Chapter 3

3

After finalizing the settlement terms with my attorney, I fell asleep in my son’s room.

I had barely closed my eyes when the door was kicked open with a bang.

Garrett’s face was ghost-white. He yanked me out of bed with frantic force.

“Rory has a raging fever! What do I do?”

It was rare to see him so panicked.

I glanced at my sleeping son and stepped out into the hallway on tiptoe.

Only after the bedroom door was firmly shut did I turn to Garrett.

“Give her a cold compress, call the nanny, and drive her to the ER.”

“Why are you waking me up? I’m not a doctor, Garrett.”

Impatience flashed across his features.

Yet for Rory’s sake, he forced himself to hold back his temper.

“Sabrina, you raised Rory yourself. Nobody knows her health better than you.”

“Her temperature is dangerously high right now.”

“Can’t you stop being so cold-blooded?”

Cold-blooded? That word echoed bitterly in my head.

I let out a harsh laugh.

If I were truly cold-blooded, his precious little princess would have died three years ago.

Perhaps taking after her mother’s frail health, Rory had severe allergies.

She had snuck a handful of lemon candies when the adults weren’t looking.

A severe allergic rash erupted instantly across her skin.

Within minutes, her fair little face had turned blue from suffocation.

I was checking the home cameras remotely and nearly lost my mind when I saw her gasping on the floor.

I sped through over ten red lights and even crashed into a highway guardrail.

Covered in blood, I dragged myself through the front door, shoved allergy medication down her throat, dialed 911, and passed out from the excruciating pain.

The ambulance rushed both of us to the hospital.

I suffered a severe concussion and three fractured ribs.

It took me an entire month in bed before I could even stand.

During that entire month, Garrett didn’t visit me once.

When I finally confronted him in tears, he had merely looked at me with cold indifference.

“Well, you didn’t die, did you?”

“You’re a grown adult who doesn’t even know how to drive safely. Who else can you blame?”

“Rory’s condition was far worse. She couldn’t eat properly for days.”

“By the way, get discharged soon. Rory says she misses your cooking.”

It was always like this.

Whenever he needed something, I had to be a doctor, a chef, or an obedient maid.

The only thing I was never allowed to be was his respected, cherished wife.

Without another word, I walked into Rory’s bedroom.

Her cheeks were flushed crimson with heat.

I stripped off her outer layers, using rubbing alcohol to wipe down her palms and neck.

Then I found her fever reducer and got her to swallow it.

The fever broke quickly. The moment Rory opened her eyes, Garrett shoved me aside and swept her into his arms.

“Sweetheart, you scared Daddy to death.”

“Do you still hurt anywhere?”

Rory looked groggy, but she instinctively wrapped her arms around Garrett’s neck.

In her tiny, sweet voice, she murmured, “Thank you for taking care of me, Daddy. You worked so hard.”

“It wasn’t hard at all. As long as my little princess is healthy, Daddy will do anything for you.”

Standing nearby, I laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks.

Hearing me, both father and daughter turned to look.

I locked eyes with Rory and spoke clearly, one word at a time.

“Rory, I was the one who looked after you. What did he do that was so hard?”

“For five years, I raised you like my own flesh and blood. What hard work did he ever do?”

“Was it hard work pining over the biological mother who dumped you on us the day you were born?”

Garrett’s expression shattered piece by piece.

The rage on his face looked ready to burn the whole world down.

“Sabrina, have you lost your damn mind?”

He clamped his hands over Rory’s ears, glaring at me with raw hatred.

I calmed down completely, a faint smirk tugging at my lips.

“I’ve never seen things more clearly.”

“Garrett, someone will deliver the divorce papers to your office.”

“Sign them quickly. Once we’re divorced, you can marry her ghost and put her memorial shrine in the master bedroom for all I care.”