After I was forced to give my heart to my husband’s old flame, I died in the hallway of the private hospital he founded. Before I died, my six-year-old son begged him three times. The first time, Leo grabbed the man’s hand and said I was spitting up blood. The man sneered. “Finally getting smart, are we? Teaching your kid to lie for you?” He had his bodyguards drag Leo out of the room. The second time, Leo grabbed his sleeve, saying I was in so much pain I was delirious. The man frowned. “It’s just a heart transplant. The doctor said she won’t die.” The bodyguards dragged Leo out again. The third time, Leo collapsed on the floor, clutching his pant leg, sobbing that I was unconscious. The man finally snapped. He grabbed Leo by the neck and threw him out of the room. “I told you, Chloe won’t die. If you bother Ava’s rest again, I’ll throw you both out of this hospital.” To save me, Leo offered his most treasured possession to a nurse—his baptismal locket. “Auntie, I don't want a long life anymore. I just want my mommy to live.” The nurse took his locket, preparing to move me to the last available room. But Ava, my husband's old flame, had someone block the door with her pet dog's carrier. “Sorry, kid. Ethan was worried I'd get bored without my baby, so this room is for my dog.” To make room for Ava’s dog, my hospital bed was pushed into the hallway. As the door closed, Leo clutched the locket he'd just taken off. He balled his little fist, already turning purple, and pounded on the door. “Auntie, please give the room back to my mommy!” “Auntie, Leo is begging you, please open the door!” His small voice echoed down the hall, but it couldn't move Ava, who was busy playing with her dog inside. The more Leo cried, the louder she cooed. “Good boy, we don't pay attention to dirty things.” Leo's voice grew hoarse. This was the same child who would cry for me to kiss a scraped knee. Now, he just wiped the blood from his knuckles on his shirt. With tears streaming, he said, “Bad lady! Leo traded his locket for that room! Why does your dog get it?!” “You're a bad lady!” His voice was so raw you could barely understand him, his questions laced with a heartbreaking fragility. I lay on the gurney, tears and blood mixing on my face. I'm sorry, Leo. Mommy couldn't protect you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The door never opened. Leo walked back to me, his eyes swollen shut. “Mommy, I'm sorry. I'm useless. I let the bad lady take your room.” “Mommy, I'm sorry.” I could feel my life slipping away. I knew I was dying. But I couldn't scare my Leo. With my last bit of strength, I forced a smile. “Leo, sweetie, Mommy's a little cold. Can you go get me a blanket? Please?” He stared for a second, then frantically wiped his tears and nodded. “Okay! I'll go get one right now!” “Mommy, you have to wait for me! You have to wait!” As I watched his little back run away, I closed my eyes. “Leo, I'm sorry. Mommy can't wait.” When I opened my eyes again, I was a ghost, following my son. He was smart. He knew going home would take too long, so when he saw an open door, he ran right in. A young woman was lying in that bed. Her husband was carefully tucking her in, not missing a single corner. Beside them, a little boy, maybe five, was holding a cup of warm water. “Mommy,” he said sweetly. For some reason, Leo looked like he was about to cry. But he couldn't. He had to get a blanket for his mom. The couple was startled. The man gently brushed the dust off Leo. “Are you okay, little guy? Where's your mom?” Leo nervously picked at his hands, then worked up the courage. “Mister, my mommy is sick. She's really cold. Can I please borrow a blanket?” “I can give you my locket for it. Please, help my mommy.” The man’s expression softened. He immediately pulled a new, sealed blanket from the cabinet and handed it to Leo. “Take it. I hope your mom feels better soon.” After so much cruelty, this one act of kindness made Leo speechless. He hugged the blanket, bowing over and over. “Thank you, mister. Thank you, auntie. Thank you.” The man waved his hands. “Don't thank me. We didn't even buy it.” “The founder of this hospital, Mr. Stone, gave one to every family. He's celebrating his wife's successful surgery.” “See? His picture and his wife's are printed right on it.” “If you really want to thank someone, just wish Mr. Stone and his wife a long, happy life together.” Leo froze. He remembered Ethan throwing him out of the room. He also remembered... a time when Ethan (Ethan Stone) would lift him onto his shoulders, laughing as they ran across the lawn. The tears just wouldn't stop. “I will. I'll thank... Mr. Stone.” My heart ached more than it did on the operating table. Looking at Leo’s dull eyes, I remembered. Ethan used to love us. He’d stay up all night trying to pick the perfect name for Leo. He’d buy out entire toy stores for his birthday. When I had a cold, he’d hold Leo and read him silly fairy tales. But that all ended the day Ava came back. She used her “weak heart” to frame me and Leo, over and over. Playing the victim, faking helplessness, she won all of Ethan's sympathy. Then she tricked Leo into putting a caterpillar on her bed, faked a heart attack, and made sure Ethan walked in to see it. Everything changed after that. In the hospital room, the man nodded, pleased. “By the way, where's your dad? Why isn't he with you?” Leo looked down. His tears dripped onto the plastic bag, onto the smiling photo of Ethan and Ava. His voice was a whisper. “My daddy... he's dead.” After saying goodbye, Leo ran back to the main building, clutching the blanket. He slammed right into Ava, who was holding her little dog. She scowled, her perfect makeup twisting in disgust. “Get out of my way, you little bastard.” “Do you know how expensive this dress is? I could sell you and you still couldn't afford to clean it.” “You're just like your mother. Fucking trash.” Ava, her face dark, kicked him. Hard. Leo, caught off guard, flew backward. The blanket went flying. He ignored the pain and scrambled for it, but Ava stepped on his hand. She ground her stiletto heel into his fingers, looking down at him. “I'm warning you, you little bastard. If you ever pull that pathetic act in front of Ethan again, I'll have you and your slut mother thrown out.” “Do you hear me?” Her eyes were vicious, like she wanted him to disappear. I bit my lip, rage and pain drowning me. I lunged, trying to pull her foot off him, screaming. Get off my son! Do anything you want to me! Don't you dare touch my son! I screamed until I had no voice, but she couldn't hear me. She was enjoying the sight of Leo's face, red with pain, and pressed down harder. Leo's arm started to spasm, but he refused to cry. He looked up, his swollen eyes staring at the glamorous Ava. “My mommy is not trash. She's the best mommy in the world.” “You're a bad lady. I won't let you hurt my mommy.” With that, he opened his mouth and bit her ankle, hoping she'd move. Ava, already furious, was enraged. Her sharp heel slammed into his fragile stomach. “You little bastard!” I shrieked, diving to shield him. But he passed right through me, his head cracking against the wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. He still didn't cry. He just stubbornly reached out, feeling along the floor. “Blanket... blanket... Mommy needs the blanket...” Ava wasn't done. She put her dog down, walked over, and slapped him hard across the face. “Ava?” Ethan’s disbelieving voice cut through the air, startling everyone. Leo's empty eyes suddenly lit up. He tried to speak through his split lip.
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