Betrayal's Sting: A Father's Revenge

a stranger' s, a paramedic, calm and professional, b

cident. Your daughter, Lily... you need to

s shook on the steering wheel, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped b

nged wife, Sarah, standing near the reception desk. She was

handling it. Just g

face a mask of irritation that onl

You' re

w is she?" I grabbed her

I' d made on her expensive blazer. "T

ssing a difficult case file, not our five-year-ol

car hit her' ? Where wer

ce low and venomous. "She ran into the street. You know

. Difficult? Lily was a ray of sunshine, a bundle of

orner, a man stood waiting. It was Mark Thompson. Her step-brother. He caught my eye, then quickly looked away. A moment lat

What was he doing here? And w

hed us, his face grim. The sigh

d Mrs. M

I cho

did everything we could, but the damage was too extensive. She

at first. They were just

octor said, his voice ge

world tilted on its axis. My legs gave out and I stumbled back against a w

and a gut-wrenching sob escaped her lips. She rushed to my side, wrapping her frail arms around

rney down the sterile, silent corridors, a hollowed-out shell of a man. My mothe

Lily' s mother. We needed to be together in this nightmare

ed on the

? I' m in the middle of

as impatien

gue, Sarah," I whispered, my voic

gh. "I can' t. I have work.

ic

hung

it was an errand to be run. My mother looked at me,

h for a distraction that didn't exist. And then I saw it. A picture, posted just thirty minutes ago. It was

mpagne, were Sarah and Mark. They were smiling. Laughi

her was celebrating. The phone slipped from my numb fingers and clatt