Chapter 4

"Silly girl, your husband wouldn't be happy to hear that."

Maya pouted in dissatisfaction.

"But I only want you to be my baby's father. When I see you caring about Serena's baby, it feels like there's a rock in my heart, blocking everything."

"Dawson, now that you have your own child, will you stop being good to mine?"

I pulled the door open a crack and watched Dawson pull Maya into his embrace.

His voice was somewhat hoarse as he comforted her.

"Silly, you're the most important thing in my life, and your child will always be closer to me than my own biological child. Don't overthink it."

I covered my trembling lips, my hand stiffly pressing the doorknob, completely shutting out the two faces drawing closer beyond the door.

The next day, I was startled awake from sleep by a scream.

I instinctively reached for the baby sleeping beside me but felt only emptiness.

My scalp went numb instantly.

I didn't bother with shoes and ran toward the source of the sound.

In the bathroom, Maya stood frozen by the door as if frightened out of her wits.

And further inside... Dawson was pulling my baby out of the bathtub.

My mind went blank. I shoved Maya aside and rushed in to snatch the baby.

"Baby, don't scare mommy."

Dawson also seemed to have broken out in a cold sweat. He quickly pulled at me.

"Let's go to the hospital first, Serena."

The emergency room light came on. I collapsed on the floor as Dawson carried me out.

In the hallway outside, Maya and Nathan had also followed.

I lunged madly at Maya, my raised hand blocked by Nathan.

Maya kept apologizing to me.

"I'm sorry, Serena. I just saw how exhausted you were and kindly wanted to give the baby a bath. I didn't know the swim ring would break. I really didn't know."

She cried pitifully. Dawson's heart ached for her.

He also stood in front of her.

"Serena, don't blame Maya. This morning I saw you sleeping soundly and took the baby to give him a bath."

Another slap rang out, landing on Dawson's face.

But it couldn't begin to offset the pain in my heart.

Even now, he was still blindly defending her.

I stared fixedly at the emergency room, no longer looking at them.

I don't know how much time passed before the doctor came out, looking regretful.

"I'm very sorry. The child was submerged too long. We couldn't revive him."

I listened in a haze. After a deafening roar in my head, the world before me drained of all color.

I lay there for three days.

For three days, I stared blankly ahead as Dawson spooned thin porridge into my mouth.

He held me often and wept, his tears soaking into the neckline of my gown.

"Serena, please don't scare me like this!"

Nathan stood by my bed frequently too, lips pressed into a tight line, never saying a word.

On the fourth day, Maya threatened to take her own life to apologize to me.

As they rushed to console her, I reached for my ID and stepped steadily into the waiting car.