Looking Everywhere But The Grave

Donovan got into the car with Toby. The heater was blasting, making the car feel like another world compared to the wind and rain outside.

Toby stared at everything with wide-eyed wonder; he had never been inside a car in his life.

A wave of self-blame washed over me. For the first time, I regretted fighting so hard for his custody.

I was too selfish.

Donovan sat in the driver's seat and took a cigarette case from the inner pocket of his suit.

He brought a cigarette to his lips but didn't light it. Instead, he held it just under his nose, inhaling the scent of the tobacco before putting it back.

I was stunned.

When I was pregnant, I had begged him to quit smoking, but he'd refused no matter what.

Now, eight years later, he'd changed.

Apparently, true love really could make a man change.

The car drove all the way to a villa district by Lake Washington.

The villa glowed with light.

As soon as they entered, Ivy Scott, dressed in a silk nightgown, rushed to meet them.

"Darling, you're back! Mila just bet me you'd be working late again."

Hearing the name Mila, a bitter pang shot through my heart.

That was the name Donovan and I had once imagined for our daughter, Mila Hayes Blackwood.

Now, it belonged to his daughter with Ivy.

He had molded the once-humble intern into someone so elegant and refined, I barely recognized her.

But when her eyes fell on Toby, her smile froze.

"Who's this?"

"Darling, whose child did you bring home?"

Gazing at Toby's eyes and brows, which were so similar to mine, Ivy was visibly unsettled.

"It couldn't be Hazel's..."

"It is."

"I ran into him by chance on a business trip. He was so underdressed for the cold... I just snapped. I had to bring him home. Don't be upset."

A flash of jealousy crossed Ivy's eyes, but when she looked up again, her usual gentle expression had returned.

"Of course not, darling. Your son is my son."

"It's just... Hazel fought so hard to take the child back then. Now that you've brought him home without telling her, I'm afraid she'll cause a scene..."

At the mention of my name, Donovan's temper flared.

"A scene? What nerve would she have?"

"Look at the state she's left Toby in! If I hadn't brought him back, I doubt he would've made it through the winter!"

Toby struggled out from behind him.

"My mom's not like that! You can't say those things about her!"

My eyes burned.

Before he could finish his sentence, Toby's small body swayed, and he crumpled to the floor.

I desperately tried to catch him, but my hands passed right through his body.

Donovan pulled Toby into his arms and felt his forehead.

"He's burning up. Toby has a fever. You and Mila go ahead and eat, don't wait for me. I'm taking him to the hospital!"

He stood to leave, not forgetting to grab a child's down jacket to wrap Toby in.

Ivy stopped him.

"You don't have to go through all that trouble. We have children's fever medicine at home. Mila took it before, and it works really well."

"Thanks, you're always so thoughtful. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Ivy replied, almost through gritted teeth:

"It's what I should do. We're a family, after all."

"It's just, if Hazel finds out the child is missing—"

"Don't mention her to me. It would be best if Hazel just dropped off the face of the earth. Because if she doesn't, I'm not done with her!"

I knew Ivy kept bringing me up because she didn't want Toby to stay and wanted to poison Donovan's image of me even further.

But this time, she was truly overthinking it. In my current state, there was nothing I could do.

Toby took the medicine, and his fever soon subsided.

I floated by the head of the bed, not daring to even blink.

A wave of self-blame and guilt completely drowned me.

Before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, the door was suddenly pushed open.

I was met with a face that was a miniature version of Donovan's.

Mila, wearing a pink princess dress, bounced over to the bed.

Toby's eyes fluttered open at that moment.

Before he could speak, the little girl raised her tablet and slammed it into Toby.

"So you're the little beggar Dad dragged home? You're filthy. Haven't you bathed in years? Who said you could sleep in my room!"

She grabbed a slipper and began thrashing Toby's back with it.

"Get out! You ugly freak, get out!"

Toby was too weak to speak clearly:

"I'm not a beggar..."

"Dad said I'm his son, and that lady said no one was using this room..."

The little girl put her hands on her hips, looking down on him.

"Who said no one's using it? This is my dolls' room!"

Mila threw back the covers, revealing an exquisite doll lying quietly on the other pillow.

Toby's eyes instantly reddened.

"I'm sorry, I won't stay here. I'll leave right now."

He had just pushed himself up when the girl gave him a hard shove.

He tumbled headfirst, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

Toby hadn't cried when he fell, nor when he was called a beggar.

But when his hand flew to his neck and found the necklace gone, his composure shattered. Tears welled in his red-rimmed eyes.

"Where's my necklace? Give it back to me!"

Mila dangled the silver chain in her hand before throwing it out the window.

"What is this piece of trash? I wouldn't be caught dead with it! If you want it, go crawl and get it!"

"Your mother is a slut, and you're the little bastard she birthed! Your whole family is trash! Go to hell!"