Annie grabbed Brittany’s dress.
“I’m sorry. I won’t take Ryan’s dad away. I promise I’ll never go near him again. Please, let my mommy go!”
く
Brittany stopped and looked at the boiling
pot, and then smiled.
She grabbed Annie and pushed her over to
the fire.
“Okay, little brat. If you take all the firewood
out with your bare hands, I’ll let your mom go.
Think you can do it?”
Annie froze, and I screamed, “Annie, don’t do
it! Mommy’s already gone, don’t hurt yourself
for me!”
But Annie couldn’t hear me. She looked at the
fire, hesitated for only a second, and reached
out with her little hand.
<
The burning coals seared her skin, and
blisters popped up.
But she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t want
me to hear her and be sad.
One piece after another, until her hands were
completely burned.
She looked at Brittany, tears in her eyes.
“I did it! I got it all! Now, please, let my
mommy go!”
Brittany yawned and waved at the guard,
telling him to take the lid off.
Г
They dragged me out.
I was burned beyond recognition. The parts of
my skin that had been pink were now white
and smelled like cooked meat.
“Ugh!”
The guard threw up, and Brittany stepped
back in horror.
The other guard started sweating and
checked for a pulse.
“Oh my God! She’s dead! Mrs. Harrison is
dead!”
Brittany’s eyes widened in terror.
“Not me! I didn’t do this! You didn’t take care
of her!”
She ran away, and the other guards followed
her.
Annie was the only one left. She stood there,
staring at my body.
Then she ran over and hugged me,
screaming, “Mommy! Wake up! I saved you! I
saved you!”
“Please wake up!”
She cried and cried, and my heart broke.
I couldn’t stop crying, and I hugged her, trying
to share the pain.
Finally, Annie wiped her tears and stood up.
“Mommy, I’m going to take you home. Just
wait, I’ll be back.”
She got up on her knees, already scraped,
and went to the house.
The guards stopped her.
Matt came home with Ryan.
L
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes! Thanks for being the best dad!”
Matt ruffled Ryan’s hair, and Annie grabbed
his leg.
“Daddy, it’s me! Mommy’s dead! Please, take
her home!”
Matt stopped and looked at the dirty kid and
frowned. He called the guards.
They pulled Annie off and threw her aside.
“Daddy, it’s me! Why don’t you believe me?
Please, bring her home!”
く
She had not eaten all day, and she fainted.
I wanted to pick her up, but I couldn’t.
“Help! Save my baby!”
I shouted at everyone, but nobody could hear
- me. They avoided her.
Matt’s assistant came out to kick her away.
He looked at her and recognized her.
He picked her up and ran inside to tell Matt.
“Mr. Harrison, that’s Annie! The phone she
has is Mrs. Harrison’s!”
Chapter 2
Matt was having dinner with Brittany and
Ryan when the butler barged in, and he glared
at him.
“Mr. Miller, what’s gotten into you? Did Sarah
get to you too? You just make things up.”
The assistant, Jack, was sweating and quickly
wiped Annie’s face clean, wanting to show
Matt.
Brittany got nervous and blocked Matt.
“Honey, Sarah must be jealous you came to
see me. So, she sent Miller here to distract
you.”
Matt paused, disgust in his eyes.
He sat back down and sent me a voice
message.
“Sarah, if you miss me, apologize yourself.
Don’t send Miller here.”
Just then, Annie’s phone chimed.
[My Darling Husband sent a new message]
The room went silent.
Matt knew that voice well, it was from when
we were newly married.
I called him shameless, but he kissed me and
put it on my phone.
“You’re my wife, mine. Everyone needs to
know I love you.”
“I’m putting it on everything!”
“When our kids grow up, it’ll be all three of
us.”
For seven years, I used it.
It was a little embarrassing, but now it was
ironic.
<
Matt’s blood ran cold.
Why was my phone on that dirty, injured kid?
Hadn’t he let me go? Hadn’t I taken Annie
home?
He was scared.
He gulped down the tea.
“Miller, bring the kid here…”
Brittany blocked him.
“Honey, who cares about some beggar?
Annie’s too clean to get like that.”
<
“Sarah’s jealous about Ryan, so she lost my
old phone.”
She reminded him about Ryan’s burns, trying
to provoke him.
But Matt only felt scared.
“Miller, did you hear me?”
Jack felt Annie’s forehead, and pushed
Brittany out of the way.
“Mr. Harrison, this is Annie. She has a fever
because of infections. She needs help!”
く
Annie was in front of him, her face bruised,
and blood on her mouth.
The dress was covered in dirt.
Her hands were covered with burst blisters.
Matt felt guilty and panicked.
“What happened? Who did this?”
Brittany grabbed his arm, her voice fake.
“Honey, it’s our fault. Sarah’s jealous and
dressed her daughter up like that.
“She cares more about herself than Annie.”
く
Brittany made me sound awful.
But Matt grabbed her neck and shoved her
face in front of Annie.
“You think this is makeup? Why don’t you do
that to Ryan?”
“Why do you always badmouth Sarah?!”
Since Brittany showed up, I never said bad
things about her.
Brittany was always badmouthing me.
Brittany looked shocked.
<
“Honey, I didn’t. She did a lot to make you
hate me!”
I looked at Annie, panicking.
I never hurt my kids to get Matt back.
Annie loved her dad.
