Chapter 4

With that, my mother hung up on me without a second thought. Mrs. Davies also left, spitting contemptuously before she went.

My world became quiet again. I could only hear my own erratic heartbeat.

Everything was pitch black. My consciousness felt increasingly blurry.

Was I really going to die like this?

I didn't dare to close my eyes, afraid that if I did, I would never open them again.

But I didn't want to die.

Clinging to the last shred of my will, I actually managed to hold on until I heard sounds from the basement door again.

"Is anyone there... Is someone outside?"

"Help me... Please, please help me..."

The person outside seemed to hear my plea. They ripped off the rickety padlock on the basement door.

By the faint light, I recognized him. It was Mr. Clark, a manager from the Vance family company.

Mr. Clark was startled by the metallic scent of blood in the basement and stumbled back a few steps.

"Mr. Clark... it's me..."

I struggled to get up, but just as I reached the door, I collapsed heavily again.

Mr. Clark quickly helped me up, asking what had happened.

I had no strength left to speak, only endless tears streaming down my face.

Mr. Clark quickly pulled out his phone and called my mother.

"Mrs. Vance, Miss Lily seems to be injured. Please come back and check on her!"

My mother's voice on the other end instantly sounded flustered.

"What? Chloe just said she wanted cake and asked me to buy her some. How could something happen to her right after I left? Where is she now?"

Hearing my mother's anxious voice, Mr. Clark continued to explain.

"I'm not talking about Miss Chloe. I'm talking about your biological daughter, Miss Lily, who you recently found."

My mother on the other end paused. After confirming that Mr. Clark was only there to deliver some documents to the house and happened to hear my cries for help, she let out a scornful cold laugh.

"That brat is getting bolder and bolder, just making up lies on the spot."

"Mr. Clark, leave the documents and go. Lily Vance is perfectly safe in the basement. You don't need to worry about her."

Although my mother's indifferent tone left Mr. Clark a bit bewildered, he still called 911 for me before leaving.

I was in so much pain I nearly passed out. In a blur, I thought I saw someone lift me into an ambulance.

But when I woke up again, I didn't get the rescue I'd imagined. Instead, the pain in my chest intensified.

"Ah..."

I couldn't help but cry out in pain, only then noticing a nurse nearby.

"Please, save me... I'm in so much pain..."

"If this goes on, I'll really die..."

The nurse looked anxious but hesitated, her words caught in her throat.

"I'm so sorry, miss. All our cardiologists are currently assigned to a heart transplant surgery and can't be spared. Can you please wait a bit longer?"

My heart sank. I was in too much pain to speak, so I just gripped the nurse's hand tightly, tears streaming down my face as I begged her for help.

The nurse seemed a little sympathetic. After a moment of hesitation, she comforted me.

"Alright, how about this: I'll go ask the patient's family next to the operating room if they'd be willing to have a doctor attend to you, okay?"

I nodded frantically, hoping God would grant me a single mercy.

The patient's family the nurse mentioned seemed to be right next door. I could clearly hear their conversation.

"Mrs. Vance, we have another heart patient who just arrived at the hospital. She seems very ill. Would you mind if we assigned a doctor to treat her?"

"Another heart patient? This can't be delayed. Send two doctors over."