bChapter /bb5 /b

bAnger /bsurged through Sebastian, hot and fierce. He grabbed Maxine’s chin, eyes zing with a brewing storm. “What’s your problemb? /bBrian’s fast a kid acting up. You’re his mom–gonna make a big deal outta this?

“And he already said sofry, didn’t heb?/bb” /b

So that was it. To him, Maxine’s near–death scare was something a quick “my bad” could just brush off.

Maxine had tried to prepare herselfb, /bbut the sting in her eyes hit hard. Letting go of someone she’d loved for over ten years felt like tearing out her own heart–half her life gone in ba /bsnap.

But no matter how bad it hurt, she had to keep moving.

She was still young. She couldn’t let the rest of her days drown in this hopeless mess.

“Maybe I’m just a shitty mom,” Maxine said with a weak, bitter smile. “Besides, Kathleen’s got it all handled now, right?”

“Maxine!” Sebastian snapped, his voice a low growl.

Her heart jolted, but she didn’t flinch.

His face darkened, like ink spreading in water. He stared her down, cold and hardb, /bbefore tossing out, “Don’t even think about bringing up divorce. That’s not your call.”

Then he stormed out, the door mming shut behind him.

With Sebastian gone, Maxine let out a shaky breath and sank onto the bed, drained.

Then she nced up at the doorway.

Brian stood there, meeting her eyes. He shuffled over, looking uneasy, his usual tough–guy face cracking just a bit.

He held up his hand, showing a bandaged cut on his middle finger–clean, no blood, already taken care bof/b.

Maxine looked at him, waiting.

He hesitated, then muttered, “You really bailing?”

“Isn’t that what you want?” she shot back, soft but sharp.

That hit a nerve. Brian’s face flushed, anger and embarrassment mixing. “You think I give ba /bcrap if you stay? Go then! I ain’t going with you!”

He shouted itb, /bvoice raw, before tearing out of the room.

Maxine watched him gob, /bletting out a soft sigh. Clearly, neither Brian nor his dad had given her divorce a second thought. They probably bhadn’t /bbeven /bnced at the papers.

She’d made it crystal clear: she was giving up custody.

But Maxine didn’t let herself dwell. She brushed it off and dug into the case files from Alton Legal Firm.

When she saw the deadline, something clicked/She grabbed a calendar and set it on her nightstand, circling bAugust /b25th in red and crossing bout /bbtoday’s /bdate with ba /bquick sh.

Twenty–nine days until she was gone.

b10:43 /bbTue/bb, /b17 bJun /bGO

bThree /bbdays /bterb, /bMaxine walked back into thew firm, ready to dive in.

She’d barely sat down when the managing partner called her into his office. That’s when he hit her with it: her “assault” case was being bhanded /bbto /b

Kathleen.

b“/bWhat the hell?” Maxine bluited, her voice sharp with disbelief. “I’ve been killing myself over this case from the start!”

When the case firstnded at the firm, it was a total mess. The bp /b

guy? ? A cocky rich kid who thought his family’s money made him untouchable.

He’d targeted a girl working at a bar, dragged her into a private

swinging.

and assaulted her. But that girl was tough–shewyered bup /band came out

Maxine hated scumbags like him. She’d taken the case withoking.

It had been a grueling three months–sleepless nights, fighting tooth and nail against the guy’s family, who pulled every string to bury evidence band /bsabotage the hearings.

She’d poured her heart into it, and now, just when she could taste sweat, and tears.

No way in hell. She was ready to fight tooth and nail.

victory, they wanted her to hand it over. Let someone else take credit for her blood,