Chapter 3

"You little bitch! You actually dared to hide a phone and tattle!" Furious, Aunt Martha lunged forward, snatched the phone, and hurled it against the wall, smashing it to pieces. Without missing a beat, she backhanded me across the face.

The sheer force of the blow whipped my head to the side. A sharp ringing pierced my ears as mouthfuls of blood instantly welled up and spilled from the corners of my mouth.

"Scream! Why don't you keep begging your precious brother to save you?" Martha grabbed a fistful of my hair, her nails practically digging into my scalp as she wrenched my head back. Her spittle flew into my face. "You really think Damon gives a single damn if you live or die? He's praying for you to drop dead so you can vacate your spot for Lily! To him, you're less than a stray dog!"

"Let me tell you something—behave yourself. Otherwise, I have a hundred ways to make you beg for life and pray for death!"

"You little bitch, do you still think you're the beloved princess of this family? You're nothing but the murderer who killed your parents," Martha spat, viciously dragging me off the bed.

Black spots danced across my vision from the excruciating pain. I couldn't even muster the strength to scream.

Just then, Martha's gaze landed on my neck.

A silver necklace hung there, its pendant an antique diamond ring. It was the very last thing my mother had left me before she passed away.

"How is a fine piece like this still on you?" A vicious, greedy glint flashed in Martha's eyes as she reached out to snatch the necklace.

"Don't touch it..." Gathering every last ounce of my strength, I used my only movable hand to defensively clutch the ring.

It was the last token of my mother's memory. I absolutely could not let it fall into the hands of this vile woman.

"Let go of it! Does a dying brat like you really deserve to wear something this valuable?!" Baffled by my resistance, Martha flew into a furious rage. She raised her stiletto-clad foot and stomped viciously onto my abdomen.

My already ruptured internal organs completely gave way under the devastating blow. I coughed up a massive mouthful of blood, staining the front of my shirt a horrific red.

Yet, I continued to clutch the ring in a death grip, my fingernails biting deeply into my own flesh.

Seeing this, Martha sneered. She squatted down and began peeling my fingers back, one by one.

She ruthlessly snapped my fingers. The agonizing, marrow-deep pain sent my whole body into violent convulsions. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my clothes.

She tore the ring from my grasp.

"What a stubborn bitch." Martha smugly slipped the antique ring onto her own finger and spat on me. "Damon said as long as you don't die, it's fine. I'm going out for a nice meal. Have fun rotting in here."

The door slammed shut, followed by the heavy click of the lock.

I curled up on the freezing floor, blood continuously bubbling past my lips. My body burned with a raging fever, and the edges of my vision began to blur.

I knew the doctor's deadline had just been moved up. My organs were shutting down completely, my life force draining away drop by drop with the blood pooling on the floor.

Before my consciousness could completely slip into the dark, I miraculously managed to fumble out a second backup phone I had concealed deep inside my clothes.

Once again, I dialed Damon's number.

In the background, I could hear elegant classical music and the fawning, sycophantic praises of the boutique staff.

"Oh my god, this wedding dress looks as though it was tailor-made just for you!"

"My princess looks beautiful in everything." Damon's voice was overflowing with doting fondness.

Then, speaking into the receiver, his tone instantly plummeted below freezing. "What do you want now? Didn't I tell you to stop bothering me?"

"Damon..." I gasped weakly into the mouthpiece, my voice so frail it was barely audible. "I'm dying... Martha took Mom's ring..."

"Sloane, aren't you tired of playing the victim? You'd better just behave yourself!"

"But I..."

The call was abruptly disconnected.

The phone slipped from my lifeless fingers.

A sense of unprecedented lightness washed over me. The agonizing pain seemed to be retreating, pulling further and further away, and the air around me grew thin.

I'm sorry, Julian. I won't be able to wear the wedding dress you had custom-made for me after all.

Then, I closed my eyes.

And at that moment, my heartbeat finally stopped completely.