My husband, Liam Caldwell, took our daughter Sophie and his on-again, off-again high school sweetheart, Chloe Vance, to the Rocky Mountains for Christmas.

For Chloe's sake, he abandoned our little girl along the way.

While I feared a bear was mauling her, I couldn't reach him.

When I arrived, the car window was shattered—all that remained was a single gingerbread man, stained with blood.

As I drowned in grief, Liam finally answered his phone. "It's Christmas Eve. Stop being such a killjoy."

I sneered internally. Happy holidays.

I should send you a bloody gingerbread man.

Maybe then you'll feel some real “holiday spirit.”

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1

I pushed open the door to our home.

An agonizing scene greeted me. A fire crackled in the living room hearth, and joyous laughter filled the air.

A sumptuous Christmas Eve feast covered the table, the air rich with the aroma of spices and mulled wine.

My heart sank.

A chill shot through my body.

My husband, Liam Caldwell, and his high school first love, Chloe Vance, sat side-by-side on the rug before the fireplace.

They were nestled together intimately, content smiles on their faces.

My mother-in-law, Eleanor Caldwell, sat on the sofa across from them, cradling Chloe’s son, Mason.

She fed him Christmas pudding with a silver spoon, and he giggled, his small face smeared with cream.

He looked exactly like Sophie did at that age.

My gaze locked onto the pudding, and my heart clenched at the thought of my own daughter, Sophie.

My vision began to blur, and I could barely stay on my feet.

"Well, if it isn't Olivia! Why the long face on such a glorious day?" Chloe spotted me from the doorway, her voice dripping with mockery.

She leaned even closer into Liam’s arms, as if staking her claim.

Liam glanced up, and when his eyes met mine, a look of annoyance crossed his face.

"It's Christmas Eve. Can't you at least try to look happy? And for God's sake, Olivia, how many times do I have to tell you to look presentable? Just try to be more like Chloe for once."

My disheveled, snow-and-mud-splattered clothes were a stark contrast to the cozy scene.

He didn't care.

His eyes held only irritation and disgust.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm of emotions raging inside me.

I stared at them, my voice like ice.

"Liam, where is Sophie?"

At my question, Eleanor patted Mason, who was nestled in her arms.

"You have the nerve to ask? That daughter of yours is just like you—wild and ill-mannered, running off on Christmas of all days! Nothing like our sweet Mason here…"

"Say that again!" I snapped, glaring at Eleanor.

The sound of my own voice was sharp and unfamiliar, stunning everyone into silence.

They had never seen me so completely unhinged.

Liam was the first to react. He scrambled up from the rug, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"Olivia! Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I ignored him and strode toward Eleanor, my eyes locked on the child in her arms.

"You don't have the right to say her name! None of you do!" I shouted, my voice rising with every word.

Rage coiled in my gut, threatening to swallow me whole.

Liam was startled by my outburst.

He stared at me in disbelief, his eyes flashing with disgust and anger.

He said coldly, "Olivia, what do you think you're doing? Look at the state of you. Is this how a wife and mother is supposed to act?"

My lips trembled. "A mother? Do you even have a clue what happened to Sophie…"

But Chloe's soft voice cut me off. She looked at Liam, tears welling in her eyes.

"Liam, please don't be angry. Olivia's probably just upset to see me here. Maybe I should take Mason and go, so she doesn't get more upset…"

"Chloe, you're not going anywhere. She's the one who should leave."

Liam stopped her without a moment's hesitation.

He then turned to me, his face a mask of fury.

"Olivia, are you done making a scene? Go find a corner and think about your behavior. I'll deal with you later!"

"I…" I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I stared at Liam, my hope draining away.

This man, who had once sworn his undying love to me, was now a cold, heartless stranger.

Without another thought, I turned and dragged my heavy feet upstairs toward Sophie’s room.

"See, Liam? I told you from the start you never should have married her! Look at her, acting like a madwoman and disgracing the Caldwell name!"

"Mom, don't be angry. Let's just enjoy our holiday with Chloe and forget about her."

Listening to their conversation, my heart fractured.

I stumbled into Sophie’s room and collapsed onto her bed.

Tears streamed silently down my face, soaking into her pink bedsheets.

The agony was a physical pain, cutting deep into my bones.

The room still held Sophie's sweet, candy-like scent.

But my world had lost all its sweetness.

I hated myself for being so weak.

If I had only insisted on going with Sophie, if I hadn't so foolishly trusted Liam, Sophie wouldn't have…

I covered my face and wept, the pain too raw to contain.

Regret and self-loathing coiled around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs.

A faint clatter broke the silence as something slipped from my coat pocket and fell to the floor.

I looked down to see Sophie’s favorite teddy bear lying there, its button eyes a silent accusation.

My hands trembling, I picked up the toy and hugged it tightly to my chest.

As if holding it could bring back the warmth Sophie had left behind.

"What in God's name is your problem?" Liam’s impatient voice cut through the silence from the doorway.

I looked up at him, my heart a frozen stone of disgust.

He was once my entire world, yet now he was a stranger.

"What do you think?" I asked, my voice like ice.

"What's with the attitude?" Liam frowned, his tone dripping with disdain. "I'm asking you a question. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I have a question for you, too," I said, staring straight at him. I enunciated every word. "Why did you leave Sophie alone in the snow?"

"Are you insane, Olivia?" Liam scoffed, as if I'd asked the most absurd question. "The car broke down. Mason had a sudden, severe allergic reaction, and we had to call for an emergency helicopter."

"The rescue helicopter could only take three people."

"So we left Sophie in the car for a little while."

"Only three people?" I repeated, the words cracking in my throat.

The pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

"What else were we supposed to do?" Liam retorted. "Leave Chloe and a critically ill child behind? Besides, I told the park rangers to pick Sophie up. It was only for a little while. What could possibly happen?"

"Arranged for rangers? A *little while*?" I shot to my feet, my vision swimming red with fury as I slapped his hand away. "Liam, do you have any idea what your damned *little while* cost us? Sophie… she…"

My voice broke, and I couldn't bring myself to say the horrific truth.

Liam frowned impatiently. "What are you trying to say?"

"Sophie," I choked out, taking a ragged breath. "A bear killed her!"

As the words left my mouth, I felt my entire world crumble.

A chilling darkness swam at the edge of my vision.

Liam froze for a split second, then snapped angrily, "Olivia, you've completely lost your mind! I can't believe you'd invent such a vicious lie about your own daughter! You're despicable!"

The contempt and mockery in his eyes were like daggers in my heart.

I stared at him in disbelief, my voice trembling as I asked, "What did you say? You don't believe me?"

He pointed at me, his tone severe. "Olivia, I can't believe how wrong I was about you. To think you'd stoop so low just to get my attention! My mother was right about you all along. You don't deserve to be a mother!"

"Liam, don't be angry. Olivia probably just wants your attention, so she's making things up…"

Chloe rushed in, grabbing Liam's arm, her face a mask of concern, though I could see the triumphant smirk she barely concealed.

Liam, however, seemed oblivious.

He patted Chloe's hand affectionately, then turned to glare at me.

"Olivia, you're nothing but a disappointment. Look at Chloe—she's a real mother. Now look at you. You don't even deserve the title."

He took a deep breath, his tone turning glacial. "I've made my decision. From now on, Chloe will be a proper role model for Sophie. You can learn from her how to be a real wife and mother!"

"No problem at all, I'll be a great role model for Sophie," Chloe agreed, a victorious smile spreading across her face.

I stared at Chloe, overcome with a murderous rage.

"You're a homewrecker. What right do you have to be a role model for anyone's child? You're a liar yourself!"

"Hey!" Chloe, stung by my words, flared up.

She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Playing tough, are we? Let's see how tough you are when Liam finally accepts that his precious daughter is really dead."

Before she could say more, I slapped her hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.

I knew it was her. It had to be her.

I should have known Sophie's death was connected to this vicious woman.

Anger and terror obliterated my reason.

I lunged at her, wanting to tear her limb from limb.

Seeing Chloe clutch her face as I lunged toward her, blind with fury, Liam’s own rage ignited.

"Olivia, what are you doing?!" he roared.

Before I could respond, Chloe threw herself into Liam’s arms, sobbing. "Liam, I was just trying to reassure her that the rangers would get Sophie. It was getting dark, and I didn't want her to worry, and then she just went crazy and hit me!"

As she cried, she shot me a vicious glare, as if I were an unforgivable criminal.

Liam held Chloe protectively, his furious gaze locked on me.

"Olivia, I see it now. You've completely lost your mind. Get out! Get out of my sight!"

I pointed at Chloe and shouted in a rage, "You still want *her* to be a role model for Sophie? This woman killed our daughter! You have no right to choose a mother for Sophie!"

I took a deep breath, pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared, and flung them at his face.

"Sign it! I want a divorce!"

Tears streamed down my face as I went on, "We've been married for years. Even if you don't love me anymore, do you honestly believe I would joke about our daughter's life?"

Liam stared at me, silent for a moment.

Then, he picked up the divorce papers from the floor.

"Olivia, I know what you're doing. You're trying to force my hand! Too bad for you. If I hadn't just gotten an update on Sophie, I might have actually fallen for your little act."

He took out his phone and played two voice messages.

A voice that sounded just like Sophie's rang out.

"Daddy, the park rangers are here to get me! I'm safe now!"

"Daddy, I'm staying at the ranger station cabin tonight. Don't worry about me!"

I recognized it instantly. The voice was close to Sophie's, but it wasn't her.

Something was terribly wrong with those voice messages.

I focused on Liam, speaking slowly. "Liam, that voice… it sounds off. Listen to it again. Doesn't that sound different from Sophie's?"

But Liam refused to listen.

He frowned impatiently. "Olivia, what are you trying to pull now? Are you still going to lie?"

I took a deep breath, struggling to control my roiling emotions. "I'm not lying! Please, just believe me! Sophie is really…"

Before I could finish, Chloe interjected sharply, "Olivia, have you no shame? Your lies have been exposed, and you're still here making a scene. What more do you want? Do you take Liam for an idiot?"

Liam and Chloe stormed out of the room.

The slam of the door echoed like a final, mocking laugh.

I collapsed onto the cold floor, staring blankly at the ceiling as despair settled over me like a shroud.

Liam had changed so much I barely recognized the man I married.

He would rather believe an outsider, a homewrecker, than his own wife.

Had he ever truly cared about me? About Sophie?

I slowly pushed myself to my feet and walked to Sophie's closet.

With trembling hands, I opened the doors, revealing her neatly folded clothes.

I gently ran my fingers over each item, as if I could still feel Sophie's warmth, and fresh tears blurred my vision.

Then, I packed all of Sophie's things—her clothes, her toys, her picture books, everything she had ever loved—into her little suitcase.

I was determined to take her things—all that was left of her—and get away from this cold, heartless house.

As I dragged the heavy suitcase out of the room, I found Chloe alone in the living room.

She was lounging on the sofa, casually flipping through a magazine.

She set the magazine down when she saw me, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

I tried to push past her, wanting only to escape that suffocating house.

To my surprise, Chloe stood up, blocking my path.

She crossed her arms, looking down at me with a condescending gaze.

"Leaving so soon? I thought you'd be shameless enough to stick around," Chloe taunted.

I stared at her, saying nothing.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Chloe gloated at my silence. "I told you a long time ago, you don't deserve Liam. Look at you, so pitiful and pathetic."

I took a deep breath, banking the fires of my anger, refusing to engage.

But Chloe was relentless.

She continued, "By the way, Liam loves me now. There's only room in his heart for me and Mason. You'd be wise to disappear from our lives for good."

"Liam has been so good to me lately, you know?"

Chloe went on, her tone turning sharp and cruel. "He just had this diamond necklace custom-made for me at a high-end jeweler in SoHo. Look!"

She raised a hand to show off the sparkling diamonds at her throat.

Then, she smirked and pointed to the simple bracelet on my wrist.

"Did you really think Liam designed that specially for you? It was just an off-the-shelf piece he grabbed when he went to pick up my necklace. You only deserve what's off-the-shelf!"