Chapter 1

It was the third year of being locked away by William. He finally let me out of the Sterling estate.

Not because our son, Asher, missed me. But because William’s adopted sister, Nora—the darling of the family who always needed my help—needed my body to be her personal blood bank again.

I rolled up my sleeve out of habit, but William stopped me.

"We don't need your blood this time. We need... a kidney."

"Give Nora a kidney, and we’ll forgive you. Everything from the past will be wiped clean, and you won't be locked up anymore."

Beside him, Asher, who always looked at me with cold, resentful eyes, softened his tone just a fraction.

"Just do it, and maybe I’ll call you Mom again."

I shook my head, letting out a soft, mocking laugh.

The father and son thought I was going to refuse. They were already bracing themselves to force me.

But I just looked at them and said, "I'll do it. On one condition."

"We get a divorce. You keep Asher. I don't want him anymore."

Both of them froze instantly.

They exchanged a look, then quickly agreed. They probably thought I was just throwing another tantrum.

I sneered in my heart.

Donate a kidney?

How could a person who was planning her own death donate a kidney?

Five days later, Adeline Sterling, wife of the Sterling Group’s CEO, fell into the ocean. Her survival remained a mystery.

"Mr. Sterling, your wife is in terrible shape. A kidney transplant might... shorten her lifespan."

"Are you absolutely sure you want her to sign this consent form?"

Out of professional ethics, the doctor hesitated before speaking.

For a moment, the tension in the room snapped. The father and son stood frozen. Neither of them could bring themselves to say the word "sign" right away.

I, on the other hand, was perfectly calm.

I stood up, snatched the agreement from the doctor’s hand, signed my name with a quick, clean stroke, and handed it back.

"It’s signed. Take me for the pre-op tests."

The doctor didn’t dare move. He instinctively glanced at William's face.

Only when William gave a tight, pained nod did the doctor finally lead me out.

It wasn't until they were drawing my blood that William’s voice suddenly broke the silence behind me.

"Adeline, modern medicine is highly advanced. You don't have to worry about your lifespan. I will hire the best doctors and get you the best post-op care. You’ll live a long life."

Asher chimed in, eager to ease his own guilt.

"Our family owns the best private hospital in the country. We have top-tier resources. Supporting your recovery is nothing to us."

I gave a vague, uncaring murmur.

My stomach churned.

Seriously, this hypocritical show of concern was making me sick.

Weren't they the ones who had locked me up like an animal for three whole years? Weren't they the ones forcing me to give up a kidney to save another woman?

Now, to soothe their own guilty consciences, they were acting like my saviors.

It was absolutely disgusting.

I endured the dizziness of the blood leaving my veins and stared out the window at the blue sky.

"I don't care about that."

"If you really feel sorry, take me to see the ocean before the surgery."

"I’ve been trapped in that estate for three years. I just want some fresh air."

This minor request was nothing to William. He agreed.

After running test after test, I was completely drained. I leaned back against the hospital bed, closing my eyes to rest.

The hallway outside got noisy.

It was William’s voice. He sounded furious, shouting at the doctor while clutching my lab results.

"What do you mean her body is too weak for surgery? It’s too risky?!"

"We ran tests every time she drew blood over the last three years! The reports you gave me always said she was perfectly fine!"

The doctor was sweating profusely, trembling under the fury of the CEO.

"Mrs. Sterling's current health indicators are indeed a mess. Severe anemia, malnutrition, multiple organ functions on the verge of failing... This didn't happen overnight. Honestly, it should have been obvious in her very first check-up."

"I don't know why her previous reports showed she was healthy."

"But given her current state, if she goes onto that operating table, she might never come off it."

William grabbed the doctor by the collar, his voice roaring with panic.

"What do you mean she might not make it off the table?!"

"I handed a living, breathing woman over to you! I didn't send her here to die!"

"If you can't do the surgery safely, I’ll find someone who can!"

They kept arguing, but my head was spinning so badly that their voices faded into static.

When I woke up again, it was already the next morning.

William was sitting on the sofa near the bed, frowning deeply as he flipped through thick files.

Seeing me open my eyes, he stood up and walked over.

"You're awake. Let me help you drink some water."

I wasn't petty enough to refuse.

I had no strength left in my body, and I didn't want to drop the glass.

Honestly, over the past three years, I had felt my body slowly wasting away.

Day after day, locked in a dark room. The psychological darkness was far more punishing than any physical illness.

Not to mention the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, who was hired to "take care" of me. She filled my days with verbal abuse, beatings, and relentless torment.

Sometimes, I was almost proud of myself. Surviving on dirty water and spoiled food for three years was a miracle in itself.

After taking two sips of water, I sank back onto the pillows, exhausted.

William stared at me. Seeing how even breathing seemed to take effort for me, he finally asked the question on his mind.

"During the exam, the doctor found countless old scars on your body. And there are fresh bruises all over your stomach."

"How did you get them?"

I looked at him quietly.

Then, I let out a soft chuckle.

"If I told you Nora did it, would you believe me?"