Chapter 3

Mom tried to help me sit up, but I couldn't control myself. I lunged forward suddenly and threw up with a loud retch.

Blood splattered all over the floor and onto the man's pants.

"Lily! What's wrong? Don't scare Mommy!"

She knelt over me, patting my back.

But all I felt was the world spinning, then it went completely black.

Before losing consciousness, the last thing I heard was my mom's choked, yet incredibly practiced, shout into her phone.

"Everyone! Something's happened! My child is spitting blood! Please, help us, save my child!"

When I woke up again, my throat felt like it was on fire, and I had no strength in my body.

"Lily? Are you awake?"

Mom's face leaned close, her eyes swollen and red, as if she'd been crying for a long time.

She grabbed my hand-the one not hooked up to an IV-and pressed it against her face, her voice softer than I'd ever heard it.

"You scared Mommy so much, you really scared Mommy...It's all Mommy's fault, Mommy didn't know that damn bastard's medicine was poisoned!"

As she spoke, real tears fell, hot against the back of my hand.

"Mommy will never do that again, we won't stream anymore. When you're better, Mommy will take you away from here, we'll go to the amusement park, and I'll buy you lots of pretty dresses, okay?"

She promised again and again, her voice so sincere that I almost believed her.

I looked at her, unable to speak, just blinked softly.

During these few days in the hospital, she had indeed reined herself in.

She stopped mentioning live streaming, carefully fed me porridge, and slept curled up in the bedside chair at night.

I thought the gates of hell had finally closed.

Until that afternoon, she took a phone call.

Her voice started low, then gradually rose.

"You said you brought the wrong thing? Ten thousand? No way, my child just barely survived."

I kept my eyes closed, but my heart sank little by little.

After she hung up, she sat by the bed for a long time, so long I thought she'd fallen asleep.

Then, her cold hand grasped mine.

"Lily."

"Mr. Jenkins, he just called. He said he made a mistake, that the last thing he gave us was for someone else. This time, it's the real miracle cure."

I abruptly opened my eyes, staring at her in horror.

She avoided my gaze, her voice even lower.

"He said if you go to his house and try the medicine just once, he'll give us thirty thousand dollars. Thirty thousand, Lily! That's enough for us to leave here and start a new life!"

I tried to pull my hand away with all my might, but she held me in an iron grip.

"No! I won't go, he'll kill me..." My voice was hoarse, tinged with tears.

"He won't! This time he definitely won't!"

She promised urgently, but her eyes flickered.

"He guaranteed it! And Mommy will go with you, I'll be right there watching!"

"You said that last time too..." I reminded her despairingly.

Her face instantly darkened, reverting to impatience and cruelty.

She abruptly let go of my hand and stood up.

"Lily! I'm telling you, you're going whether you want to or not! Do you think staying in the hospital is free? Where am I supposed to get the money? Do you want us both to sleep on the streets?!"

She paced the room twice, then sat back down, lowering her voice to threaten me.

"If you don't listen, I'll leave you here in the hospital, and you can pay the medical bills yourself! See if those doctors and nurses won't kick you out!"

I knew she would do it.

From the moment she pressed my face into the toilet to film a video, I knew.

In the end, she dragged me out of the hospital bed.