I was pinned to the spot by the bodyguards, my whole body was ice cold.

Watching Tuantuan's tiny body twitching in the corner, and hearing its weak whimpers, my heart felt like it was being torn apart.

"No..." I struggled to break free from the bodyguards, almost lunging forward to pick up Tuantuan, but Liam grabbed me.

"Can't you understand human language?" His eyes were sinister. "I told you, take it to the kitchen."

The butler stood there, looking troubled: "Sir, this..."

"What? Even you dare to disobey my orders?" Liam's voice was as cold as ice.

Vanessa nestled in his arms, sobbing pitifully, "Liam, I'm so scared... Why is this dog so fierce..."

I broke free from Liam's hand and rushed to the corner.

Tuantuan could no longer stand up; its hind legs were trembling incessantly, and its eyes, which were always full of trust, were now filled with pain.

I gently stroked its head, and it weakly licked my hand, as if to comfort me.

"Liam, it's been with us for ten years." My voice trembled. "How could you be so heartless?"

He scoffed, "It's just a dog. Clara, have you forgotten something? Is this dog more important, or your sister?"

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me.

My sister, that twelve-year-old girl, was locked in a dark attic by Liam for a whole week because she saw Vanessa bullying me and talked back to her.

"Think it through," Liam said slowly. "Are you going to use this dog to nourish Vanessa, or let your sister experience what it's like to fall from the third floor?"

My fingernails dug deep into my palm, and blood seeped out between my fingers.

Vanessa smiled smugly, snuggling into Liam's arms: "Brother Liam, you're so good to me."

Liam gently stroked her hair: "From now on, just tell me what you want."

I stood there, feeling cold all over.

In seven years of marriage, I gave everything, yet I couldn't even protect a dog.

No, it's not just dogs; I can't even protect my closest family members.

Liam never cared about me; I was the one who indulged in the lies of our marriage and deceived myself.

I remembered last night, I suddenly had a heart attack, and my chest hurt as if a huge rock was pressing down on it. I struggled to get my medicine, but I accidentally knocked over my water glass.

Liam was wearing a suit and getting ready to go out with Vanessa to see the Northern Lights.

He walked past me without even glancing down at me, stepping over the puddle on the ground and heading straight for the door.

I lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, my consciousness gradually fading.

I heard him tell the housekeeper, "Have the living room thoroughly disinfected. Vanessa is coming home tomorrow, and we absolutely cannot let her smell the medicine or the stench of water stains."

Seeing my despair, Liam seemed to remember something.

"I'll spare its life, but now, go apologize to Vanessa," Liam said coldly.

I just want to get Tuan Tuan out of Liam's clutches as quickly as possible and then leave.

I mechanically walked up to Vanessa and bowed deeply: "I'm sorry."

"Didn't you eat? Speak louder," Liam snapped.

Before I could react, Liam dragged me down and forced me to kneel at Vanessa's feet.

Some shards of glass remained on the marble floor, broken when Tuantuan was thrown. The sharp edges of the glass grazed my knee, instantly tearing my skirt, and blood seeped out, staining the floor red.

Upon seeing the bloodstains, Liam frowned, his eyes filled with disgust, as if he had touched something filthy. He abruptly released his grip: "Your pet bit Vanessa and injured her. Shouldn't you apologize to her?"

I lowered my head, my knees throbbing with pain, but my heart ached even more.

Married to Liam for seven years, the words "I'm sorry" have almost become my mantra.

The hot milk is too hot; I apologize.

He came home late at night from a business dinner, and I made a noise while preparing hangover soup for him. I want to apologize.

There was someone else's lipstick stain on his shirt. When I asked him about it, he accused me of being "paranoid." I had to apologize profusely.

I bit my lower lip until I tasted blood, then slowly straightened up.

I bowed deeply to Vanessa at a 180-degree angle, my voice calm and undisturbed: "I'm sorry."

The first time, Vanessa didn't say anything, she just looked at me defiantly.

The second time, Liam's expression was still grim.

By the third time, my mind was numb. I looked up and stared blankly at Liam: "Excuse me, is that enough?"

Liam stared at the blood on the corner of my lips, his chest heaving noticeably.

That was a side of me I had never seen before; there were no tears, no grievances, only a deathly indifference.

He suddenly became irritated, and his tone became even more sarcastic: "Clara, your most trusted old man isn't here, so who are you trying to fool with this disgustingly pathetic act?"

Before I could reply, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door; the family doctor had arrived.

Liam immediately pushed me aside, afraid I was blocking his way, and quickly walked to Vanessa's side, asking softly, "Vanessa, is anything bothering you? Does it hurt?"

I took the opportunity to get up from the ground and staggered toward the door.

My knees were still bleeding, and every step hurt, but I dared not stop. I was afraid that if I hesitated even a second longer, this man would drag me into an even deeper hell.

As soon as I stepped out of the villa gate, I heard two beeping sounds.

Outside the iron gate, the Maybach sent by Gregory was flashing its lights, as if giving me hope.

I quickened my pace, but before the iron gate was fully open, two bodyguards in black suits suddenly rushed out, grabbed my arms on either side, covered my mouth, and forcibly dragged me back to the villa.

I struggled desperately, but the bodyguard was too strong. My wrists were gripped painfully, and he dragged me back to the villa like a piece of trash.

I looked at the Maybach with tears in my eyes. The headlights gradually blurred, just like the hope that had just been ignited in me, which was then extinguished.

I was roughly dragged back to the villa by the bodyguards and thrown onto the cold marble floor.

“Looks like I’ve been too lenient with you.” Liam looked down at me, his eyes filled with utter impatience. “Draw her blood first. Vanessa isn’t feeling well and needs a transfusion. After that, lock her in the basement. No one is allowed to let her out without my permission.”

“Liam! You can’t do this!” I finally screamed, “This is illegal!”

He acted as if he'd heard a joke, bent down and grabbed my chin with such force that he almost crushed my bones: "Illegal? In the Foster family, my word is law. Clara, you'd better know your place."

The family doctor walked in with a syringe. The needle was as thick as a child's arm and gleamed with a cold, silvery light.

The doctor walked over to me, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Liam, "Mr. Xie, although your wife and Ms. Vanessa both have Rh-negative blood, your wife has a history of heart disease since childhood and was hospitalized last year due to excessive bleeding and miscarriage. Forcing a blood draw could very likely trigger acute shock. I think it's safer to go to the hospital first for a comprehensive examination before giving Ms. Vanessa a transfusion..."

“Don’t try to persuade me anymore,” Liam interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Your only task is to get Vanessa back to health. As for Clara, she’s not that fragile.”

Before the doctor could say anything more, Liam had already stood up and walked over to me.

He looked at my pale face and suddenly said something strange: "Does it hurt a lot?"

I turned my head away, too lazy to waste words with him. I knew this man would never truly care about my pain.

The doctor picked up the syringe with trembling hands and pierced my arm.

The cold needle pierced my vein, and a chill ran down my arm and through my whole body.

I closed my eyes, and the scene from three years ago flashed through my mind.

At that time, I was pregnant, and Liam's friend was in a car accident and urgently needed rare blood.

Liam found me and said, "It's just a little bit, it'll be fine."

I believed it, and as a result, they drained 400 milliliters of blood. After returning home, I started bleeding, and the pregnancy became unstable, leading to a miscarriage.

He was filled with regret at that time and vowed never to let me donate blood to others again and never to let me be in danger again.

Now that he's met Vanessa, he's forgotten all his vows.

The blood flowed through the syringe into the blood bag, gradually filling it up.

My lips gradually lost their color and turned purple.

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, and my chest started to feel tight; those were signs that a heart attack was about to occur.

Just then, Vanessa's coughing came from upstairs. Liam immediately rushed over and pressed down on the doctor's hand as he removed the IV: "Draw another two! Vanessa is still coughing, she definitely needs more blood!"

The doctor's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He looked at my increasingly pale face, his voice trembling with anxiety: "Mr. Xie, this won't do! We've already drained 800 milliliters. If we drain any more, Madam will really be in trouble! Her heart can't take it!"

Liam hesitated for two seconds, his eyes flickering, but he quickly regained his coldness: "Vanessa is pregnant, and everything should be done with the pregnant woman first. Clara... she can pull through."

"But..." the doctor wanted to argue.

"Go ahead and smoke," I said suddenly, my voice weak but firm. "After you're done, let me leave."

I'm exhausted, too exhausted to fight anymore, too exhausted to even think about escaping this suffocating place.

Liam looked at my pale face, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—an emotion that seemed to be anger, or something else entirely. He opened his mouth, as if to ask me, "What are you doing?", but before he could speak, Vanessa's sweet voice came from upstairs: "Liam-gege~ I'm feeling a little unwell..."

Liam immediately turned around, ran upstairs quickly, and didn't even glance at me again.

My vision blurred and I eventually passed out.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a damp, moldy basement, with only a sliver of light coming through the crack in the door.

I curled up in the corner, hugging my knees, not knowing how much time had passed—maybe a day, maybe two. Time had lost its meaning here.

Footsteps and the sound of a lock being opened came from outside the door.

The blinding light shone in, and I instinctively squinted.

It's Vanessa.

She stood gracefully in the doorway, wearing an expensive cashmere sweater and holding a glass of water, seemingly out of place in the gloomy environment.

"Clara, why make yourself look so disheveled?" She walked in slowly, placed the water on the ground in front of me, as if she were giving alms to a stray dog.

"I've come to make a deal with you."

I looked up at her coldly, without saying a word.

"The reason why Brother Liam is still unwilling to let you go is simply because he has his eye on your rare Rh-negative blood."

She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her smile both sweet and malicious. "I'm anemic during my pregnancy and need to have blood on hand at all times. If you sign this voluntary blood donation agreement, promising to be available whenever I call before I give birth, I'll have Liam release you, including... your half-dead dog, and your seriously ill sister."

She took a document out of her designer handbag and threw it in front of me.

I stared at the agreement, and my blood seemed to freeze at that moment.

Signing means I may never truly get rid of them; not signing means my sister and Tuantuan may suffer even crueler treatment because of me.

My father's words echoed in my ears: "Clara, when you encounter setbacks, you must have the courage to start over..."

Courage is not just about being unyielding to the death, but also about enduring hardship and humiliation to protect those who are important to you.

I raised my hand, stained with blood and dust, and picked up the pen from the ground.

“I’ll sign.” My voice was hoarse but clear. “But you have to promise to release my sister immediately and take Tuantuan to the vet for treatment.”

Vanessa's lips curled into a barely perceptible, eerie smile: "Of course, I always keep my word."

I took a deep breath and signed my name in the designated place on the document.

As soon as I put down my pen, Vanessa snatched the document away almost immediately. She carefully examined my signature, a bright yet malicious smile spreading across her face.

“Clara, you’re the dumbest woman I’ve ever met.” She chuckled, her voice jarring in the empty basement. “You think this is just a blood transfusion agreement?”

My heart sank suddenly, and a strong sense of foreboding gripped me.

"Let me see what you signed..." She flipped through the documents with feigned nonchalance. "Oh, this is a voluntary divorce agreement, stating that you voluntarily leave with nothing and give up all marital property."

"And this one..." She held up another sheet of paper, which clearly read "Voluntary Organ Donation Consent Form." "It's an agreement that if you 'accidentally' pass away, all your organs, especially your precious heart with your rare, rare blood type, will be donated to...me free of charge."

My mind went blank. Divorce? Organ donation? To Vanessa?!

"You...you lied to me!" I stood up abruptly, swaying slightly from weakness and anger.

"So what if I lied to you?" Vanessa relished the shock and despair on my face, as if watching a captivating drama.

"Clara, do you think Liam is still keeping you around? Isn't it because of your unique blood type and your heart, which can be replaced in case something goes wrong during my childbirth? Now that we have this document, your value has truly been exhausted. When you 'accidentally' die, your heart will continue to beat in my body, and your husband and children... oh no, my husband and children, will live happily together. Think about it, isn't that perfect?"

A bone-chilling cold instantly spread from the soles of my feet to my entire body.

It turns out that from the very beginning, Liam kept me around not because of any old feelings, but because he treated me as a living blood bank and a... spare organ container!

seven years of dedication and seven years of forbearance, only to be rewarded with such a meticulously planned and outrageous ending!

"You beast!" I practically spat out those two words through clenched teeth, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

“Say whatever you want.” Vanessa carefully put the documents away, her posture elegant. “Now, keep my promise.” She clapped her hands.

The bodyguard brought in the younger sister, who looked even smaller and more frightened.

Another bodyguard was carrying a small pet carrier, inside which Tuan Tuan lay motionless, its fate unknown.

“You’re getting the person and the dog back,” Vanessa said with a smile. “Whether they live or die is up to fate. After all, you’ve signed the papers and are no longer of any value to us. The Foster family doesn’t keep idle people or dogs.”

After she finished speaking, she turned and left with the air of a victor.

I stumbled over and rushed over, first hugging my trembling sister tightly, then opening the pet carrier with trembling hands.

Tuantuan was breathing weakly; it was still alive! But its breath was so weak that it seemed it might stop at any moment.

I was overwhelmed by a wave of anger, humiliation, and lingering fear.

It wasn't because she was left with nothing, but because of that organ donation agreement!

They not only want me to leave with nothing, they want my life! Paving the way for Vanessa!

I must leave here immediately!

I held the airline crate tightly in one hand and my sister firmly in the other, using all my strength to support myself as I walked out of this hellhole step by step.

My vision began to blur, and I heard my younger sister's tearful cries: "Sister! Sister, what's wrong?"

I struggled toward the gate of the Foster family villa, but the pain from having too much blood drawn, along with the immense mental shock, overwhelmed me like a tsunami, instantly consuming my last vestiges of consciousness.

Before I was completely plunged into darkness, I only had time to hold my sister's hand and the airline box in my arms tighter before I fell straight forward.

...

When I regained consciousness, the first thing I smelled was disinfectant.

I suddenly opened my eyes, and what came into view was an unfamiliar, pure white ceiling.

I was lying in the hospital bed with an IV drip in the back of my hand.

"Tuantuan! Sister!" I struggled to sit up, but a dull pain came from my chest.

"Don't move, you're still very weak," a gentle but unfamiliar female voice said.

I then noticed a young girl in a nurse's uniform standing by the bed. She gently pressed my shoulder and said, "You fainted because of low blood sugar and emotional distress. Your sister is fine and is resting in the next room. The doctor examined her; she was just a little frightened and malnourished."

“Then my dog…” My heart clenched.

"You mean that little dog?" The nurse's face showed a hint of sympathy. "The vet just came by and gave it emergency treatment. Its condition... isn't good. It has internal bleeding and fractures, but its vital signs are stable for now. It needs further observation and treatment."

Hearing that Tuantuan was still alive, my tense nerves relaxed a little, and a huge sense of exhaustion swept over me.

"Who brought us here?" I asked in a hoarse voice, hoping for the answer.

"A lady who was passing by used your phone to call an ambulance. Your emergency contact... is a Mr. Foster, and the hospital has already notified him."

The gentleman surnamed Foster... is Liam.

My heart sank.

It's not Gregory.

He couldn't pick me up. Where is he now?

Did he know I fainted and was taken to the hospital?

Or...did we encounter some trouble?

Just as my thoughts were in disarray, the ward door was violently pushed open.