Chapter 5
Noah retracted his hand after hearing that. He rushed downstairs and saw Chloe’s flushed face, clearly indicating an abnormal temperature. “I’ll get the car. We need to get to the hospital right away.” Noah accompanied Caleb as they took Chloe to the hospital.
On the second floor, in the bedroom, Alice lay in bed, her face flushed and drenched in sweat. All night, her body felt weightless, plagued by nightmares.
The next morning, Alice’s phone buzzed incessantly with message notifications. Waking up to the noise, she scowled and opened her phone, only to find a flood of private messages filled with insults. She was no stranger to this kind of vitriol; after all, the incident from last night, where she pushed Chloe into the water, had been plastered all over the campus forum. Chloe was quite popular at school, and now everyone was outraged, coming after her with their words. A headache threatened to split her skull. Alice retaliated, unleashing a furious torrent of insults, using deeply offensive language. The forum post exploded with thousands of replies, leaving the admin panicking, thinking the forum had been hacked. After sending her messages, Alice tossed her phone aside and lay back down.
She didn’t have to please the Welch family anymore, nor did she care about her reputation. She was done living in such a stifling way.
Not long after, a servant knocked on her door, “Miss, you need to get up for school; you’ll be late.” Alice paused. She suddenly remembered she actually had to go to school today!
She splashed cold water on her face, forcing herself to wake up. To escape needed to finish school and get into college, far away from here.
the Welch family, she
After changing into her uniform, she grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs. Just then, Noah and Caleb walked in from outside. Noah noticed her flushed face and instinctively reached out to touch her forehead.
But Alice stepped back, avoiding his hand, and turned to sit at the dining table. She needed a hearty meal to recover quickly and have the energy to ace her exams at University of California.
Noah’s hand hung awkwardly in the air before he let it drop.
Caleb snorted.“I told you she’s an ungrateful brat. And look at her, perfectly healthy! Unlike Chloe, who’s been delicate her whole life. She caught a cold after last night’s incident. Chloe sick; but Alice never does!”
gets
Noah remained silent; acknowledging that Alice had always been healthy. He approached the dining table.“Chloe’s sick. you need to take good care of her at school until she recovers. Got it?” He felt Alice was growing increasingly rebellious. He couldn’t spoil her like before. Since she didn’t understand gratitude, he would make her learn it.
Caleb chimed in, “Alice, Chloe’s father saved your life, and you almost killed her. You must take care of her to atone for
your sins!”
Alice focus on her breakfast, forcing herself to eat despite her lack of appetite. Less than a hundred days until the college entrance exams, once it was over, she could leave the Welch family behind.
Caleb was dissatisfied with her indifferent attitude and snatched her chopsticks away.“I’m talking to you, can’t you hear?”
Alice looked up, her eyes clear and calm.
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Caleb continued commanding, “When Chloe takes her medicine, you need to fetch her hot water. At lunchtime, go to the cafeteria and get her food–make sure to hurry so it doesn’t get cold. She can’t go to the bathroom alone; you need to accompany her! Her father saved your life; this is what you owe her. Do understand?”
Alice’s
voice was
you
monotone.“Understood.”
But she didn’t intend to comply.
With a blank expression, Alice walked out of the villa, looking up at the sky, forcing back her tears. She thought that living her life again would mean she wouldn’t feel sad anymore. But needle prick. a made her heart ache like now hearing Caleb’s words just She remembered when she was sick as a child, Noah stayed by her side all night, and Caleb told her jokes to coax her into taking her medicine. Later, because Chloe was delicate, her brothers illnesses alone. Alice had to endure her always gave her priority. Now, Alice swallowed the bitterness in her throat, got into the car, and closed her eyes to rest. Just a little longer; there were less than a hundred days left.
