Chapter 3

The air in the car seemed to freeze the moment the words left my lips.

Mom was the first one to snap back to her senses. "What nonsense are you spouting, Cameron?" she asked weakly.

Dad's expression darkened, and he said, "Go home and rest if you're feeling stressed out. Don't cause a scene here."

I nodded. "Fine. Let me word my thoughts a little differently."

I then repeated the conversation they had with Hayden over the phone a few minutes ago without missing a single word.

Silence descended upon the car.

The smile on Mom's face stiffened as she asked in a low voice, "You were eavesdropping on us?"

"Since you already heard us, I'll be direct," Dad said without missing a beat. "Hayden's biological parents are our family's benefactors. It's also your responsibility to repay the kindness they have shown us."

Mom dropped the act and said in a rush, "You only have to give up one kidney if you go along with our plan. We're not asking you to give up your life!

"It won't affect you much, but the same can't be said for Hayden. He's supposed to become a doctor at Sandler Hospital. Do you want him to have a criminal record? His life will be ruined!"

"You're the ones who owe his parents," I said with a smile. "But you want me to sacrifice my well-being to repay them for the rest of my life?"

Dad's expression darkened. "What are you trying to say? We raised you for so many years. You can't say that we mistreated you."

"You only raised me so you could use me to pay your debts," I retorted, laughing louder.

"How can you think of us like that?" Mom snapped, suddenly raising her voice.

"He can think whatever he wants," Dad hissed furiously. "But you have to help Hayden. This isn't a discussion!"

The fury and hatred within my heart burned even more intensely. I was just a regular person because Mom and Dad had duped me into giving all my chances at a better education and improving myself to Hayden.

I had spent my whole life giving in to them. Was I supposed to give up the rest of my life for them too? What right did they have to ask that of me?

I lunged forward from the back seat and grabbed the steering wheel, which Dad was holding. I then turned it as hard as I could, sending the car hurtling toward the highway's barricades.

Shrill screams erupted in the car. Dad slammed his foot on the brake in the next second.

"Have you lost your mind?" he roared. "Don't drag us down with you if you want to die!"

Hayden unbuckled his seatbelt and aimed a punch at my face. "You almost killed me, you fucking bastard! I would have ended your life right now if I didn't have any use for you!"

He then rained his fists down on me.

Mom finally snapped back to her senses and reached out to stop him. However, she didn't do it to protect me. "Stop it, Hayden! Don't hurt your hands! You need to perform surgeries with them."

Dad inhaled sharply and shot a cold look at me through the rearview mirror. "A lunatic like him needs to be locked up to prevent him from ruining our plans!"

Mom and Hayden kept me pinned in the back seat as Dad turned the car around and sped home. I was then unceremoniously thrown into my room. My phone was confiscated, and they removed everything that I could possibly use to take my own life.

I couldn't help but panic as the seal on the back of my hand faded with every passing day. Everything would be over if I failed to kill myself before the seal disappeared completely.

However, my days only consisted of Hayden delivering my meals to me. The food was served on a paper plate, and I wasn't given any cutlery.

When I tried to starve myself to death, Hayden stood at the door and watched me for a long time.

"You're not going to eat?" he asked. "If I were you, I would fill my belly before I met my inevitable end."

He leaned against the doorframe. Right before he left, he said lightly, "Forget it. You can do whatever you want. Besides, you only have three days left to live."

Three days? What a coincidence. My time limit would also be up in three days.

I rummaged around under my bed for my old phone that I had stashed away and slipped it into my pocket. I then grabbed the slice of bread that had been served to me and stuffed it into my mouth.

It wasn't time for me to die yet. I was going to drag them down with me when I perished.