Chapter 3

The next day, I was woken by the doorbell.

I struggled to get up, stumbling to open the door.

"Sophia!"

Mom leaned on a cane, one side of her body partly paralyzed, her forehead covered in sweat.

It takes an hour to drive from her hometown to here; how did she, a half-paralyzed person, even get here?

I quickly helped her inside:

"Mom, why are you here?"

Mom, leaning on me, walked into the house, her expression worried:

"I'm just glad you're okay…"

She saw the cuts all over my feet, and her eyes immediately welled up:

"Sophia, why are you like this? What happened?"

I shook my head and helped her sit on the sofa.

Mom took a breath, her voice hesitant:

"Isn't today the engagement? I waited all morning, but I didn't get your call…"

I lowered my head, not daring to look into Mom's eyes:

"Ethan's company had an emergency, so the engagement is postponed."

"He asked me to tell you, but I forgot."

Mom froze for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief:

"That's good, I thought something had gone wrong."

She reached out and stroked my head:

"Sophia, my biggest wish in this life is to see you happy."

I endured the tearing pain in my heart, nodding hard and forcing a smile:

Mom kept chattering.

"All the way here, I was thinking, my daughter finally found a good partner, I hoped nothing would go wrong."

Listening to her, my eyes stung, but I dared not let the tears fall.

Just then, the living room TV suddenly turned on.

A scene popped up: it was me, naked, being held down by several men.

In an instant, my hands and feet turned cold, and my blood ran cold.

Mom's voice trembled, disbelieving:

"Sophia, what is this? Is that you?"

I frantically rushed towards the TV, wanting to block the screen.

But my legs gave out, and I fell to the floor.

I turned around, desperately shielding the TV, and my tears finally burst forth:

"Mom, don't look!"

Mom stood up, leaning on her cane, tears streaming down her face:

"Who did this? Who did this to you?"

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Chloe walked in, looking around:

"This video? Mr. Ethan asked me to play it. He said it's better for Sophia to face reality."

Mom's eyes widened, her lips trembling:

"Impossible! Ethan wouldn't do this to Sophia! He's a good kid!"

Chloe glanced at me, her expression knowing:

"Looks like Sophia didn't tell you? Ethan already said last night, the engagement is off."

Mom's body swayed violently, and her cane slipped from her hand.

"Mom!"

I rushed to help her, but she pushed me away.

Mom stared fiercely at Chloe, her eyes red:

"Who are you? What right do you have to say these things here?"

Chloe's smile grew sweeter:

"Me? I'm Ethan's person."

I trembled all over, yelling at her:

"Chloe, get out!"

Chloe sneered:

"What right do you have to tell me to get out? Mr. Ethan sent me!"

She tilted her head, her tone contemptuous:

"If you kneel down and apologize now, maybe Mr. Ethan will be in a better mood, and he might even…"

"Enough! How dare you talk about my child like that?"

Mom, her face flushed, reprimanded Chloe.

But the next second, she collapsed to the ground.