"Dad, don't go!"
In the middle of the night, a scream pierced the silence as Crystal Foster sat up abruptly in bed, her forehead dotted with tiny beads of sweat. She was gasping for air.
"Mommy, did you have a bad dream?" Otto, her little boy, was woken up by her cry. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he reached out his small hand to pat Crystal's shoulder, even though he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open.
In his sweet, childish voice, he murmured, "Don't be scared, Mommy. Otto is here with you."
It took Crystal a moment to come back to her senses. She hugged Otto tightly, as if drawing warmth from his little body, and the shadows in her heart finally began to fade.
"Thank you, Otto. It's Mommy's fault for waking you up. Go back to sleep."
Crystal glanced at the clock. It was just past four in the morning. She was wide awake now, with no trace of sleepiness left.
Otto snuggled back into her embrace, gave her a peck on the cheek, and drifted back to sleep.
Watching Otto's peaceful face, a smile crept onto Crystal's lips.
Her gaze shifted to the window, where the world outside was still cloaked in darkness, with only the lonely moon casting a faint glow.
Suddenly, she felt an urge to visit her own grave.
Moving quietly, she got out of bed and found her phone. Resting her chin on her hand, she pondered for a while before dialing a number.
"Hello, is this Detective Fion? I need your help finding an address—the location of Crystal Foster's grave. I'll transfer the payment to your account. Please, as soon as possible."
After hanging up, Crystal sat in thought, confident that her grave wouldn't be in a poor condition.
After all, Hyland Riley would need to use it to maintain his image as a devoted man.
She opened her phone's gallery, where she had a video from yesterday featuring Hyland Riley and Stella. The two were cuddled up together in a hospital, with Stella noticeably wearing maternity clothes.
She couldn't wait to share this video online and let the enthusiastic netizens help her condemn Hyland Riley for being such a jerk. Although she couldn't confront Hyland directly right now, getting a little revenge in advance seemed like a good start.
Besides her, the ones most eager to see Hyland Riley suffer were his rivals. She needed to find a way to get the video into their hands and also share it with influential bloggers on social media to catch him off guard from all angles.
Crystal Foster was filled with determination. Unable to sleep,she got out of bed and saw that it was already past five. She glanced back at Otto, who was sleeping soundly. She tucked him in, instructed the bodyguard at the door to take care of him, and quietly left.
The detective had already sent the address to her phone. Crystal first stopped by a flower shop to buy a bouquet before hopping into a taxi, heading straight to her destination.
As she arrived, dawn was breaking, with a sliver of light rising from the edge of the city. The orange sunlight symbolized new hope, much like her own life, which had hit rock bottom but was now ready to rise again.
On the way there, Crystal had felt calm, but the closer she got, the faster her heart raced. After all, no one can remain calm when approaching their own gravestone.
Holding a bouquet of white lilies, Crystal walked forward step by step until she spotted a familiar figure ahead.
"Martin Riley? What's he doing here?"
The man in the black suit ahead was indeed Martin Riley, and like her, he was holding a bouquet of white lilies.
Clear footsteps echoed behind her, causing Sylvia Byrne to turn around. Her brows furrowed as she saw Martin Riley approaching.
They were just three steps away from Crystal Foster's tombstone. Sylvia felt a surge of caution rise within her. She was Sylvia now, and technically had no connection to Crystal Foster, so she couldn't let Martin know she was here for Crystal. Her situation was akin to a soul swap, and no one could find out.
"What are you doing here?" Sylvia decided to take the initiative. "Are you visiting a friend too? Who's your friend?"
Martin paused, changing his course to the left of Crystal's tombstone. He glanced at the name on the adjacent grave, getting a sense of the situation.
"This is my friend. I'm here to visit him. What about you?"
Sylvia moved to the right side of the tombstone, where a young woman's grave lay. She placed a sprig of lilac down, silently apologizing in her heart.
"Sister, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. I really had no choice. We're neighbors, after all, so think of it as me just dropping by."
After her internal monologue, Sylvia stood and faced Martin. "This is my friend. What a coincidence, huh?"
Martin: "..."
The situation was awkward, with both having their own unspeakable reasons.
To avoid meeting Martin's gaze, Sylvia crouched down, trying to sneak a glance at her own tombstone from the corner of her eye. But every time, her eyes met Martin's, and she feared he might notice something. She had to suppress her curiosity, planning to return another time.
The awkwardness was overwhelming, and Sylvia just wanted to leave. After pretending to mourn for a moment, she stood up and turned to Martin."It's getting late, and Otto should be waking up soon. Do you want to head back together?" Martin Riley asked, his eyes lingering on Crystal Foster's tombstone before he nodded in agreement. "Let's go back."
Crystal followed Martin, glancing back at the tombstone when he wasn't looking. The familiar yet distant photo on it made her feel a bit disoriented. She chuckled to herself, thinking how strange it was to look at her own grave.
Martin had driven them there, and Crystal initially wanted to sit in the back. But she worried it might make Martin feel like she was treating him as a chauffeur, so she reluctantly sat in the front passenger seat.
As the car drove smoothly, Crystal felt the atmosphere inside was heavy. She decided to break the silence. "Otto will be discharged in a few days. I... I want to stay with him. Is that okay?"
Last night, she had felt Otto clutching her hand tightly as he slept. He was so insecure. Sylvia Byrne had mistreated him in the past, and Crystal's kindness had made him anxious and clingy. Such a young child, all he wanted was a mother's love, and Crystal wanted to fulfill that wish.
"What are you planning now?" Martin asked, his brow furrowed with suspicion, recalling her past actions.
Crystal sighed. "I just want to be there for Otto. Think of it as me finding my way back and wanting to make amends, to give him a better childhood. Please believe me, I won't hurt Otto again."