Chapter 4

I ran like a madwoman toward the exit. The security guards stood in my way like a human wall, unmovable.

Harvey watched me.

"You want to leave? Fine. But first—you're going live on camera. You'll apologize to Lydia and Ellie, and you'll promise never to bother them again."

I stared at him in disbelief.

[Countdown to extraction: 3 hours.]

Then I thought of Lynn lying in that hospital bed. My eyes burned.

"Fine. I'll apologize."

Thousands of viewers flooded the livestream in seconds.

I took a deep breath. My voice was shaking.

"My name is Jennifer Rocher. I admit here and now that I have harmed my daughter, Ellie, as well as Lydia Winston. I sincerely apologize to both of them."

Lydia dabbed at her dry eyes.

"Jennifer, I don't blame you. I will raise Ellie well. Harvey says she looks just like me. Maybe that's fate—maybe we were always meant to be mother and daughter."

She kissed Ellie. Ellie giggled in her arms.

I stood to the side like an outsider in my own life.

The comments flew across the screen.

[What kind of mother tries to drown her own child?!]

[That's attempted murder. Why isn't anyone calling the cops?]

[A lame apology, and she thinks she can just walk away? No way!]

Someone in the crowd locked eyes with Lydia. A split second later, rotten vegetable leaves came flying at my face.

"Monster!"

"Trying to kill your own daughter? You deserve to die!"

I was kicked to the ground. Fists and feet came down from every direction.

Harvey took one step forward.

Lydia grabbed his arm. "Harvey, I'm so scared. Please protect me and Ellie."

He stopped. His foot came back. And then he just stood there, watching coldly as I was beaten on the ground.

I curled into myself. My vision started to blur.

The system's voice grew faint in my mind.

[Countdown to extraction: 1 hour.]

I don't know how long they kept at it. Eventually, the crowd dispersed. I lay there like a broken doll, covered in bruises and blood.

I dragged myself up and ran toward the nursing home without looking back.

When I burst into the ICU, the doctor was already walking out, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry. We did everything we could."

Lynn lay there under a white sheet. The last traces of warmth were fading from her skin.

A nurse handed me a piece of paper.

"Lynn's last words."

My hands trembled as I took it.

I unfolded it.

Four words. Scrawled crookedly, like she'd used every last bit of strength she had.

"Leave. Don't look back."

The tears I'd been holding back for so long finally broke through. I pressed the note against my chest and sobbed until my whole body shook.

When I walked out of the nursing home, a message from Harvey lit up my phone.

[Consider this whole thing over. Go home and rest. We'll come back once Lydia has cooled down.]

When I showed up at the hospital, he looked surprised.

"What are you doing here? Go home and get some sleep."

I looked at him.

[Countdown to extraction: 5 minutes.]

"Harvey... the biggest regret of my life was ever meeting you."

His face changed.

He opened his mouth to snap at me—and then he saw my foot step over the windowsill.

"What are you doing?!"

Panic flooded his voice. Words tumbled out of him, jumbled and desperate.

"Get down from there! You think this scares me? It was just an apology! This is ridiculous!"

I watched him calmly.

[Countdown to extraction: 1 minute.]

"It's not ridiculous. So I'm giving this life back to you."

[Countdown to extraction: 0 seconds.]

As the system's voice faded, I took one last look at Harvey's terrified face.

In the distance, Ellie looked at me and smiled.

I leaned back and fell into endless freedom.

Harvey lunged for the window, screaming my name like his own heart was being torn out of his chest.