Chapter 3

Soon, Lexi, who was still dressed in a hospital gown, was escorted to the press conference. She had faced crowds and camera flashes more times than she could count. But this time, she stood before the public as a woman accused of causing her own child's death. "Hello, everyone. My name is Lexi Shaw. My misjudgment caused the bomb to detonate early. I'm the one responsible for my child's death." Her fingers clenched tightly, nails digging deep into her palms. The pain ripped through her chest like a blade. "Lexi, you call yourself a gifted expert trained overseas, yet you killed your own child. You don't deserve those honors." "What a load of crap. She's trash. She probably only saved people before because she got lucky." "She got her own child killed and still thinks she's fit for rescue work? People like her do not belong in the engineering corps. Get out already." The abuse came crashing down like a tidal wave. It was then that she understood how quickly someone could fall from a pedestal into hell. Lexi clenched her jaw, enduring every baseless accusation alone. Suddenly, an egg was hurled straight at her. "Get off the stage. Someone like you does not deserve to live in this world." Sticky yolk slid down her forehead, a perfect reflection of her humiliation. At that moment, her pager started buzzing. It was her friend. "Lexi, something terrible happened. Someone leaked humiliating photos of your mother all over Galoria. She was triggered and is about to jump off a building." A roar filled Lexi's ears. She stumbled as she bolted away. "Joshua, you promised me. You said that if I took all the blame, you would leave my mother alone. Why did this happen?" By the time Lexi reached the hospital rooftop, a crowd had already gathered below. They looked up at Sapphire with open mockery. "Jump already. You're just putting on a show." "A retired military performer acting all respectable in public, but dirty behind the scenes. What, couldn't stand being alone, so you went around sleeping around with men?" "Your daughter killed her own child, and you are sleeping around with multiple men. Some glorious family you are. Trash!" "Who knows, maybe your daughter's the same kind of trash behind closed doors. All that so-called glory probably came from sleeping her way to the top." Hearing the filth they were hurling at her mother and at her, rage surged through Lexi like a wildfire, threatening to burn her alive from the inside out. But Sapphire just sat there quietly on the edge of the rooftop like a doll with its soul drained away, as if she could vanish at any second. "Mom, please come down. I am begging you. I already lost Sebastian. I cannot lose you, too." Sapphire turned around and smiled faintly at her. "Lexi, I am sorry. If it were not for saving me, you would not have given up your chance to save Sebastian. I am the one who killed Sebastian. I ruined your life, too. I am a sinner. I do not deserve to live." The emptiness in Sapphire's eyes pierced Lexi's heart. "Mom, everything will pass. Please believe me. I will take you away. We will start over together, okay?" Sapphire slowly stood up and spread her arms. "Lexi, I'm going to be with your father now. I owe Sebastian this." Before Lexi could reach her, she jumped without hesitation. Lexi rushed forward, completely out of control. "No!" She watched Sapphire fall like a withered rose, lying motionless in a pool of blood. Her world was shattered. She moved to step forward when a familiar figure grabbed her tightly from behind. "Lexi, your mother is gone. You cannot let anything happen to you, too." Staring at Joshua's face, which now felt utterly strange to her, Lexi bit down hard on his arm. "I don't have a family anymore. I have no one left. Joshua, why did you have to do this to me?"