Chapter 2Drawing Straws with My Cheating Husband

Thank God the mountain pass was deserted at two in the morning. I ran until my lungs burned and my calves cramped, finally flagging down the flashing red and blue lights of the ambulance midway down the ridge.

The paramedic took one look at Sophie’s blue lips and shallow breathing, and his face instantly darkened.

"Febrile seizure with airway distress. Bag her, let's get high-flow oxygen on her now!"

The sirens wailed all the way into the county hospital’s emergency bay.

When the gurney was rolled through the automatic sliding doors, the first thing I saw was Keith’s black SUV parked in the drop-off lane.

He and Alyssa were leaning against the hood, looking mildly concerned as they strolled toward us.

"Megan, seriously? You took the ambulance and we still beat you here?" Alyssa sighed, rolling her eyes as she checked her manicure. "We stayed for the grand finale, packed up the lawn chairs, and we've still been sitting in the lobby for ten minutes. Those EMTs must have taken the scenic route."

If we hadn't been in a hospital, I would have broken her nose.

This woman called herself my best friend. She was Sophie’s godmother. And she had stood on a mountain, watching a toddler suffocate, treating it like an inconvenience to her light show.

Inside the trauma bay, the attending physician examined Sophie with a furrowed brow.

"Her core temp is 104.8. We need to start an IV antibiotic drip immediately to rule out bacterial infection, and administer emergency antipyretics. We'll need to admit her for observation."

Alyssa shoved her way past the curtain before the doctor could finish.

"Wait, absolutely not! She’s three years old—you can't just pump her full of heavy antibiotics! Are you even qualified to be making that call?"

The doctor gave her a sharp, incredulous look. "Her chart shows no allergies to this class of medication. If we don't bring this fever down, we're looking at permanent neurological damage or worse."

Alyssa glared at the doctor, then turned to Keith, her voice dropping into a soft, conspiratorial purr. "Keith, you know how these rural hospitals operate. They push unnecessary drugs just to run up the insurance bill and keep beds full. A dose of infant Motrin would have handled this hours ago. Megan is letting them poison your daughter just because she refused to accept the draw."

I snapped. I grabbed Alyssa by the shoulder and shoved her back.

"Shut your mouth, Alyssa! My daughter is in critical condition, and you’re still playing your sick games? Have you forgotten who you are to this family?"

Alyssa let out a theatrical gasp, stumbling backward into Keith’s chest. His hands immediately went to her waist, his fingers hovering protectively near her lower abdomen.

Her eyes welled with practiced tears. "Keith... I’m just trying to protect Sophie. Megan always does this. She ruins everything with her impulsive decisions—just like she did with her parents—and whenever I try to help, she attacks me..."

Blind rage roared in my ears. I raised my hand, but before I could strike, a sharp, stinging crack echoed through the room.

My head snapped sideways. Pain flared hot across my cheek.

I staggered, looking up to see my mother-in-law, Brenda, standing over me, her chest heaving, her bony fingers trembling with fury.

"Is this how you raise my granddaughter?!" Brenda shrieked, drawing the eyes of every nurse in the corridor. "Dragging a sick child up a freezing mountain in the middle of the night just to gorge yourself on barbecue? And now you have the nerve to bring her here to die?"

She jabbed a manicured finger into my face. "If anything happens to Sophie, you are packing your bags and getting the hell out of my family!"

I pressed a trembling hand to my burning cheek, my eyes locking onto Keith.

Keith hurried forward, catching Brenda’s arm. "Mom, stop. It wasn't Megan's fault... we drew toothpicks. Alyssa won the draw."

Brenda spat on the linoleum floor. "I don't care about your stupid sticks! She's a jinx! I told you the day you married her that she brought bad blood into this house, and look at us now—cursed!"

She turned, smacking Keith hard on the chest. "You’re the man of the house. You decide right now. What are we doing?"

I ignored the throbbing in my face and looked directly at the physician. "Administer the IV. Save my daughter."

Alyssa puffed out her chest, entirely unabashed. "No. Oral antipyretics only. No hospital admission."

Keith stood frozen between us, sweating profusely. Finally, he looked at his mother like a cornered dog. "Mom, you know I can't choose under pressure. My anxiety—"

Brenda rolled her eyes and reached into Keith’s jacket pocket, pulling out the familiar box of wooden toothpicks. A cunning glint flashed in her eyes as she cupped them in her fist and shoved them in my face.

"Draw. Fair and square. Megan agreed to the rules years ago."

A cold, bitter clarity washed over me.

The three of them. A united front, passing me around like a toy to be manipulated and mocked.

I didn't draw. I knocked Brenda’s hand aside with a brutal sweep of my forearm and threw myself between them and the trauma bay doors.

"Doctor, push the medication!" I screamed. "Now!"

Brenda stumbled backward into a row of plastic chairs, screeching obscenities down the hallway.

Sophie was my entire world. And anyone who stood between her and survival was my enemy.

Two hours later, the IV finished dripping. On the pediatric observation bed, Sophie’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.