Chapter 2My Madness, His Million-Dollar Hit

The storm raged on.

I was dumped like a sack of trash onto the wet asphalt outside the gated community. My wrist hung at a sickening, twisted angle. Blood from my knees mingled with the rain, creating a crimson stream on the pavement.

"You should face reality, ma'am."

Frank stood over me, holding a black umbrella, his eyes filled with cold pity.

"Mr. Creston is worth billions now, and Ms. Sienna is pregnant with their second child. A certified lunatic like you stands no chance against them."

Their second child.

Those words hit me like a physical blow. They were having another child.

I lay in the puddle, watching the Maybach's taillights disappear into the dark. The pain was overwhelming, and my vision began to blur.

During my four years at Havenwood, they had injected me with heavy doses of chlorpromazine every week just to make me look like a real psycho. The drugs had wrecked my nervous system, leaving me barely able to stand.

I lay in the rain all night.

At dawn, a street sweeper found me. The kind woman helped me to a nearby bus shelter and called an ambulance.

In the emergency room, the doctor reset my dislocated wrist and picked the porcelain shards out of my knees.

"Where is your family? How did you end up like this?" the doctor asked, frowning.

"They're dead," I whispered, staring at the sterile white ceiling.

After my wounds were bandaged, I checked my bank account. I still had the emergency fund Dominic had forced me to take four years ago. I checked into a quiet, low-key hotel, changed into clean clothes, and bought a baseball cap and a face mask.

Today was the parent-child sports day at St. Mary's Prep, the prestigious academy Lucy attended.

For four years, the memory of my daughter's face was the only thing that kept me sane in that hellhole. I couldn't leave her with those monsters.

Outside St. Mary's, luxury cars lined the streets. I blended into the crowd of parents, peering through the iron gates.

I spotted Victor and Sienna instantly. They were wearing matching custom designer outfits, and Sienna was smiling brightly, holding Lucy's hand.

A group of wealthy mothers surrounded Sienna, showering her with compliments.

"Sienna, you look absolutely radiant! This baby must be a boy."

"And Lucy is so well-behaved. You've done a wonderful job raising her, unlike her previous..."

"Shh, keep it down. I heard that woman was eating filth in Havenwood. How disgusting."

Sienna giggled, patting Lucy's head. "Please, don't say that. Kathy is a tragic soul. But for Lucy's sake, Victor and I had to make the hard choice."

I stood behind a tree, my nails digging deep into my palms. Sienna was living in my house, sleeping in my bed, raising my daughter, and basking in the glory built on my suffering.

The events began. The first was the three-legged race.

Victor stepped aside to take a call. Sienna pulled Lucy to the starting line and knelt to tie the ribbon around their ankles.

Thinking no one was watching, Sienna suddenly pinched the inside of Lucy's thigh with brutal force.

"Ow!" Lucy cried out, tears instantly welling in her eyes.

"Stop crying! Hold it in!"

Sienna's sweet expression vanished, replaced by a snarling whisper. "If it weren't for playing the perfect mother in front of your father, do you think I'd touch a useless brat like you? Run fast. If we lose, you're sleeping in the dark closet tonight!"

Lucy trembled, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

Something inside me snapped.

To hell with waiting. To hell with being cautious.

I shoved through the crowd, kicked open the side gate, and charged onto the field. "Sienna, I will kill you!"

I tackled her to the ground, grabbing a handful of her hair, and began raining slaps down on her face.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Her lip split, blood smearing her face. "You dare hurt my daughter! You wretched snake!"

The teachers and parents were too stunned to react.

"Help! The crazy woman is killing me! Victor, save me!" Sienna screamed, trying to protect her stomach.

"Kathy! Stop!"

Victor's roar echoed across the field. Before I could strike again, a powerful grip yanked me back by my collar and slammed me onto the track.

My head hit the ground hard, and black spots danced across my eyes.

Victor rushed to Sienna, checking her frantically. "Sienna, are you okay? The baby?"

Sienna clung to him, weeping. "Victor, I'm so scared. She wanted to kill me and our baby..."

Victor turned to me, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "Kathy, you psychotic bitch! How dare you lay a hand on her!"

I struggled to sit up, pointing a trembling finger at Lucy. "Ask her! Ask your precious wife what she did to Lucy! She pinched her! She abuses her when you aren't looking!"

Victor frowned, looking at Lucy. Lucy shrank back, her hand covering her thigh.

Sienna immediately pulled Lucy into her arms. "Lucy, sweetheart, Mama Sienna was just tying your shoes, right? Tell Daddy, did Mama Sienna hurt you?"

Lucy looked at Sienna's threatening glare, then at me, covered in dirt and blood.

She burst into tears. "No! Mama Sienna didn't hurt me! It's the bad lady! She's crazy, she beat Mama Sienna! Daddy, make her go away!"

My heart stopped. It felt as though someone had ripped it from my chest and crushed it underfoot.

"Lucy... I'm your mommy..."

Victor kicked my hand away. "You heard her. Even a child knows you're insane."

He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Yes, police? We have an emergency at St. Mary's Prep. A mentally unstable woman just assaulted a pregnant woman. Yes, she was recently discharged from Havenwood. She's highly violent. Send officers immediately."

He hung up and looked down at me with a cruel smirk. "I gave you a chance, Kathy. Since you love being crazy so much, you can rot in Havenwood for the rest of your life."