Chapter 4

Olivia turned around and saw a tall man standing at the door, backlit.

He wore a well-tailored custom black suit, standing straight as a pine tree.

Michael, who had been cold and hostile toward Olivia moments ago, now had his face plastered with a flattering smile. He practically jogged down the stairs, brushing past Olivia and heading straight for the man.

"Uncle! What brings you here in person?" Michael's tone was extremely respectful, even carrying a hint of fear.

Olivia was slightly taken aback.

She had heard Michael mention before that the Johnson family had a power holder who had been controlling the family's business empire abroad for years.

So this was William Johnson?

William nodded slightly, his gaze moving past Michael and landing coldly on Olivia. "I heard Ms. Smith came back. My brother asked me to bring the family doctor to give her a checkup."

Hearing this, Megan's eyes lit up immediately as she stood behind Michael.

She had been worrying about how to get rid of Olivia, and now William had handed her the perfect excuse.

Megan immediately linked her arm through Michael's, putting on an air of righteousness. "Michael, your uncle is so thoughtful. Olivia was locked up in that filthy place for a year - she must be carrying all kinds of germs. If she infects my parents, that would be terrible. She really should get a thorough checkup."

Michael caught on, looking at William gratefully. "Thank you, Uncle. You're so considerate. The way Olivia looks now really is worrying."

Just then, Robert and Harper came over after hearing the commotion. Seeing William, their faces immediately broke into smiles, completely different from their earlier hostility toward Olivia.

"Mr. Johnson, welcome!"

Robert rubbed his hands together with a fawning expression. "Please, come in!"

The group ushered William into the living room like stars surrounding the moon.

Olivia stood alone to the side like an unwanted outsider. Watching this ridiculous scene, a self-mocking sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

These were her family.

Bowing and scraping to an outsider, while avoiding their own daughter who had just escaped death.

William sat down in the main seat on the sofa, his long legs crossed, radiating authority.

He waved his hand, and a middle-aged doctor wearing gold-rimmed glasses and carrying a medical bag stepped forward.

"This is Dr. White, highly respected in his field." William's words were brief and to the point.

Benjamin pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over Olivia.

Before coming, he had already received Michael's hint - whether this woman was sick or not, he had to say she was.

"Ms. Smith, please extend your hand." Benjamin opened his medical bag, his tone perfunctory and arrogant.

Olivia didn't move. She looked at the doctor coldly.

"What's wrong, Olivia? Are you scared?" Megan fanned the flames from the side, her voice delicate but each word cutting. "Do you really have some shameful disease you're afraid of being discovered?"

"What would I be afraid of?" Olivia shot back.

Harper frowned impatiently. "Olivia, hurry up and let the doctor examine you. Stop dragging your feet!"

Olivia took a deep breath and slowly rolled up her sleeve, revealing an arm covered in purple bruises and red rashes.

The horrifying marks looked completely out of place in the luxurious living room.

Harper gasped in fright, covering her mouth and backing up several steps. "Oh my God! That's so disgusting..."

Benjamin merely glanced at it, didn't even touch her, didn't use any instruments to test, but immediately frowned and dramatically stepped back. "This... this is severe necrotizing infectious dermatitis!"

Benjamin raised his voice, looking at everyone with a terrified expression. "This is a virulent infectious disease! It spreads mainly through air and contact. Once infected, the skin all over the body ulcerates and oozes pus - it's incurable!"

As soon as he said this, the living room erupted in chaos.

Robert and Harper turned pale with fright, scrambling to get as far away as possible.

"What? An infectious disease? A virulent one?"

Robert pointed at Olivia, his finger trembling. "I knew something was off about that smell on her! She's trying to kill our whole family!"

Megan clutched her chest, trembling in Michael's arms.

"Olivia, how could you do this? It's one thing if you're sick yourself, but why come back to harm Mom, Dad, and Michael?"

Michael looked at Olivia with even more disgust. "Olivia, you're so selfish! If you caught this filthy disease, you should have died out there. Why did you come back?"

Faced with everyone's accusations, Olivia remained surprisingly calm.

She slowly lowered her sleeve, her gaze turning to Benjamin, who was spouting nonsense. "Necrotizing infectious dermatitis?"

Olivia laughed coldly. "Dr. White, did you buy your medical license?"

Benjamin froze for a moment, then became angry from embarrassment. "What are you talking about! I've been practicing medicine for twenty years - would I misdiagnose?"

"If you've been practicing for twenty years, then tell me - what's the incubation period for this disease? What are its pathological features? What are the accompanying symptoms?" Olivia moved closer step by step, physically weak but with an aggressive presence.

Benjamin panicked at the questions, stammering. "This... this is of course..."

"Can't answer? Then let me tell you."

Olivia cut him off.

"The rash on my arm has clear edges with slight scaling - this is typical fungal infection caused by prolonged exposure to damp environments, commonly known as eczema and ringworm. As for these bruises, they're subcutaneous bleeding caused by external impact."

"So-called necrotizing infectious diseases are usually accompanied by high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and obviously foul-smelling pus. Did you take my temperature? Did you check my lymph nodes? You didn't even examine me closely - you diagnosed a virulent infectious disease from this far away? Are your eyes made of microscopes?"

Before being kidnapped, Olivia had been a top student at medical school, consistently ranking first in her class.

This year of torture hadn't made her forget the knowledge ingrained in her mind - if anything, it had become even more deeply etched through her brush with death.

"This... this might be a mutant strain! What do you know! You're just a student who hasn't even graduated!" Benjamin was still making excuses, but his defense seemed weak and powerless.

"A mutant strain?" Olivia acted as if she'd heard the biggest joke. "Then you should immediately take my blood sample and send it to the disease control center for testing, instead of making a diagnosis with just your eyes and creating panic!"

"Who paid you off? Or who told you to do this? To slander a victim who just escaped death and push me to the edge?"

Benjamin's face turned pale, his eyes guiltily glancing toward Michael and Megan.

Michael's expression changed, and he quickly scolded, "Olivia! Shut up! Dr. White is an expert my uncle brought - how can his authority be overturned by a few words from you? You're just making excuses!"

"Expert?" Olivia turned her head, her gaze meeting William's for the first time as he sat on the sofa watching the show.

And William was watching her too.

"Mr. Johnson," Olivia met William's intensely oppressive gaze without flinching.

"This is the so-called famous doctor you brought? Twisting the truth, talking nonsense, without even basic medical ethics. I see the Johnson family's judgment in hiring people is nothing special."

Olivia looked at William's face, which bore some resemblance to Michael's, and disgust rose in her heart.

In this circle, rich people were mostly birds of a feather.

Michael was scum - how much better could his uncle be? Probably not a good person either.