Chapter 2

Barbara looked at her father, then at me. "Mom, let me just take Uncle's pulse first."

"Other people might not know, but you? You know exactly how this works." I glared at her. "How do you think you got that graduate placement? If I hadn't spent the money to smooth the way for you, do you honestly think you'd have gotten into medical school at all, let alone a guaranteed placement?"

"Mom... what are you saying?" Barbara stared at me in disbelief, tears standing in her eyes. "I got in on my own. How is that you paving the way for me?"

"How can you be so cold-blooded? We're family. So you've made some money now, fine, but the blood in my veins is Edwards blood."

"He's my own uncle. He's on the edge of death, and I'm studying medicine. What's wrong with me taking a look at him?"

My father-in-law started in with his sour tone again. "See? Even the child knows what family means. If you ask me, some people make a little money and their heads swell right up."

"Hmph..." Ervin gave me a cold snort and pushed Barbara to go help.

I wanted to take my husband and Barbara aside first and tell them the truth, but Ervin had a serious streak of male chauvinism in him. He wouldn't leave with me for anything.

Barbara was still young, tied up by all this talk of family, with no intention of leaving with me either.

The villain here could only be me.

I wasn't going to say anything more. I stepped forward, grabbed Barbara's hand, and turned to go.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Stop right there." Ervin moved to block me.

"Barbara, we're both adults now. We're not our parents' property. We get to make our own choices." My nephew spoke up from the side.

"Mom, my cousin's right. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions."

My foolish girl. You are an adult, yes. But you haven't set foot in the real world yet.

You don't know what a human face over a beast's heart looks like.

Watching how this was going, I knew I had to do something, or I'd never get Barbara out of here.

The rage of just being reborn had made me reckless a moment ago. Now that I'd cooled a little, an idea came to me.

"It hurts... it hurts so much..."

I suddenly clutched my head. "Barbara, take me to the hospital."

Barbara was my own daughter after all. She panicked at once.

"Is this really necessary?" Melissa spoke up again. "So that Barbara won't help her uncle, you'll even fake being sick? What have we ever done to wrong you?"

"Do you want my husband dead that badly?"

I ignored her, crouching on the floor with my head in my hands. "It really hurts."

My father-in-law shot Ervin a cold, hard look. "Landing a wife like this really is a disgrace to the family."

Ervin's face was just as cold. He came forward and kicked me over onto the floor. "I'll teach you to fake it."

"Dad..." Barbara rushed to hold back Ervin, who looked ready to strike again. "Let me take Mom to the hospital first. I'll see to Uncle when we get back."

"Move."

Ervin shoved Barbara aside and came at me, kicking me again and again.

A moment later he had his hand around my throat. "Now tell me. Will you let Barbara treat her uncle or not?"

I couldn't breathe with his grip on me. Barbara ran up sobbing, trying to pull Ervin off.

But Melissa caught hold of her. "Barbara, this is grown-up business. Children stay out of it."

"Tell me. Will you let Barbara treat her uncle?" Ervin kept demanding.

I couldn't get a single word out. A few more seconds and I felt he'd choke me to death.

"Dad, I'll treat Uncle. I'll go treat Uncle right now."