Chapter 2

I didn't know how much time had passed.

They didn't stop until blood had pooled on the floor behind me.

Sebastian let out a delighted shout. "See? I told you! The bad luck's beaten out, and Tyler's fever broke!"

They all cheered.

Rebecca reached out to help me up, but I instinctively pulled away.

Her hand froze in midair, and her voice came out stiff. "My mom was only thinking of the family."

I no longer had the energy to argue with her.

Melissa lay motionless in my arms. Only her faint breathing remained.

I carried my daughter straight to the hospital.

I was in a daze the whole way. Passersby gasped in shock at the sight of me covered in blood.

The moment we arrived, Melissa was wheeled into the operating room.

The doctor said she had a lung infection and had suffered seizures brought on by her high fever. She also needed urgent treatment for the burns on her arm.

When he saw how bloody I was, he paused for a beat, then immediately offered to treat my wounds.

But all I could think about was Melissa curled up in my arms, not moving.

I waved him off and slumped weakly against the wall. As I watched the glaring red light above the operating room door, my eyes stung.

Suddenly, I remembered five years ago.

The day Rebecca gave birth, I had waited just like this.

The doctor had said she was frail and the delivery would be dangerous. If anything went wrong, she might even hemorrhage.

Back then, I had knelt outside the operating room, praying nonstop.

At long last, the news came that mother and daughter were both safe. But right after that, I was told that Rebecca's older sister had been in a car accident on her way to the hospital. Her premature baby boy had survived, but she hadn't.

She had given birth to a son who hadn't even reached full term.

After that, Rebecca sank into guilt. "Melissa's curse killed my sister!"

Every time she said it, I had no way to defend us.

Her sister's death had been an accident. But if I said so, Rebecca would only cry harder.

Right after the birth, the doctor diagnosed her with postpartum depression.

So for her sake, and for our newborn daughter's, I endured it again and again and backed down every single time.

But the Allen family wouldn't let me off the hook.

They pinned that absurd idea on Melissa and me, insisting we were cursed to bring ruin to everyone around us.

From the day she was born, Melissa suffered day after day.

She was afraid of her grandmother, afraid of her own mother, afraid of her own family.

Rebecca and I had fought about it many times.

But every time, she only said the same thing. "You heard what the psychic said too. Melissa was born under a bad star, and her fate clashes with Tyler's. We owe them. Think of it as atonement."

By the time I came back to myself, Melissa had already been wheeled out of the operating room.

The doctor reassured me, "She's out of danger for now. But she's very frail. She can't take any more shocks."

The weight on my heart finally lifted.

Melissa lay in the hospital bed. She opened her eyes, and the moment she saw me, her lips pouted and trembled with hurt.

She lifted her burned arm. "Daddy, it hurts."

My eyes reddened. I lowered my head and held her little fingers.

Early the next morning, someone pushed the door open.

Rebecca walked in carrying bags of all sizes, filled with nutritional supplements suitable for children, fruit, and all kinds of toys.

I stood up and blocked her way. "Get out. Melissa just woke up."

Rebecca stopped short and sighed. "You can't keep me from seeing my child, can you?"

Hearing her voice, Melissa poked her head out from under the blanket.

She was a little afraid of Rebecca, but she couldn't stop herself from longing for a mother's love. "Mommy..."

Rebecca's gaze softened a little. She sat on the edge of the bed and started peeling an apple for her.

"Mommy, can you stay with me?"

Melissa had to gather every ounce of courage to say it.

After all, ever since Melissa was born, Rebecca had been afraid of catching her bad luck, so she had rarely shown her any affection.

But today, she nodded readily.

Watching the two of them together, I thought Rebecca had finally found her conscience.

But the very next second, I heard her say, "Tyler is sick. Once you're feeling better, how about you give him some of your blood?"

Fury surged through me from head to toe, snuffing out the hope that had only just flickered to life in my heart.

I turned and took the divorce agreement I had prepared out of the cabinet. "Sign it."

Rebecca was stunned for a moment. She stood up, her face dark as she stared at the papers in front of her. "When did you get this ready?"

I said nothing.

She sighed and glanced back at Melissa, who was watching us nervously. "Are you sure you want to do this in front of her?

"Melissa is a curse. She killed my sister, and now she's jinxing Tyler. Even so, I've still raised her for five years."

Just as we reached a standoff, a commotion broke out in the hallway.

A nurse ran past, shouting, "Family of Martha Booker? She's having a heart attack!"