Chapter 3

The birthday party didn't continue. Ethan dragged me home.

The burning pain in my throat hadn't subsided, and my wrist ached and throbbed where he'd gripped it.

I curled up in the passenger seat, not daring to make a sound.

I just hoped to get home quickly and stay away from him.

As soon as we entered the house, he let go of my hand and walked straight to the study.

I supported myself against the wall and slowly made my way to the living room. Everything before my eyes was a blur---I couldn't even see the outline of the sofa clearly.

Darkness wrapped around me with a chill, swallowing me whole.

In the past, I would always fearfully chase after him, softly coaxing him, begging him not to ignore me.

But now, all that remained was a heart full of deathly silence.

I didn't sleep all night.

The next morning, I fumbled my way out of bed. My vision was filled with blurry overlapping shadows.

Unsteady on my feet, I crashed hard into the corner of the dining table.

A sharp pain shot through my forehead, and warm liquid seemed to seep down along my skin.

I gasped in pain and supported myself on the table for a long time before fumbling toward the drawer to get medicine.

Just as I reached out my hand, my wrist was pressed down by someone.

Ethan was standing in front of me at some point, holding a medicine bottle in his hand.

"You didn't obey last night, so you deserve to get hurt."

He held the medicine bottle high.

"Remember, without my permission, you don't even have the right to take medicine."

I covered my dizzy forehead, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Years of submission were carved into my bones.

Even though my heart was dead, my body still remembered fear.

I bit my lip and squeezed out a sentence in a low voice.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Only then did he snort coldly and casually toss the medicine bottle aside.

The glass bottle hit the floor and rolled somewhere unknown.

"Pick it up yourself."

I knelt on the floor, fumbling randomly across the floor, my fingertips brushing through dust, utterly disheveled.

And Ethan just stood there, watching me crawl on the ground like a dog.

Not until I found the medicine and took it could I barely see things.

Ethan knelt down and hugged me.

"Nora, I didn't mean to. I'm just afraid you'll leave me. I just love you too much."

He held me tightly, but I only felt chilled to the bone.

Before long, the doorbell rang.

Vivian walked in carrying a bag.

"Is Dr. Bennett not home? I came to ask about some work matters."

I moved aside to let her in and gestured for her to come in.

But the next second, she poured the coffee she was holding all over me from above.

My hand immediately swelled and turned red, with blisters visibly forming.

Vivian immediately put on an innocent expression.

"I'm so sorry, Nora. I didn't mean to. You have vision problems, so you really shouldn't walk around randomly."

"Otherwise you might hurt yourself again. Dr. Bennett cares about you so much---he definitely wouldn't want to see you get hurt."

Every word she said was highlighting my uselessness, highlighting her importance in his heart.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ethan walked out of the study.

Seeing the mess on the floor and my red, scalded hand, he frowned.

But it wasn't directed at Vivian---he was angry at me.

"Who told you to walk around? I told you, just stay put obediently and you don't need to do anything. But you wouldn't listen."

"Now you're hurt. Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you again?"

I was sweating all over from the pain and couldn't say a word.

But he quickly walked over and carefully examined Vivian's hand.

"Did you get burned? Are you okay?"

From beginning to end, he didn't look at me once.

But when he turned to pour water for Vivian, in my blurry vision, I caught him quickly glancing at my wound.

I just found it laughable.

Late at night, after he fell asleep, I fumbled in the dark to the nightstand and quietly took out my backup phone.

With trembling fingers, I messaged Professor Lewis in France, confirming the flight time and details of the eye experiment.

Just as the message was about to send, the bedroom light suddenly turned on.

Ethan was standing by the bed at some point, his eyes frighteningly sinister.

He snatched my phone away. Just glimpsing the words "plane ticket" and "France," his face instantly turned ashen.

"Nora Sullivan, you want to escape?"