Chapter 2
After hanging up, as I dragged my numb, lifeless legs, ready to leave, my phone buzzed.
It was a text from Tiffany.
“Ms. Price, I assume the dummy has been retrieved. Why don’t you open the bag and take a look? There’s a little surprise for you.”
My eyes involuntarily darted to the burlap sack containing the ‘dummy’ a short distance away. My entire body stiffened, a chilling dread blossoming in my chest.
I was shaking uncontrollably, my feet heavy as lead. I couldn’t even move my legs.
Suddenly, the burlap sack shifted. A muffled cry of pain seemed to come from within.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I stumbled, half-ran, half-fell towards it.
My hands trembled violently as I desperately clawed at the sack, tearing it open…
Tiffany’s second text followed immediately.
“I had someone switch your mother with the dummy, Ms. Price. This is the price of provoking me. I hope you can afford it.”
My mother’s face was ashen, blood stark against her skin. She lay bound, soaked, barely clinging to life.
At the sight, I nearly fainted.
When I finally managed to get her to the hospital, practically dragging her, I was told all medical resources had been diverted to save a dog that had merely choked on some water.
The nurse pursed her lips, sighing helplessly. “Just a dog, yet it’s worth more than a human life! I swear, my life isn’t even worth as much as that dog’s!”
“Exactly. If a dog has issues, take it to the vet, right? Why waste all these medical resources on it? Besides, that dog looks perfectly fine, jumping around. People are making a fuss over nothing!”
“Shhh! Keep your voice down! That dog belongs to Damien Thorne’s beloved! You want to talk trash about the Kingpin’s favorite, you’ve got a death wish!”
My mother was barely breathing. Any more delay and it would be too late.
There was no time to think. I had to find Damien.
I found him in a VIP room upstairs. The moment I walked in, I saw Tiffany sitting on his lap, their bodies pressed intimately together as they passionately kissed.
Normally, seeing such a scene would tear me apart with jealousy. But now, I didn’t even have the energy for it.
I rushed over, grabbing Damien’s hand.
“My mom… something’s happened to her. She’s in critical condition. Please, will you save her?”
Damien impatiently shook off my hand, looking annoyed, as if I’d interrupted something important.
“I threw a dummy into the ocean, Evelyn, not her. What could possibly happen to her in such a short time? Stop this drama. I don’t have time for your games.”
As every second ticked by, helpless tears streamed down my face.
“I’m not lying… My mom is really hurt. Tiffany swapped her with the dummy. She hit her head on a rock when she was thrown down, and she’s barely clinging to life. She’s right here in the hospital. Please, tell the doctors to go see her!”
At my words, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Damien’s eyes.
“Ms. Price, what are you implying? How could I possibly harm your mother? I haven’t even brought up you trying to drown my dog, and now you’re trying to frame me?”
Tiffany started to cry as she spoke.
Seeing her tears, Damien’s expression instantly darkened. He stared at me, a cold fury in his gaze.
“Apologize.”
My mother was teetering on the brink of death. For her sake, I had no choice but to endure.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Reed. I was wrong. Please, for my elderly mother’s sake, save her!”
A flash of triumph crossed Tiffany’s eyes, but before she could speak, Damien cut in again. “Good. Now, it’s its turn.”
Damien pointed at the dog behind me, a sneer on his face. “You almost drowned it. Is it really too much to ask for you to apologize to it?”
Even after enduring so much humiliation, I still couldn’t believe my ears.
Damien Thorne was actually telling me to apologize to a dog.
All color drained from my face. I stared at him, utterly incredulous.
“You want me to apologize to a dog?”
Damien chuckled, “What? Feeling wronged? Don’t you want me to send someone to save your mother? Just apologize to it, and I’ll agree.”
I looked into his eyes, biting down hard on my teeth. The humiliation was so profound, I wished I could just die.
But then I thought of my mother’s ashen face, and I realized I didn’t even have the luxury of death.