My son accidentally burns my husband's first love's hand. My husband cruelly breaks my son's hand to teach him a lesson. He's in so much pain that he can't see straight and falls into a lake. Blood dyes the water red.

I hold him close as I sob and call my husband, pleading for help. My husband doesn't care, though. "It's just a broken hand—he'll be fine once it's set in a cast. He'll only do worse things in the future if he's not taught a lesson now!"

Later, my son drowns in the lake because he's not rescued in time. My husband loses his mind when he sees his body.

"How could he have died when he only had a broken hand?"

I used to have a playful, sweet son, Shawn Sorensen.

But now, his skin looked pale and puffy from being underwater for too long. The blood on the severed half of his hand had dried up a long time ago, but it would never heal.

People kept telling me to cry and get my pain out, but I didn't. I quietly handled everything for Shawn before placing him in the cold coffin.

That was when I got a call from Zach Sorensen.

"Has he seriously not picked up the burn cream yet? It's obvious he's not just a jerk, but a complete idiot! He can't even handle getting something so simple. What a waste of time.

"Sue's a painter. Are you going to take the fall if she can't hold a paintbrush anymore?" He sounded impatient and very irritated, with no hint of guilt for Shawn.

I stayed silent.

Zach's patience was shot. "Get him over here right now to kneel and apologize to Sue! We can't just brush this off!"

I gently put my hand on Shawn's half-hand, closed the coffin, and went to look for Zach.

He was applying burn cream to Sue Green in the big, empty villa. I noticed how gentle he looked—an expression I'd never seen on him before.

A stainless steel tray sat behind them on the square dining table. Inside the tray lay Shawn's severed hand—the very one Zach had ordered to be chopped off himself.

My legs felt weak as I staggered forward, clutching that half-hand to my chest.

"Where's Shawn? Don't think you can shield him just because you're around! Who do you think you are?" Zach's voice boomed with anger.

I ignored him, but he didn't let it go. He stepped closer and grabbed my arm. He was strong, yanking me so hard that I crashed into the cold, hard wall.

A wave of pain hit me, making me break out in a cold sweat. The pain in my lower abdomen felt unbearable, but I tightened my grip on that half-hand.

"He's never coming back," I said icily.

Zach's face went grim. He shoved me, causing Shawn's hand to slip from my grip and hit the ground.

"Celia Swain, are you trying to stand up to me?" He blocked my path, his voice cold. "You need to get Shawn here to apologize to Sue, got it?

"Just think about it. They can reattach Shawn's severed hand if they treat it in time. But if he doesn't apologize and misses the surgery window, he could end up disabled for life!"

An overwhelming sense of absurdity washed over me. Zach looked so pathetic at that moment. I couldn't help but pursed my lips, and a small laugh escaped.

That was just absurd. He was the one who made Shawn, his own son, a cripple.

"Let it go," Sue finally said, gently pulling on Zach's wrist. "Zach, it's just a few blisters from a burn. It's not a big deal. We shouldn't ruin Shawn's future out of anger."

Her compassion stoked the fire of Zach's anger.

His face grew stormier, and he yelled, "Where the hell is Shawn? Get him over here!"

"I told you," I said flatly. "He's not coming back."

"You!"

I held his gaze, speaking slowly and clearly, "He's dead."

Zach paused when he heard me, but his anger grew stronger. He slapped me hard across the face.

A wave of discomfort surged through me. I bumped into the corner of the table, and a sharp pain hit me instantly.

"You're seriously making jokes like that to defend him?" Zach stared down at me with a sneer.

"Celia, we wouldn't be in this mess if you had even a fraction of Sue's kindness. Aren't you afraid that if you keep babying Shawn, he could end up being a killer one day?"

Every word Zach said pierced me like a thousand needles.

I shook like a leaf, with sweat running down my hairline. I could smell blood filling the air as it ran down my legs.

Zach grabbed Sue's hand and reassured her. "Don't worry, Sue. I'll get you the best doctor. You won't have any scars."

I crumpled to the ground like a pile of mush, while Zach was fixated on the little blister on Sue's hand.

Sue glanced my way and suddenly yelled, "Oh no! Zach, look! What's wrong with Celia? That's blood. She's bleeding heavily!"

A large puddle of blood pooled beneath me. I gently pressed my stomach, sensing the tiny life inside slipping away.

Zach went stiff. "You're pregnant?"

Without thinking, he moved in closer, reaching for me.

Sue hurried over. "Celia, you had no idea you were pregnant? How far along are you? How could you be so thoughtless…"

Zach's expression changed in a flash. He sneered with a sarcastic grin. "Celia, where'd you get that blood pack? We haven't exactly been spending time together lately. Or is this kid not even mine?"

His words slammed into me like a lightning bolt.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Zach, how can you even say that? Don't you remember? Last wedding anniversary—"

"Zach, that's way out of line!" Sue interrupted, looking upset. "You can't drag Celia's name through the mud no matter how angry you are! Come on, enough drama. Let's get her to the hospital."

She crouched to help me get back to my feet. I shoved her aside, and she fell into my pool of blood, bracing herself with her hands on the ground.

Sue grimaced, her face twisting in pain. "That really hurts…"

Zach looked crushed. He quickly carried her, her face turning serious. "Quit pretending! You're just after Shawn's hand, aren't you?"

I clenched my jaw. "Since you already know that, why not just give it back already?"

Zach kicked the severed hand my way. "I'm not letting Shawn off the hook for what he did to Sue. He has to kneel and apologize!"

The tiny hand rolled across the floor, dark and grimy from the blood and dirt smeared on it. Yet, I pushed my way forward, cradling it against my chest as if it were something invaluable.

I cleaned up Shawn's severed hand and laid it in the coffin. His body was finally complete.

I was drained after struggling to hold it together all day. I couldn't take it anymore and collapsed.

Shawn came back to me in my dreams.

He cried, his voice heavy with pain. "Mom, why doesn't Dad like me? Does he not love me?"

All I could do was hold Shawn's little body tight as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Shawn, it's all my fault. Your dad wouldn't have treated you like this if it weren't for me..." I whispered to myself.

My marriage to Zach started with a mistake. He got drugged at a dance while I was completely wasted.

Back then, I thought it was fate that brought us together, but now I see it was just a disaster waiting to happen.

We had a wild night together and went our separate ways. Who would've thought I'd end up pregnant with his kid?

Shawn needed a whole family, and since I'd always had a secret crush on Zach, my family, the Swains, went to the Sorensens to come clean about everything.

After that, Zach and I rushed into marriage, and I gave birth to our child. He never really loved me but always treated me with respect.

For a long time, I thought I could eventually win his heart. After all, I believed love could grow over time. But then Sue came back from abroad, and everything changed.

Zach never had time to travel with Shawn and me, but somehow he found two weeks to go on a sketching trip in the countryside with Sue.

He never bought gifts but splurged at an auction to get a gemstone I'd always wanted for Sue.

When Shawn was burning up with a fever, Zach said, "Sue's been coughing for days and isn't improving. I know I don't have to worry about Shawn with you looking after him.

"Sue only has me here, so I really need to see her get better to feel at ease."

My heart shattered at that moment. I realized I could never reach Zach's heart but never brought up divorce since our marriage involved both the Swain and the Sorensen families.

I never imagined it would end up hurting Shawn.

I woke up from my dream with tears streaming down my face.

"Cece, we found this in Shawn's room," Mom said, tears running down her cheeks.

I reached for it. It was a simple drawing Shawn had made himself. It had Zach, Shawn, and me together as a family, with the note, "Happy birthday, Dad. I'll always love you."

This was the birthday gift Shawn had made for Zach, but he'd never get the chance to give it to him in person.

I cried until I nearly lost my voice.

Mom placed the divorce agreement I'd been carrying around before me. "If you want a divorce, then go for it. Forget about the company."

…

The divorce agreement was rushed to Sorensen Corporation, and Zach got to the hospital just as fast.

It was ridiculous. It had been almost a week since I miscarried, and he couldn't even be bothered to call me, yet he stopped by my ward because Sue caught a little cold.

Sue walked in with a bouquet, saying it was for me, but when she saw the drawing on my bedside table, she totally lost it.

"A drawing! It's a drawing!" She crouched down, covering her ears and crying her eyes out. "Zach, hurry! Burn it!"

Zach was really worried about her and didn't even check what was in the drawing. He smashed the frame to the floor and flicked open his lighter.

My anger boiled over. I yanked the IV needle out of my hand and lunged forward. I stepped on some glass shards, leaving small drops of blood behind me.

"Give it back! That's mine!" I clutched the hem of Zach's shirt. "It's Shawn's drawing! Shawn's!"

I caught a flicker of hesitation in his eyes when Sue shouted again, "Zach, I'm so scared! I might never be able to pick up a paintbrush again…"

Zach furrowed his brow, looking down at me with a touch of condescension. "Come on, it's just a drawing. Shawn can whip up another one in no time. And don't forget, he's the one who got us into this mess!

"Sue's been in a creative slump lately and can't seem to create anything she's satisfied with. She's lost her passion for painting, and to make things worse, Shawn ruined her hand.

"Now she flinches and freaks out every time she sees a drawing!"

Zach struck the lighter, and the flame sprang to life with a soft whoosh.

"I'm begging you. Please, don't do this!" I dropped to my knees, desperately pleading with Zach. The glass shards dug into my skin, and blood started to trickle down.

But that small flame touched Shawn's drawing and it quickly went up in flames.

I screamed and lunged for the drawing, but it was too late. The fire was too fierce, and the drawing turned to ashes in no time.

I sat among the glass shards, letting them cut into my skin as I held the ashes. "It's gone. Everything's gone… Shawn's last drawing is gone, too…"

"Shawn, I'm so sorry." I whispered to myself.