Chapter 233

At that moment, Yosef really wanted to go home.

But his mom had reminded him multiple times before they left this morning to behave today. She wanted to take this opportunity to expand her client base and make some money to support him.

If he threw a fit about going home now, his mom would definitely get angry and scold him.

And if she didn't make any money, they'd be stuck eating plain vegetables again. He was so tired of eating vegetables with no flavor.

So, he just stood there, watching.

But even then, Brynn wasn't satisfied. After getting snubbed by two parents, she walked over to her son, knelt down, and scolded him in a voice only they could hear.

"You wanted to come out and play, and I agreed and brought you here. Why are you just standing here like you're being punished? If you're going to act like this, why did I even bring you? Can't you play with the other kids and make some friends?"

If Yosef got along with the other kids, their parents might be more open to her, and she might be able to land a few clients.

"But Mom, they all like playing with Harper." Yosef didn't understand what he needed to do to make his mom happy.

Brynn was beyond frustrated and didn't want to hear it. "Why are you so useless? Even that brat is more popular than you."

Her words cut Yosef deeply, like a knife to his heart.

His eyes filled with tears.

But Brynn didn't notice. She vented a few more words at him and then walked away.

It was still early, and she wanted to try again. Maybe someone would buy her insurance.

Yosef walked outside alone.

The lawn was decorated with all sorts of ornaments and lots of pink and blue balloons.

The other kids were running around on the lawn, and the most dazzling one among them was Harper.

She was cute and wore a pink princess dress today, looking like a real little princess.

And him?

Yosef looked down at his own faded clothes. He envied Harper for having such a gentle mom, but his mom said Harper was a brat.

If only Harper would disappear.

Then he could play with the other kids, and his mom wouldn't be so angry.

He glanced at the swimming pool nearby and got an idea.

When Harper walked to the edge of the artificial lake, he ran over as fast as he could and shoved her hard.

With a splash, Harper's small body was thrown into the water.

She hadn't even had time to react before she swallowed a few mouthfuls of water.

The pool wasn't deep for adults, but for a kindergartener like Harper, it was very deep. Plus, she had never learned how to save herself if she fell into water.

People were coming and going, cheering and laughing, and no one noticed the artificial lake.

Harper tried to call for help, but as soon as she opened her mouth, water rushed in. The feeling of suffocation was unbearable.

Yosef stood by, watching, not moving.

Harper's struggles grew weaker, and her body kept sinking. At that moment, she really wanted to see her mom.

If her mom were here, she would definitely protect her.

At that critical moment, William noticed something was wrong.

Since Harper and the other kids had gone outside to play, he had been keeping an eye on her.

A gust of wind had blown sand into his eyes, and by the time he rubbed them and looked again, Harper was gone.

Did she go back inside?

He was about to go check when he noticed ripples on the pool's surface out of the corner of his eye.

Maybe it was a father's intuition, but he suddenly felt a strong sense of panic, something he had never felt before.

He quickly walked over and looked down. The small body at the bottom of the pool was his daughter, Harper!

He stripped off his jacket and dove into the water, pulling Harper out as fast as he could and starting CPR.

People nearby noticed and rushed over to help.

Yosef, terrified, ran to find Brynn. "Mom, can we go home?"

"The party isn't over, and no one else is leaving. Why are you making a fuss about going?" Brynn frowned. "If I didn't let you come, you'd say I'm a bad mom. Now that you're here, you're causing trouble."

"But Harper fell in the water." Yosef was just a kid and couldn't handle the pressure.

He was scared.

If people found out he had pushed Harper, he'd be completely isolated at school. So he wanted to leave, thinking that if he left, the whole thing would be over.

Brynn's tone grew more impatient. "So what? She's not dead, is she? Even if she died, what's it got to do with you?"

"I" Yosef's mouth opened and closed, but he didn't dare confess what he had done.

Meanwhile, Christina was on her way.

After finishing work, she had immediately called a cab to get there as soon as possible to see Harper.

But halfway there, she suddenly felt a wave of panic. "Driver, can you go any faster?"

"I'm already going as fast as I can without speeding. Just hang in there; we're almost there. Look, the GPS says less than two miles." The driver pointed to the traffic cameras outside.

"See those cameras? If I speed, the cops will be calling me. Plus, speeding is dangerous."

Christina knew she couldn't push him further.

But her heart was pounding, as if something terrible was about to happen.

She was anxious.

Finally, the car stopped outside the venue. She grabbed her bag and ran inside.

Pushing through the crowd, she saw William and Harper lying on the ground, receiving CPR.

At that moment, her heart broke.

Harper was her everything, her biggest motivation to keep going. She had worked so hard these past few years to ensure Harper grew up safe and sound, not repeating the tragedies of the past.

But now?

Her daughter lay there, half-dead, soaking wet, her hair plastered to her face, her little face red, and her lips purple.

"William, are you crazy?" She couldn't control her emotions anymore and shoved William aside.

She had only one thought: she had to save Harper.

She knelt down and continued CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Finally, Harper coughed up the last bit of water and slowly opened her eyes.

"Mommy" Harper whispered. "Am I not dead?"