Chapter 1

"Will he die?"

Silent tears rolled down her face as she stood in the center of a thunderstorm. She did not care if she was soaking wet as the rain poured with her tears like it had no end.

She was numb to even feel the icy water that coated her body. Even the lightning did not scare her a bit like it used to. She could only think of one thing at that moment.

"Will her baby live?"

Early that morning, she woke up with a beaming smile and a light heart. She thought that everything would finally be ok.

She had been struggling, working two jobs to make ends meet. But it did not seem enough. No matter how hard she tried, she kept failing, but not anymore.

Today, her luck had changed. She could feel it as she opened her eyes to the bright sunlight streaming across her room from her bedroom window.

More than that, she could not stop smiling as her eyes landed on two lovely orbs of green lying beside her.

He just woke up, blinking and gazing at her with those two large innocent eyes. Although it reminded her of a past she would prefer to forget, she still loved staring at them.

After all, he was her flesh and blood. He was the only reason she still dared to face the present and looked forward to tomorrow. He was her everything.

Her adorable son was not a mistake but the only good thing that had happened in her life. She knew she would never regret that fateful night because she had him.

"Good morning, my little rascal." She greeted him with a cheerful smile, which in return, he scrunched up his nose and yawned. She guessed he was still sleepy and a little grumpy.

But that did not dampen her spirit because immediately, he crawled beside her and climbed into her chest, burying her cheeks between her bosom.

That was enough to make her feel like she was invincible. Nothing could ruin this day for her, not even the news she heard last night.

THE MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR IS FINALLY ENGAGED.

It was all over the news. The man she once loved had moved on and was getting married to another. It should have been her, but something went wrong.

Something terrible.

An incident that she would never forget for the rest of her life. But as she had promised when she had her son, she would move on. She was not looking back.

"We better get up, Oliver." She mumbled to her sleepy head. "We don't want to be late."

She found a job in a local beach resort that offered a decent wage. It was the perfect place to raise her kid since the cost of living was less than in a buzzing city.

In addition, it also offered her a brand new start. She believed it was the best decision for herself and her child, leaving the buzz and the chaos of city life.

Moreover, it was a way of leaving her past behind.

"I am still sleepy." Her five-year-old active child refused to move from his position.

"What about I make you a deal?" She lifted his head until he had no choice but to face her. "If you hurry, I will buy you ice cream after lunch." Bribing him with one of his favorites.

She knew it was an offer he would find hard to say no. And just like magic, his eyes lit up, and his lips opened up, showing almost all his little teeth.

He was beaming when he jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, leaving her to watch his back disappear behind the door.

She quickly strode to their small closet and took out his clothes, carefully choosing the shirt that he loved to wear.

"Mom, the water is cold." She heard him complaining while hearing the water splashing on the tiles.

It suddenly reminded her that she still had to have the heater fixed. What could she expect from a cheap apartment?

It was the only one she could afford at the moment. But this housing setup was just temporary. She had plans to find a new place once she had saved up.

"Just hurry up." She shouted since she could not do anything about it.

After half an hour, she had him bathed, fed, and ready to go. It was a world record, at least in their household. Usually, it would take her an hour before they could walk out the door.

"Everything will be just peachy and perfect today." She positively told her little boy as they walked toward her new job.

That was one more thing she had to save for. She had to buy a car. Luckily, her new home was not that far from the resort, but it was still a considerable walk for a young boy with shorter legs than her.

"Good morning, Jules." The doorman automatically greeted her. "And who might this young handsome man be?" The older gentleman bent down to look at her son.

"Gramp, this is Oliver." She signaled her son to be polite and smile, wherein he immediately complied.

Then, she worked her shift as the new supervisor while her son stayed in the daycare facility within the resort.

For the first time, she never had to worry about anything. She did not have to look for a nanny she could barely afford.

And she could always visit and check on him during her breaks. It was the perfect setup. Finally, all her hard work had paid off.

"I hope everything went well today." The manager that managed the place called her at the end of her shift. "Was it according to your expectations?"

"Everything is what I envisioned it would be and more." She exuberantly reported, feeling like she was on top of the world.

Who would not want to work in this place? The job might be difficult, but the perks were incredible. Moreover, the view of the beach was captivating.

She could not wait to take Oliver for a walk on the shore and a swim in the shallow waters. It would be a great bonding time for the two of them. And a great experience for her boy's first time on the salty water.

"Wait a second." The manager held his finger as they heard the phone ringing.

She silently sat before his desk, tapping her feet on the floor, planning what she and Oliver would do on her day off while waiting for the call to end.

She could already imagine Oliver's reaction. He would be beaming and laughing as he enjoyed playing under the direct sunlight as he built his first sand castle.

"Ok." The manager said before putting the phone down. She barely heard the conversation since she temporarily zoned out.

But something in his expression changed that suddenly sent chills to her body. Why was he looking at her like that?

"Ms. Morgan, I need you to calm down, but something happened to your son." The words immediately registered in her mind. But it took her a second before she could react.

"What do you mean?" But, of course, she could already tell it was something horrible. It was all over the man's face. "What about Oliver?" Feeling her voice tremble in fear.

Finally, her adrenaline kicked in, tramping her shock aside. She felt her body moved, running as fast as she could. She did not even bother to wait for her boss for answers.

She saw the commotion by the front door as people gathered by the entrance. Then, she heard sirens and saw flashing lights just outside the door.

"No..." She shouted with her hands and knees shaking. "Oliver." She called out his name as she pushed through the sea of people, wanting to get to her boy as soon as possible.

This scene was every mother's nightmare, realizing this was her worse fear. To see her child hurt or in danger.