“You used me,” I said quietly.

“Of course I did!” he barked.

What Nick failed to notice was that Daniel had approached shortly after the confrontation began. He had heard every single word.

Daniel stepped forward calmly. “Nick.”

Nick turned, annoyed. “What?”

Daniel’s demeanor had completely shifted.

“I can’t represent you anymore.”

Nick stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You deliberately misled this court,” Daniel said evenly. “And you just admitted a lot of things out loud.”

Nick gave a sharp laugh. “You’re my lawyer!”

“I was,” Daniel corrected.

He turned toward me. “Ma’am, I can’t undo what’s been done, but you deserve proper representation.”

He took out a business card and handed it to me.

“Call this number. Use my name. They’ll take your case pro bono.”

Nick looked at him in disbelief. “You’re choosing her?”

“I’m choosing ethics,” Daniel replied.

Nick’s face flushed a deep red. “You can’t just walk away!”

Daniel said nothing further. He gave me a small nod and walked off.

For the first time since that hospital room, Nick seemed diminished.

I glanced down at Chloe, who was gripping my hand tightly.

With nothing left to say, Nick scoffed and stormed away.

Back at my sister’s home, I knelt carefully in front of Chloe. “You saved me.”

She smiled, and I couldn’t stop the tears.

For the first time since the surgery, I felt stronger than before. Not because I had sacrificed something, but because I had finally stopped allowing someone to take from me.

Nick had tried to strip me of everything.

But he had forgotten one crucial thing.

I was not alone.