Chapter 8

There was a vast difference in strength between an adult and a child. Effortlessly, Angelica lifted Holden and tossed him out of her room. "If you're not afraid of getting smacked, bring it on." Frightened, Holden wailed loudly and startled the entire household. But Angelica couldn't be bothered with him because he was just as disgusting as his mother, Rosie. She slept peacefully that night. When she woke up, it was already past lunchtime. The maids ignored Angelica, and no one had asked her what she'd like to eat. However, she was simply unbothered. She cooked some pasta for herself. After she turned on her phone, she saw that she had many missed calls and texts, just as she expected. Besides Rosie and Elliot, the remaining texts and calls were from other Quigleys—her parents-in-law. Luckily, she had anticipated this and turned off her phone before this. Otherwise, she'd have had a sleepless night. The reason for these calls and texts must be Holden ratting on her. Despite being only four years old, he was already so scheming. It was exactly as the proverb said, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Angelica didn't reply to any of their texts or calls. After eating, she started to ponder about what sort of toy she should present to Dominic's son. It had to be a toy unavailable on the market, and it had to be creative. It would be easy if she knew the child's preferences. However, the problem was, she had no idea, and her mind was blank. The wastepaper basket was filled with crumpled balls of paper. The sky outside had turned dark when Angelica received a pop-up notification that a storm was about to hit. Recalling that the laundry was still hanging outside, Angelica sprang to her feet. A second later, the lights went out with a pop, and her vision instantly went black. An unknown fear crept up on her, and her back broke out in cold sweat. Trembling, she searched for her cellphone, and the light from the screen provided her with temporary comfort. As though held down with lead, she found it difficult to move her legs. Trauma from the past hit her like a tidal wave, and her limbs started shaking uncontrollably. Slumping to the floor, Angelica wanted to call for help, but her vision was so blurry that she couldn't even read a word. Her cellphone fell out of her trembling hands, and she picked it up again, whimpering. Angelica was afraid of the dark, and even more afraid of being alone in the dark. During her junior year, she had unknowingly offended someone and was locked up in a pigsty for an entire week. All that accompanied her was the foul stench of pig waste and endless, dark days. She cried until her voice was hoarse, but nobody came to save her. That time, she almost died. Even though she was saved, it left a permanent scar on her. Angelica gasped for air, clutching her shirt in front of her chest tightly. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, and she couldn't make a sound. A flash of lightning lit up the room for a second, followed by a deafening thunderclap. Angelica screamed. Meanwhile, Holden covered his mouth outside the room and laughed in delight. "You deserve this, you damn fatso! This is what you get for bullying me!" A maid stood next to him, worried. Upon hearing the cries from the room, she couldn't help but whisper, "Mr. Rachford, should I turn on the power? Isn't it enough to teach her a lesson once?" Holden snorted. "This is not enough! You're not allowed to turn on the power without my permission, or I'll ask my mom to throw you out!" Immediately, the maid shut her mouth. Holden listened for a little longer and even recorded it for Rosie. Half an hour later, he yawned in exhaustion and went to bed, rubbing his eyes. The storm lasted through the night, and Angelica's screams and cries didn't stop until five in the morning. Nobody knew whether she fell asleep or passed out. Worried that she would be in danger, a timid maid slipped into the room while Holden was unaware. The floor was a mess. Through the soft light pouring through the window, the maid could see a plump figure on the floor. Fearfully, she crouched down and placed a shaky finger under Angelica's nose. There was no breathing! Scared out of her wits, the maid plopped to the floor, shouting, "S-She's dead!" … Angelica was taken away by an ambulance. Nobody from the villa went with her, and the doctor was in a dilemma when he saw that nobody was there to sign the surgery agreement. "Did you contact the patient's family?" "We couldn't contact them. The person who called the ambulance said that she was merely a maid, not her family. "The patient looks a little familiar to me, doctor. Isn't she Angelica Thornton, the person who often donates blood to Ms. Morris?" "Now that you mention it, I think you're right. I'll give Ms. Morris a call right away." Hurriedly, the nurse checked the medical records and called the number Rosie left on her record. The nurse had called three times until the call was picked up on the fourth time. "Hello?" a man's deep voice said from the other end. "Are you Ms. Morris' family? We are calling from Mubathro General Hospital. Do you know Ms. Angelica Thornton? "She is unconscious due to shock, and we need a family member to sign a consent form for the surgery—" "Did you say that she's unconscious due to shock?" Elliot interrupted the nurse. "Yes. Ms. Thornton is still in shock and not breathing—" This time, the nurse was interrupted by Elliot's indifferent snort. "She would be the last person to die. How much did she pay you that you're willing to do this act with her?" As the nurse had never encountered such a situation, she was at a loss for words. Precisely because of her pause, Elliot was convinced that Angelica had planned this just to make him return. "Tell Angelica that I only have that much patience, and she should stop playing these foolish games." Dead dial tone echoed from the call, and the nurse tried to redial the number. But this time, nobody picked up, so the nurse hurriedly reported the situation. The ER doctor made up his mind and announced, "We'll save the patient first!" … Angelica was asleep for a very long time. In a daze, she vaguely heard people talking. "Mr. Quigley, Ms. Thornton is not in the right condition to donate blood. It would kill her." "6.7 ounces of blood isn't going to kill her. Are you telling me this because I'm not a medical student? Cut the crap. Are you doing it or not?" "Mr. Quigley, I'm telling the truth. Ms. Thornton has just narrowly escaped death and needs to rest. I-If anything happens during the blood transfusion, what should I do? I—" "I'm Angelica's husband. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility for it. It has nothing to do with the hospital," Elliot said firmly, his tone tinged with frustration. As the heir to the Quigley family, Elliot had always gotten what he wanted and couldn't tolerate people defying him. The more he was denied something, the more he wanted to do it. The nurse gave in to his coercion and fetched the tools, ready to draw Angelica's blood. By now, Angelica had completely awakened and could recognize the people speaking. Elliot had planned to secretly steal Angelica's blood for Rosie while Angelica was still unconscious. While his chest rose and fell dramatically from anger, Angelica forced her eyes open. The bright lights hurt her eyes, and she said hoarsely, "Don't touch me…"