Chapter 4

I slept restlessly, plagued by nightmares.

Sporadic noises drifted into my ears, like someone speaking.

When I woke again, Julian’s voice rang above my head.

He was pressing hard on my wrist wound, his tone edged with a furious grit.

"Miss Davies, did you take pills too?"

I smiled, dazed, a flicker of pride in my voice. "Yup! Sleeping pills!"

"I saved them up for two months!"

Julian rushed me into the emergency room, but a man swiftly cut in front of him.

"Doctor, my sister was scratched by a stray cat; she needs a vaccine!"

Hearing the familiar voice, I sharply looked up, staring intently at the backs of the two people ahead.

What a coincidence. It was my second brother, Ryan, and Serena.

"Why did you have to go feed that stray cat? It's none of your business if it starves to death."

Serena whimpered, looking aggrieved. "Ryan, that's the cat Charlotte often feeds."

"I saw she wasn't around, so I wanted to help."

Ryan looked at the three bloodied scratches on her hand, his doting expression twisting into irritation and anger.

"This is all Charlotte Davies's fault, getting you hurt."

I struggled to make sense of it. Mimi?

She’s so timid, she hides so well. How did Serena find her?

Julian, seeing them cut in line, scowled and moved to argue.

I stopped him, weakly saying, "Let's go to another hospital."

Julian glared. "Change? Change what? You need your stomach pumped, we can't wait!"

The doctor’s ears perked up, and she instantly looked at me, her eyes wide. "Charlotte Davies, is that you?"

I recognized her as my clinic doctor and gave her a helpless smile.

Hearing my name, Serena immediately looked over.

Catching sight of my wound, she turned pale with fright, backing away repeatedly until she stumbled into Ryan’s arms.

Ryan frowned, as if suppressing disgust as he glanced at my wound.

A few seconds later, a mocking smile twisted his lips. "How much ketchup did you waste on that outfit?"

"The wound’s quite realistic though. Are you really trying to fool people even at a hospital?"

The doctor pushed him aside. "Sir, this lady's condition is more serious. I need to see her first."

As Julian carried me past, Ryan shielded Serena.

His eyes were wary, as if I were the most dangerous virus on earth, capable of harming his beloved sister.

The doctor bandaged my wound and arranged for my stomach to be pumped.

She looked hesitant. "Even with late-stage cancer, don't give up hope."

I deliberately laughed exaggeratedly, pretending nothing was wrong. "You misunderstood."

"Every time I come here, you all say there's nothing you can do."

"So I just learned from the ancients and tried bloodletting myself."

Ryan's eyes were filled with disdain and contempt. "Charlotte Davies, aren't you getting a little too deep into character?!"

"A tiny scratch, a few pills, and you're making a scene at the hospital saying you're suicidal."

"Now you're upgrading the drama, playing a cancer patient. Do you really need to go this far just to compete with Serena for attention?"

The doctor was annoyed. "She's my patient, I know her condition!"

Ryan eyed me and the doctor back and forth, as if so enraged he found it funny. "Bravo, Charlotte Davies."

"You're even colluding with doctors just to avoid donating a kidney to Serena."

I shrugged, a faint smile playing on my lips. "If you'd come earlier, my kidney would've been yours."

"Now it's too late. I promised to donate my body to the institute."

Julian suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Ryan's collar. "She's this sick, and you still want her to donate a kidney? Are you even human?"

Ryan violently shook him off, both angry and amused. "What's it to you?"

"It's only right for her to save her own family!"

My throat choked up, and I gave a bitter laugh. "How do I deserve to be family with Miss Serena Davies?"

"Did you ever treat me as family?"

Ryan's face stiffened, then he clenched his jaw, suppressing his anger.

"You're a Davies daughter, living in luxury, you want for nothing. What else do you want?"

"Just wait till you get home; Dad will teach you a lesson!"

My ears buzzed, and my cheeks faintly stung, as if a burning slap had just landed on my face again.

My fingers dug into the edge of the table, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, my voice squeezed through clenched teeth.

"Do I even have a home?"

"Don't forget, you threw me out."

Ryan's face darkened, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"It was clearly your spoiled tantrum that made you run away."

He mumbled softly, "We just said a few things to you."