Chapter 5
I woke up and only then remembered I was supposed to go to work today. But I felt unwell, so I decided to take the day off.
As I pulled out my phone, a message from my boss popped up: “Grace, I heard from Ethan that you’re not feeling well. You don’t need to come to work for the time being.”
I froze for a moment before slowly typing a simple reply: “Okay.”
I knew this was Ethan slowly taking everything from me, putting the final touch on his
revenge.
I curled up in bed, my meals delivered to my door, but I had no appetite.
I could hear Winnie ‘s voice outside the door.
“Ethan, what should we do if she keeps refusing to eat? I’m really worried.”
“Don’t bother with her. She’s just a bastard. Does she really think she’s a young lady? Let
her starve if she wants to!”
I shut my eyes. Once I recovered from this emotional turmoil, I would leave the Smith family and leave him for good!
Maybe it was the cold weather, but I started to run a fever.
I sank deeper into the bed, my head dizzy and heavy.
Click.
The door to my room opened.
Ethan rushed in and grabbed my arm, yanking me up from the bed.
He gripped my neck tightly, the suffocation snapping me back to consciousness, and I struggled to pry his hand off.
“You’re running a fever?”
Chattered You
36.4%
Chapter 5
Ethan frowned and loosened his grip.
I collapsed back onto the bed, coughing violently, confused as I looked at him.
“Grace! How could you steal my jade pendant? That’s the only keepsake my grandmother left me. Please, give it back to me!”
Winnie’s voice broke into a sob as she shook me by the shoulders.
Pinstinctively shook my head, trying to explain.
“I never took your jade pendant.”
Winnie clung to Ethan’s hand. “Ethan, you have to talk to your sister. Get her to give me the pendant back. If she doesn’t like me, I’ll move out. I just want my jade pendant back!”
Ethan nodded and immediately yanked me up.
“Hand over the pendant, or don’t blame me for being rude.”
I struggled to break free of his grip. “I didn’t take it!”
“Who else could it be? Would Winnie lie?!”
I stared straight into his eyes. “She wouldn’t lie. Would I lie?”
Ethan didn’t answer me but turned his gaze to Winnie.
“Winnie, go search.”
Ethan held me tightly as I watched Winnie tear apart my room, knocking over the ceramic dolls I had made with my own hands.
Finally, Winnie found the jade pendant in my closet.
“I found it! It’s here!”
She raised the pendant, her face filled with triumph.
“See? You said you didn’t take it!”
9.4%
Chapter 5
Ethan raised his hand to strike me, but I instinctively closed my eyes.
The slap never came.
Instead, Ethan pulled me by the arm, dragging me out of the room.
I was barefoot, my feet stinging on the wooden floor.
grabbed onto the corner of his shirt, trying to explain, “I swear I didn’t take it! You can reck the surveillance, I never left the house!”
Ethan ignored me and shoved me into the basement.
“You can stay here and reflect. Come out when you’ve decided to admit your mistake.”
As the door slammed shut, the last bit of light in the basement disappeared.
I cried and pounded on the door, begging to be let out.
Ethan knew I had claustrophobia. Why was he doing this? Was this all just to force me to apologize?
After a long time, I had no strength left, my fever spiking. I collapsed on the floor of the basement and fell into a deep, restless sleep.
In my dream, I felt someone pick me up and place me on a bed.
Then, warm lips touched mine, and water trickled down my throat.
It tasted bitter.
Rough hands stroked my face, but I instinctively swatted them away.
The person hesitated, then leaned down and kissed me, biting my lip.
The next morning, when I woke up, my fever had mostly subsided.
It was around noon when the door to the basement finally opened.
I looked up to see Winnie standing there.
