“You think I’m a fool? There are no rattlesnakes near Chloe’s lodge. Who would just get bitten out of nowhere?”
“If you’re going to lie, at least do your homework. Delete that post right now. If anything happens to Chloe, you won’t escape the consequences!”
“I won’t delete it! Everything I wrote is true—Jason really was bitten!”
“Enough. You don’t deserve to be his mother if you’re teaching him to lie for you at such a young age. I’m swamped with company affairs—I don’t have time for your nonsense!”
My anger exploded.
“Daniel Brooks, you bastard! You’ll kill your own son like this!”
Even the doctor beside me couldn’t hold back and shouted,
“Sir, your son has indeed been poisoned. You can’t just let him die like this!”
But before the doctor could finish, Daniel hung up.
I collapsed by Jason’s bedside, sobbing his name over and over. Grace wrapped her arms around me, blaming herself while cursing Daniel:
“He’s an absolute monster! What kind of man does this?”
“If only I had paid more attention back then… maybe…”
I shook my head, knowing it wasn’t her fault.
Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine Daniel would abandon his own son’s life for another woman.
Jason, his tiny body covered with tubes, lifted a frail finger to respond to me—leaving behind two silent streams of tears.
I turned and fell to my knees before the doctor, begging desperately for him to save my son.
The doctor lowered his eyes with pity but shook his head helplessly.
“The best window for administering the serum has already passed. Even a miracle worker couldn’t bring him back now…”
I collapsed to the ground in despair, watching as the heart monitor released its sharp beeping sounds.
Jason, filled with disappointment toward his father, finally closed his eyes that once held such a fierce will to live.
My heart bled, my tears streamed endlessly as I kissed his little face again and again, unable to let him go.
In that moment, I swore silently to myself—I would never allow my son’s death to be in vain.
After sending Jason’s body to the morgue, I stepped out into the pouring rain and walked with determination back to the lodge.
Jason’s belongings were still there—his favorite toys.
On his fifth birthday, Daniel Brooks and I had given him a Spider-Man action figure.
He always said it was like a superhero that would protect him from every bad guy.