Chapter 2

Two days later, I insisted on checking myself out.

When I got home, I found Sienna standing at the entrance to the master bedroom, wearing my pajamas.

"Clara, you're back. Declan said I need a room with good natural light for my recovery, so I'm staying in the master now. You don't mind, do you?"

I walked into the guest room and saw my belongings carelessly piled on the bed. On top was the little onesie I'd sewn for my unborn baby.

I picked up the tiny garment and started searching through the rest—the ultrasound printouts, the pregnancy journal.

They were the only proof I had that he'd existed in this world. Every ultrasound showed his heartbeat data; the journal recorded the day I felt him move.

"Looking for something?" Sienna wheeled herself in. "Oh, you're not looking for those ultrasound pictures and that journal, are you? I thought they were scrap paper and threw them out. The baby's gone—what's the point of keeping that stuff?"

I whipped around. "Where did you put them?"

"On the balcony." Sienna gestured outside. "I thought those papers were taking up space, so I put them in the barrel and burned them. They're probably not completely gone yet."

I bolted from the guest room and ran to the balcony. In the barrel, flames were still flickering. The journal's edges were charred, the ultrasound printouts curling in the fire.

Without thinking, I plunged my hand directly into the barrel.

I clawed out the ultrasound pictures and journal, frantically beating out the fire on the ground.

My palm blistered. A bright red burn streaked across the back of my hand.

"Mommy!" Lily ran onto the balcony. Seeing the injury on my hand, her little face went pale. She looked at me, then at Sienna who had followed, and her body began to tremble.

"You're a bad person!" Lily screamed. "You burned Mommy's things! You hurt Mommy!"

Lily charged at Sienna, her small hands shoving at the wheelchair. "Go away! I hate you!"

"Lily! Don't!" I tried to stand and pull her back, but the injury on my hand left me powerless.

The wheelchair rolled back half a step. The smile vanished instantly from Sienna's face.

"Ill-mannered little brat," she muttered under her breath. Then she lifted her foot and stomped down hard on Lily's hand that was gripping the footrest.

Lily let out a piercing scream and collapsed to her knees.

I lunged forward, grabbed Sienna's ankle, and shoved it away with all my strength. She lost her balance, her whole body tilting to the other side of the wheelchair.

Lily fell to the ground in pain.

Rapid footsteps approached.

Declan appeared before us. Taking in the scene on the balcony, his face turned ashen.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Declan!" Sienna immediately clutched her chest, her face turning pale. "It hurts so much—I think my wound tore open again..."

I quickly scooped up Lily. She was still sobbing.

Only then did Declan turn his head. His gaze swept over my injured hand, the charred papers on the ground, then landed on Lily's swollen hand.

He paused, his brow furrowing.

"How did this happen?"

"She burned the baby's ultrasound pictures! She did it on purpose!"

Declan's eyes rested on the blackened papers for two seconds before looking away. "Clara, go take care of that hand first."

"I'm asking you—what do you have to say about this?"

"What do I have to say? They're just papers. Sienna probably really thought they were trash. You stuck your hand into a fire over a few pieces of paper, then taught Lily to attack a patient—do you realize how unhinged you look right now?"

"Daddy, she burned Mommy's things! Mommy's hand got hurt!" Lily cried out.

"Enough!" Declan reached out to pull Lily away.

Lily struggled, then suddenly swung her little fist at Sienna. "Bad person! Bad person!"

Declan grabbed Lily's arm and yanked hard. Lily lost her balance, her body swaying. Sienna seized the opportunity to lean to the side, and the wheelchair's armrest banged against the wall.

She slumped sideways in the wheelchair, her face twisted in pain. "My wound... Declan... it hurts so much..."

Declan's expression changed drastically. Looking at Lily, who was still struggling, he suddenly raised his hand and struck her hard across the face.

Lily froze, covering her cheek as tears fell silently.

"Declan!" I rushed forward and pulled Lily behind me. "She's your daughter!"

"Even if she's my daughter, she needs to learn what she can and can't do!" Declan pointed at Lily. "Sienna almost fell out of that wheelchair! If her wound really tears open, can you take responsibility for that?!"

He turned and crouched down, supporting Sienna. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Sienna leaned into his arms, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. "Declan, forget it... they didn't mean to... I'm fine, just hurts a little..."

"What do you mean you're fine? You're barely recovered! Let me take you back to your room and check you over."

I held Lily and watched them disappear down the hallway. My heart felt like it was submerged in ice water, numb with cold.

Back in the guest room, I helped Lily take off her jacket. "Come here, let Mommy look at your hand."

When she turned around, I saw several bruises on the inside of her arm—purplish-blue marks that looked like someone had squeezed her hard.

My hand froze in midair. My whole body went rigid. "Lily, what happened here?"

"Who did this?" I tried to keep my voice calm, but my hands were already shaking.

"Sienna did it." Lily's voice was small. "She said if I told you, she'd lock me in the storage room and not give me food. Mommy, I was so scared..."

I rolled up Lily's sleeve. Her other arm had marks too, and there were bruises on her calves. All the injuries were in places clothing would hide.

My vision began to blur as tears slid silently down my face.

"When did she do this?"

"When you were in the hospital. Daddy went to work, and it was just me and her at home. She told me to pour her water, and I accidentally spilled a little, so she pinched me. She said if I dared tell you, she'd say I fell by myself, and Daddy would only believe her anyway."

I pulled Lily into a tight embrace, feeling like a hole had been torn open in my chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Mommy, when can we move out?" Lily asked. "I don't want to see that woman anymore."

"Soon." I wiped away my tears, my voice growing firm. "Mommy promises you, very soon."

The next morning, as I was getting ready to leave with Lily, Declan sat at the dining table and suddenly spoke. "Did you contact a lawyer?"