Paying Me with His Life

The moment I learned that my mother, Amelia Prescott, was killed by Leonard Shaw, I completely broke down.

We were in love for so many years. Back then, I was deeply moved when he immediately injected funds to help me save my mother.

After Mom was laid to rest, I agreed to his proposal. Over the years of our marriage, he cared for me in every possible way.

I always believed that Mom passed away due to a failed experiment. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Leonard was behind her death.

All these years, Leonard repeatedly told me that in this world, he was my only family. He claimed that no matter what happened, he would always stand by my side.

When I was drowning in guilt over my mother's death, he was the one who told me to pull myself together and continue my research so that I could help others like me, people desperate to save their loved ones.

But now, I discovered that his so-called support was nothing more than a means to keep me going, just so I could find a way to save his true love, Sophia Kensington. He didn't hesitate to eliminate my last remaining relative, my only family, just to ensure I remained by his side.

The gift in my hands slipped to the floor, shattering on impact.

Today was Leonard's birthday, so I came home early to celebrate with him.

Hearing the noise, Leonard rushed out in alarm. The moment he saw me, his expression changed. He anxiously asked, "Clara, did you hear something?"

"No, I just don't feel well."

At my response, he visibly relaxed, then immediately called for his secretary, Daniel Brooks, to summon the private doctor, Henry Caldwell.

I let out a cold laugh. Was he truly concerned about my health, or was he just afraid that if I died, there would be no one left to cure Sophia's illness?

Henry arrived quickly, but the results of his examination were beyond Leonard's expectations.

"Mrs. Shaw has been exposed to high levels of thallium due to prolonged work in the laboratory. The excess thallium levels in her body are causing her discomfort."

Leonard's face went pale. He spent years meticulously taking care of me, pouring endless funds into my research because I was the world's leading scientist in cryogenic human experiments.

If something happened to me, what would become of his precious Sophia?

Sure enough, the moment he heard the diagnosis, he urgently asked, "Are you saying it's thallium poisoning?"

Henry gave a helpless nod, cautiously watching Leonard's expression. At his signal, Henry continued, "Mrs. Shaw only has two weeks left."

Leonard completely lost it the moment he heard those words. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the vase from the table and hurled it at Henry.

I stopped him just in time.

His eyes were bloodshot, his entire body trembling as he roared, "You quack! Clara is so young—how could she possibly have this kind of illness?"

As someone in the field of biology, he wasn't ignorant of the risks my research experiments carried. But for years, he chose to turn a blind eye.

He just never expected the consequences to come so soon.