1 I was back at my in-laws’ for the holidays with my husband, Jake, and our three-month-old son, Leo. But my ten-year-old niece, Ashley, and her friend decided to throw him from an upstairs window while he was napping. Leo was killed instantly, right before my eyes. His cries were cut short, replaced by two faint whimpers before silence took over. He never moved again. I went mad, scooping him up to race to the hospital, but it was too late. He was already gone. Because of her age, Ashley faced no real consequences. The judge ordered them to pay half a million dollars in damages, but my sister-in-law, Karen, wailed that I was trying to ruin them. I didn't want their money. I just wanted my baby back. I cried until my soul felt like it was tearing apart, begging them for some semblance of justice. But my husband and mother-in-law just scolded me. "Ashley's just a child! Are you going to destroy her life just because your son is dead?" My quest for revenge went nowhere. That winter, my heart finally gave out. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. It was the day of the holiday party. The first thing I did was call my parents and have them take Leo away. But this time, a baby was still thrown from the window. ... I had just sent my son off and stepped into my mother-in-law's yard when a sickening thud echoed from the patio. A tiny body, wrapped tightly in a blanket, had slammed onto the stone tiles. Blood seeped through the fabric, staining it crimson. Stunned, I looked up. On the second floor, my niece, Ashley, shot me a defiant look before disappearing from the window. Jake and his mother rushed out at the sound. My mother-in-law let out a piercing scream, her legs giving way. Jake stumbled forward, his whole body trembling. He glanced at the bundle on the ground. "Nina... the baby... he's not breathing." I couldn't even bring myself to look. I bolted upstairs and found Ashley had locked herself in her room. I kicked the door. "Ashley, you open this door right now! Who did you throw out that window!" No answer. But I could hear her and her friend giggling inside. "Ashley, what if they call the cops? Is my mom gonna ground me?" "Chill. We'll just say it was an accident. Besides, the cops can't do anything to kids." Their careless words pierced me like shards of ice. I started to shake uncontrollably. I threw all my weight against the wooden door. "Get out here! Do you have any idea what you've done? This is murder!" Jake, who had followed me up, grabbed my arm. His eyes were red-rimmed. "Nina, calm down. You're scaring them." I stared at him, my eyes burning with a familiar hatred. It was just like last time. Our son was dead, and his first concern was not frightening his niece. My mother-in-law, wiping away tears, added, "Ashley went a little too far this time, but Nina, you shouldn't be so unforgiving." "Leo was only three months old. He's gone. You two can just try for another one." I froze. It took a moment for their words to register. They thought it was my son. They thought Leo was dead. But I had just sent him away with my parents. So who was the tiny, broken body lying downstairs? 2 Jake moved to hug me, vowing, "Nina, I promise we'll get justice for Leo, but Ashley is just a kid, she doesn't know any better…" I shoved him away before he could finish. "She doesn't know any better? Then why didn't she jump herself?" With a surge of fury, I grabbed a chair and slammed it against the door. The wood groaned and shuddered, the vibrations shaking the whole house. "Ashley, get out here right now, or I swear I'll break this door down!" How could she kill someone and feel nothing? Even if it wasn't my son today, I would get justice for that poor child. My violent assault must have rattled her, because she finally yelled from inside, "Stop it! If you keep banging, I'll jump!" I was panting, my arms aching. I turned, stormed to the kitchen, came back with a butcher knife, and hacked at the door. The blade bit deep into the wood and stuck fast. "Jump! If you don't, I'll come in there and kill you myself!" The threat finally worked. Ashley opened the door, her face a mask of bored annoyance. "Who did you throw out the window?" She tilted her chin up, rocking back and forth with a lazy arrogance. "Your son, who else?" I slapped her. Hard. The crack echoed in the hallway. Her head snapped to the side. Tears welled in her eyes as she cupped her cheek, her expression one of pure disbelief. "Why did you hit me? My own mom doesn't hit me! You bitch—" Another slap, just as hard as the first. "That's the problem! Because your mother never disciplined you, you've turned into a monster!" I grabbed her by the collar, my voice a low, furious growl. "I'll ask you one more time. Who did you throw?" The fight went out of her. She mumbled, still holding her face, "It was your Leo. But it was an accident. I just wanted to see what would happen when he fell." "I didn't think he'd actually die." 3 I glanced into the room. The window was wide open, letting a bitter wind whip through the space. Ashley’s friend was huddled on the edge of the bed, silent and terrified. They were old enough for elementary school. They knew damn well how dangerous it was. Jake tried to mediate. "She's already said she's sorry, honey. You've let off some steam. Let's… let's just bury the baby." The absurdity of it all struck me. A human life was gone, and a simple "I'm sorry" was supposed to be enough? My mother-in-law rushed over and pulled Ashley into a tight hug, stroking her face. "You hit her so hard," she murmured, full of pity. "Look how red her poor cheek is." Her cheek was red. But that baby had lost its entire life. I shoved my mother-in-law aside and dragged Ashley by her hair toward the open window. "You wanted to see what would happen? Why don't you find out for yourself?" Ashley started screaming, struggling against my grip. "No! I don't want to! I'll die! You'll go to jail if you kill me! You'll go to jail!" So she did know. She knew it was a crime, and she did it anyway. For the second time in my life, I couldn't comprehend how a child could be so profoundly evil. A sharp pain shot through my arm as Jake wrenched me away. The force of it sent me stumbling, and my head cracked against the wall. I felt something warm and wet trickle down my temple. Jake shielded Ashley, his face a mask of exasperation. "Will you stop it? The boy is dead. Why are you taking it out on a child? You're the one who wasn't watching him!" Both he and his mother stood in front of Ashley, guarding her, looking at me as if I were the enemy. Just like last time. It finally clicked. They were a family, bound by blood. My son and I? We were nothing. Clutching my bleeding head, I reached for my phone with a trembling hand, ready to call the police. Jake kicked it out of my grasp, the phone skittering across the floor. "This is a family matter! Why are you calling the cops?" "Ashley's not even eighteen. It's useless to call them." I used the wall to pull myself up, my gaze locking onto his, full of shattered hope. "That's your son down there. And you're just going to let it go?" A flicker of guilt crossed his face when he saw the blood on my forehead. "Nina, we can have another baby." "But I only have one niece." 4 What a great husband. So devoted to his family. I'd married him because he was filial and kind to his relatives. I never imagined that very quality would become the knife he'd plunge into my heart. He had never considered me and Leo to be his family. His family was them. His niece meant more to him than his own son. I turned to go downstairs, but my sister-in-law, Karen, came charging up, slamming her shoulder into me. She threw herself at Ashley, hugging her tightly. "Who do you think you are, hitting my daughter?" she shrieked. "I barely lay a hand on her! What gives you the right?" I was shaking with rage. "Why don't you ask your daughter what she did?" "So your son dies and you blame my daughter? Maybe your son was just unlucky!" I hated her. But all I could think about was the child on the patio. Who was he? And what was he doing at my mother-in-law's house? "Karen, you're a mother too. If it was your son who died today, could you still say something so heartless?" Her pupils constricted. She pointed a finger at me, her voice dripping with venom. "You shameless bitch. Your son dies, so now you're cursing my family? I'd say it's a good thing your son died! Serves him right!" I grabbed my cracked phone from the floor and started walking downstairs. My mother-in-law shouted, "Stop her! She's going to call the police!" Karen scoffed. "So what? Ashley won't go to jail anyway." "Are you stupid? If she calls the cops, they'll sue us! We'll have to pay!" Realization dawned on Karen's face, replaced by an even deeper disgust. "Jake, look at the wife you married! Her own son is dead, and all she can think about is scheming for our money!" Jake's face was grim as he chased after me. I had already texted my parents to call the police. He lunged for my phone and saw the message. His face contorted with rage, and he slapped me. "I told you this was a family matter! Why did you have to call the cops?" "My brother's family is already struggling. Are you really trying to bleed them dry? I never knew you were so malicious." I clutched my chest, a desperate, broken laugh escaping my lips. Malicious? Oh, I was. I wanted his entire family to burn in hell. Without another word, I continued downstairs. I had to know who that child was. A terrible suspicion was already forming in my mind, but I couldn't bear to believe it. 5 Seeing that I was ignoring him, Jake grew frantic. He followed me down to the first floor. Just as I reached the back door, he grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight. "Nina, can you please stop making a scene? I already checked on Leo. He's gone." "Let's just bury him. We can pretend none of this ever happened, okay?" I pushed him away, my face a blank mask. But then my eyes widened in horror. The spot on the patio where the baby had been was empty. I seized Jake's collar. "Where is he? What did you do with the body!" Sirens wailed outside. Two police officers walked into the yard. "Who called this in?" Jake clamped a hand over my mouth, forcing a smile. "Officers, it was a mistake. My wife got it wrong, nobody called." My mother-in-law and Karen hurried down, the former pointing at me and shouting, "She's crazy! We were just having a little argument, and she calls the police over nothing!" The officers looked skeptical, but assuming it was just a domestic dispute, they took a brief statement and left. As soon as they were gone, Jake released me. "Nina, don't you think I'm hurting too? The baby's dead!" "But you had to make a scene and get everyone involved! How is Ashley supposed to face her classmates now? What will the people in this town think of our family?" I wiped the cold tears from my face. "Is any of that more important than a human life?" My eyes darted around the yard, desperately searching for the child. But he was nowhere. I searched every corner of the house, but the body was gone. Then my gaze fell on the outhouse. As I started towards it, Karen grabbed my arm. "That toilet's broken. Go somewhere else." I coldly shook her off and walked toward the small wooden structure. The stench hit me before I was even close. A corner of the bright red blanket was visible, floating in the filth. My entire body began to tremble, and a raw, agonized scream tore from my throat. "Are you even fucking human?"
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