All Chapters of Dead Before She Cared: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Pull the trigger, Gemma! Now!"Valerie's roar whipped through the air, snapping like a barbed whip right against my eardrums.It was the hottest day on record in North America. Ground temperatures reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The scorching heat and the burning smell of hot concrete nearly suffocated me.I had been standing in the blistering sun for three whole hours. My clothes were soaked with sweat.My hands shook as I held the heavy handgun. Fifteen yards away, a small white rabbit was tied to the target, trembling in fear.I had a severe congenital heart defect and extreme blood phobia. But to prove to the family elders that she had no weaknesses and was completely unbiased, Valerie—our Underboss—dragged me straight into the family live-fire training field."How long are you going to shake? You can't even kill a freaking rabbit. You're embarrassingly weak!" Valerie marched up behind me. She shoved her cold gun barrel hard against the back of my head. "If I don't see blood today

Chapter 2

I lay under the blinding sun like a broken ragdoll, completely motionless.Seeing no reaction from me, Valerie stepped forward in her high heels. Her heavy heel slammed down on my wrist, grinding into my skin with brutal force."Giving birth to you was the most disgusting mistake of my life!"Valerie looked down at me with pure, unadulterated disgust. "If I knew you'd turn into such a useless coward, I would've thrown you straight into the trash!"My floating soul shook violently. A wave of absurdity and crushing pain hit me.When she gave birth to me, she almost bled to death.When I was little, she knew I couldn't stand blood. Our house never even served medium-rare steaks.Everything changed when she became the Underboss.The sweet, loving mom in my memories turned into Ms. Valerie. She didn't even let me call her Mom in public. I had to call her Underboss like everyone else.To prove her authority and show no favoritism, she stripped away my right to inherit my grandfather's galler

Chapter 3

"The Underboss told you to get lost! Didn't you hear her?"Chloe slapped the emergency gear straight out of the old doctor's hands. Her eyes flashed with pure malice.Two towering guards dragged the old doctor away roughly. The training field fell back into dead silence.The scorching sun beat down without mercy.My lifeless body lay on the burning concrete, stiff and cold.Valerie saw me still not moving and snorted coldly. "Everyone else finished training. You're the only one wasting time. I don't have time for your drama!"She turned to Chloe with a warm smile. "You know our family drills well. Do me a small favor? Gemma is spoiled. Keep an eye on her. Don't let her run off until she finishes.""Not at all. Serving the Underboss is my honor. I'm sure the Young Lady didn't mean it."My soul floated in the air. I saw everything clearly. The moment Valerie left, the sweet fake smile on Chloe's face disappeared completely.She walked up to my body and kicked my calf to test me.I didn't

Chapter 4

Flies buzzed in the back alley. The stench was unbearable.My soul floated in the air. I watched helplessly as stray dogs caught the smell of blood and pounced. Their sharp teeth ripped into my shredded clothes, tearing open my cold, stiff skin.A wave of intense grief crushed my soul.Once, I was the pampered Young Lady, loved by everyone in the family. Now, I was just a pile of worthless meat, dumped next to trash, torn apart by wild dogs.All of this... just because my mother stopped loving me.Meanwhile, inside Valerie's office, the room was lively and loud."Underboss, you are so fair! If you hadn't stripped away certain people's privileges, how could we loyal crew members get shares and profits from that top-tier gallery?"A few capos walked in with bright smiles, rushing to flatter Valerie. They held the inheritance and gallery transfer papers that belonged to me.Valerie sat tall behind her desk. She took an elegant sip of red wine, a fake, arrogant smile on her lips. She soake

Chapter 5

"Dead from heart failure?"Valerie let out a sharp laugh. She leaned back in her chair, pure disgust written all over her face."Are cop badges on sale now? How much did Gemma pay you for this little show? Ten grand? Twenty?"Chloe giggled right next to her. "Officer, she's playing you. I checked her myself a few hours ago. Her vitals were perfect. She's just a drama queen paying you to scare her mom!""Faking it to skip training? Paying us?"The lead officer's face darkened with rage.He didn't waste another word. He grabbed a stack of photos and stamped reports from his folder and slammed them onto the desk!The papers hit the wood with a heavy thud and slid across the table.Right on top was a photo of my face—pale, covered in dark dried blood, eyes wide and unseeing."Take a good look! We took these ten minutes ago in the alley!" The officer's voice cut through the air like ice. "We don't have time for your little rich-family games. The body is stiff. Her pupils are dilated. She's

Chapter 6

"Let go of her! Get her off!"Officers swarmed in, wrestling a completely feral Valerie off Chloe.Chloe's eyes rolled back, gasping wildly for air. She looked at my mangled body near the trash, then at Valerie's murderous face. She snapped.A murder charge? She couldn't take the fall for this!Using the chaotic scramble as cover, Chloe scrambled up and sprinted for the alley exit."Hey! Stop right there!"Two patrol officers moved fast. They lunged forward, caught her in a chokehold, and slammed her to the pavement."Get off me! I didn't kill her! Valerie made me do it!" Chloe thrashed, shrieking at the top of her lungs. "I'm just an intern! I don't know anything!""Based on security footage and witness statements, you're under arrest for assault and falsifying medical records." A cop snapped handcuffs onto her wrists. "You're coming with us."Feeling the cold steel on her wrists, imagining mob execution and a life sentence, Chloe's eyes rolled back. Her knees buckled. She fainted rig

Chapter 7

Both of them shut their mouths instantly.The lead officer flipped open his folder. His cold voice cut through the air like a blade:"The autopsy report confirms the victim died about eight hours ago. The cause of death was acute heart failure, triggered by extreme terror and intense mental trauma."The officer paused, letting out a heavy sigh before looking at them:"Meaning, the second she collapsed eight hours ago, her heart had already stopped. Everything you did after that... was nothing more than abusing a corpse."The words hit Valerie like a sledgehammer straight to the chest."Eight hours ago... dead?"Valerie shook violently, her pupils shrinking in horror.Eight hours ago... that was when she held a gun to Gemma's head, forcing her to shoot that rabbit!How is that possible? Chloe said...Chloe, who had just been loaded into the ambulance, was dragged back by two officers.With her lies completely exposed, her innocent act shattered. She collapsed onto the pavement, thrashin

Chapter 8

A few months later. Federal District Court."Defendant Chloe. As a team medic, you violated medical ethics, falsified medical reports, and engaged in illegal abuse leading to death."The judge's voice was stone-cold."Sentenced to eight years in prison. No parole. Immediate remand!""No! I was forced! I want to appeal! Valerie made me do it! You can't do this to me!"Chloe lost it completely, kicking her legs on the floor.The police ignored her screams. They dragged her out like a dead weight, her metal cuffs scraping loudly against the tiles.At the adjacent defense table, Valerie sat frozen in an orange jumpsuit.In just days, the once untouchable second-in-command looked like a hollow skeleton.Drool dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her hands clawed uselessly at thin air."Gemma... the gallery... Mommy bought you the whole street..."She giggled, her eyes blank and lifeless.The night the autopsy came out, she lost every piece of her sanity.When Sylvan stripped her power and

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