Chapter 3

With that, Giselle went to the hospital.

Winnie was staying in the oncology ward. Her hair had already fallen out completely. She had become so thin that she barely looked like the same person anymore. Her voice was hoarse, but her eyes were still bright.

"Les, the doctor said my numbers have improved a lot recently. Don't worry about me, okay? Now, why would you feel uneasy? Just focus on your work. And be careful out there, okay?"

After hanging up the phone, Winnie saw Giselle walk in. Her eyes lit up immediately. "Gigi! You came to visit me!"

She pulled two handmade yarn dolls from under her pillow, one blue and one pink. "These are for you and Les. I spent a long time making them."

She handed the pink one to Giselle with a smile, but the next second, a slap landed across her face. She clutched her cheek while the doll slipped onto the floor.

Tears brimmed in Giselle's eyes before they rolled down in beads. "Who are you to call me that, huh? Did you or did you not seduce my husband and get him so caught up that he wouldn't come home?"

Winnie was perplexed, but she quickly realized the situation and comforted Giselle instead. "Gigi, it's me. Don't you recognize me? I'm Winnie, Leslie's sister."

Giselle's eyes went blank for a moment.

Jasper chimed in timely with a tone full of certainty. "Don't believe her. They must've planned this. They're taking advantage of your condition and trying to fool you.

"Don't you remember, Giselle? Your family sent Winnie abroad to study a long time ago. Why would she be at the hospital?"

Winnie panicked. "No, Gigi. Listen to me—"

"That's enough!"

Giselle's expression turned cold again. She gestured for the nurse beside her to hold Winnie down.

"How long are you planning to lie to me? My sister-in-law and husband are both wonderful people. Who do you think you are, pretending to be her, you freak?"

One slap after another landed on Winnie's face. Her IV was ripped out, and blood oozed from the puncture wound, flowing down her wrist. She didn't fight back.

Instead, she held onto the two dolls she had spent forever making, protecting them desperately as she pleaded, "Gigi, please…"

"Shut up! A homewrecker like you doesn't deserve to stay in my family's hospital!" Giselle shrieked. "Throw her out right now!"

When a pair of nurses dragged Winnie out of the hospital, I happened to witness this horrifying scene after finishing work. "Winnie!"

Ever since I went out on the emergency call, I had an uneasy, gnawing feeling. I thought Giselle would, at most, throw a tantrum at me, but I never expected her to kick Winnie out onto the street.

Not to mention, her face was covered in slap marks, while blood still dripped from the back of her hand.

When Winnie saw me, she didn't cry. She simply smiled a little, raised the two wrinkled dolls in her hands, and took big, shaky breaths.

"Les, Gigi has done our family… a great favor. Please be more… understanding of her."

My foolish little sister. Even after all this, she was still worried about someone else.

"What the hell did Giselle do to you?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Please, I'm begging you, stop defending her. I-I just got my bonus from the team. I-I'll transfer you to another hospital. We'll pay for your treatment ourselves. You don't have to put up with this anymore…"

I forced myself to hold it together several times before I finally stopped my voice from shaking. Then, I crouched down and carried her onto my back.

Winnie was frighteningly light. She rested against my back, her thin frame stabbing painfully against my shoulders. I transferred her to another hospital, got her IV started again, and stayed by her side until she fell asleep.

Only then did I return home. I didn't bother to be polite and kicked the door open.

"That was my sister, Giselle! Her name is Winnie! She has bone cancer, and your family promised to pay for her treatment!"

Giselle was sitting on the couch, drinking water, when I barged in. She frowned. "Nonsense. My parents sent her abroad to study a long time ago. And who are you? Why did you dig into my family's affairs?"