The kidnapper raised an eyebrow.

"Your father doesn't want you. Your mother doesn't want you. Who else is left to call? Just give up already."

When Frank tied me up and tried to sell me off, he'd said the same thing. "Stop fighting. This is your fate."

I didn't accept it then.

I bit that man and ran.

Ran all the way to the end of that dirt road.

That's where I found my father.

He'd come looking for his missing daughter.

I'd changed my fate once before.

The restraints had sliced deep into my wrists, but I barely felt it.

I just stared at the kidnapper, too stubborn to give up.

"I want a third chance."

The third call was to Tristan.

Luca's father.

"Tristan, I'm going to die. Please come get Luca. He's three. He misses you."

Tristan sighed.

"What now? I'm busy. I don't have time for your games. This month's child support went through on time. Take the money and behave. Stop bothering me."

At his voice, Luca suddenly broke free from the kidnapper and cried out for his dad.

Tristan went silent.

His breathing turned heavy.

For one second, I thought he cared.

My eyes burned. I opened my mouth.

But his cold voice cut in.

"I already told you, Estelle. Behave. I won't short you a single cent of child support, but if you try to turn my son against me, I won't forgive you."

Vera's voice floated through the phone, sweet and playful.

"Tristan, cake time! Hurry up!"

Tristan chuckled.

"I'll bring you and the kid home for dinner next week."

Then he hung up.

My third chance was gone.

I screamed and lunged for the phone, desperate to make one more call.

Just before I could reach it, the kidnapper kicked it away.

Then he grabbed Luca by one leg and dragged him in front of me.

A cruel smile spread across his face.

"See? I told you to stop fighting. You wouldn't listen. Believe me now?"

Luca threw himself into my arms, sobbing.

His little face was red from crying.

"Mommy... Luca's scared... Mommy..."

I pressed my cheek against his tangled hair.

Tears wouldn't stop falling.

"Don't be scared, Luca. Mommy's here. Mommy will protect you."

The kidnapper let out a laugh. "You?"

I sniffed and looked straight at him.

My gaze didn't waver.

"Give me one more chance. If it still doesn't work... I'll stop fighting."

His smile disappeared.

"Fine. One last chance.

"This time I'll make it easy. If anyone in your family answers, I'll let you and the kid go.

"But if nobody answers, I'll kill you, cut your son into three pieces, and mail them to your parents."

"Deal."

***

The fourth call was to Mom.

The phone rang seven times.

No answer.

The kidnapper smirked. "See? I—"

"Hello?"

The call connected.

But it wasn't Mom.

"Who's calling? Mrs. Emerson is celebrating Miss Emerson's birthday and can't come to the phone. Is this urgent?"

Beatrice.

The housekeeper.

I swallowed the blood in my mouth.

"It's Estelle..."

A pause.

Then an awkward sigh.

"Estelle, Mrs. Emerson said not to answer your calls today. Mr. Emerson said..." She hesitated. "Unless you're dead, don't bother him or Mrs. Emerson."

The kidnapper laughed.

I didn't.

"Please. Just hand them the phone. They don't have to do anything. They just have to answer. Please."

Maybe I sounded too desperate.

Beatrice sighed again, then carried the phone into the loud party.

"Mrs. Emerson, it's Estelle. She says you need to take this."

On the other end, Mom seemed to be dancing.

At Beatrice's words, her voice paused.

"Mom, please! Just answer the phone! I don't need you to come get Luca anymore. I don't need you to take him home. Just answer the phone!"

"Mrs. Emerson, maybe you should—"

Between my sobbing and Beatrice's pleading, Mom went quiet.

For a long moment, she didn't say anything.

Then, finally, she seemed to give in.

Just as she was about to take the phone, Vera's voice cut through the noise.

Mom, Dad, and Tristan were all with her.

"Mom! Hurry! We're taking the family picture!"

Vera sounded bright and happy.

Like a carefree little bird.

Mom hesitated.

Then Vera suddenly choked up.

A second later, it sounded like she ran off.

Tristan immediately went after her.

Then something hit the floor.

"Estelle's doing this on purpose!" Dad snapped. "She knows it's Vera's birthday and still has to make everything about herself. And you fell for it again! Have you forgotten everything Vera's been through because of her?"

Mom fired back, "I haven't forgotten, but... today is Estelle's birthday too..."

Dad brushed it off.

"It's not like she's dying today. If it matters that much, buy her a cake next year. Enough. Go check on Vera before she gets upset."

Mom sighed.

Then a heel slammed down, cracking the phone screen.

***

The tiny house went quiet.

No more tears.

The kidnapper was the only one who felt sorry for me.

"What was the point? You knew how this would end, but you still fought back three or four times. I'll tell you the truth. Your sister paid a fortune to hire me. The deposit came from money your parents gave her."

I didn't say a word.

I lowered my head and kissed Luca's cheek.

"Can you untie me? I want to leave one last message."

The kidnapper hesitated, then nodded.

Once I had the phone, I sent two messages to the family group chat.

A photo of myself covered in blood.

And one sentence.

[I'm really going to die. In my next life, don't bring me home.]

After I hit send, I smiled at Luca.

Then I threw myself at the kidnapper and slammed him to the floor.

"Luca, run! Run, Luca!"

"Estelle, you lied to me!"

The knife drove into my stomach again and again.

I couldn't feel the pain.

I just held on with everything I had.

"Luca, run!"

Luca seemed to understand right away.

Biting his lip, he ran for the door.

His bare feet left tiny footprints across the floor.

The kidnapper snapped.

He shoved me aside and lunged after him.

I grabbed his leg and held on.

The kidnapper let out a furious laugh.

Then he turned and kicked my wound again and again.

Blood poured from my stomach.

But there was one thing he didn't know.

When you're dying, you stop feeling pain.

As my consciousness faded, Frank's words surfaced in my mind.

"Dixie, stop fighting. This is your fate."

He was wrong.

I changed my fate one more time.

My child was going to live.

But he was right, too.

Someone like me was never meant to have a whole, happy life.

***

Third-Person POV

Meanwhile, Estelle's parents—Henry and Marina—and Tristan crowded around Vera, trying to cheer her up.

Henry's phone buzzed twice.

He yanked it out, annoyed.

"It's probably Estelle again. Vera, just wait. I'll put her in her place—"

The rest of the words caught in his throat.

Henry zoomed in on the photo.

His face started to shake.

Confused, Marina stepped over and looked at the screen.

She screamed.

At the same time, Tristan got a call from an unknown number.

"Hello, is this Tristan Schulz?"

"Yes."

"This is Kingsley PD. We found your child."