2
Jenny’s sweet laughter echoed from the living
room.
I jolted awake, rushing to my old bedroom to
check my identification and passport, relieved
that they were still there. I had decided to
divorce him and move to a northern city.
“Lily, looking for something precious?”
Jenny stood in the doorway, wearing a silk
nightgown, her arms crossed, a smirk playing
on her lips. Her eyes landed on the jade
pendant around my neck, and they lit up. “That pendant is gorgeous!”
I instinctively covered the pendant and
<
I instinctively covered the pendant and
stepped back. “It’s my grandfather’s
heirloom. I can’t give it to you.”
She scoffed, following me downstairs.
She leaned in, her voice low, “Lily, everything
in this villa will be mine sooner or later. Once I
give birth to the heir of the Xie family, do you
think you’ll have a place here?”
I quickened my pace to avoid her, but she
grabbed my arm at the stairwell landing.
“Give it to me!”
“Let go!” I instinctively sidestepped.
The next second, Jenny let out a piercing
scream.
“Ah-”
Before I could react, she pulled me down the
stairs.
My lower back slammed against the edge of
a step; I heard a sickening crack, searing pain
blackening my vision.
blackeniny mу VISION.
“Jenny!” Ethan’s furious roar came from the
entrance hall.
He rushed over, and before I could explain,
kicked me in the chest.
I crashed against the wall, a mouthful of
blood coughing from my throat. A searing
pain in my ribs left me gasping for air.
“Ethan… it hurts so much…” Jenny cried in
his arms.
Ethan scooped her up, and before leaving,
glared at me coldly. “If anything happens to
Jenny, you’ll pay!”
Hours later, I was discovered by a maid and
rushed to the hospital.
The antiseptic smell made my head spin. The
doctor examined the X–ray, frowning. “Third
rib fractured, needs immediate…”
“Draw her blood!” Ethan burst into the room,
Jenny’s blood staining his white shirt.
“Jenny’s homerrbasing they be
く
Jenny S nemoraying, they have the same
blood type.”
99
The doctor looked at my frail body. “But the
patient is severely malnourished. Drawing
blood now could be life–threatening.
99
Ethan grabbed the doctor’s collar. “This
hospital is owned by the Shermans! Any more
nonsense and you’re fired!”
A cold needle pierced my vein, blood flowing
into the tube, drop by drop.
“Drink some water.” Ethan unexpectedly
offered a cup.
I turned away, hearing him scoff and slam the
cup on the nightstand.
After the blood draw, he
left without looking
back. I felt alternately hot and cold, shivering
uncontrollably, and then lost consciousness.
When I woke again, the sky was dark.
Half the IV bag remained; from outside the
room, I heard Ethan’s mother’s sharp
<
scolding.
“Bad luck! Can’t have a child herself and
wants to harm our Xie family’s bloodline!”
The door flew open.
Before I could call out “Mom,” a slap sent me
reeling.
“You want a divorce, then get it over with!”
Ethan’s usually gentle mother looked furious.
“If it weren’t for the sake of the previous
generation, our family wouldn’t have someone
like you, a hen that can’t lay eggs!”
My mouth opened and closed, finally managing, “I’m sorry, Mom.”
After slapping me, she went to Jenny’s room.
My fingers touched my abdomen, where a
child once was.
