Chapter 3

Just then, Bianca returned and pretended to scold Zachary before pulling me to sit down. "Daniella, Zachary's sick and in pain. It's normal for him to be irritable," she said, trying to comfort me.

She continued, "Don't take it personally. I just spoke with the doctor, and the surgery is scheduled for Monday. You can go downstairs now and put down the 50 thousand dollar deposit for the pre-op tests."

I yanked my hand away from her. "Didn't he say he doesn't want my help? You handle the surgery arrangements. If you have the money, treat him and take him as your son; if not, let him figure it out himself."

"How can you say that? You can't hold a grudge against a five-year-old child! He doesn't know what he's saying. Besides, you're his mother. How could you abandon your child when he still has hope for treatment?"

Bianca's angry voice drew attention from the neighboring patients, who peered over with pitying looks. However, Zachary's pride could not handle their stares.

In his rage, he ripped off his oxygen mask and shouted, "Fine, don't treat me! You're cold-hearted and not even my real mom. I don't need you!"

Bianca instantly struck Zachary across the face, her eyes darting nervously. "Zachary, if she's not your mom, then who is? Stop talking nonsense!"

Zachary's eyes filled with tears as he muttered, "She's just not."

My hands clenched. I had suspected Zachary knew about his true parentage, but I never imagined he had known from such a young age.

The realization that the son I had poured my heart into raising had deceived me for over a decade made my heart sink. For a second, everything felt bleak.

"Fine. Go find your real mom to pay for your treatment," I said, giving Bianca a hard look before grabbing my purse and walking out of the hospital.

Over the next few days, Bianca and Jason bombarded me with calls. Yet, my answer remained a firm "No."

I had intended to wait for the DNA test results, which would take three days, before confronting Bianca. Of course, life would rarely go as planned—Zachary's condition suddenly deteriorated.

Although he had scattered my ashes into the ocean in my previous life, he was still just a five-year-old child in this life. After wrestling with my thoughts, I returned to the hospital. Bianca could not hide her joy when she saw me, though she looked much more haggard than before.

Zachary was always difficult to handle, even more so as a patient. His tantrums were frequent, and each one would trigger rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties, requiring constant supervision.

"Daniella, I knew you wouldn't abandon him," Bianca said eagerly. "The surgery's on Monday, and he still needs several major pre-op tests. Quick, give me the money. "

She hesitated before adding, "Actually, you should prepare more, maybe 100 thousand dollars—Wait, no, 300 thousand dollars would be the safest.

"I've already told the doctor to use the best treatment and medications for Zachary."

She tried to pull me toward the elevator, but I coldly yanked my hand away. "Who said I'm paying for his treatment?"

"Daniella, are you out of your mind?" Mom stormed in from the hallway and slapped me hard across the face. "If you don't pay for Zachary's treatment today, you're no longer my daughter!"

Looking at Mom's furious face, I felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, and my heart sank.