Chapter 1

That weekend, Ryan had insisted on taking me to his mother’s house in town for dinner. He wanted to help his mom by collecting firewood from the woods behind the house.

Half an hour later, he came back limping, telling me he’d been bitten by a snake.

As soon as he finished speaking, he vomited all over the ground.

I panicked and immediately called Sophia.

But she didn’t believe me: “Jack, it’s just dinner. How can you come up with such an excuse?”

“I just talked to William for a bit, and you’re making a fuss!”

I grew desperate, “No, it’s real this time. Your brother is throwing up!”

“I’m not lying to you!”

Ryan could barely speak beside me, sweating profusely from the pain.

Just then, Mrs. Thompson returned and started wailing when she saw the situation, “Sophia, something’s wrong with your brother. Come back quickly!”

“Mom, you’re a grown woman. Stop playing along with them!”

“I’m watching a movie with my friend. I’m hanging up!”

She abruptly ended the call.

I was at a loss. Ryan’s wound wasn’t swollen or red, but he could no longer stand.

With no help from Sophia, I could only borrow an electric tricycle from a neighbor and rush Ryan to the hospital.

But we were told that antivenom for this type of snake was rare and kept in a separate office.

“Dr. Thompson took the key with her. There’s nothing we can do.”

I panicked and immediately called Sophia again.

“Sophia, this is a matter of life and death. Your brother really was bitten by a snake!”

“Come back now. The antivenom is locked up, and you have the key!”

Hearing this, Sophia was silent for a few seconds. Then, a male voice came through the phone: “Sophia, didn’t your brother say they sprinkled snake repellent around your house? How could he get bitten by a snake?”

“Could it be that your husband doesn’t approve of us watching a movie together, so he’s deliberately making you go back?”

“Let’s just call it a day.”

Hearing this, Sophia grew even more irritated, “Jack, I can see right through you. Stop bothering me!”

She hung up and blocked my number when I tried calling again.

My legs went weak with anxiety. I used Mrs. Thompson’s phone to call her.

“Sophia! The only antivenom in the city is at your hospital. Come back and save your brother now!”

To make her believe me, I sent her a photo of Ryan.

Sophia was furious and sent a voice message: “Jack, when will you stop? I’ve told you, William and I are just friends. We haven’t seen each other in a long time and just met up!”

“You just can’t stand it, can you? Do you have to make a scene every day?!”

“Bitten by a venomous snake? Look, does that wound look like it’s from a snake? There’s not even any blood!”

I was livid, “Sophia, that’s your own brother!”

Sophia had been spending a lot of time with William lately, and we’d argued about it many times.

But Ryan was always good to me, often helping to persuade Sophia that she should be faithful now that she was married.

In this situation, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.

I couldn’t get through to Sophia, so I had no choice but to kneel on the ground and beg the doctors: “Please, break down the door!”

“I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences!”

“Saving a life is what matters most!”

Mrs. Thompson was crying uncontrollably beside me. The doctors were also anxious, frantically trying to call Sophia, but she wouldn’t answer.

At that moment, someone came in from outside.

“Stop calling. They’re not really patients. They’re here to cause trouble!”

“That man is Sophia’s husband. He suspects Sophia is cheating on him and has made a scene several times before!”

“Sophia just called me to let you all know.”

Hearing this, I was dumbfounded.

The person who came in was Steve, Sophia’s friend and William’s childhood friend.

He stood there with his arms crossed, looking at me with contempt, “Don’t look at me like that. Sophia said you’re just being paranoid!”