Olivia Grant put on a look of panic, saying my messy, bloodied appearance had frightened her daughter.
“Sophie Foster!”
Richard grew furious.
He said I was pretending to be pitiful, hurting myself on purpose just to win sympathy.
He said I was just like my mom—disgusting and unbearable.
Emily Grant pointed at my bleeding, pathetic state and burst out laughing.
“Daddy, doesn’t Sophie look just like a dog?”
“Daddy, I want to hear her bark like one!”
Those cruel words—I thought Richard would at least frown and refuse.
But instead, he crouched down indulgently and scooped Emily into his arms.
“Now that you mention it, Emily, she does kind of look like one.”
“Then let her bark like a dog.”
The stabbing pain sank deep into my chest. At last, I understood Mom’s humiliation and grief.
I stiffened my neck and refused with all my strength.
Richard exploded with rage and ordered the security guards to throw me into the safari park.
I begged him, “Daddy, I know I was wrong. I’ll bark like a dog. Please don’t send me to that place!”
But Richard’s face stayed cold.
“I gave you a chance earlier. Now it’s too late.”
He spoke with icy detachment:
“You’ve been pampered since childhood. As my daughter, it’s time you toughened up.”
Because of those words, the guards tossed me into the wildlife park.
It was pitch-dark, no one around, only the cries of birds and cicadas, and the low growls of beasts in the distance.
Shivering all over, I clutched my smart watch, begging him to save me.
“Daddy, I know I was wrong. I’ll never disobey again…”
But when I turned around, a snake slithered toward me, tongue flicking in the night.
I was bitten. By the time the ambulance took me to the hospital, they had already called Richard.
“Hello, are you Sophie Foster’s father?”
“Your daughter was bitten by a venomous snake in the wildlife park. She’s in the ER now—you need to come quickly.”
“What?”
Richard shot up, hesitation and a flicker of concern in his eyes.
“I’m on my way.”
But just as he picked up his coat, a piercing scream came from the master bedroom, followed by Emily’s loud sobs.
“Richard, something’s wrong—Emily’s having an episode!”
Olivia cried in a panic.
“She needs to be taken to the hospital right now!”
Richard froze at the doorway, then turned back and rushed to scoop Emily into his arms.
“What’s happening to her?”
With tears streaming, Olivia clung to his arm.
“Richard, I didn’t want to worry you, so I never told you—Emily was diagnosed abroad with a rare condition. Every time it flares up, she needs a blood transfusion, or her life will be in danger…”
Richard’s face drained of color. He bolted for the door.
“Quick—take Emily to the hospital!”
When I opened my eyes again, I was being wheeled out of the ER.
A nurse sighed in relief. “Sweetheart, you’re lucky. A little later and you wouldn’t have made it.”
At the park, I had collapsed after the snake bite.
Thankfully, staff had found me and called the ambulance just in time.
But I stared blankly at the ceiling. “Did my dad come?”
The nurse gave me a sympathetic look. “Maybe he’s busy with something.”
I nodded faintly.
“Mm. I understand.”
I wanted so badly to get up and find Mom. But my throat was dry, and thirst overwhelmed me. The nurse who had been caring for me had gone off to handle something else.
