Chapter 7

Chloe's POV

Before I could react, my mother slapped me to the ground.

That fruit knife just happened to pierce my lower abdomen.

The piercing pain, mixed with cursing, made me increasingly powerless.

"How can you be so vicious!"

Dad roared and grabbed me up from the floor.

Everyone surrounded Vivian. No one spared me a glance, nor did they notice the large pool of blood on the floor.

"Chloe is my sister. She's young. I don't blame her. I just can't understand why she would attack me over such a small matter..."

Vivian leaned against Ethan, flashing me a malicious smile.

I was in too much pain to speak.

He looked at me with eyes like he was looking at a dead person, coldly saying word by word, "Young, but when you make mistakes, you should pay the price. Lock her in the dark room to reflect. When Vivian is discharged from the hospital, that's when she can come out."

One sentence completely sealed my fate.

I struggled, wanting to beg for mercy, but was kicked away by my mother.

"Ah!"

I cried out in pain.

But the next second, Vivian's delicate voice interrupted everything.

"Ethan, I feel so dizzy."

He couldn't care about anything else and angrily shouted at the bodyguards at the door.

"Are you all deaf? Lock her in the basement. Without my orders, no one is allowed to give her food or water."

I was dragged out like a dead dog.

Bloodstains stretched from the hospital room all the way to the entire hallway, making passersby gasp in shock.

"Oh my God, how is this person bleeding so much?"

"Nothing bad will happen, right?"

"Let's go quickly."

Seeing that people who cared about me were shifting their attention, Vivian sighed lightly and explained magnanimously.

"Chloe must be on her period. She just has a childish temper. Just make a show of it. Don't really let her suffer, or I'll feel bad."

But along the way, I was deliberately targeted by the bodyguards. I was already in so much pain I nearly passed out. The blood from my lower abdomen kept flowing out.

By the time they drove to the villa, the back seat was soaked with my blood.

The two looked at the large bloodstains, badly frightened.

"Call Mr. Blake and tell him now. She's still a person, you know. If something really happens and she dies in the car, we'll be in big trouble."

The two spoke and immediately called Ethan.

In my daze, I actually felt a bit of expectation. If he answered the phone and knew I was covered in blood, would he not lock me up? Would he not leave me alone in the dark room?

But I was in too much pain.

Before I passed out, I seemed to hear Ethan's voice.

When the pain woke me up again, I found I was still locked in the basement.

It was pitch dark here. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. Everything around me filled me with fear. The only thing I could feel was the dull ache in my abdomen.

I gently felt around and realized the wound here had been treated. There was also a bitter medicinal taste in my mouth.

It seemed that while I was unconscious, Ethan had come.

I harbored the hope that once I was let out, I would explain everything properly. I looked forward to getting out early.

I waited and waited.

Finally, Vivian was discharged.

That was already half a month later. The day after her discharge was the day they were supposed to try on wedding dresses.

After being forgotten for half a month, I, the "criminal," was finally released.

And only because Vivian casually mentioned something at the dinner table did they remember me, the forgotten person.

After waiting for who knows how long, I was finally dragged up by the bodyguards. Before I even got close, an indescribable smell permeated the entire dining room.

"Ugh, what's that smell?"

Vivian covered her nose, her expression ugly.

Under everyone's gaze, they instinctively looked around. At that moment, they saw me clearly for the first time in half a month.

Ethan froze. Before he could speak, Vivian excitedly knocked over her bowl.

Her eyes reddened as she looked at me.

"Oh my God, Chloe, you... how did you become like this? It's all my fault. If my health had been better, you wouldn't have suffered like this."

She staggered over and hugged me tightly.

But her hand hidden in the middle pressed hard on my wound.

Fresh blood and pain spread together, making me instinctively reach out and push her away.

"Ah!"

Vivian fell to the ground in response, looking incredulous.

"Chloe?"