Chapter 4

Nicole's eyes widened as she looked at Devin, her voice shaking with hurt. "I can't believe you secretly had a baby with Shirley, Devin."

He soothed her by saying, "Don't listen to Vanessa's nonsense. Shirley would've shown up with the baby to make a scene a long time ago if she really had one."

Still, he didn't sound as certain as before.

Vanessa ignored the interruption and continued, "She couldn't because she had no money! She had blood drawn from her for years and was abused for months in the psychiatric hospital. She only discovered she was pregnant after she escaped.

"The doctor strongly advised against keeping the baby, and she didn't want him either."

A sharp, bitter ache tightened in my chest as I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. I had desperately wanted an abortion, but the baby was already five months along, and the cost of an induced labor procedure was more than what I could afford.

Vanessa's family had gone bankrupt and was buried under a mountain of debt, while my bank accounts were frozen the day I was thrown into the psychiatric hospital. I was terrified of being taken back there, so I never once considered turning to Devin or Scott for help.

In the end, I had no choice but to keep the baby.

Three months later, I collapsed from severe malnutrition, which triggered a premature delivery. The cruelest irony of all was that after years of blood loss, I ended up bleeding so heavily that my blood completely soaked the delivery bed.

Vanessa had dialed Devin and Scott to save me, but they were so busy setting off fireworks for Nicole that they hung up at the mention of my name. Later, they even blocked her number.

Vanessa wiped away her tears as she recalled that day.

Devin stood frozen. There was a vacant look in his eyes as he instinctively clenched his fists, while Scott's eyes were bloodshot. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Nicole cut him off.

"Vanessa, I understand that Shirley hates me and that she'd rather see me die than give me a kidney. But why would she have you make up stories and curse her life?

"Could you please tell her to come out here? The three of us are her family. Whatever issues we have, it's best that we talk about them face-to-face."

When Devin heard her words, the brief flash of sadness in his eyes vanished. He grabbed Nicole by the arm, and his gaze turned sharp.

"Tell me where Shirley is right now, or make her come back. Otherwise, don't blame me for what I do next."

Scott pulled out his phone and coldly chimed in, "I always knew Shirley was full of tricks. Good thing we prepared for this."

He turned the screen to Vanessa to show her comatose dad lying in a hospital bed. Two bodyguards in black suits stood beside him, and one of them was reaching out to detach his oxygen mask.

Her whole body shook as she screamed, "Was driving Shirley to her death not enough for you? Do you have to kill my dad, too?"

Scott calmly replied, "If you keep making up stories and wasting our time, you'll be the one responsible for your dad's death."

Devin violently shoved Vanessa away and threatened, "I heard you work at a nightclub. How will you pay your dad's hospital bills if you lose your job and your income, let alone buy formula for your son?"

Vanessa trembled uncontrollably. Her eyes locked on Devin and Scott with a deathly stare.

Standing right beside her, I panickedly cried out, "Please don't fight them anymore, Vanessa. Just take them to me."

Just when I thought Vanessa was going to push them further, her shoulders suddenly slumped. "Fine. I'll take you to her."

Devin was briefly stunned before a smug, satisfied smile spread across his face. "See? Wouldn't it have been easier to say so from the start?

"Tell Shirley that as long as she gives Nicole her kidney, I'll forgive all her past mistakes and take her home."

Vanessa rubbed her bruised shoulder where he had gripped her. "You can tell her all of that yourself, face-to-face."

Scott finally relaxed, while a look of triumph flashed in Nicole's eyes.

Vanessa led them up to a small attic on the second floor. They were in an apartment far from the city center, where rent was cheap. She had rented it for me when I was still alive.

No one usually visited this attic, which left the air smelling damp and stale.

Vanessa walked ahead at a brisk pace. When she appeared again, she was carrying an old, faded cookie tin.

Devin's frown deepened. "I came here to see Shirley, not some junk tin."

Scott sounded equally annoyed as he snapped, "Shirley never ceases to amaze me! I can't believe she'll even hide in such a dump to avoid us. The moment I see her, I'll—"

The rest of his sentence died in his throat, and the expression on his face slowly froze.

As Devin followed Scott's stunned gaze, his eyes fell on my memorial portrait.

Then came Vanessa's hollow voice. "You're here to harvest Shirley's kidneys, aren't you? Well, both of her kidneys are in this tin."