Chapter 1 - The Scent of Betrayal
The wail of ambulance sirens shattered the sickeningly calm atmosphere of my engagement party.
Marcus held me back as the paramedics rushed toward the dumpster, their faces pale as they pulled Lily from the trash.
Her tiny, four-year-old body was completely limp.
The only thing shining in the afternoon sun was the silver birthday bracelet I had given her that morning.
I turned my head and saw Vanessa standing on the porch, holding a glass of champagne.
She was actually smiling.
My mother was putting on a theatrical performance for the neighbors, weeping loudly into a silk handkerchief.
My father stood like a statue, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his expensive suit.
"Kids wander off all the time," my father told the arriving police officer, his voice unnervingly steady.
"It’s a tragedy, but accidents happen."
I broke free from Marcus’s grip and lunged at my father.
"You confessed to me!" I screamed, my voice tearing my throat raw.
"You told me you gave her medicine to settle her down!"
The officer stopped writing in his notepad and stared at my parents.
Vanessa stepped forward smoothly, placing a comforting hand on the officer's arm.
"Please excuse my cousin," Vanessa said with a sweet, venomous tone.
"Sarah has always been mentally fragile, and the stress of the wedding is clearly making her hallucinate."
I wanted to rip the champagne glass from her hand.
But then, Lily’s paramedic yelled out that her heart rate was dangerously low.
I abandoned the monsters on the porch and ran to my daughter, climbing into the back of the ambulance.
As the doors slammed shut, I looked out the window one last time.
May you like
My father was watching me go, mouthing a single phrase.
"Just like Nora."
