Chapter 4

Bianca's voice came through the phone tight with panic.

Abigail's heart seized. She grabbed her coat and bolted for the door.

She didn't even stop to change her shoes. Still in her slippers, she sprinted to the garage, started the car, and tore off toward the amusement park.

The whole drive, her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might crack her ribs.

Paxton's soft little face kept flashing through her mind.

No matter how many times he had broken her heart, he was still the child she had carried for nine months, the baby she had risked everything to bring into this world, the one she had loved more fiercely than herself for years.

Her car screeched to a stop at the entrance. Abigail threw the door open and ran inside.

From a distance, she saw a crowd gathered around the first-aid station.

Paxton was sitting in the treatment chair, his cheeks streaked with tears.

A medic had roughly stabilized his left arm, and it hung stiffly at his side. His whole body trembled from the pain.

Bianca stood nearby with red-rimmed eyes, one hand pressed to her chest like she'd been badly shaken. She kept muttering, "It's all my fault. My fault. I didn't watch Paxton closely enough."

"Paxton!" Abigail shoved past the staff surrounding him and rushed over.

She crouched in front of him, reaching for his arm, but stopped herself at the last second, afraid of hurting him more. Instead, she clutched his little hand, her own eyes burning red. Her voice shook. "Paxton, does it hurt? How did you fall? Tell Mommy what happened."

Paxton looked up at her, his mouth trembling before he broke down harder.

He turned his face away and refused to speak. He only leaned slightly toward Bianca.

Something cold dropped in Abigail's chest.

She turned to Bianca, urgency and anger sharpening her voice. "Bianca, what exactly happened? How could Paxton fall from something that high? That aerial slide is clearly marked for adults only. How could you let him anywhere near it?"

When she had run in, she had seen it immediately.

The high slide stood more than ten feet off the ground. It carried risk even for adults, let alone a frail child like Paxton.

Bianca knew that. She knew it, and she had still let him go near it. Her intent could not have been clearer.

Faced with Abigail's accusation, Bianca's face went white. She instinctively stepped back, then her eyes reddened even more. Wiping at her tears, she spoke in a wounded voice.

"Abigail, how can you say that? You're the one who told Paxton to go. You said you wanted him to be braver. I tried to stop you. We even argued about it. You said I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong and insisted that he go up. Then this happened."

As she spoke, her shoulders trembled, her face full of guilt and fear.

Anyone looking at her like that would feel sorry for her.

The staff around them heard her and immediately looked at Abigail with blame in their eyes.

After all, when they had arrived, they had seen Bianca holding onto the child and waving frantically toward the slide, as if she really had been trying to stop him.

Abigail, on the other hand, had come rushing in late, frantic and out of breath. At a glance, she looked guilty.

The whole thing felt so absurd, so chilling, that Abigail could hardly believe it.

She had come the second she got the call. She had only just arrived at the park.

When had she even seen Paxton? When had she told him to go on that slide?

Bianca was lying through her teeth. She was trying to dump every bit of blame onto Abigail.

"Bianca, stop slandering me." Abigail shot to her feet and looked at her coldly.

"The second I got your call, I came straight here. I didn't know when Paxton got to the park. I didn't even know what rides were here. I knew nothing. So how could I possibly have told him to go on that slide? Put your hand on your heart and tell the truth. Who was the one who pushed Paxton to go up there?"

Her voice rang clear, firm enough to cut through Bianca's ragged breathing.

Bianca's heart lurched, and panic flashed in her eyes.

But there was no way she would take the blame herself.

"You're just refusing to admit it! Staff saw us arguing just now. How could you do this to Paxton?"

In the middle of their shouting, a rapid set of footsteps came from behind them.

Trent rushed over, his suit slightly rumpled, sweat glinting at his temple. He had clearly come running.

The second he saw Paxton on the treatment chair, his face darkened.

He strode over to the boy, his voice tight with worry. "Paxton, how are you? Does it hurt? What happened?"

The moment Paxton saw him, he burst into fresh tears. "Daddy, my arm hurts..."

Trent gently stroked his head, pain flickering across his face. Then he turned, his gaze moving between Abigail and Bianca.

At last, his eyes landed on Bianca, who was still crying. His voice turned hard. "What happened? Why did Paxton fall?"

The second he arrived, Bianca acted like she had found her lifeline. She hurried to his side, clutching his sleeve, tears spilling down her face.

"Trent, it's all my fault. I couldn't stop them. Abigail said she wanted Paxton to be braver and insisted he go on the aerial slide. I tried to stop her, but she said I was meddling. Then Paxton went up, lost his grip, and fell. I really did everything I could."

As she spoke, she stole a glance at Abigail, a trace of smugness hidden deep in her eyes.

Trent's expression turned instantly grim. He whipped around to glare at Abigail, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Abigail, have you lost your mind? That slide is over ten feet high. Paxton is just a child, and you let him go on something that dangerous? Do you even care about him at all?"

His voice hit like a blow.

The accusation in it, the disappointment, landed even harder.

"I didn't!" Abigail shot back, her eyes red as she stepped forward, desperate to explain.

"I only got the call and came straight here. Paxton had already been hurt before I arrived. I hadn't even seen him before that. If you don't believe me, we can pull the surveillance footage and find out exactly what happened."

She was certain Bianca would never dare agree to that. Guilty people were always afraid of proof.

"Trent, look at her. She made a mistake and still won't admit it. Now she's trying to scare me with surveillance footage. I'm telling you, I didn't lie to you."

Bianca cried even harder.

Looking at her trembling like that, and remembering how Abigail had supposedly 'targeted' Bianca before, the balance in Trent's heart tipped.

He lifted a hand, shoved Abigail back by the shoulder, and spoke with chilling control. "Even now, you're still trying to talk your way out of it? Paxton is right here. I'll ask him myself, and then we'll know the truth."

With that, he crouched in front of Paxton and gently held his shoulders. His voice softened, but his tone was serious, leaving no room for doubt.

"Paxton, tell Daddy. Who told you to go on the aerial slide? Don't be afraid. Tell me the truth."