Chapter 1

Chase's POV

By the time I got back from purchasing the condoms, Harry Anderson and Cecilia Stone were already finished. She was curled up in his arms, pouting childishly.

He gently rested a hand on her stomach and teased, "What if you get pregnant? We didn't use any protection."

She chuckled, clearly insinuating something. "That'd be even better. At least I'll know there won't be a second useless man in this house."

As she spoke, she shot me a pointed glance. I instantly understood those words were meant for me.

It had only been three days since my private part was injured. Cecilia wasn't afraid of hurting my feelings or breaking my heart. In her eyes, I was no different from a worthless stray dog.

When I didn't react the way she wanted, she looked somewhat surprised.

She parted her lips as if to say something, but Harry suddenly looked out the window and exclaimed, "It's snowing! Cece, let's build a snowman!"

Cecilia smiled and nodded, only to turn around and call out to me just as I was about to head back to my room. "Chase, you're good with your hands. Go build us a snowman."

My brows furrowed without thinking. I had just gone out to buy things in sub-zero weather, and the cold still ached deep in my body.

My pained expression, which I couldn't conceal even if I tried, made her cluck her tongue in impatience. She grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me toward the door.

"Stop pretending. You're a lot tougher than Harry."

The front door slammed shut behind me. It was obvious they weren't letting me back inside unless I finished my task. The biting wind cut straight through me.

Dressed in nothing but a thin shirt, I shivered uncontrollably in the freezing air.

Three days ago, Harry had complained that it was too chilly to walk his vicious Mastiff, so he had shoved the leash into my hands instead.

Terrified of dogs, I had begged Cecilia not to make me go, but she shoved me out the front door without a second thought or mercy.

In the end, the dog went berserk. It yanked me to the ground, then lunged at me, savagely tearing into my groin.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Cecilia comforting Harry instead. "It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. He's the idiot here. Who else can he blame?"

A long, heavy breath slipped out of me. Forcing my numb body to keep moving, I hurriedly packed snow into a snowman.

Not far away, Cecilia complained about the cold and slipped into Harry's coat, snuggling close against him.

By the time I finished the snowman, I was on the verge of freezing solid. Shivering from head to toe, I staggered toward the house, only for Cecilia to block me.

Seeing my flushed face and unfocused eyes, she instinctively reached out to touch my forehead. I felt disgusted by her action and turned my face away coldly.

Her expression darkened instantly. With a cold snort, she shoved a camera into my arms. "Take some pictures of Harry and me."

The cold seemed to seep from the ground straight into my skull. My fingers were so numb they barely obeyed me as I mechanically pressed the shutter.

Then, all of a sudden, Harry pointed at my bottoms and screamed, "Oh, my gosh! Blood!"

I looked down blankly, only then realizing that blood was pouring down my pant leg. The next second, my vision darkened. My body, pushed far beyond its limit, finally gave out and collapsed into the snow.

Cecilia's eyes widened. She sprinted toward me, but after only a few steps, Harry's panicked voice stopped her. "Cece, I think I twisted my ankle."

Without hesitation, she turned around and hurried back to support Harry. Her voice was full of concern. "What happened? Does it hurt a lot?"