Beyond Her Cruelest Lie

g lights of the carousel. It was supposed to be a day of joy, the fifth birthday of my twins, Sop

f pure happiness as she pointed at the giant Fer

leidoscope of wonders that I did my best to navigate with her

clutched my hand tighter. "

n," I promised, dialing my wi

was Olivia' s promise. She was the one who insisted on this brand-new, flashy amusement park

the call

sharp, impatient, the sound of a co

getting worse, the park is starting to

amatic. It' s jus

e her, a low, familiar rumble that made

serious storm warning. I need you to c

is having an emergency. His father

linking glasses and laughter. The lie was so

s their birthday. Sophia was s

' re there, aren' t you? That' s your job. Just take them on one more ri

her eyes wide with hope, fixed on the "Cosmic Rocket" ride. It was one of

addy? The r

eful face, and knowing her mother wouldn't be coming, I felt a wave of pressure to make this disast

said, my voice tigh

hen carefully buckled Sophia into the one in front of

irthday ever!" she

last words I ev

down, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by an immediate, deafening cra

wung wildly. I screamed Sophia's name, but the wind and the mechanical shrieks s

st...

ghts, falling rain, and one small rocket ship tumbling through the air.

nded in th

bling Leo, my eyes locked on the wreckage. The park was chaos, sirens wailing, p

ication lighting up the screen. It wa

er, champagne glasses raised in a toast. They were smiling, radiant. The cap

wave of black, icy rage washed over my grief, so powerful it almost made me sick. The tragedy

away the blood on the pavemen