The Little Sapling

On my daughter Lily’s birthday, her only wish was to visit the amusement park with her mother. But my wife Amelia had rented the entire park to impress her first love, Julian.
Her assistant shredded our tickets. “Ms. Astor is busy,” she sneered.
Through the fence, I saw Amelia locked in a passionate kiss with Julian. Lily squeezed through, calling “Mommy!”—only to be kicked away. “You know we lost our baby,” Amelia hissed. “Are you tormenting us with this… thing?”
She strapped my sobbing daughter onto the drop tower and started the ride. “No one stops it until I say so,” she ordered staff before leaving with Julian.
When I finally broke into the control room, blood already stained the ground. Cradling Lily’s broken body, I collapsed before Amelia’s mother. “Amelia killed her,” I rasped. “She’ll pay.”

1
"She's still alive! If we get her to the hospital now, we can save her!" the Astor family doctor shouted after checking Lily's pulse.
But the moment we arrived at the emergency room, Amelia's assistant blocked our path again.
I fell to my knees, slamming my forehead against the cold tile floor. "If Amelia wants to take her anger out on me, fine. Let her torture me. But please, let me get a doctor for my daughter. I'm begging you."
Eleanor tried to shove him aside. "If you delay my granddaughter's treatment, I'll have you buried with her!"
The assistant's eyes widened in panic as he saw the blood pouring from Lily. "But… Ms. Astor has already sent all the doctors from this hospital away."
"That bastard!" Eleanor immediately started calling other hospitals, but the answer was the same everywhere:
Amelia, determined to give Julian a new child to make up for the one they'd "lost," had paid a fortune to hire every top specialist in the city. They were all at her beck and call, preparing her for another pregnancy.
I held my daughter, her small body growing colder in my arms, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
Just then, someone hurried through the doors. "Ms. Astor sent me…"
I scrambled toward him, my heart seizing with a desperate hope, only to realize it wasn't a doctor. It was a delivery guy.
"Ms. Astor asked me to bring these bandages," he said, holding out a small paper bag. "She also said to tell you, and I quote, 'a little blood isn't a death sentence. Stop bothering me over every little thing.'"
"That monstrous daughter of mine!" Eleanor slapped the bag of bandages to the floor and collapsed, clutching her chest. "That parasite Julian ran off with three hundred million from the company ten years ago and left us bankrupt! Now he's back, poisoning our family, twisting Amelia's mind until she murders her own child! I will not let that bastard get away with this!"
She pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Amelia right now. I'll make her come back here and kneel before you to apologize."
But the call went straight to voicemail.
A moment later, my own phone rang. It was Amelia, her voice tight with suppressed rage.
"David, are you determined to ruin my day? If you hadn't killed my baby with Julian out of sheer jealousy, he wouldn't be in so much pain right now! What's wrong with me comforting him? Do you have to be so petty that you run crying to my mother?"
She didn't even pause for breath. "And that daughter of yours! You've spoiled her rotten. She's a spoiled, demanding brat who thinks a single drop of blood is the end of the world. I'm not a doctor, what good would I be?"
"You wanted the amusement park, so Julian and I gave it to you. You said the child was bleeding, so I sent bandages. If you use one more excuse to bother me and Julian today, David, I swear you will regret it."
She was still screaming into the phone, but her voice had become a distant buzz. Nothing mattered anymore. I whispered Lily's name, stroking her small, stiff, ice-cold hand.
"Amelia," I said, my voice hollow, "believe it or not, I never hurt your child with him. I never even knew you were pregnant with his child."
The life drained out of me, leaving only an empty shell. "You killed my daughter. I'm divorcing you."
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a cold, derisive laugh. "Trying to play dead to get my attention again? David, your acting is getting pathetic."
She hung up.
I stood there, soulless, clutching my daughter's body. I walked over to Eleanor. She took one look at me, at Lily, and understood that there was no hope left. Tears streamed down her face.
"This is my fault," she sobbed. "I never should have used the fact that I saved your life all those years ago to force you to marry Amelia, to force you to save the Astor Corporation from ruin."
"But David," she pleaded, her voice breaking, "for the sake of everything we've been through, please… give Amelia one more chance. Before Julian came back, the three of you were so happy. She has you in her heart, David. She does. It's just that scumbag Julian… he's poisoned her mind again."
Her words stirred a memory, and a bitter, desolate laugh escaped my lips.
Ten years ago, Julian had abandoned Amelia after a horrific car accident left her in a coma. He'd cleaned out the company's accounts—three hundred million dollars—and vanished. The Astor Corporation went bankrupt, and the family couldn't even afford her hospital bills.
That's when Eleanor found me. I was a vice president at a rival firm by then. She, a woman of her stature, got on her knees and begged me to marry her daughter—a woman who might never wake up—and salvage the family business.
I was eternally grateful to her. Years ago, when my own mother was dying, Eleanor had hired the best doctors for her and funded my education through college.
To repay that debt, I agreed.
I spent three years rebuilding the Astor Corporation from ashes. I sat by Amelia's bedside, helping her transition from a hospital bed to a wheelchair, and then, finally, to her own two feet. After she gave birth to our daughter, Lily, I stepped back from the company to be a full-time father, allowing Amelia to return to the corporate world she loved.
For ten years, I gave Amelia and the Astor family everything I had.
And now, I had lost my daughter—the only precious gift the Astors had ever given me.
I looked at Eleanor, her face streaked with tears, and slowly shook my head. "I gave her ten years of my life. She had no right to trample on my devotion like this."
"The debt I owed your family was paid a decade ago. Now… now I'm here to collect what Amelia owes me."
My eyes burned as I placed my daughter into the crematorium with my own hands. The flames roared to life, and a violent tremor ran through my entire body.
"Lily," I whispered, my voice cracking, "Daddy will get justice for you. I promise."
Eleanor wept beside me. "After what I've done to you, I have no right to stop you. But David… if Amelia comes to her senses, can you find it in your heart to give her another chance?"
"When my daughter was crying her name, begging for her, why couldn't she give her a chance?"
I wiped the last tear from my eye. Armed with a death certificate, I went home to pack my and Lily's things.
The moment I stepped through the door, I was hit by a thick, acrid smell. Little blue foil packets were scattered all over the floor.
Julian saw me and shot me a provocative glare, his movements against Amelia becoming rougher. "Amelia, darling, your husband's back. Should I leave? We wouldn't want to upset him. He might force poor Lily to put on another one of her little shows. Such a shame, learning to lie and deceive at such a young age."
Amelia's voice was sharp. "David, you stand right there!" she commanded. "I haven't even settled the score with you for killing my child with Julian! Don't think for a second I won't make you pay."
"I told you, I didn't even know you had a child with him, let alone harm it," I said, my voice flat. "I'm tired of repeating myself. Believe what you want."
"Talk is cheap," Amelia sneered. "You know, you don't even deserve to be Lily's father. Maybe I should just let Julian raise her. He'd be a much better father."
I ignored them and started up the stairs.
Amelia grabbed my arm, her eyes narrowing with a flicker of suspicion. "If you don't want me to give Lily to him, that's fine too. I'll just have another baby with Julian to make it up to him. But you have to promise not to be jealous. You have to accept Julian into this family."
"Do whatever you want," I said coldly.
A flash of confusion crossed her face, quickly replaced by a smirk. "If you're really going to be so understanding, then clear out the master bedroom. Julian and I will need it to try for our baby. And while you're at it, come over here and open these packets for us. And hand us a wet wipe."
"Oh, and Julian was a little too rough earlier," she added, a cruel glint in her eye. "He tore my limited-edition lingerie. You can stitch it up for me."
A small, foul-smelling piece of lace and a handful of foil packets hit me in the face. The sharp edge of a packet sliced a thin, bloody line across my cheek.
Disgust churned in my stomach, but I had no energy to fight them. I brushed the lingerie off my shirt, tore open the packets, and threw them on the table in front of them. "Can I go now?"
Amelia looked confused, almost lost for a moment. But then Julian, still draped over her, started moving again, and the sounds of their passion filled the room.
I ignored them and went upstairs.
I folded Lily's little clothes one by one. I pulled out the photo album I had made for her, filled with pictures of her smiling, vibrant face. It felt like she was still alive. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
Just yesterday, she was chirping at my side, "Daddy, don't be sad. Mommy's just too busy with work to play with us. She works so hard. For my birthday wish, I'm not going to ask for Mommy to play with me. I'm going to wish for Mommy to get a good day's rest."
A sob escaped my lips as I hugged the clothes that still carried her scent. My daughter was so thoughtful, so considerate of her mother. And that same mother had sent her to her death on her birthday.
After packing everything, I contacted my lawyer and prepared to leave. As I came downstairs, I saw the two of them, disheveled, leaning against the kitchen counter. Julian's exposed chest was covered in red marks.
"Mr. Hayes," he said, his voice oozing false sympathy, "Amelia is only doing this to make up for the pain you caused me. Don't blame her. And please, stop teaching your child to do such wicked things. What if she grows up to be just like you?"
He feigned a look of realization. "Oh, I heard today is Lily's birthday. I'm so sorry. You see, today is the 5,200-day anniversary of when Amelia and I first met. She swore she'd throw a grand celebration for me on every anniversary. That's why she had to leave you and Lily behind."
His words were an apology, but his face was a mask of triumph.
"I baked a mango cake to show how sorry I am. I hope you'll eat it and accept my apology."
I had no patience for his hypocrisy. All I wanted was to lay my daughter to rest.
Seeing me walk toward the door without a word, Amelia assumed I was snubbing Julian. She had a bodyguard slam my head against the kitchen island.
"David, have you lost every last shred of decency?" she spat. "Julian is a kind man who refuses to hold a grudge against you and your daughter, and you have the audacity to act so high and mighty?"
"Where's Lily? Where are you hiding her? Get her back here right now to eat this cake and get on her knees to apologize to Julian."
"Lily's dead," I gritted out, the pain in my head blinding. "If you want her to eat cake, then Julian can go to hell and feed it to her."
"How dare you say something so vile! You'd curse your own daughter just to win a petty, jealous game!" Amelia's face was contorted with rage. "Did you think I didn't know what you did back then?"
"Julian was by my side after the car crash. He told me everything! I gave birth while I was in a coma, and you killed our baby! You drove Julian out of the country and seized control of the company. You've done every evil thing imaginable."
"I've tolerated you for ten years because you stayed by my side and took care of the house. But you just can't be satisfied, can you? You keep bullying Julian, and now you're cursing my own daughter!"
A bodyguard pinned my arms. Amelia grabbed a slice of the greasy cake and started shoving it into my mouth. The scent of mango filled my lungs, and I began to cough and gasp for air as my throat started to swell shut.
I struggled wildly. "Stop it! Amelia, have you forgotten? I'm allergic to mangoes…"
Amelia froze for a second, then her face hardened again. "You did so many unforgivable things to Julian. This is just an allergy. It won't kill you. Stop being such a dramatic weakling. You are going to eat this entire cake and then you are going to get on your knees and beg Julian for forgiveness."
My eyelids were swelling. Breathing became a desperate struggle. I closed my eyes, resigning myself to the darkness.
Seeing me go limp, Amelia finally stopped, a flicker of panic in her eyes. "Where is his allergy medication?! Find it, now!"
After she forced the pill down my throat, my airways slowly opened. I blinked, my eyes red and swollen.
Amelia let out a breath of relief, her expression awkward. "There. Now you and Julian are even. Just swear that you will never hurt or harass Julian or his future children again."
Her face lit up with a new idea. "Julian is a rising star in the business world now. You, on the other hand, do nothing but enjoy a life of leisure at home. You should also swear to help him raise his children. You'll treat them as if they were your own."
"I promise," she added magnanimously, "I'll even set aside one or two days a week to spend with you and Lily."
When I didn't respond, her patience wore thin. "What are you still angry about? If you hadn't interfered back then, if you hadn't killed our baby and forced Julian to flee the country, if I hadn't been forced to marry you to save the company, my child with Julian would be the same age as Lily now."
"The happy life you and Lily have now was stolen from Julian! What right do you have to be upset?"
I couldn't listen to another word. "Don't you dare mention my daughter's name again!" I interrupted. "You can have Julian back. I've already sent you the divorce papers."
She scoffed. "Fine. I'll hire the best lawyers and fight you for custody of Lily. A kept man like you doesn't stand a chance against me."
"If you don't want to be separated from Lily, then get on your knees and apologize to me. Right now."
That was the last straw. I pulled out Lily's death certificate and threw it in her face.
"Amelia! Read it yourself! Lily is dead! You killed her!"
The black and white words "CERTIFICATE OF DEATH" and the name "LILY HAYES" seemed to hit her like a physical blow. She staggered backward.
"That's impossible…"
Suddenly, Julian cried out. "What? How can that be? Lily's nanny just texted me. She said Lily can't find you and won't stop crying." He turned to Amelia. "The assistant mentioned he went to the hospital this morning. You don't think he went there to forge a death certificate, do you?"
A sharp slap cracked across my face, sending me tumbling down the stairs. From the top of the landing, Amelia's furious voice rained down on me.
"David, you are so consumed with jealousy that you would curse your own daughter? You would forge a death certificate just to hurt Julian?"
"You are unfit to be a father!" she shrieked, incandescent with rage. "Even a beast doesn't eat its own young. You're worse than an animal!"
I struggled to my feet. "Amelia, you are a complete and utter fool."
I reached for the photo album on the floor, but Amelia's stiletto heel slammed down on my hand, pinning it to the ground.
"Get out!" she screamed. "You pathetic scum! Don't you ever set foot in the Astor house again! And don't even think about taking anything that belongs to me or my child with you!"
On her command, the bodyguards smashed our luggage and threw the pieces into the trash bins outside. The photo album, the one Lily and I had so lovingly made together, was torn to shreds and thrown out after it.
My eyes burning, I knelt down, trying to gather the last memories my daughter had left me, but the tiny pieces slipped through my fingers.
Julian opened a window. A gust of wind swept through the yard, scattering the torn photographs like ashes.
"Oops," he said with a fake gasp. "I was just trying to air out the smell of vomit Mr. Hayes left behind. The house stinks."
"Ignore him," Amelia said, her voice filled with contempt. "He doesn't even care if his own daughter lives or dies. Do you really think he cares about some stupid photos? He's just putting on a show for me."
A hollow, bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Amelia, remember what you did to me and my daughter today. I swear, one day, you will pay for it."
I staggered back to the funeral home. A staff member, her face full of sympathy, handed me a small urn shaped like a pink kitten.
"I heard your daughter's birthday wish this year was to go to the theme park with the pink kitten mascot," she said softly. "I thought… she might like a box like this. I hope… I hope she can find peace."
A lump formed in my throat. I hugged the urn, tears streaming down my face. A complete stranger wanted to grant my daughter's last wish, a wish her own mother had ignored.
"On behalf of Lily, thank you," I said, bowing deeply.
After finalizing the funeral arrangements, I met with my lawyer. I gave him the surveillance footage from the amusement park and the signed divorce papers.
"She doesn't deserve to be Lily's mother," I said, my voice raw. "I want everyone to know what she did."
I choked back my tears and spent the last of my savings on a custom-tailored suit. I wanted to say goodbye to my daughter with dignity.
But as I was preparing for the funeral, my heart a shattered mess, Amelia appeared at my apartment. The moment I opened the door, one of her bodyguards kicked me square in the chest.
"Do you think I'm a patient woman?" she snarled. "Do you think I will tolerate you endlessly harassing Julian?"
"You found out I was planning a birthday celebration for him, that I was having a custom suit made. So, in retaliation, you told every designer in the city not to work with him. You wanted to humiliate him, didn't you?"
I knew immediately what had happened. A designer friend of mine, wanting to avenge me, had blacklisted Julian throughout the entire fashion community.
I wiped a trickle of blood from my lip. "So what if I did? You two murdered my daughter. Why should you get to celebrate anything?"
Amelia kicked me with the pointed toe of her high heel. "When are you going to stop with this nonsense? Stop cursing your own child!"
"How did I kill my daughter?" she demanded. "No matter how much I despise you, I would never harm my own flesh and blood! In fact, I've been more than good to Lily!"
"You wanted the park I booked for Julian, so I let you have it. She wanted me to play with her, didn't she? I personally sent her on the ride myself. What more could you possibly want?" She scoffed. "Don't tell me you can die from a simple amusement park ride. Your lies are getting more ridiculous by the minute."
She snatched the suit from my hands, threw it on the floor, and stomped on it. "You said Lily was dead, right? Then what's her father doing ordering such an expensive suit? Getting all dressed up to find your next sugar mama?"
A sharp pain shot through my heart. I grabbed the suit and shoved her out the door. "Amelia, I hope you can still speak with such confidence three days from now."
I could hear her cursing from the hallway. I collapsed onto my bed and fell into a numb, dreamless sleep. That night, another knock echoed through the apartment.
Annoyed, I wrenched the door open and found Julian standing there.
He shoved past me into the room. I immediately grabbed for him.
"Well, well," he sneered, snatching the pink kitten urn from the small memorial I had set up in the living room. "She really is dead."
"Good riddance. With your daughter dead, and you dead next, the entire Astor fortune will be mine."
"Put that down!" I roared, my eyes turning red as I lunged at him.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed my hair and yanked me back.
"You bastard, David! Julian came here to apologize to you, and you dare attack him!"
Julian hadn't expected Amelia to be there. His eyes darted around nervously. When he saw her gaze fall on the urn in his hands, he immediately started shouting.
"That's the box! He used the powder in that box to poison our baby! I remember it perfectly! Now he's trying to use it to kill me!"
"You're lying!" I screamed. "That's my daughter's urn! Give me back my daughter's urn!"
"You dare curse Lily again!" Amelia slapped me hard across the face. "Who has a pink urn? The lies you tell to hurt Julian are getting more and more pathetic!"
She took the box from his hands. As I screamed in anguish, she raised it high and smashed it onto the floor.
"NO!" I howled, scrambling forward, but she kicked me away. "Trying to grab your box of poison? Who else are you planning to harm?"
With a sickening crack, the urn shattered, scattering ash and tiny, unburnt fragments of bone across the floor.
A raw, primal scream tore from my throat. The pain in my chest was so intense I couldn't breathe.
Amelia's face, once flushed with anger, slowly drained of all color, turning a ghostly, horrified white as she stared at the scattered remains.
"What… what is this…?"

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