped bleeding split open again, soaking through the white bandage.

"There's no way Melody's dead," Edward said, certain. "She's probably in some guy's bed right now."

"Exactly," my mother added, frowning. "She couldn't stand seeing Julia marry Hanson today, so she's using the kid to make up lies and ruin it."

Then her voice softened, almost to herself.

"Melody wouldn't drown herself. She's always been scared of water. She almost drowned when she was little… She wouldn't do it…"

I let out a quiet, bitter smile.

Sorry to disappoint, I guess.

In the end, I chose the one way I feared most.

Just then, a soft voice came from the doorway.

"There you are. What took you all so long? Did something happen to Melody?"

Julia stepped inside, still wearing her wedding dress.