Chapter 4

My pregnancy with Elias had been difficult from the start. I was on near-total bed rest in my third trimester, terrified of losing him.

During delivery, I hemorrhaged so badly I nearly died in the hospital. After he was born, I couldn't produce enough milk. By the end, it felt as though he was feeding on my blood.

And yet the child I had brought into this world at such a cost stood before me and told me to get out.

I sank to the floor and slowly closed my eyes.

"Fine," I whispered. "If that's what you want."

Seemingly frightened by my reaction, Elias turned and ran from the room.

Once, I might've wanted to expose Jacqueline for who she really was and win my family back. But now, all I wanted was to leave and escape the place that had caused me nothing but pain.

I packed the few things I still had left in that house—a photograph of my parents and me after I won a piano competition at seven, the first gift Cole gave me when we were dating, and Elias' tiny footprint from the day he was born.

They marked the three most important chapters of my life, yet the people who had shared those moments with me had all chosen someone else.

I sat and wrote my family a long letter. I wrote about my love for my parents, the years I'd spent loving Cole, and the sorrow and hopes I still carried for my son.

My tears blurred the ink.

Then, without warning, it became hard to breathe. I stepped out of my room and found the house filled with smoke.

A fire had broken out.

Panic seized me as I ran toward the exit, calling for them.

"Mom! Dad! Cole! Elias!"

No one answered.

I pushed through the smoke until I finally spotted them outside, beyond the wall of flames.

"Thank God you're all safe!"

They were calling out anxiously for someone. Relief flooded through me, and I rushed into Cole's arms.

"Don't worry. I'm here."

"How could you not get out!" Cole snapped. "You started this fire."

A flicker of disappointment crossed his face before he slapped me.

"Jackie's still inside. Go save her!"

Mom and Dad looked at me with the same disappointment.

"We thought you'd come to your senses," Dad said. "We never imagined you would start a fire. Go back in and save Jackie."

Beside them, Elias sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy… I want Mommy!"

My chest tightened. To my family, I mattered less than the woman who had replaced me.

"Fine," I said. "I'll go back."

I turned and walked into the burning house. The flames reflected in my tears, but no one cared enough to see them.

When I was back inside, I didn't look for Jacqueline. I went straight back to my room.

I knew she wasn't in the house because she'd started this fire herself. For all I knew, she was probably standing somewhere outside, watching me with a smile.

The fire grew stronger. Smoke filled my lungs, and I couldn't stop coughing.

After some thought, I took out my phone and sent Cole a final series of messages.

"Jacqueline isn't in the house. I didn't start the fire.

"The fire's getting worse. I can't get out.

"Cole…"

I never knew whether that last message went through. Darkness swallowed me before I could find out.

In my arms, I held the only three things that still mattered to me.

…

When I came to, everything around me was white.

Several strangers stood before me. The moment they saw I was awake, they rushed toward me.

"Chloe, you're awake!"

How strange. I didn't recognize any of them.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The man in front froze, then tears began to stream down his cheeks.