Chapter 5
In the early morning at the Vance family villa, the morning light filtered through the curtains into the room.
Claire Lane had just finished preparing the pregnancy-stabilizing soup and brought it to Lana Reed.
Lana Reed drank it without changing her expression.
A moment later, a piercing scream rang out.
“Ah! My belly!”
She curled up on the bed, her face pale.
Her fingers gripped the bed sheet tightly.
Ethan Vance stumbled into the room.
“Lana, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“Ah, my belly… it must be the miscarriage medicine.”
Lana Reed cried bitterly, tears streaming down her face.
She shakily pointed to the empty bowl on the bedside table.
“That bitch, she’s trying to kill our baby…”
Claire felt a chill run down her spine.
She stood frozen in place, holding the tray.
That bowl of medicine was what she had personally prepared.
She had checked every ingredient three times to make sure it was safe.
But now...
Of course, how could Lana Reed let her off the hook?
For Lana Reed, Claire had once stolen her husband.
She was the enemy who had to be eliminated.
By keeping her close, wasn’t it clear that Lana Reed wanted to destroy her?
Ethan Vance’s eyes turned cold and sharp as a predator’s.
In his gaze, Claire saw murderous intent.
“You’re asking for death!”
Ethan shouted, and two bodyguards rushed in, dragging Claire out.
A steel rod smashed into her knee.
The intense pain caused her to collapse onto the ground.
“I didn’t...”
Her voice was not loud, but very firm.
The rod came down again.
The first hit struck her back, and her spine made a terrifying crack.
She fell completely to the floor.
“It wasn’t me...”
The second hit her ribs.
“Crack...”
She heard the sound of breaking bones.
Ethan Vance held Lana Reed in his arms, coldly watching the torture unfold.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this for you.”
The third hit her fingers.
The fingers that he had kissed countless times.
Now twisted at an unnatural angle.
Claire’s fingers felt like they were being pierced through, and her vision went black.
She gritted her teeth, trying not to cry out.
Bright red blood splattered on the carpet.
It turned dark red.
Just like the bed sheets on their wedding night.
“Throw her out!”
“Don’t stain Lana’s eyes.”
The bodyguards dragged her out of the villa.
The steps made her bones rattle.
Suddenly, the sky poured down with heavy rain.
Thunder roared, and rain came pouring down.
It was as if the rain was crying for Claire’s injustice.
Claire was tossed into the concrete ground like trash.
Dirty water flooded her nostrils.
She blinked her hazy eyes.
The excruciating pain nearly made her faint.
She couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality anymore.
The cold rain helped her regain some clarity.
She used her hands to push her body up.
She tried to stand, but the pain sent her back to the ground.
Gradually, the rain lessened.
Lana Reed walked slowly toward her, gently caressing her flat belly.
Behind her, a tall bodyguard held a large umbrella over her.
She smiled sweetly at Claire.
“Doctor Claire, actually my belly doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Hahaha ... … It’s all Ethan’s fault. He was just too worried.”
Claire saw Lana Reed smile and found herself laughing too.
The laugh grew louder and louder.
The more she laughed, the more painful it became.
The blood inside her stomach rushed up to her mouth.
“Cough, cough...”
A violent cough caused blood mist to spray from her mouth.
It splattered onto Lana Reed’s white maternity dress.
Lana Reed screamed in disgust.
“Ah! You bitch!”
“You stained my dress, how disgusting!”
“Quick, help me go change.”
As she spoke, she didn’t forget to kick Claire in the back.
Claire fell again onto the wet ground.
She looked up at the dark sky.
The rain fell like needles on her body.
How ridiculous.
She had once knelt before the Buddha and said,
As long as Ethan Vance was safe and healthy, she would be willing to pay any price.
Now, he was safe.
And her price had come.
Claire didn’t know how long she lay in the rain.
Until she could barely stand up.
The torrential rain continued to pour down.
The rain mixed with blood, winding down the asphalt road like a river.
Claire dragged her injured leg forward.
Every step left a bloody footprint.
Her white shoes were soaked with blood.
Her body hurt too much.
With each step, it felt like walking on blades.
With every breath, the pain pierced her bones.
Her ribs were probably broken.
Her breath carried the taste of rust.
There was once when she and Ethan Vance were stranded on a mountain due to heavy snow.
She was exhausted.
In the end, Ethan Vance had carried her down the mountain.
His body temperature gave her great warmth.
At that time, he had said:
“Claire, as long as I’m here, I won’t let you suffer.”
But now, the biggest pain, the most suffering, came from him.
A flash of lightning struck.
Claire collapsed once more in the rain.
Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the lights on the mountaintop villa.
So warm, yet so far away.
That Ethan Vance, the one who would care for her, take care of her,
Had disappeared forever.
By the time the sky began to lighten,
She had barely reached the foot of the mountain.
Her pitiful appearance scared the convenience store clerk.
The clerk called 911 for her.
Lying in the ambulance, Claire suddenly grinned.
How wonderful.
Ethan Vance was dead.
Claire should have died too.
She had been in the hospital for three days.
She felt much better.
She left the hospital and submitted all the immigration documents.
She even requested expedited processing.
Then she went back to the hospital to submit her resignation letter.
Just after leaving the hospital, Claire received a call from Ethan Vance.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Lana wants to invite you to our fifth wedding anniversary celebration. We’ve even ordered a dress for you.”
“I’ll send you the location, you go pick it up. Bring mine and Lana’s dress as well.”
“Hurry up! I’ll give you forty minutes.”
He ordered without giving her a chance to refuse.
“Ethan Vance, have you forgotten? We’re no longer related.”
Ethan Vance paused for a second, then sneered.
“Your father’s necklace... are you sure you don’t want it?”
“Hurry up, stop talking!”
With that, he hung up the phone.
