Chapter 4

Jordan let out a terrified shout just as Summer was about to approach me. "I'm bleeding so much, Summer. Am I going to die?"

His words made Summer and the others incredibly anxious. Summer carefully helped him up to his feet. Her words were laced with fear when she said, "You won't die. You have to stay strong, Jordan. I'll send you to the hospital right now."

I spat out a mouthful of blood just as she walked past me.

Noelle's expression stiffened. She was just about to crouch down to check on my condition when Rachel stopped her.

"You haven't changed your ways at all, Brandon," she berated, irritation flashing in her eyes. "How shameless do you have to be to continue putting on an act after you've hurt Jordan?"

Noelle's expression darkened in an instant. "I can't believe that I was actually worried about you. You just love putting on an act, don't you?"

Summer shot a look of disdain at me before coldly barking her orders to the bodyguards. "Take Brandon to the hospital."

…

The doctor frantically rushed out of the consultation room not even half an hour after Jordan entered. "The patient already has a weak constitution. The fall just made his anemia worse. He needs a blood transfusion immediately to keep his vitals stable."

Rachel's eyes flashed sharply as she yanked me up to my feet. "Jordan had to go through so much to improve his condition. Why do you have such a rotten heart? Will you only be satisfied when he's being tormented by his illnesses?"

My legs throbbed painfully again. I couldn't stop myself from shaking and was too weak to answer her questions.

Summer stopped Rachel, but her voice was as cold as ice when she said, "Let him donate his blood to Jordan first. We can settle the score with him once Jordan's safe."

She then gestured for the bodyguards to drag me toward the blood collection machine. She scoffed when she looked at me.

"Don't give me that pitiful look. If you hadn't cruelly pushed Jordan, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. You're just getting what you deserve. Jordan truly wasted his time pitying you. He even wanted to give you his child."

I felt a little dazed as I listened to her and completely lost my mind when I saw the needle. I knew that I would be ruthlessly tormented every time a needle appeared. Eventually, I even lost my legs. The fear that was carved into my very being crashed into me like a cresting wave.

I clutched my head with my hands before trying to limp out of the room, ignoring the way that my prosthetics were about to fall off.

"No needles… Keep that needle away from me!"

However, my screams were futile. Rachel and Noelle forcefully pinned me in place.

A sympathetic look finally flickered in Rachel's eyes when she said, "Be strong, Brandon. We'll compensate you when Jordan is better."

The nurse looked at Summer with hesitation in her eyes when she caught a glimpse of my arm. "He looks malnourished. Are you sure that you want me to take his blood?"

Summer was briefly stunned before she looked at me.

"The patient has a unique blood type," the doctor said in a panic. "If we don't take his blood, we'll have to rely on a Good Samaritan to donate their blood instead. If that's the case…"

Summer's and the others' expressions shifted.

"The scars on his arms were intentionally drawn on," Summer said stubbornly. "Just ignore them."

"Jordan has to be okay, Brandon," Noelle said, looking troubled.

"I'll forgive all your past transgressions as long as Jordan gets better," Rachel said, staring at me seriously.

There were only ten minutes left on the countdown timer. As I stared at the three women who once promised to treat me well for the rest of my life, I couldn't help but blurt out the question that I had been suppressing within me.

"Does it make the three of you happy to torture me like this?"

Rachel and Noelle were stunned. Summer grasped my shoulder and hissed, "Jordan's the one who's in danger now. What the hell are you talking about when you're perfectly fine?"

The corners of my lips curled up into a mocking smile as I stared at her face, feeling as if I was looking at a stranger. "I made a mistake. I should have stayed away from the three of you from the very start."

No one responded to my words. Instead, they rushed to Jordan's hospital room after the nurse collected my blood.

I followed them, swaying unsteadily on my feet. The three of them were gathered around Jordan with worried expressions. When they noticed me, Summer said, "Come here. We'll forgive you after you apologize to Jordan."

I made my way to the window instead. Mustering all the strength that I had left, I threw it open and slowly crawled onto the windowsill.

"What are you doing now, Brandon?" Summer asked with a frown. "Don't think that we'll go easy on you if you pretend that you want to take your own life."

Noelle looked rather anxious, but she didn't say a single word. Meanwhile, Rachel's voice was colored with displeasure when she said, "Get down. I've already told the maids to prepare your favorite dishes."

There were only ten seconds left on the countdown timer. I sat on the edge of the window, staring at them as I said, "Just an apology won't suffice. I'll use my life to give you an answer that you'll be satisfied with."

I threw myself over the edge when the countdown timer hit zero, watching as the color drained from Summer's and the others' faces.

Summer's eyes flashed red in the next second. A bloodcurdling scream tore from her throat as she sprinted out of the room.