Chapter 5

I went back to the house and packed up Charlotte's things.

Little dresses. Little shoes. Colored pencils. Picture books. All of it arranged so neatly.

I folded each one and packed it away, and my tears fell on them and soaked in.

Every single item still carried her warmth. Every single one went through my heart like a blade.

I went through the bag the nurse had handed me , Charlotte's personal belongings. A pink bunny-shaped box.

I opened it. Everything inside made it harder to breathe.

A small diary with shaky, uneven handwriting. Every entry was about her dad.

Today I drew Daddy. Daddy didn't come.

I'm allergic to strawberries. Daddy knows. He won't let me eat them.

I just want Daddy to hug me one time. Just once.

Birthday wish: I want Daddy to like me.

The last page was written yesterday.

Daddy sent me a cake. Strawberry flavor. Daddy finally loves me. I'm so happy.

I held that diary and broke completely apart.

My Charlotte. She died believing that the cake that killed her was her father's love.

She was still forgiving him right up until the very end.

In the box there was also a drawing of the three of us as a family , crumpled from how tightly she had held it.

Her worn old stuffed bunny was there too. She always said the rabbit was a gift from Daddy.

An unfinished drawing. Candy she had been saving and hadn't eaten yet.

The hospital nurse gave me the full file of evidence.

Records of the tampered strawberry cake.

A recording of him refusing to donate. A medical report showing her prenatal vitamins had been contaminated.

The proof was airtight. He was a murderer. A man who had conspired to end his own daughter's life.

I took out my phone and called my attorney. My voice was calm in a way that should have frightened anyone who heard it.

"I want to file charges against Alexander. Intentional homicide. Abandonment. Aggravated assault."

"I want him sentenced to life. I want him stripped of every asset he has. I want him to lose everything."

"And I want the divorce. I want him to live the rest of his life drowning in regret."

From this moment on, the woman who had loved Alexander no longer existed.

In her place stood something else entirely , something that would not stop until justice was done.

Alexander came home reeking of alcohol, his expression dark.

"Sign the divorce papers. And don't bring up that dead kid."

That dead kid.

I turned around slowly. My eyes were cold.

"Alexander. Charlotte is dead. And you are the one who killed her."

I threw the evidence in his face.

Text message records. Audio recordings. The diary. The medical reports.

The papers scattered across the floor.

And among them, Charlotte's handwriting stared up at him.

Daddy finally loves me.

The color drained from his face. He began to shake.

Sophie burst in crying.

"Alexander, she's lying! That child was always going to die!"

I looked at her without flinching.

"You're an accomplice. You'll pay for it alongside him."

Alexander roared.

"I have money. I have connections. You don't stand a chance against me!"

"Sign the agreement. I'll give you two million. We'll call it even."

I laughed. It was a hollow, glacial sound.

"You owe Charlotte her life. No amount of money will ever make that even."

"I will take everything from you. And you will never, ever come back from it."