Part 2Blood Ties and Bitter Lies.

"Daddy, help me! Mommy wouldn't buy me the Frozen notebooks, and then she hit me! It hurts, it hurts!"

Mark pulled up her sleeve. There were dark, purple bruises on her arm.

I gasped, reaching out. "Mark, I didn't—"

Mark shoved me back and slapped me across the face.

"What kind of mother are you? You hit a child?!"

"She's lying! I didn't touch her!" I screamed.

I tried to tell him about the scene at the mall, but he cut me off, shouting over me.

"She's five years old! Why would she lie? Why can't you just love your own daughter?"

Mark cut off my access to our joint accounts after that.

I was heartbroken and confused. I stopped trying to explain. I just kept my eyes open.

But it wasn't an accident. When I dropped her off at school, she knelt at the gate.

"Mommy, please! I just want to go to school! I don't want to take any more naked pictures for those uncles!"

I was stunned. Before I could move, her preschool teacher, Ms. Claire, lunged forward. She snatched my bag and pulled out a stack of horrific photos. On the back of each one were names of "buyers."

Ms. Claire held Everly, shielding her from me.

"How could you do this to your own child? You’re a monster!"

Before I could say a word, the crowd of parents pushed me. I stumbled back into the middle of the road. A truck hit me.

Just before the darkness took me, I saw my daughter’s face.

She wasn't crying. She was looking at me with a gaze so cold, so malicious, it didn't belong on a five-year-old.

I died never knowing why she hated me so much. Every night when I tucked her in, she would kiss my cheek and say, "I love you most, Mommy."

Since I’ve been reborn, I’m going to find out the truth.

I looked at Mark, who was setting up his laptop to work from home.

"Mark, she just got back. Why don't you come with us?"

If he thinks she doesn't lie, then this time, I’ll make sure he sees it with his own eyes.

Mark agreed immediately.

At the mall, Everly hopped out of the car. Mark stayed inside to take a call.

"I just got a notification. Work emergency. You guys go ahead. Just meet me back here in an hour."

I nodded, took Everly’s hand, and walked into the stationery store.

Just like before, Everly made a beeline for the box cutters.

"Mommy, I want this one! It has a cute pattern! Can I have it?"