Chapter 1

The hospital was packed.

Carelessly, Alyse Shannon poured boiling water on my father and watched coldly as he screamed.

She said icily, “I’ll say this one more time. Tell Clinton Wickham to come out here and see me right now! I’ll kill you if you don’t!”

My father, Peter Wickham, was severely ill, and his body was fragile.

Alyse’s mistreatment, combined with his company withholding his salary, left him barely hanging onto life because he could not afford his treatment without the money he was owed.

Faced with Alyse’s interrogation, he said in a trembling voice, “Clinton can’t come and see you.”

Alyse’s face darkened further.

She scowled at Peter and said, “You think I want to see him? If it weren’t for Antoine, I wouldn’t want to hear his name ever again in my life! But Antoine’s in bad shape. How could Clinton just stand by and not save him? Is he really that selfish and cold-hearted?”

Peter must have wanted to defend me, but he was in too much pain. Fatigued, he could only shut his eyes.

The heart monitor started beeping in alarm, and Peter slowly stopped struggling.

Finally, the display on the machine died down to a single straight line.

Alyse clenched her fists, unable to keep her anger contained. “Your father’s dead, Clinton! Why aren’t you showing up still? You really are a heartless wretch!”

Pain stabbed me like a knife. I opened my mouth but could not say a thing.

I had been here this whole time. It was just that Alyse could not see me. And that was because…

I was dead!

Alyse kept cursing out Peter when my mother, Ivy Wickham, stumbled in.

Seeing that Peter had flatlined, Ivy started to bawl piteously. “How could you do this, Alyse? He’s your father-in-law!”

Alyse was disgruntled. “Shut up! I’m not your family anymore! If you want someone to blame, blame Clinton! He’s cold and heartless. He’s so selfish that he’s willing to watch you both die rather than show his face! If he still doesn’t show up, this old fart won’t be the only one dying!”

It was not that I did not want to see her. I simply could not!

Ivy’s frail body trembled. She managed to squeeze out a few words and said, “He’s dead!”

However, she chose to keep my secret in the end. With red-rimmed eyes, she looked at Alyse and asked, “What more do you want?”

Alyse seemed to be scheming as her lips twisted into a sinister smile.

She said, “If I recall correctly, Clinton has a little sister, right?”

My heart sank.

Ivy panicked as well. She fell to her knees. “Linda’s only twelve! Please let her go!”

Alyse looked pleased as she watched Ivy cry and beg. She said coldly, “What are you begging me in here? If you want to kneel and beg so badly, get out and do it there!”

It was June, the height of summer. It was scorching hot outside.

Ivy’s eyes widened. She had no choice but to relent.

If she did not obey Alyse, Linda would be the one to suffer instead.

Alyse made her bodyguards drag Ivy outside and dump her out the door.

She said mockingly, “Remember, you’re suffering today because of your precious son, Clinton! If he doesn’t show up and save my Antoine, I’m never letting you off!”