Chapter 4

Ethan had left a strict order before leaving: no one was allowed to treat my burns.

All night, my wounds became severely infected, and I developed a dangerously high fever.

I lay on the bed, drifting in and out of consciousness.

One moment, I was dreaming of my father falling from the top of his office building, his blood pooling on the pavement before my eyes.

The next, I was in the cold, white hallway of the hospital, the doctor pulling off his mask and saying, “I’m sorry, we did everything we could.”

Then, the scene shifted to my parents' funeral.

In front of their black-and-white portraits, I knelt on the ground, crying until I couldn't breathe. “Dad, Mom, I was wrong... I loved the wrong person...”

My body was burning up, my lips cracked and bleeding as I muttered.

"Water..."

Soon, someone actually lifted my chin gently and slowly poured warm water into my mouth.

I struggled to open my eyes.

But the moment I saw the face of the person beside my bed, I froze.

"Mary? What are you doing here? Ethan gave strict orders... no one is allowed to come in."

Mary’s eyes were red, and she squeezed my burning hand, her tears spilling over.

"Oh, Stella... You are the rightful lady of this house. How could he treat you like this?"

"It’s all because of that Chloe. She's young but so wicked, ruining another woman's family. People like her will face karma!"

Before I could warn her to leave, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Chloe stood at the doorway. A smug, cold smirk flashed across her face, but her voice instantly turned soft and victimized.

"Stella, I only came to check on you out of kindness."

"How could you and Mary humiliate me like this?"

Ethan arrived shortly after.

"Stella, is there no end to this?"

"You're already injured, and you're still causing trouble. Do you want to be punished again?"

At the word punished, Mary panicked and instantly fell to her knees.

"Mr. Sterling, it has nothing to do with Stella!"

"It was me! I couldn't bear to see her like this, so I said a few bad words to Miss Bennett. Please, don't blame Stella!"

Ethan’s eyes darkened, but he also seemed to let out a breath of relief. He said coldly, "Since you’re the one stirring up trouble, you will take the punishment."

My pupils shrunk.

"No..."

I dragged myself to the edge of the bed, falling to the floor, and grabbed the hem of Ethan's pants.

"Mary is old. She can't take any physical punishment. Ethan, punish me instead."

"I don't have my parents anymore. Mary is the only person left in this world who cares about me."

Ethan’s face turned incredibly dark, and he let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Good."

"The only person left who cares about you."

"So in your heart, everyone in the Sterling family combined doesn't even compare to a mere servant."

I stared up at him in shock.

Ethan averted his gaze, looking down coldly at the kneeling Mary.

"I will give you two choices."

"Either you take ten lashes according to the Sterling family rules."

"Or you pack your things and leave this house right now. From now on, you are no longer employed by the Sterlings, and you won't be punished."

I clenched my fists against his trousers until my knuckles turned white.

"Ethan, you can't do this..."

Mary looked at me on the floor, a look of utter despair in her eyes as she closed them.

"I'll leave."