Chapter 3The New York Legend

I was in the hospital for days, and my father never once came to see me.

But one afternoon, when Mom was pushing my wheelchair through the halls for some fresh air, I saw him. He was in the room next to mine, tenderly caring for Natalie.

I knew my mother saw him too. The corners of her eyes were wet. I reached up to wipe a tear away and buried my face in her lap.

"Mommy, let's divorce Daddy," I whispered. "We don't want him anymore."

She froze for a second, then gently squeezed my cheek. "Do you even know what a divorce is?"

I shook my head, then nodded. "It means we don't have to live with Daddy ever again. And then you won't have to cry because of him anymore."

A sad smile touched her lips, and she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Alright, Alan. Mommy will give your father one last chance. If he doesn't change, we'll get a divorce."

Three days later, I was discharged. It was also my birthday.

My mother threw a huge party for me. Just as we were about to cut the cake, Natalie showed up. She wasn't alone. She'd brought an entire funeral procession with her, all dressed in black.

She burst into the room, wailing like a banshee.

"Oh, my poor son! My poor baby! Burned alive at only four months in the womb! And the monster who did it gets to throw a birthday party for her own son without facing any punishment! Oh, the injustice of it all!"

"My baby, it's Mommy's fault! I'm not powerful and ruthless like Mrs. Blackwood. I can't just bend the law to get my revenge! Oh, my poor, poor child..."

Her histrionics drowned out the cheerful party music. The guests, who had just been smiling and giving me presents, now stared at me and my mother with strange, unsettling looks.

My mother's face darkened. She signaled for the bodyguards to throw Natalie out.

But Natalie just stroked her own belly and sneered, "Not so fast, Elena. I'm pregnant again. Robert let you off the hook for killing my last baby, but he's already warned me about you this time. If you so much as lay a finger on me, he'll destroy you."

"He doesn't love you anymore, Elena," she taunted. "Do you really think you can still throw your little tantrums and get away with it? Even if you don't care about yourself, you should at least think about your precious son."

Her eyes flickered towards me. My mother hesitated, her hand tightening on mine. It was the little squeeze she always gave me for encouragement, so I squeezed back, hard.

The storm clouds on my mother's face suddenly cleared. She smiled, a calm, serene expression settling over her. "In that case," she said to Natalie, "be my guest."

Seeing my mother back down, Natalie's smirk widened. She grew bolder, marching through the room like a conquering queen. She swept all my birthday presents off the table and sent them crashing to the floor. Even my huge birthday cake was smashed in two.

But just then, the grand chandelier in the center of the hall began to emit a low, ominous groaning sound.

My mother's eyes darted upwards.

Natalie, however, was lost in her triumphant destruction, completely oblivious.

The next second, the chandelier plummeted from the ceiling, crashing down with perfect, deadly accuracy right on top of her.

A splash of crimson stained the pristine floor.

My mother covered my eyes with her hand, but I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, Natalie, I am so sorry. I forgot to tell you. That chandelier is rusted through. We just haven't had time to get it repaired. It could have fallen at any moment."

In the end, Natalie was carried out on a stretcher.

And I got a brand-new strawberry cake and a fresh pile of birthday presents.