LOGIN[Alice’s POV]I was woken by my phone ringing.4:27 a.m. The screen showed Endall’s number. He never calls at this hour… unless something’s wrong.“Hello?”“Alice, are you awake? Check your email. Right now.” Endall’s voice was low and urgent, with a tremor that sounded as if he were being held back.I opened my inbox.The top email was an official notification from a medical forum. The subject line was a string of technical terms I couldn’t immediately decipher, but two words in the middle sent a chill down my spine… “Forensic Evidence Science” and “Highly Contagious Viral Sample.”I clicked on the link in the notification, then opened three other emails with similar content.That anonymous tabloid article I had once ignored had, overnight, undergone a transformation.It no longer merely accused me of academic fraud and personal misconduct. Someone — it didn’t say who — had upgraded and professionalized the article’s core allegations. The new accusations were clear, precise, and deva
[David’s POV]The impact of those words was precise. “He can’t be without a father…” not “I need you,” not “we should be together,” but “he.”Pushing the child to the forefront, hiding herself behind the baby. That way, any refusal would amount to rejecting an unborn child, not rejecting her.I didn’t speak.I wasn’t thinking about how to respond; I was feeling something inside my body. It was heavy, pressing against my chest like a slab of lead. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that slab of lead was… not anger, not sadness, not guilt.It was a more primal, more chaotic feeling. Like standing at a crossroads where you can’t see the end of either path, with someone pushing you from behind and someone pulling you from the front — you’re caught in the middle, unable to move.Camila’s smiling face flashed through my mind. Then Alice, heavy with child, head down, looking at documents in the conference room. Then the sky-blue treehouse in that old oak. Then the signed custody transfer
[David’s POV]The private doctor’s office was located in a detached villa, in the southern part of the city. There were no signs or directional markers; from the outside, it looked like an ordinary residence. But the facilities inside were even more complete than those in a public hospital’s VIP ward… This was privacy bought at a high price. No reception desk, no waiting area, no other patients. You drive in, go straight to the examination room, see the doctor, and leave. You never have to come into contact with anyone unrelated to your visit.I sat in the leather chair in the examination room, with Lily beside me.Dr. Morrison was in his sixties, balding, and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He was my family doctor and had been treating me since I was seventeen. He knows my entire medical history, my allergies, and even which anesthetics I have adverse reactions to. He’s also one of the very few people in the world I trust… not because he’s particularly noble, but because he charges enough
[David’s POV]It was 6:12 a.m. when the doorbell rang.This wasn’t a good sign. No one should be ringing my doorbell at 6:12 a.m. My secretary knows I don’t check my emails until 8:00 a.m., the cleaning lady has a key and doesn’t need to ring the bell, and as for Lily… she doesn’t have the code for my building’s entry system; the last time she came over, I opened the door for her myself.I sat up in bed, stepped barefoot onto the floor, crossed the hallway, and headed through the house to the front door. At the press of a button, the video doorbell screen lit up.Showing Lily.She was standing outside my door wearing no makeup, her hair loose, dressed in a gray cardigan and pajama bottoms. It wasn’t a carefully staged ‘no-makeup’ look — it was the real thing… her lips were chapped, dark circles hung under her eyes, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.One of her hands was clutching the doorframe.Not holding on for support, but clutching it. Her knuckles were white, as if she
[Alice’s POV]3:15 p.m. The school doors swung open.The children poured out like beans spilled from a bag — big and small, tall and short, carrying colorful backpacks. Some were laughing, some were running, and some were racing their friends to see who could reach the gate first. Parents waited outside the gate, craning their necks to spot their children, like a flock of penguins peering out from the water’s edge.I stood at the entrance to the café beside the parking lot, with a clear view of the entire school gate.I didn’t push my way forward. I just stood there, holding the little pink water bottle Camila had left in the car.The children came out one by one. I scanned them one by one… not to recognize faces, but to find those two little pigtails.Three minutes. Four minutes. Five minutes.The crowd began to thin. Most of the children had already been collected by their parents; the school entrance went from crowded to empty, with only a few scattered children left waiting.Then
[Alice’s POV]“I know.”“I can’t do what you do.”“You don’t need to.”“...Alright.” He exhaled. “So, what are you doing right now?”“Taking Camila to school.”“Oh.” He paused. “Do you need help? I could...”“No, thanks. You’ve got plenty on your plate. The coordination plan for the International Aid Alliance isn’t finalized yet, is it? It’s due by Friday.”“How do you know it’s Friday?”“Because you said so at the meeting last week.”Another silence fell. This time, the nature of the silence was different. It wasn’t the silence of anger, nor was it the silence of confusion. It was a silence born of not knowing how to continue, tinged with something else.“Alice?”“Mm-hmm.”“You really are… amazing.”He hung up as soon as he finished speaking.I put down my phone and watched the screen go dark. My own face appeared on the black screen… dark circles under my eyes, cheekbones slightly more prominent than six months ago, lips a bit dry. Eight months pregnant — not a pretty sight. But my
[Alice's POV]The harsh morning light revealed the stark, blackened ruins of the Newcombe villa. Once our home.Lily’s screaming accusations echoed across the empty lawn; her face twisted with jealousy and rage. Her carefully manicured fingers trembled as she pointed at me, her voice so shrill it a
[Alice's POV]The narrow space inside the ambulance was crowded, containing two stretchers, one each side. The hissing sound of the oxygen mask was particularly jarring, making me feel irritated. I was holding Camilla, who was still softly sobbing, but my gaze fell on Lily on the other stretcher.S
[Alice's POV]The dull pain in my stomach struck again, more intense than at any time before. I staggered for a moment, and Adam firmly supported me.“You need to get checked out right away.” Adam’s tone was serious. “You’re paler even than Lily.”“Could you take me back to Lily’s room? I’ve left m
[Lily’s POV]There was still a lingering burnt smell in the air, in the manor’s main bedroom, reminding me of that heart-stopping night. Restoration had been swift. It was nearing completion and the main areas of the big house were habitable once more.I’m sitting up in the large bed; my right hand







