Chapter 4

A week earlier, during my full premarital checkup, the family's medical team had found that I had a rare disorder that destroyed the clotting factors in my blood.

I'd taken the report to Victoria, but she'd barely looked at it before Chloe's special ringtone interrupted us.

"Your blood sugar's low again? Don't be scared, sweetie. Mommy's coming right now!"

She grabbed her trench coat and hurried past me. "Put the report in the drawer. I'll look at it when I have time."

Now, seeing how unmoved she was, I knew the report was still gathering dust in her desk drawer.

I gasped for air and fought with what little strength I had left.

"Mom, I have a blood disorder... If you draw my blood, I'll die..."

Victoria went still for a moment. She wiped her hand across my back, then laughed scornfully.

"The blood on your back is almost black, and you expect me to believe you have a clotting disorder?"

"That's all from the glass..."

"Shut up!" she snapped, her eyes cold.

"Chloe took a bullet for you and needs plasma right now, but you won't spare even a drop of blood!

"How did I give birth to someone so selfish and useless?"

She turned and nodded to security. "Drag her in and strap her to the bed!"

Two large men threw me onto the operating table like a bag of trash.

Derek looked at my pale face and hesitated.

"Dr. Hart, Evelyn really doesn't look right..."

"That's because I caught her lying and scared her half to death!"

Victoria pulled on her gloves without even turning around.

"I've treated trauma patients for 20 years. You think I can't tell when someone is faking?"

In the VIP suite next door, several attending physicians hovered around Chloe, giving her the best care the hospital had.

Compared with me, covered in blood, Chloe looked as if she'd just stepped off a red carpet. The little scrape on her arm had already been neatly bandaged.

She gave me a weak look, her eyes red, then lowered her head.

"If Evelyn doesn't want to, forget it. Mom raised me. Taking the hit for her in the passenger seat today was nothing. I'd trade my life for hers without a second thought!"

She sounded noble, but her voice trembled with self-pity.

She left out the part where she'd deliberately unbuckled her seat belt and thrown herself at Derek, making him lose control of the car.

Victoria pulled Chloe into her arms. Then she turned to me with a look that could have killed.

"If you could be half as sensible as Chloe, I'd die happy!"

Derek walked straight over and grabbed my wrist.

"Evelyn, stop making a scene. It's only a little blood. When we're done, I'll stitch you up myself."

His voice was gentle, but his grip was firm. He squeezed my wrist so hard I thought the bones might break.

My warm blood rushed through the tube and into the blood bag.

My body went completely cold.

"That's enough!" Victoria pulled out the needle and held up two bags of my blood. "See? You didn't die. Besides, the family holds regular blood drives. Donating blood will do a pampered princess like you some good!

"Derek, go make her drink a cup of concentrated glucose!"

Someone held a full cup of sugar water to my lips. Drinking that much fluid while I was bleeding internally would make me die faster. Any doctor should have known that!

I clamped my mouth shut, and Victoria's anger flared again.

"You're giving me attitude again? Evelyn, drink it right now! Derek, pry her mouth open!"

Derek hesitated for half a second. Then he steeled himself, grabbed my jaw, and forced the sugar water down my throat. I choked and coughed, spraying bloody foam from my nose.

"Evelyn, stop fighting me. You just gave blood. You need some glucose to get your strength back!"

He patted my shoulder.

"Once Chloe's transfusion is done, Dr. Hart and I will take care of your wound."

At last, the operating room went quiet. Cheerful laughter drifted over from the VIP room.

"Chloe's so brave. She didn't even flinch at the stitches!"

"Derek, Chloe wants something from that French pastry shop. Go get it right now!"

"Okay, I'll get one of every flavor!"

...

The three of them looked like a real family.

I lay alone in the dark corner as a gush of black blood rose in my throat.

I suddenly remembered that I'd left home today to marry Derek...

The monitor beside me let out one long, piercing beep. The line on its screen went flat.

I suppose... I'll never get the chance now.