e back in sharp,

lained the risks of the nephrectomy. I remembered signing the consent form without a second thought, my only f

tears looking so real. "Thank you, Ethan," s

. All

y. I stood in front of my own phone camera in our basement, the concrete cold against my bare feet. I put on the cheap satin dress they had left for

hidden lives. I danced. I sang a children's nursery rhyme in a high-pitched voice. W

l being flayed, and I ha

'd flinch at loud noises and wake up from nightmares, crying in my arms. I held her,

incredibl

"My daddy is the bravest man in the world." She was a child then, a pawn in her mother's game. But the girl I

t the loss of my kidney or my career. It was the theft of my reality. My entire life had b

h anniversary. She had said it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. I picked it up, the wood smoot

t, my knuckles white. This w

ate. I tossed the wooden bird into the cold, empty hearth. It land

s a start, but I needed more. Sophia was cunning. She would deny

ad to be a paper trail. But medical record

storage box in the attic, saying it had "sentimental photos" on it. At the time, I thought it w

to bed, their laughter echoing down the

to the attic. Dust motes danced in the beam of my phone's flashlight

nd plugged it in. It whirred to life. I

ten minutes to find w

uments, were emails. Emails between Sophia

n cold as I

ut they were also business plans. They detailed their affai

for Lily. We just need to make the diagnosis look real. My

move on to the second phase. The firm. His reputation needs to be in tatter

practically begging him to leave. It's working, Daniel. It'

ld me she was visiting her sick aunt. Photos of them kissing, celebrating. In one, Daniel was lif

ease. And attached to it was a copy of a large wire transfer from my business account-a transfer I didn't reco

for my own

s a quiet, steady burn. I wasn't just a victim of betrayal. I was th

, encrypted hard drive. I made three copies. One for my lawyer, one to b

o its factory settings, and placed it ba

cientist in the field of regenerative medicine. We'd kept in touch over the years, and she'd once offered me a position to c

t offer still on the table? I need a chan

ching the first set of files. The subject li

nt. They were sleeping peacefully, dr

ver. They didn't realize I