Chapter 3

"Live to keep her brother alive?"

I repeated her words, my voice cold as ice.

"Chloe, make yourself clear!"

She crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me with ultimate arrogance.

"Are you deaf? My son has a severe medical condition and needs blood transfusions."

"Lily just happens to be a perfect match. She should be honored to save him!"

My heart physically ached.

I looked down at my trembling daughter.

"Lily... is she telling the truth?"

Lily’s tears flowed faster. She didn't say a word, but silently rolled up her other sleeve.

On that equally thin arm, there were no bruises.

Instead, her inner elbow was covered in a horrifying cluster of needle marks!

The older ones had scabbed over into dark brown spots, while the fresh ones were still oozing tiny drops of blood.

My daughter whimpered softly.

"My brother is very sick. Every month, Daddy and Mommy take me to the hospital."

"The doctor said taking a little blood won't hurt..."

"But I always feel so dizzy and sick..."

The last thread of my sanity snapped.

"You monsters!"

I roared at Chloe, my eyes burning with pure rage.

"She's only six! She's a child!"

"How dare you treat her like a walking blood bag!"

My scream set off a bomb in the crowd.

"Oh my god! That is sick!"

"No wonder the poor girl looks so malnourished. They're literally draining her!"

"This is evil! Torturing a little girl just to save their own son?"

"Call the police! This is straight-up child abuse!"

The outrage grew louder and louder.

The parents' pity turned into absolute fury.

Sensing the shift in the room, Chloe’s face turned pale, and she took a step back.

She hadn't expected things to blow up like this.

"Shut up, all of you!"

"She is my daughter! I feed her, and she saves my son. It's only fair!"

Realizing she couldn't control the crowd, she turned all her fury onto me.

She stormed forward and swung her hand.

*Slap!*

The force of her slap whipped my head to the side. My ears rang.

"Clara! Who do you think you are?!"

"You're just a divorced loser kicked out by the Vance family! How dare you meddle in my life?"

"Lily is my daughter. I can do whatever I want with her, and you can't do a damn thing about it!"

Slowly, I turned my head back.

I looked at her and laughed.

"I can't do a damn thing?"

"Everyone, listen to me. I am the wife of Ethan Sterling, CEO of the Sterling Group."

"If you don't believe me, please help me call my husband. I will personally write a check for one million dollars to whoever helps me!"

The room fell dead silent.

Several parents literally gulped. One million dollars!

Chloe froze for a second, but then burst into a mocking laugh.

"Are you insane? The wife of Ethan Sterling? You?!"

I ignored her, locking eyes with the hesitant, frightened, yet decent parents in the crowd.

"Everyone."

"I, Clara Sterling, swear on my name as the wife of the Sterling Group’s CEO."

"You can record this as proof!"

The crowd went wild.

The Sterling Group!

It was one of the top five conglomerates in the country—the pinnacle of wealth and power.

A few parents secretly slipped out their phones.

Even the principal, who had been trying to play peacemaker, stared at me with wide, trembling eyes.

Panic finally set in for Chloe.

She pointed at me and screamed at the crowd.

"Don't listen to her lies!"

"She's a fraud!"

"She's just my husband's broke ex-wife! We kicked her out years ago!"

"Her family is completely penniless. How could she possibly be married to Mr. Sterling? She's playing you all!"

Her screeching words instantly threw cold water on the crowd's rising hopes.

It was true. Why would the wife of a multi-billionaire attend a parent-teacher conference alone? Why would she let herself get pinned down by two bodyguards?

Seeing the doubt in their eyes, Chloe smirked triumphantly again.

She raised her chin.

"I am the heiress of the Hayes Group!"

"Are you going to believe a crazy, broke liar, or me?"

While the Hayes Group couldn't compare to the Sterling Empire, they were still a prominent force in the city.

In an instant, my words lost all weight.

The parents whispered among themselves.

"Yeah, I knew it was too good to be true..."

"The kid is pitiful, but it's family drama."

"Exactly. It's not worth crossing the Hayes family for a stranger."

"This woman is crazy, lying about being married to Ethan Sterling just to get her kid back."

Hope was crushed yet again.

Was I really going to watch them take my daughter back to that living hell?

No!

I glared at the wavering principal with bloodshot eyes.

"You don't believe me?"

I rattled off a string of numbers.

"This is Ethan Sterling’s personal number!"

"Call it right now! Put it on speaker! Let him tell you exactly who I am!"

My voice carried the raw, frantic energy of a woman with nothing left to lose.

Everyone stared at the principal, waiting for her move.

Right at that critical second...

A sharp, anxious little voice echoed from the classroom.

"Mommy!"

My heart leaped.

My son, Leo, ran out of the classroom on his little legs, his face filled with worry.

Like a little rocket, he pushed through the crowd and threw his arms around my waist.

"Mommy! What's wrong? Why are you crying?"