Chapter 3
I forced my eyes open, catching only a glimpse of the elevator numbers dropping steadily. The number stopped on the first floor and stayed there for a long time.
The girl who had been watching earlier rushed over and helped me up.
When she saw the blood pooling beneath me, she was furious. “What’s wrong with him? Did your boyfriend just leave you here like this?”
I managed a bitter smile. “You‘ ve got it wrong. He’s not my boyfriend.”
However, she automatically assumed that we had argued and broken up.
With her support, I tried to make my way back to the room, but after just a few steps, everything went black and I passed out completely.
When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was
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white. The familiar smell of disinfectant
told me I was in a hospital.
“Are you awake?” asked the nurse.
After she checked on me and confirmed that I was stable, she began to complain, “What’s wrong with your emergency contact? I had tried to call him so many times but every time, he hung up on me.”
“You’re lucky. The girl who bought you here covered your medical expenses.”
I pulled out my phone and looked at my call history.
There was no doubt about it, James was truly angry this time. However, I did not have any intention to explain anything or make peace with him.
I actually felt a sense of relief that he did not answer the phone, otherwise, I could not hide the fact that I had just miscarried.
I stayed in the hospital for a few more days before heading back to the hotel to collect
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my belongings.
However, when I went there, I was told that James had already checked me out. The staff who handed me my luggage gave an apologetic look, but there was a hint of amusement in their eyes.
As I left, I overheard their gossip, their words clear as day. “It seems she must ve fallen out of favor, right?”
“Of course. Mr. Stork is already engaged. There’s no place for her now as his sister- in–law.“”
“I thought she’d be the one to win his heart after all these years. Turns out she lost to his true love instead!”
In the hotel lobby, a news report played on a screen, announcing James and Jane’s engagement set for the next day.
I acted like I didn’t hear anything, flagged down a cab and headed to the airport.
As the cab moved, the scenery outside the
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window turned blurred and I closed my eyes out of sheer exhaustion.
The car kept driving, much longer than it should have. When I opened my eyes, I realized something was wrong.
Panic set in as I glanced at the rearview mirror. The masked driver’s gaze flicked toward me, it was cold and snake–like.
I tried to stay calm and discreetly pulled out my phone to call for help.
Unfortunately, he realized my movement. He gave me a sinister smile and slammed on the brakes.
“It’s too late now,” he sneered.
He got out and pressed a damp cloth over my nose and mouth. My vision blurred as I started losing consciousness.
He grabbed my phone and mocked me, “Are you trying to get help? Let’s make a bet. If he answers your call, I’ll let you go. If he doesn’t, well….”
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The man unlocked my phone with my fingerprint and dialed the number at the top of my contact list.
Just as I expected, James did not pick up my call. The call went to voicemail and when the man tried again, it was immediately declined.
On the third attempt, James finally answered. I tried to cry for help, but my
voice was barely a whisper.
On the other end, his voice was filled with anger, “Sandra, you should know your place! My brother is dead and to me, you‘ re nothing but a stranger. Stop trying to drag me back into your life!”
His furious shout echoed through the phone, mixing with the masked man’s taunts. The words stabbed into my ears and
heart like a knife.
The car stopped at an abandoned factory and the man dragged me out, then threw me onto the cold, hard ground.
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A pair of high heels appeared in my line of sight. Before I could see the woman’s face clearly, she kicked me hard twice. My body was so weak that I saw stars because of it.
“Sandra, you’re so shameless!” she hissed. “James sees you as a little sister and here you are, trying to slander him!”
I recognized the voice immediately. The day I stumbled upon James and Jane‘ s moment of passion, she looked at me with hostility.
At that moment, she glared at me with her hand holding her phone.
“Did you leak this photo?” she
demanded. “If I hadn’t caught it in time and James hadn‘ t handled it properly, you would’ve had your way!”
I glanced at the photo and finally understood why James had said those words.
