Chapter 5 Anger surged through Sebastian , hot and fierce . He grabbed Maxine's chin , eyes blazing with a brewing storm . " What's your problem ? Brian's fast a kid acting up . You're his mom - gonna make a big deal outta this ? " And he already said sofry , didn't he ? " 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 herself , but 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 a snap . 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 hard , before tossing out , " Don't even think about bringing up divorce . That's not your call . " Then he stormed out , the door slamming shut behind him . With Sebastian gone , Maxine let out a shaky breath and sank onto the bed , drained . Then she glanced 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 of . 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 a crap if you stay ? Go then ! I ain't going with you ! " He shouted it , voice raw , before tearing out of the room . Maxine watched him go , letting out a soft sigh . Clearly , neither Brian nor his dad had given her divorce a second thought . They probably hadn't even glanced 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 August 25th in red and crossing out today's date with a quick slash . Twenty - nine days until she was gone . 10:43 Tue , 17 Jun GO Chapter 5 Three days later , Maxine walked back into the law 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 handed to Kathleen . " What the hell ? " Maxine bluited , her voice sharp with disbelief . " I've been killing myself over this case from the start ! " When the case first landed at the firm , it was a total mess . The p 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 - she lawyered up and 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 and sabotage 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 ,