Chapter 5

What Ethan Foster had just done shattered Sophie’s little heart. She no longer trusted anyone. The pain in Grace White’s chest was beyond bearing. Even strangers stepped forward to help, but Ethan stayed as cold as ice.

Grace knew she could stand on her own, but she wanted her daughter to feel the sense of achievement. So she pretended she could only get up with Sophie’s help. Sophie’s tiny hands clutched her mother’s arm for dear life. Under the crowd’s complicated stares, two of them stood up—then hobbled out of the restaurant together.

They hailed a cab and went to the hospital. Grace hurt everywhere, but she swallowed it down so her daughter wouldn’t worry. A wave of uselessness washed over her—what kind of mother was she, if she couldn’t keep Sophie’s tender heart from being hurt? Maybe she should take her daughter far, far away. If they left Ethan behind, they wouldn’t keep running into Vivian Moore and her child. Maybe then their hearts could finally stop breaking.

At the hospital, Grace was examined head to toe. Thankfully, the injuries were all superficial. Pain like this was nothing new to her. A young female doctor dabbed ointment on her wounds while Sophie stood by, blowing gently now and then to “make it better.” The doctor took in Sophie’s sweetness and sighed with envy. “Ah, another day someone tricks me into wanting a daughter.”

Grace couldn’t help a laugh. “Mm. My daughter is the candy God gave me.” Maybe the God saw how bitter her life had become and decided to send her the sweetest candy in the world.

Out in the corridor, three all-too-familiar figures passed by—Ethan carefully supporting Vivian, with Daisy strutting beside them, her gaze already bossy and brash. Sophie was about to turn to look, but Grace blocked her view. She didn’t want her daughter to witness, yet again, the sight of Ethan treasuring someone else.

But when they stepped out of the hospital, Vivian was waiting at the entrance, blocking their path on purpose. She did it because Ethan always took her side, and she liked to use that to stab at Grace’s heart—again and again. She had already “won,” and still she had to parade her victory in front of Grace.

“Grace, you pushed me earlier and injured me. You owe me an apology.”

Grace was stunned by this shameless behavior. She stared at Vivian, searching her eyes for a flicker of guilt—but found only composure. Grace almost admired her nerve. “You really don’t know whether you pushed me or I pushed you?”

“I already asked the restaurant manager to pull the surveillance footage. Want to take a look?” Grace decided to bluff.

A flicker passed through Vivian’s gaze. Then, in a sudden move, she grabbed Grace’s hand and swung it hard across her own face.

Both Grace and Sophie gaped at the performance. And right then Ethan’s chill voice cut in from behind them. “Grace, are you done making trouble?”

“You pushed Vivian just now and hurt her ankle. Now you followed her to the hospital to slap her face?” His voice sharpened. “You’ve gone too far.”

Vivian’s tears sprang on cue. “Grace, I only came to apologize. Why did you hit me again?” She sniffed pathetically. “I’m sorry I took Ethan away from you. I’m the one who wronged you. Please, just let me go.”

Grace trembled with rage, her teeth grinding audibly. She lifted her hand and slapped Vivian—hard. “That first one, you did to yourself. This one is from me.”

“If you’re going to frame me, then I’ll make the accusation true.” Vivian burst into real sobs this time. Ethan lunged forward and slapped Grace back—hard.

Stars burst across her vision. The fresh bandage on her brow flew off. The stitches there began to seep again, warm blood sliding down her cheek in bright trails.

Sophie sprang in front of her mother like a cub, spreading her arms wide. She cried out, “Don’t hit my mommy!”

“Bad Daddy, you’re a bad Daddy! I don’t want a bad Daddy like you!”

Shame flickered over Ethan’s face at his daughter’s words. His pupils shrank when he saw the blood flooding Grace’s forehead. He fumbled forward to press a hand to the wound. “I’m sorry, I hit too hard.”

“You shouldn’t have hurt Vivian… or I wouldn’t have—”

“Get out,” Grace said coldly, looking at him as if he were a stranger. Six years, and he still didn’t know her at all. In his mind she was always the bully, and Vivian was always the wounded dove.

Because of Vivian, she had lost so much. She had lost her husband—and she had lost their second child.

Tears mingled with blood, sliding down her face. Old wounds she had sealed away were split open again by a sharp blade.

When Sophie was two, Grace had been pregnant again. Clutching the prenatal test results, she had run to Ethan’s office, giddy with joy. She pushed open the CEO’s door and found him kissing Vivian.

She went mad and rushed toward them—she hadn’t even reached the pair before Ethan’s palm cracked across her face. The blow hurled her into the edge of his desk. It also ended the life of the tiny two-month-old in her womb.

Now Grace stood before him with blood all over her face and stared as if he were a villain beyond redemption. Ethan’s body went rigid. For the first time, a thin thread of guilt and panic rippled through him. He couldn’t meet her eyes. Instinctively, he reached out, wanting to wipe the blood away—

Grace slapped his hand aside. “Don’t touch me.”

Sensing Ethan’s resolve wobble, Vivian choked out, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. My showing up ruined your relationship.” She sniffed theatrically. “But I… I just couldn’t help it. Ethan, if I didn’t have you, I wouldn’t want to live.”

With that, and without a glance at Daisy watching from the side, Vivian turned and limped straight toward the busy roadway outside the hospital.