I said nothing, curling my lips in self-mockery. That was right, how could someone like him be so soft-hearted towards me so easily?
The next morning, I carried my luggage to the nanny’s room. As soon as I finished packing, Dominic arrived. “Clean the entire Andrews Family’s residence today. We have guests coming tonight, so don’t make any mistakes.”
A bad feeling suddenly washed over me. I picked up a rag and began wiping the first-floor living room.
The Andrews Family’s residence was enormous, with countless ornaments, each one precious. I wiped with extreme caution, fearing even the slightest mistake.
But the more I feared something, the more likely it would happen. While cleaning the second-floor study, the stool under my feet suddenly shook. Then, the vase beside me fell to the ground and shattered.
“Who told you to touch that?” Dominic quickly rushed over.
Looking at the shards on the floor, he raised his hand and slapped me hard. “This is my sister’s favorite vase!”
He stared at me, his eyes filled with cold hatred. “Kneel on the broken pieces for half an hour and admit your mistake. Only when it hurts enough will you learn your lesson and stop being so careless in the future.”
My face instantly turned pale and my whole body trembled. But I knew I had no room to refuse.
I gritted my teeth and slowly knelt down. The sharp porcelain shards instantly pierced the skin of my knee.
Blood oozed from the broken pieces, staining the floor red. A complex emotion flashed across Dominic’s eyes.
But the next moment, his expression returned to indifference and he turned away. “This is the price you should pay.”
The wound on my knee was getting more and more painful and I was bleeding profusely. I could barely hold on and I had to cling to the table leg to keep from falling.
After half an hour, I struggled to stand, holding onto the wall. Dominic frowned at the sight of the blood on my knee.
He pulled a check for 1,400 dollars from his wallet and tossed it in front of me. “Go to the hospital and get it treated. Don’t bring bad luck to my house.”
I bent down to pick up the check and returned to the nanny’s room. Then I wiped the blood off my leg with warm water and applied iodine to the wound.
I couldn’t bear to spend these 1,400 dollars. It would bring me one step closer to my goal of studying abroad.
That evening, Dominic’s guests arrived. There were a few of his wealthy friends. When they saw me, they were surprised.
“Dominic, don’t you never allow other women in your house? What’s going on?”
Dominic sat in the middle of the sofa and said calmly, “This is my nanny. She’s the one who killed my sister.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of the others changed instantly. Their eyes were filled with hostility.
One of them spoke first, his tone frivolous. “So it’s you? Since you’re here to atone, you should act like one. Kneel down and bark like a dog. 1,400 dollars for each sound. How about that?”
I dug my nails into my palm. Only then did I realize that Dominic had sent them here specifically to humiliate me.
I could only slowly kneel down, letting out a tight cry. Their laughter echoed from the living room.
Another one continued, “Screaming isn’t enough. How about having her slap herself? 1,400 dollars for each sound, ten times.”
I raised my hand and slapped myself hard. My cheek instantly swelled. One, two... until the tenth. My face was numb and the corners of my mouth were bruised and bleeding.
Still unsatisfied, they pointed to the glass fish tank in the corner. “Go in there and hold your breath for three minutes and we’ll persuade Dominic to let you go. How about that?”
A faint glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Even though I knew it might be fake, I wanted to try.
I walked over to the fish tank. But as soon as I jumped in, they slammed the lid shut. The water instantly covered my head.
I struggled in the water, desperately slapping the sides of the tank. I tried to call Dominic for help. But all I got was their laughter.
Slowly, my consciousness began to fade. Just as I was about to faint, Dominic finally spoke, his tone nonchalant. “That’s enough! I haven’t had enough fun yet. Don’t let her get killed.”
His friend then reluctantly opened the lid. Dominic reached out and pulled me out of the tank.
I was soaking wet, my vision went black and I passed out completely. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the hospital. The room was quiet. Dominic wasn’t there.
Standing by the bed was the person I least wanted to see, Raymond. He looked at me with disgust and sarcastically said, “It's a good thing I installed the location on your phone; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to find you. Kendall, I never thought you’d hook up with Dominic. Have you forgotten you’re my fiancée?”
I looked at him, a chill running down my spine. When I was brought to Asterum, Raymond was the only one who treated me well. He’d bring me candy and listen to me.
But ever since we got engaged, Melody had always acted pitiful in front of him, accusing me of bullying her. Over time, Raymond began to dislike me and became increasingly cold towards me.
“I’m no longer a member of the Conner Family,” I said, my voice hoarse and cold. “Of course, the engagement doesn’t count. But you’re stalking me, aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?”
Raymond sneered, “What’s the point of calling the police? I didn’t come to you to waste time on such nonsense. Come back with me now and get Melody a kidney.”
He was about to grab my hand. But he saw the dense wounds covering my body. He was stunned for a moment. “I just asked you to give Melody a kidney transplant. You really don’t want to? Why do you have to go to Dominic and suffer like this?”
As if he had figured something out, his face darkened. “Deep down, you just don’t want Melody to get better, right?”
I looked at him, suddenly finding it ridiculous. “I only have one kidney left. If I donate it, I’ll die.”
But Raymond didn’t believe it. He grabbed my wrist with such force that it hurt. “Stop pretending to be pathetic. Come with me now!” Then he forcibly dragged me out of the ward.
Back at the other hospital, I saw my mother holding Melody. Melody leaned in her arms, a smug smile on her face.
“Mom, Raymond really brought Kendall back. The surgery can begin. When I’m better, you’ll keep all your promises!”
My mother nodded quickly, her eyes red. “My dear daughter, there’s hope! The kidney transplant must be done now. There can’t be a moment’s delay.”
Everyone gathered around Melody, asking about her well-being. They were happy that she could have the surgery. But no one asked if it hurt or if I was okay.
Raymond wheeled me toward the ambulance at the door. My face was ashen and I didn’t even have the energy to resist.
“Is this necessary?”
Raymond walked beside me, frowning. “It’s just a minor surgery. When you get out, I’ll marry you and won’t let you suffer anymore.”
I looked at him, my heart aching. He didn’t know that I had long since given up on him. I even hoped that this surgery would bring me complete relief.
The anesthetic injection began to take effect. I closed my eyes, my consciousness gradually fading.
I thought that if I died like this, perhaps it would be a relief. In my next life, I didn’t want to meet any of these people again...
That night, Dominic called his assistant, “Where’s that woman, Kendall? I asked you to pick her up, but she hasn’t come back yet.”
For some reason, he felt a wave of panic today. It was as if something most important was slipping away from him.
The next second, the assistant’s trembling voice rang out. “Mr. Andrews, Miss Conner was forcibly taken away for a kidney transplant. She’s no longer with us…”
