Jessica shot me a triumphant look as they
left. I smiled. She had no idea what was
coming.
I followed them to the hospital. The ER was
packed. No beds. I remembered this. A
bombing downtown. All hands on deck.
Ethan was fading fast. Eyes rolling back, lips
deep purple, body limp.
Mom and Jessica panicked, helpless. They
く
My widow’s ID would get Ethan priority. But I
spread my hands, feigning helplessness.
“Someone borrowed it. Important.”
I wouldn’t save anyone, not even if I had the
- ID. Ethan unplugged me. He deserved this.
Mom, holding Ethan, couldn’t yell. Jessica,
though, collapsed on the floor, wailing.
“How can a mother be like this?! He’s dying!
And you don’t care! You said you’d watch
him die!”
“I brought him here! You’d rather save
strangers! He’s just a baby! Look at him! How
could you do this to David?!”
Her outburst drew a crowd. Mostly families of
the bombing victims.
They saw themselves in her, their own loved
ones fighting for their lives. They turned on
- me.
“My daughter’s in there! How dare you! You
should be the one dying!”
<
- me.
“My daughter’s in there! How dare you! You
should be the one dying!”
“Exactly! Why have a kid if you don’t want it!
Poor baby!”
“If you weren’t a woman, I’d beat you
senseless! Her husband’s dead, and she
treats his son like this! Bitch!”
Their words stung. Jessica had the nerve to
mention David?
He’d given her thousands to start her
business, introduced her to her husband.
And she repaid him by stealing his son,
leaving him to… I couldn’t even think about it.
Now she was twisting the knife, blaming me.
Fine. I’d play along. Make it bigger. Full–blown
meltdown.
I crossed my arms, sneered.
“Jessica, it’s my ID. I’ll save who I want. He’s
my son. I can die with him if I want. You care
L
so much? Why don’t you die with him?”
She was speechless. Furious. She lunged at
me, trying to choke me. “You heartless
monster! You’ll rot in hell!”
I dodged, and a shout rang out.
“Back up! Everyone back up!”
Security guards pushed through the crowd,
approaching my mom.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t this child being
treated?”
Mom pointed at me, sobbing. “The doctors
are busy. No beds. I begged her to do
something, but she just… ignored me! My
poor grandson… he’s gone!”
She wailed, clutching Ethan.
The head guard ordered his men to take
Ethan to the resuscitation room.
Mom, finally free, turned on me. “Ashley, you
heartless witch! David’s only been gone three
years! How can you let his son die?!”
<
“I raised you better than this! You’re a
disgrace! You’re not even human!”
I stepped forward, wanting to scream about
my son, about what she’d done. Jessica cut
me off.
She held up her phone, showing pictures to
the crowd.
“She’s always been cruel to Ethan! Bruises
on his arms, legs! She’s evil! David gave her everything! The house, the money! And she
abuses his son!”
The guard turned to me. “What’s this about?”
I shook my head, speechless. My mother. My
sister. The two people I loved most in the
world.
Why? Why were they doing this? Anyone else,
it wouldn’t hurt so much. But them… they’d
killed my son. Made me raise their child.
The crowd continued to hurl insults.
“Monctor! Your bushand will haunt you!”
IVIONSTER! four nuspanu will naunɩ you!
“That’s not a mother! That’s a demon!
Bitch!”
“You’re a disgrace to women! Abusing a
child, watching him die! You have no soul!”
Jessica, basking in the attention, yelled at me,
“Ashley, get on your knees! Beg for Ethan’s
life! Apologize! Then maybe Mom and I will
forgive you!”
“Or we’re done with you. You’re not our
family anymore!”
How dare she? Ask me to beg the boy who’d
killed me?
I tamped down my rage. “Fine. We’re done.”
“You!” Jessica’s eyes bulged. “Don’t push
it!”
Mom slapped me. “I can’t believe I raised
such a heartless child!”
I held my cheek, a strange calm washing over
- me. This slap… it severed the last tie. I owed
ber nothing Sho’d never treated me like o
<
such a heartless child! ̈ ́
I held my cheek, a strange calm washing over
- me. This slap… it severed the last tie. I owed
her nothing. She’d never treated me like a
daughter anyway.
“Stop! Everyone stop!!”
The head guard returned, two police officers
with him.
“We got a call. Child abuse. Attempted
murder. Who’s Ashley? You’re coming with
us.”
The crowd pointed at me. “That’s her! She
should be locked up!”
“Yeah, lethal injection!” I clenched my fists,
took a deep breath, and looked at the cop.
Jessica was smirking. I needed to stay calm.
“I’m Ashley, but I didn’t abuse or try to kill
anyone.”
Jessica scoffed, showed the cop the video,
tears streaming down her face. “Officer, she
<
“She filmed him suffering! Look! He almost
died!”
The video showed Ethan gasping, clutching
his chest, writhing in pain, crying for his mom.
And there I was, smiling at the camera.
Jessica sobbed dramatically. Right on cue.
Mother and son, a perfect act. She showed
no remorse for what she did to my son, and
now she had the gall to cry?
The video riled up the crowd.
“You animal! He’s just a baby!”
My mom tried to slap me again. I pushed her
back, almost knocking her over.
