Chapter 2

Wesley's POV

"Maybe I should just die. If I'm dead, people would stop spreading these rumors about me!" Cassadee continued. "You should go spend time with Miles. Why does he have to pretend that he's dying just to compete with me for your attention?"

"No! Miles isn't pretending! He's not!" I yelled.

"Enough!" Teyana cut me off sharply. "You're hopeless, Wesley! I can't believe you'd curse your own son like this just because you're jealous! The fortune teller said our Miles would live a long life, so stop making up lies!"

The line then promptly went dead, shattering my last shred of hope and plunging me into utter despair.

My fingertips brushed over the stiffening contours of Miles' body. Every inch of his skin felt like it was burning beneath my touch.

Suddenly, I remembered the insurance policy I bought for him, which included an emergency rescue service. I quickly called the company.

The moment the call connected, I started begging for help. "My son is seriously injured right now outside the city. Please send an emergency rescue team immediately!"

The representative on the other end quickly checked the system before replying apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Glover, but this insurance policy doesn't exist. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

I froze.

"How's that possible?" I yelled. "I pay tens of thousands of dollars in premiums for Miles every year! How can you tell me there's no such policy?"

"I've checked the payment records, Mr. Glover. This policy hasn't been renewed since the year before last. We contacted you several times, but someone informed us that you were canceling the policy…"

That was when I remembered that the insurance payments had always been handled by Teyana's trusted assistant—Hunter.

At that realization, my entire body began trembling uncontrollably, and my fingernails dug so deeply into my palms that blood seeped between my fingers. But I felt no pain. I felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and overwhelming despair swallowed me whole.

I caressed Miles' cheek. His skin still carried the warmth I knew so well, but I could no longer sense his breathing or his heartbeat.

All I could do was climb desperately out of the pit and dial the number I knew by heart but hadn't called in a very long time.

"Please, save Miles. As long as you save him, I'll agree to anything…"

Forcing down my grief, I used the calmest voice I could muster and gave them my location.

…

I clutched Miles, enduring the agonizing wait until the sound of a helicopter whirring overhead finally echoed through the air.

Waving my arms frantically, I yelled, "Over here! We're here! Help!"

Within minutes, a professional medical team arrived. Even they—people who dealt with life and death on a regular basis—were shaken by what they saw.

"Isn't this… Isn't this the top scorer in this year's National College Entrance Exam? How did this happen?"

"Quick! Bring the stretcher!"

I kept a tight hold on Miles' hand. He looked as though he'd simply fallen asleep, quietly allowing them to move him around.

"Mr. Glover, from what we can tell, his condition is extremely critical," a doctor informed me. "You should prepare yourself."

His words hit me like a sledgehammer. There was no greater pain than for a parent to lose their child.

"Oh, and where's the boy's mother? She should be here too."

How could I possibly tell them that it was Miles' own mother who had driven him to jump from such a great height?

Back then, to help my family pay off their debts, I chose to break up with the woman I loved and entered into an arranged marriage with Teyana, a woman I'd known for only two days.

During the first few years, we treated each other with mutual respect, and as time passed, genuine affection began to bloom.

Later, when Miles was born, our marriage felt stronger than ever. She was always busy with work, but she would always make time for our family.

The intertwining of love and family made us each other's most trusted partners.