Chapter 3

As I stood downstairs, my phone lit up with a debit alert from our joint bank account. It was for 280,000 dollars, and the memo read: [Final down payment on home purchase.]

I stared at the number as my fingertips slowly went stiff.

I had sold the diamond necklace my mother left me and taken out a mortgage on the apartment I owned before the wedding. I had also put every cent I had saved from years of design work into that account, all of it meant to save Elsie's life.

When Elsie was in the hospital, Colin had told me a husband and wife should never keep their guard up around each other. I had believed him.

Clutching the portrait, I took a taxi to the real estate office.

When I pushed open the glass door, Ariana was sitting on the couch signing papers. Colin stood behind her, bending slightly as he held her hand and guided her through writing her name. The way they leaned into each other was so intimate it stung to look at.

The purchase agreement lay on the table with Ariana listed as the buyer. Noah's school enrollment papers were clipped beside it.

The agent was all smiles. "Ms. Lisle, you're so lucky. Mr. Mathers really goes all out for your son. Homes in this school district are nearly impossible to get right now."

Ariana lowered her head with a small smile. "Noah's just lucky."

I walked over and slapped my phone down on the table with the withdrawal record on the screen. "Colin, what is this?"

The moment Colin saw me, his expression darkened. "How did you find this place?"

I pointed at the contract. "My money is on this."

The pen slipped from Ariana's hand onto the table. "Laura, please don't get the wrong idea. Colin is just covering it for me for now. Noah needs to start school soon, and I'll pay it back."

I looked at Colin. "And when Elsie was waiting for her medicine, that wasn't urgent?"

Colin closed the contract. "The money's already been paid."

"Get it back."

"Not happening."

My throat tightened. "In those last two weeks, she was in too much pain to sleep. The doctor said if we kept her on the medication, she could at least hold on until a new treatment plan came out."

A flash of irritation crossed Colin's eyes. "Laura, you still can't accept reality?"

I stared at him. "What reality?"

"Elsie's illness couldn't be cured."

He spoke as calmly as if he were discussing a failed business venture. "Pouring money into keeping her alive just meant needles, vomiting, and agony every single day. That's what was really cruel."

My hand trembled. "She wanted to live."

Colin was silent for a few seconds, and his voice dropped lower. "You're the one who couldn't let go."

I raised my hand and slapped him. The sharp crack made everyone in the office turn to look.

Ariana immediately stepped in front of Colin, her tears falling on cue. "Laura, please don't hit him. I don't want the house anymore. This is all my fault."

Colin pulled her behind him, his eyes frighteningly cold. "Apologize."

I looked at him. "You want me to apologize to her?"

"She didn't know that was Elsie's medicine money."

"Fine, she didn't know. What about you?"

Colin said nothing.

I picked up the contract and flipped through it page by page. Suddenly, an insurance cancellation form slid out of the document envelope.

The policyholder was Colin Mathers, and the insured was Elsie Mathers. The policy had been canceled six months ago, with a refund of 360,000 dollars.

My vision went black, and I had to grab the edge of the table to keep from falling.

Six months ago, Elsie had been in critical condition for the first time. I had knelt outside the doctor's office and begged Colin to find the money.

He held me and told me not to be afraid, that he would figure something out. So his solution had been to cancel Elsie's critical illness policy and use that money to buy Noah a house in a better school district.

I held the cancellation form up in front of him. "Are you going to tell me this was to spare Elsie some suffering too?"

Colin's expression finally changed.

Ariana hurried to explain, "Laura, I really didn't know this was insurance money..."

I let out a laugh. "You didn't know anything?"

She did not know he had used my daughter's medicine money to buy her a house. She did not know he had stopped my daughter's medication. She did not know that on the day of my daughter's viewing, he had still wanted to take her corneas to save her son.

Ariana backed up half a step under my stare.

Colin grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door. The glass door slammed into my shoulder, and the pain made my vision go white.

"Laura, that's enough."

I shook him off. "No, it's not."

My voice was so hoarse that it did not even sound like mine. "Colin, how many times did you sell off Elsie's life?"

He stared at me with his lips pressed into a tight line. "You're not in your right mind right now."

I nodded. "My daughter is dead. Of course, I'm not in my right mind."

Colin's gaze faltered for a moment. Soon enough, though, his expression turned cold again. "Stop bothering Ariana and Noah."

I looked at the door behind him. Noah was leaning against the window, watching me. He was holding a little keychain the agent had given him, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

Elsie had died without ever seeing her father come back with her medicine. Meanwhile, Noah already had the keys to his new home.