My husband caused the death of our daughter.

Mark, the principal of an elite high school, locked his daughter, Lily, in a hotel room on the day of the Physics Olympiad. He hired a creepy older man to guard her, all so his first love's son, Ethan, could secure the guaranteed admission to Caltech.

"Caltech has always been Ethan's dream, Lily. Just let him have it," he'd said. "Stay put. This man will…discipline you if you don't."

Lily was brutally assaulted and murdered. Later, at a school assembly, a reporter asked Mark about his daughter's death. He froze, his face draining of color.

1.

I was out of town, arguing a case, the day of Lily's Physics Olympiad. I couldn't be there for her, but I expected to celebrate her guaranteed admission to Caltech when I returned. Instead, I received news of her death.

Rushing back, I saw her in the morgue, covered in bruises and bite marks. Everything went black. I collapsed, tears streaming down my face.

A police officer sighed. "You're the girl's mother? We couldn't reach her father, so we contacted you. I'm so sorry. We've apprehended the suspect."

Lily had checked into a hotel the night before the competition. A 50-year-old man had raped and tortured her to death. The words sliced through me like shards of glass. My beautiful daughter, her life stolen by a monster.

Sobbing uncontrollably, a chilling thought pierced my grief. How could this have happened? I'd specifically told Mark, my husband, to stay with Lily throughout the competition, for her safety. Where was he?

My hand trembled as I dialed his number. It rang and rang. Finally, he answered, his voice irritated. "What? I'm busy! Not everyone has all the free time you do."

Then, I heard the noise of a party, a cheerful MC's voice booming: "Congratulations to Ethan Miller, winner of the Physics Olympiad and recipient of a guaranteed spot at Caltech!"

Ethan's voice followed: "I want to thank Mr. Peterson and my mom for their constant support."

I froze, my blood running cold. Lily lay dead, and he was celebrating with his first love and her son.

"Mark, I asked you to be with Lily, and you're at some party for someone else's kid?" My voice shook with rage.

"What? I can't have a life of my own? Who says I have to spend all my time with Lily? Besides, Ethan won the Olympiad. As the principal, it's my duty to attend this celebration."

"Lily is dead!"

Silence. Then a scoff. "I know you never liked Ethan or his mother. But you're Lily's own mother. You wouldn't use her death as an excuse to get me home, would you?" He hung up.

Staring at the disconnected screen, a mixture of grief and fury choked me.

2.

Our marriage had been strained for years, but I always believed Mark cared about Lily. I stayed, wanting her to have a stable home. Now I realized Ethan held a higher place in his heart.

I struggled to my feet, cradling Lily's body. "Don't worry, baby. Mommy's taking you home."

After the cremation, I held her urn, heading home to arrange the funeral. The police handed me her belongings: a...