Chapter 3 Crawling for Mercy

My eyes burned red as I begged, "I'll pay! However much you want, I'll give it to you!"

Evelyn's lips curved in satisfaction. "See? It'd be so much easier if you just did this in the first place, wouldn't it? The products cost 38 thousand, plus my emotional damages and lost wages… let's round it up—an even 100 thousand."

It was a ridiculous sum, but I had no choice. Without hesitation, I entered my payment code. A sharp beep echoed, and 100 thousand dollars transferred instantly.

I thought that once I paid, this nightmare would finally be over. But Evelyn had no intention of handing me the medicine.

"You want it?" she sneered. "Crawl over here."

I froze.

"Crawl to my feet. With every step, you'll bark like a dog. And you'll shout loud enough for all my followers to hear—'I'm a broke scammer, I was wrong.' Do that, and I'll give you the medicine."

'Shameless. Absolutely vile.'

I bit down on my lip so hard I could taste blood. Looking at my unconscious mother, I swallowed my pride and pleaded. "Please… don't do this. My mom—she really is Stellan's mother and Michael Fallow's wife, the wife of Edgewater's richest man. If anything happens to her, none of you can bear the consequences!"

Evelyn burst out laughing, bending over with mock amusement. "You're still pretending to be related to Edgewater's richest family? Who do you think you are—some stray off the street?"

One of the employees quickly chimed in, flattering her. "Exactly! Everyone knows our boss is the real future Mrs. Fallow. Stellan is head over heels for her!"

The other nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Stellan said it himself—he could take care of you both today and no one would dare touch him!"

Evelyn tilted her chin higher, clearly basking in the praise. "Seems like the lesson didn't sink in. Girls, give her something extra—let her learn what happens when someone crosses me."

The two employees cracked their knuckles, smirking as they closed in.

My mother's breathing grew shallower by the second, her swollen face barely recognizable. There was no more time. My clenched fist loosened, and I bowed my head, choking out the words, "Fine. I'll do what you say."

Like a puppet with its strings cut, I crawled toward Evelyn, my voice trembling as I forced the words out. "Woof… I'm a broke scammer. I was wrong."

Laughter exploded around the room. Evelyn and her employees cackled wildly while the livestream comment feed flooded with mocking messages and jeers.

Finally, I reached her feet and lifted my head. "Can I have the medicine now?"

She looked down at me with cruel delight, then lifted her foot and kicked me square in the chest.

The blow sent me sprawling backward, my head slamming hard against the floor. Pain exploded through me, and a mouthful of blood burst from my throat. "Cough!"

Darkness swam before my eyes. My insides felt twisted and broken. Through the haze, I saw Evelyn unscrew the medicine bottle—only to pour every single pill into the filthy water bucket beside her.

The medicine was gone. Mom's last hope was gone.

I watched in horror as my mother's body convulsed one final time before going completely still, her consciousness fading into nothing.

"Noooo! Evelyn Scott! I'll kill you!"

Swallowing the blood pooling in my mouth, I grabbed a nearby metal probe and swung it toward her head with all my strength.