Chapter 9 - The Missing Piece
My entire body went cold at the sound of my daughter's fragile question.
I sat down slowly on the edge of her hospital bed, terrified of the answer.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Emma looked down at her hospital blanket, picking at a loose thread.
"Aunt Charlotte told me there was a magical fairy at the bottom of the tree," Emma explained softly.
"She promised the fairy would catch me if I jumped over the broken wood."
A fresh wave of pure, unadulterated hatred washed over me.
Charlotte hadn't just sawed the wooden railing and waited for an accident.
She had stood in our backyard and manipulated a four-year-old child into jumping to her death.
I pulled my brave daughter into a tight, heavily protective embrace.
"Aunt Charlotte is gone, and she will never hurt you ever again," I promised fiercely.
Marcus returned from the cafeteria, carrying a massive tray of warm food.
I told him what Emma had just revealed to me.
Marcus closed his eyes, taking a massive deep breath to control his anger.
"I hope she rots in a dark prison cell," Marcus whispered.
The next two days passed in a blur of healing and joy.
Emma recovered with terrifyingly incredible speed.
She was sitting up in bed, coloring pictures for Nurse Dana.
Friday morning finally arrived, bringing the most important day of our lives.
It was Emma's fifth birthday.
The incredible thirty-million-dollar trust fund officially transferred to her name at noon.
We threw a massive party right inside the hospital room.
Josh bought her a giant pink teddy bear.
Nurse Dana brought cupcakes for the entire medical staff.
We laughed and cried happy tears, knowing the worst was behind us.
May you like
The darkness was finally over.
But as I walked to the window, I noticed something out of place on the windowsill.
