Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 528

In a daze, Mila seemed to hear a thousand voices and flashes of memory

ricocheting through her mind, each one making her hand tremble harder around the knife.

-Mom, I'm sorry.

-Mom, I'll be good.

-Mom, you smell so nice. Did you make something delicious for me?

-I understand, Mom.

I love your spicy chicken the most, Mom!

Wow!

-Mila! Stay calm, be careful!

-Mila!

At the end of it all, she saw Jade's face, eyes fierce with authority, a sharp command slicing through the cold, endless dark-snapping her awake.

What had she done?

The knife slipped from her grasp and clattered away. Her hands, still shaking, reached for Sophia's damp, sticky neck. Maybe she'd been out of her mind, because the cut was shallow, just a thin line of blood seeping slowly out. Realizing Sophia's life wasn't in danger, Mila collapsed, drained, and sank to her knees on top of her, arms falling limp to her sides.

She gasped for breath, lungs burning.

Her thoughts were still muddled, children's voices echoing in her ears: laughter and tears-baby talk in a cradle, a soft bundle giggling, that first wailing cry at birth-each memory rattling her chest.

mistakes, be imperfect, stubborn, and difficult, but he would never be cruel enough to treat life as nothing. He'd

not like that." As her senses finally began to return, Mila spoke, her voice hoarse and raw in the darkness. "It's not your word I care about.

she knew Lysander-and using their child as a pawn

had to hear it

not, before any judgment was passed, she owed it to him-to herself as

hear Adrian say

dawned, and she became aware of the violent coughing beneath her. Reality pressed in

What had she done?

She'd nearly-

nearly made

almost ruined

Mila leaned down, lifting her head just enough to look into Sophia's face. Her eyes, bright

She spoke again.

for a long time. Whatever he does-even if he drops dead-has nothing to do with me. If he really put our son up to this, I'll settle it with him myself. I

by the collar and yanked her up

you're just as guilty! He's your child. Even if you didn't want him or couldn't care for him, you had options-you could have given him to his uncle or hired someone to look after him. There were a hundred ways

one thing you should never have done was help destroy

and you knew

"How could you?"

...

Some time later.

with sterile green light, was empty now except for Sophia. She lay on the floor, her beautiful face swollen

way

she fumbled in her pocket until she found a small metal tin, flicked it open, and drew out a

into

She didn't know if it was the smoke or the pain from her neck, but tears stung the