Chapter 3

I didn't pause a moment and scrambled downstairs to the operation room, where Grandma lay, her eyes murky.

Squeezing my hand, she rasped, "I'm so sorry, Tina… I was so blind that I found you a monster! Letting the Zimmers humiliate you as they like! I should never have saved him, so you wouldn't have to meet him!"

She slapped herself before she finished, hitting herself so hard her lips bled.

"Stop!" I cried, grabbing her hands firmly as my eyes went red.

Even so, she didn't wipe her lips and told me, "Just stay away from that animal, okay? We don't need him in our lives!"

"Yes, we don't. Just get better soon, alright? Then I'll take you home…"

I then stepped out to ask the doctor, "What happened? She's been in stable condition for a while, hasn't she?"

The doctor hesitated for a while before answering, "Ms. Jones came and showed her the video of you getting a biopsy and then an abortion. After that…"

He trailed off, while I stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the operation room lights.

When the doors opened, the doctor took off his mask and shook his head wearily. "Sorry, Ms. Lynd. We did our best."

I went in.

The room was dead silent, where Grandma lay with a white cloth covering her entire body, all the tubes attached to her removed.

My breath stopped after just one look. "Grandma…"

There was no answer as I shambled over to her, gently lifting the white cloth.

She was still smiling not that long ago, but her eyes were now closed as if in sleep.

I wanted to groom her hair when my phone rang.

It was Wendy, and she was exclaiming anxiously, "Where are you, Tina?! Cindy and a ton of people just went to Luppet Drive. Hurry!"

I was out of the room even before she could finish.

Grandma was gone, so I had to save what she treasured so much.

Even though I floored the pedal the whole time, I was too late.

Every door of the house was open, and bodyguards were emptying the house and carrying out boxes of Grandma's possessions.

Cindy herself was holding a crowbar, breaking anything that couldn't be taken away.

And Sam simply stood by and watched.

I shoved Cindy out of the way, my voice shaking with rage. "You don't have permission to be here, and you're stealing private property! I'll sue you!"

Cindy allowed herself to fall into Sam's arms, and shrugged. "Oh, I'm so scared! Sue all you want!"

Sam straightened her and tapped her nose. "Behave."

Then, turning to me, he growled, "It's a waste just leaving that junk around. You should feel lucky that Cindy is using them, but you push her instead? Is that how your grandma raised you?"

My lips were shaking and my eyes were red. "My grandmother saved you! But you let Cindy kill her, destroy her home, and take away her possessions! You're an animal!"

He frowned. "Kill her?"

Before I could tell her that Grandma was dead, Cindy butted in, "Hey! Don't try to guilt-trip Sam with such lies! And how could you say that your own grandma is dead?"

Sam realized with a start and glared at me coldly, snapping, "Even your grandmother? That's why your own parents hate you and like Cindy. You are a problem through and through!"

I didn't want to waste my time arguing and whipped out my phone to call the cops, but that's when Mom came downstairs.

Seeing me, she pointed at me and yelled, "Stop her, Sam! She's going to call the cops!"

Cindy reacted even before Sam did, picking up a can of red paint and flung it at my head.

All I could see was red just then, and I screamed as I stumbled backward into the puddle of paint on the floor.