My Husband Stole Our Daughter's Skin

The neon lights of Christmas Eve bathed the snow in warm hues. I held Maria's hand; her tiny fingers clutched the freshly bought Christmas hat, its soft fuzz tickling my palm. "Mom, when will Dad come?" She tilted her little face up, lashes dusted with tiny flakes of snow. I pulled out my mobile phone; the screen still showed the message I sent to Carson Leonard half an hour ago—silent as a stone sinking into the sea. "Your dad's busy with work. How about we go get some hot cocoa while we wait for him?" I gently rubbed her hair and wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her. Maria nodded obediently, skipping and hopping toward the dessert shop on the corner. At that moment, a black sedan, like a wild beast gone mad, suddenly lunged onto the sidewalk. All I heard was the screeching brakes and Maria's sharp, short cry: "Mom." Her small body was sent flying; her Christmas hat traced an arc before landing on the snow-covered asphalt. Blood spread beneath her like a flower of despair, quickly seeping into the snow. I rushed over like a madwoman and knelt down beside her. Maria's eyes were half-open, her lips moving, but no sound came out. The car door opened, and out stepped Veronica Hamilton, Carson Leonard's personal secretary. She clutched her forehead, where a trickle of blood oozed through, her face pale as she called out, "Mr. Leonard." Carson got out from the passenger seat, his brow tightly furrowed, and immediately steadied Veronica. "How are you? Are you okay?" His voice was filled with anxiety, his eyes never leaving me and Maria just a short distance away. I knelt in the snow, cradling fragile Maria in my arms, watching that car vanish into the night. Snowflakes landed on Maria's face; she trembled faintly. I fumbled for my mobile phone, my fingers shaking too much to dial the number correctly. By the time the 911 emergency line connected, I was already crying and couldn't form complete sentences. "Hello... help... my daughter... at the corner of Starlight Square..." After hanging up, I called Carson Leonard immediately. Busy signal, over and over again. I kept calling, my fingers aching, my ears ringing with that relentless busy tone. The ambulance siren grew louder as it neared. I held Maria tightly, feeling her warmth slip away bit by bit. The medical staff lifted Maria onto the stretcher. I grabbed its edge and ran alongside. "Doctor, please, you have to save her." I clung to the doctor's white coat, my voice hoarse with desperation. "We will do our best. Please stay calm and go complete the paperwork first." The doctor's words were cold and official, but they gave me a flicker of hope. At the hospital emergency building, the nurse handed me a stack of forms. "You need to pay a five-thousand deposit first." I hurriedly pulled out my bank card and inserted it into the ATM. "Transaction failed. Please contact your card issuer." I figured the machine was faulty, so I tried another one—same message. Then I took out another card, a supplementary card Carson Leonard gave me with a high limit. Still, the transaction failed. A bad feeling crept over me. I called Carson again. This time, the call went through. "What's going on?" His voice was sharp with impatience, and I could hear a doctor's voice speaking in the background. "Carson, why won't the bank card work? Maria is in the hospital, urgently needing a deposit." I tried to keep my voice steady. "Not working?" He let out a light laugh, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Rachel, what game are you playing now?" "I'm not playing any game! Maria was hit by Veronica Hamilton, she's in the emergency room, waiting for money to save her life!" My voice rose despite myself. "Rachel, could you be a little more mature?" His voice turned cold. "Veronica spent all day with me because of work, and now she's injured. I'm with her getting examined. Don't use Maria as an excuse to make a fuss." "Making a fuss?" I trembled with anger. "Carson, how can you say that?" He paused, his tone growing even harsher. "I froze your card. You've been spending recklessly lately; it's time you reined it in." "Frozen my card?" I could hardly believe my ears. "Carson, Maria is fighting for her life right now. Restore my card immediately." "Enough!" he cut me off. "I don't have time to argue with you. Veronica needs me here. Figure it out yourself, and stop calling me." The phone was hung up, and a cold busy signal buzzed through the receiver. I stood in front of the payment window, my entire body chilled to the bone. The nurse's impatient voice rang out: "Are you going to pay or not? There are people waiting behind you." I touched the necklace around my neck—a keepsake left by my mother—a platinum chain with a small Jade pendant. This is the most valuable thing I own. "Please wait for me just a moment longer." I told the nurse and then turned to run out of the hospital.