Chapter 2

They were saying, “Mandy, why did you carry such heavy things on your own? Why didn’t you ask us for help? We can carry it for you.”

They reached out in an attempt to help her with the box.

However, Mandy suddenly wrestled against them and rejected their helping hands. “I can do it by myself. Olivia asked me to carry these on my own. I don’t need your help,” she said.

As she spoke, it looked like she was losing her grip on the test tubes. The box wobbled before it crashed onto my head.

Brandon and Benjamin were in shock as they yelled out Mandy’s name and threw themselves at her.

Both of them held her tightly in their arms so that she would not get hurt.

At the same time, Brandon pushed me aside. I hit my waist against the corner of a table, and I was covered in cuts resulting from the shattered test tubes. I could not get up at all.

I yelled out in agony as cold sweat trickled down my temples. It was excruciating, as though the corner of the table had smashed into me.

Brandon and Benjamin turned around to look at me with a hint of concern in their eyes.

However, they were soon distracted by Mandy’s sobs.

She cast her eyes down as she sobbed and apologized to me, “Olivia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to break the test tubes. I… I can go and get another box for you. But can I do that a bit later?

“My finger got cut by the test tubes. I want to treat it first.”

Upon hearing her words, Brandon and Benjamin were immediately angered. They glared at me. “Olivia, you’re too much! What research requires so many test tubes?”

“None! Besides, if you need test tubes, why don’t you ask some guys to get them for you or get them yourself? Why did you ask Mandy to do it alone? And you’re telling us you’re not targeting her?”

My waist was throbbing intensely as I sat on the floor that was covered in shattered glass.

I could not hear them clearly through the pain. So, I whispered and asked them to send me to the hospital.

However, Brandon and Benjamin did not care about my request.

One of them carried Mandy in his arms and walked out while the other twin carefully sucked on her injured finger.

When they reached the doorway, they glanced at me and said, “Olivia, since all of this happened because of you, you should stay here and clean up the mess in the research lab before you leave.”

“Don’t pretend to be injured to escape your duty, and don’t feign innocence. If you don’t clean the research lab, don’t even think about leaving.”

After they said that, Brandon locked the door from the outside.

I gritted my teeth as I endured the pain.

Then, I picked up my shattered cell phone and mustered the last bit of my strength to call the emergency helpline.

When I regained consciousness, I was lying on a hospital bed.

I looked at the stern yet concerned doctor before me and almost cried.

The twins who had been my childhood friends for decades were not even bothered by the sight of my injuries.

However, a stranger whom I had met for the first time was treating me with kindness.

I was hospitalized for two weeks due to my injuries.

During this period, I did not rest. Instead, I booked a flight to Switzerland for a month later.

I had done some mental calculations. I only had a month left to live.