Chapter 5
Noah put back his hands after heating that Dowtairs, fee saw Chloe’s and face, dearly feverish T get the cer We gong toeger
Noah and Caleb took Chloe to the hoqmal
thairs in Ahee’s room, the lay in bed flushed and sweating. All night, she’d felt lightheaded and had nigh
The next morning. Alice’s phone buzzed incessantly. She was woken up and angrily opened her phone to find a barrage of private mes from a social media app. They were almost all insuls
She knew that quite well. Last night, the video of her seemingly pushing Chloe into the pool had been posted on the word form Chine very popular at school, and everyone was furious
Alice’s head throbbed. She personally jumped into the fray, unleashing a torrent of insults. She used extremely offense language and profanity.
The forum post instantly exploded with thousands of comments. The administrators were terrified, thinking the forum had been hacked After sending the messages, Alice threw her phone down and lay back down. She didn’t need to please the Welch family anymore, nor did care about her reputation. She was done with this suffocating life.
Soon, a maid knocked.“Miss Alice, it’s to school; you’ll be late.”
Huh? Alice remembered she had to go to school!
She splashed cold water on her face to clear her head. To escape the Welches, she had to finish school and get into Harvard to get away from
here.
After changing into her uniform, she went downstairs with her backpack. Noah and Caleb were just coming in.
Noah saw Alice’s flushed face and instinctively went to touch her forehead to check her temperature. But Alice stepped back, avoiding his touch, and sat down at the dining table. She needed to eat to feel better and have the energy to study for Harvard.
Noah’s hand froze in mid–air, then awkwardly dropped.
Caleb scoffed.“I told you she’s an ungrateful wretch! She’s as strong as an ox. Unlike Chloe, who’s been frail since childhood. She caught a cold and got a fever after falling in the water last night. Alice never gets sick!”
Noah remained silent. Alice had always been healthy as ox since child. He went to the table.“Chloe’s sick. While she’s at school, take good care of her until she’s better. Understand?” He felt Alice was becoming increasingly spoiled and couldn’t be pampered anymore. If she didn’t appreciate their kindness, he’d force her to learn.
Caleb chimed in.“Alice, Chloe’s father saved your life, but you almost killed her. You must take care of Chloe till she recovers!”
Alice ate breakfast silently, forcing herself despite her lack of appetite. Less than a hundred days until the college entrance exams. After that, she could leave the Welch family.
Caleb was unhappy with her indifference and snatched her chopsticks.“I am talking to you, are you deaf?”
Alice looked up, her
eyes
clear and silent.
Caleb’s tone was commanding.“When Chloe takes her medicine, get her warm water. At lunch, get her food from the cafeteria; hurry, don’t let it get cold. She can’t go to the bathroom easily, so you have to go with her! Her father saved your life. This is what you should do. Understand?*
Alice replied coldly.“Yes, Caleb.”
But she didn’t promise to obey.
Alice left the house expressionlessly, looking up at the sky, forcing back her tears. She thought being reborn would prevent her from suffering, but Caleb’s words stung. She remembered when she was sick as a child, Noah had stayed up all night with her, and Caleb had told jokes to coax her to take medicine. But because Chloe was frail, whenever she was sick, her brothers immediately worried about her. Later, even when Alice had a fever, she had to deal with it alone.
Swallowing the bitterness, she sat in the car and closed her eyes. Just a little longer; less than a hundred days left.
ལ་
* CHAPEA
