"Drop the act, Debbie." Brendan's tone was strange, almost pitying. "I know you've had people keeping tabs on me these past few days. I'll admit, agreeing to the divorce was me being impulsive. But if going through all this helps you reflect on your own behavior, then maybe it was worth it."

I laughed in disbelief.

I was about to fire back when a wave of scorching heat slammed into me. Someone screamed, "Fire!"

I turned to run, but with a deafening crash, flames engulfed the ceiling beams. A wooden cabinet toppled and smashed down onto my foot.

I choked back a cry, my face draining of color. "Brendan, help me up!"

Brendan pulled me to my feet without hesitation. Then a wail came from behind us. Cindy was sitting by the doorway, paralyzed with fear. "Brendan! Save me!"

Brendan looked at me. Then went quiet.

Dread pooled in my stomach. "Brendan, don't tell me you're going to rescue her. She's right by the door. She could crawl out in two seconds. Even if she just sat there and did nothing, she'd be perfectly fine..."

"I'm sorry, Debbie." His voice was hoarse. "Cindy has no one else to rely on but me. You're strong. Holding on a little longer won't be a problem for you. I'll come back for you."

"Trust me, Debbie. You're my wife. I would never let you get hurt. But I have to save Cindy first."

He let go of my hand without a second of hesitation and walked away.

The fire raged at nearly two hundred degrees, but in that moment, I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice cellar.

I watched Brendan scoop Cindy into his arms and carry her out. I watched Cindy glance back at me, then go limp, faking unconsciousness the second they cleared the door. Brendan didn't think twice. He hailed a cab and left with her, never once looking back, never once remembering I was still inside.

The world blurred as I collapsed to the ground. Through the haze, I saw firefighters rushing in.

After a solid month of recovery, I was finally cleared to leave the hospital.

"If today weren't my birthday, I never would have let you check out." My father's tone left no room for argument.

I gave him a helpless smile. "Your daughter survived a brush with death. That means nothing but good fortune ahead."

Darrell Henson burst through the door like a cannonball. "Sis, I heard you got hurt?"

"How does the entire world already know about this?"