Chapter 3

My dad dropped the iron rod and pulled a bag of cash from the car, tossing it on the ground.

He glanced at me dragging my broken leg, desperately trying to escape.

With a fake smile, he said:

"This time is different. We'll stay to supervise personally."

My mom, who had been about to leave, paused at these words.

But when it involved Claire, she nodded without hesitation.

"That's right. Claire's bone marrow bank can't have any mistakes."

Ha, bone marrow bank.

In the end, in her eyes, I wasn't even human.

I no longer held any hope for them.

My hand tightly gripped Uncle Sam's pant leg as I hummed the lullaby he'd sung to me since childhood.

But the burning pain in my throat made even breathing difficult.

Uncle Sam looked at me questioningly.

As he was about to crouch down to examine my disfigured face more closely, my dad spoke up.

"I remember there's a butcher in the village, a dissection expert who personally killed and dismembered his own wife?"

"Call him over. I've got merchandise."

"The feeling of slicing off flesh bit by bit without killing someone must be quite something."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on me.

He smiled cruelly.

As if certain I'd be scared into obediently going back.

I gave him a look like he was an idiot.

The Mr. Baker he mentioned did indeed have good knife skills, but he was also extremely protective of his own.

When I was little and lost a fight with kids from the neighboring village, he went straight to their house and dealt with the whole family.

If he recognized me here, they'd suffer worse than death.

Seeing I was unmoved, my dad stepped forward and stomped on my injured leg, constantly applying pressure, his face twisted.

"I want to see just how stubborn you are."

My mom beside him held up her phone, signaling to keep the noise down.

"Claire wants you to answer the phone. Don't let her know..."

My dad picked up a dirty cloth nearby and stuffed it in my mouth, then answered the phone with a face full of affection.

"Sweetheart, have you been good and taken your medicine like the doctor said?"

"I'm taking your sister on an overseas trip right now. It's not convenient for her to answer the phone."

"Don't worry, you're the child Daddy and Mommy love most..."

Crying could be faintly heard from the other end of the phone.

My parents immediately panicked, coaxing her as they walked outside.

Taking advantage of the dim light, I gritted my teeth.

I pressed the exposed bone fragment back into the flesh, rolling on the ground in pain.

Uncle Sam looked at me with heartache and brought over crushed herbal medicine.

He applied it to the wound and reluctantly opened his mouth.

"Child, don't blame me. The children in the village need money for school."

Tears streamed down my face as I whimpered and raised my hand to point at myself.

Vivian, I'm Vivian!

Uncle Sam froze.

"Child, what are you trying to say?"

I dipped my finger in the herbal juice, preparing to write on the wall.

But the cellar door was suddenly pulled open.

My parents walked in holding their phone, all smiles.

They were discussing taking Claire for Japanese food on the weekend.

"Claire loves king crab. You'd better perform well then."

My dad smiled from ear to ear.

"Don't worry, honey, I already made a reservation."

"After we eat, we'll take Claire to see the new movie."

Claire's bell-like laughter came through the phone.

The family of three's atmosphere was incomparably warm.