Chapter 5

I didn't respond. I just hung up the phone.

Then I blocked and deleted every contact in my phone related to the Smith family.

I believed George would find a way to save his son.

He had plenty of money and connections. How could a rare blood type possibly stump him?

Besides, Sarah was there. Surely the two of them wouldn't just abandon their own son, right?

"Family matter?" William's voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

"Already handled." I turned around and gave him a calm smile. "Let's continue."

We talked for a long time.

About technological innovations in aviation over the years, about the current state of the training center, and about future possibilities.

William said that even if I didn't pass the final interview, he would personally hire me for his project team.

"All you're missing is an opportunity and a platform, Grace." His gaze was sincere. "Your talent has always been there; it never disappeared. Don't be afraid. This time I'm on your side."

Don't be afraid.

Those two words landed gently, yet struck a heavy echo in my heart.

How long had it been since I'd heard words like that?

In the Smith family, all I ever heard was "How can you not even handle something this simple?"

"Thank you, William." I heard my voice catch slightly, but quickly steadied it. "Really."

Milly quickly adapted to her new kindergarten. There were more smiles on her face, and she would even tell me about new friends she'd made that day.

Peaceful. Calm.

This was exactly the life I couldn't have had in my previous life.

Until that afternoon.

The kindergarten teacher called, saying, "Milly's mom, please come to the kindergarten right away! Something's happened!"

I didn't even hear the rest. I grabbed my coat and rushed out.

All the way there, images of Milly lying in a hospital bed, barely breathing, in my previous life, mixed with all kinds of terrible possibilities, nearly suffocated me.

When I reached the kindergarten, I could hear shrill childish crying and shouting from far away.

"It's her! Milly! She's a murderer!" Jack's voice was sharp and piercing. "It's because her mom wouldn't help me! That's why I fell from so high! I bled so much! It's all their fault!"

Milly's little face was pale as a sheet. Her big eyes were brimming with tears, but she stubbornly held them back.

She looked at the bandage on Jack's head, seeming to want to say something. Her small hand timidly reached forward, probably wanting to check his wound.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me!" Jack suddenly swung his hand and shoved hard against Milly's shoulder.

Milly was completely unprepared. With a startled cry, she fell backward onto the ground. Her elbow scraped against the rough surface, instantly turning red and seeping blood.

"Jack! No pushing!" The teacher rushed to help Milly up.

"I'll push if I want to! She's bad! Her mom is bad too! Make them both leave!" Jack wouldn't let up and tried to charge forward again, but was held back by another teacher.

Just then, a tall figure carrying an oppressive aura strode in quickly.

George had arrived.

His brow furrowed instantly as he bent down and picked Jack up.

"Daddy! She's bullying me!" Jack immediately grabbed his lifeline, pointing at Milly on the ground and crying.

George's cold gaze swept over Milly, who was being helped up by the teacher, her arm bleeding, trembling slightly from fear. There was no concern in his eyes, no inquiry, only layer upon layer of annoyance and indifference.

"What happened?" He asked the teacher, but his eyes were on the son in his arms.

"Mr. Smith, it was David who ran over first to yell at Milly, and he pushed her." The teacher tried to explain.

"She cursed at me first!" Jack screamed, interrupting.

George seemed to have no patience to listen further, and didn't look at the wound bleeding on Milly's arm.

He gently patted his son's back, his voice unusually gentle. "It's okay now, Daddy will take you home."

With that, he carried Jack and turned to leave.

From arrival to departure, his gaze didn't linger on Milly for more than a second, as if she were just an inconvenient object in the way.

"Daddy," Milly's tiny voice escaped from her pale lips, immediately drowned out by the surrounding noise.

I rushed over to hold my daughter and rushed to the hospital to treat her wound.

Back home, Milly had no energy. She barely ate dinner and said early on that she wanted to sleep.

I coaxed her to lie down and felt her forehead. It was a bit hot.

My heart sank. I found the thermometer and took her temperature: 38.5°C.

Fever caused by wound infection.

I immediately gave her physical cooling, fed her fever medicine, and stayed by her bedside.

In the middle of the night, Milly started talking in her sleep. Her whole body was burning hot, her little face flushed red, and her breathing became rapid.

I changed the towel over and over, panic flooding over me like a tide.

This was how it happened with Milly in my previous life.

An ordinary high fever, because of George's indifference, because of my weakness and delay, eventually turned into pneumonia. That tiny life slipped away bit by bit in my arms...

I held my burning daughter tightly, my body trembling uncontrollably. "Milly, don't be afraid. Mommy's here. This time Mommy will definitely protect you."

I wrapped her tightly in a blanket and rushed out the door.

Children's hospital emergency room. The lights were harsh white.

"The child is malnourished, too weak physically, poor resistance. The wound infection triggered acute inflammation, and now she's somewhat dehydrated with an electrolyte imbalance." The doctor looked at the examination report, frowning deeply. "How have you been taking care of her? The child is so thin, missing several trace elements, and her blood and qi are very deficient."

The doctor's words lashed at my heart like a whip.

In my previous life, to please George, Milly would always force herself to eat food she didn't like at all, cold, greasy things, just because they were what Daddy liked.

She'd eat and vomit, then be forced to eat again. Her stomach was weak, and she was thin and frail. How could her nutrition possibly keep up?

"Doctor, hospitalize her, we'll do inpatient treatment!" My voice was hoarse, almost pleading. "IV drips, nutritional supplements, whatever it takes, please make sure she gets better!"

"Mommy..." Milly, on the hospital bed opened her eyes groggily, her voice very soft.

"Mommy's here, baby, Mommy's here." I gripped her little hand tightly, tears finally streaming down. "Sleep now. Mommy's watching over you. This time Mommy's not going anywhere."

While handling the admission procedures, a sharp pain shot through my knee. Only then did I remember falling hard this morning while running with Milly in my arms.

I felt nothing at the time, but now every step felt like needles stabbing me.

But I couldn't care about that. I limped back and forth between the payment window and the ward, with only one thought in my mind.

My daughter must get better.

Passing through the quiet corridor of the VIP ward, a familiar voice came through a slightly open door.

"It's all Mommy's fault! She used to never let me climb high or play exciting things. I never got to practice! That's why I got dizzy this time and fell from the plane! It's all her fault!"

It was Jack.

He seemed to be recovering well.

Then came a gentle, laughing female voice. "So what do you think of me?"

"Sarah's the best! So pretty and capable, and you can even fly planes!" Jack's voice turned sweet. "Sarah, will you be my new mommy? I don't want that evil mommy anymore. She didn't even care about me. I bled so much, and she didn't even come..."

The woman's voice carried a smile. "You can't say things like that."

"I'm not saying it randomly! I really want Sarah to be my mommy! Daddy likes Sarah too!"