Chapter 11

Abigail smiled slightly maliciously and stepped right in front of me as she said, "With one word, I can make every hospital in this city refuse to admit Kayla ever again." A chill prickled across my scalp, and I shook my head, terrified. Abigail had lots of influence, more than anyone else I knew. She had wealth, power, and connections. Even the biggest players couldn't afford to cross her. She could make it impossible for Kayla to get the treatment she needed if she wanted. And while I was ready to risk my own life, Kayla was my little sister. She was so young, with so much left to experience and so much of the world she still hadn't even seen. How could anyone be this cruel to a child? Panic surged through me. I clutched Abigail's hand desperately, my voice cracking as I begged, "Kayla's too young for this. She won't survive it. I swear that you'll never see me again if you leave her alone. I'll stay far, far away from you." Abigail slapped my hand away with a sharp smack, her expression colder than ice as she looked down at me with the arrogance of a queen. "Samuel, know your place. Don't waste my time with such pointless defiance. You're just making me sick." She sneered. My breath came fast and shallow, and my lips were pale. I didn't know how to stop her from going after Kayla, and I couldn't afford to take any chances. Without those machines, even half a day's delay could be deadly for her. People around us were staring, their eyes full of pity. Then, Joshua stepped forward and came between me and Abigail. He kept up his usual gentle, understanding demeanor and tried to mediate. "Abigail, don't be mad at Samuel. This is all my fault. Samuel, please let me apologize to you." He was about to bow to me in apology, but Abigail grabbed him and stopped him mid-motion. She fixed her icy gaze on me, and her voice was sharp like a blade as she asked, "Why should you apologize to him?" With that single sentence, the atmosphere froze over completely. Everyone was watching with grim expressions, waiting to see what I would do next. For Kayla's sake, I couldn't afford to push Abigail any further. All I could do was lower my head in humiliation and bow as I apologized to Joshua. "I'm sorry. Today's mess was my fault. I apologize." I was sincere, but Abigail wasn't satisfied. She looked at me with a mocking smile, and her tone dripped with disdain as she asked, "Samuel, do you think that's all it'll take?" "What more do you want?" I asked, my voice trembling. My eyes were red, and my breaths were coming in harsh gasps. Abigail raised her hand and gestured around us. Her expression was calm, but her voice was commanding as she said, "You're going to carry up as many cases of water as there are people in here—one by one. And no help is allowed." As soon as she said that, a ripple of shock passed through the crowd. This gym was huge. It was a five-story building, packed with at least 500, or maybe even 1000 members, on any given day. Abigail's demand was clearly designed to make things as grueling as possible for me. But since everyone knew of her status, no one dared to speak up. Maybe they were all just waiting to see how thoroughly she and Joshua would humiliate me. I knew she wouldn't take back her order. So, I turned and walked out, heading to the store next door to order 500 cases of water. The store clerk was friendly and offered to have the cases delivered for me. But when I remembered Abigail's cold, taunting gaze, I could only shake my head and refuse. "No, it's fine. I'll carry them myself…" My response left the clerk stunned. She looked at my thin, worn-out frame in disbelief and said cautiously, "But… these are heavy. You're going to exhaust yourself…" I didn't reply. Instead, I picked up two cases and hugged them to my chest. Then, I began the long trek back to the gym. By the time I returned, a crowd had gathered by the window to watch in silent astonishment. "He's actually carrying the water himself?" "Would he dare to defy Abigail?" "A man letting himself be humiliated like this… It's so pathetic." Their sneers followed me as I struggled under the weight, hauling case after case of water inside. Not a single person stepped forward to help me. I forced myself onward, making an exhausting trip after another exhausting trip. My strength was draining fast. My breath came in ragged gasps, as my body and mind were pushed to their limits. But I didn't dare to stop, not for a single second. What I was carrying wasn't just water. It was Kayla's life. I couldn't afford to risk anything. I didn't dare to. Waves of exhaustion crashed over me again and again. By the time I'd carried a hundred cases up, my legs were trembling, and my body was on the verge of collapse. But I gritted my teeth and kept going. I couldn't give up. A metallic taste rose in my mouth. It was sickening and sharp. As dizziness overtook me, and with my strength failing, I lost my balance and fell down the stairs before blacking out. When I opened my eyes, George and Sophia were standing beside my hospital bed. Seeing me wake, Sophia rushed over, her eyes red and filled with worry. "Samuel, how are you feeling?" I looked around in a daze. My voice was rough as I asked, "How… How did I end up here?" "Don't you remember, Samuel? You were carrying the water cases and fell down the stairs. I was the one who drove you here." Hearing this, I managed a bitter smile. So, it wasn't my wife, Abigail, who had brought me to the hospital after I collapsed. It was her assistant, Sophia—someone I barely knew. A sharp pain twisted in my chest, and an uneasy feeling took hold of me. I reached over and pulled the IV needle from my hand before trying to get out of bed. Sophia pushed me back down, and her voice was urgent as she asked, "Where do you think you're going? The doctor said that you need to rest!" She glanced anxiously at George. George forced a smile and said, "She's right. You need to rest, Samuel. Don't push yourself." I took a deep breath and rubbed my chest as I said, "I don't know why, but I feel so uneasy… I… I need to see Kay." Sophia and George exchanged glances, and their expressions shifted. "Samuel, just rest. We'll take care of Kay for you," Sophia said gently. I shook my head, struggling to keep my voice steady as I replied, "I'm fine… I just want to see if she's okay. As long as she's alright, I don't care what happens to me." At my words, Sophia and George shared a heavy look, and they sighed. "Samuel, there's no need for you to go to Kay," George said, his expression somber. I froze and stared at him in shock. Hesitation was thick in my voice as I managed to ask, "What… What do you mean by that?" My heart pounded as a cold dread ran down my spine. I was terrified of what they might be implying. Sophia bit her lip, and her eyes welled up with tears as she whispered, "Kay… she's already…"