Chapter 5

When Elizabeth woke up, she was lying in a hospital bed. Daniel sat beside her, working on his laptop. As if sensing her stir, he looked up and met her gaze. The moment their eyes met, he let out the faintest sigh of relief, but his voice remained cold and sharp. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end for once? Take this as a lesson. Don't mess with Cheryl again." Elizabeth turned her face away without a word. A single tear slid quietly down her cheek. She used to see Daniel as her salvation. But now, after what he'd done to her… how was he any different from the people who used to bully her? Daniel watched her in silence. For a moment, something strange stirred in his chest. She was the one who'd gone after Cheryl out of jealousy. After everything she'd done, she deserved this. So why did he feel guilty when he saw her cry? Just then, a young nurse opened the door. "Mr. Woolridge, the air conditioner in Ms. Cheryl's room just went out…" Daniel frowned. "Then fix it. Why are you telling me?" "We've already called maintenance, but they won't be here for another hour. Ms. Cheryl keeps saying she's cold, and unfortunately, there aren't any spare rooms available…" The second he heard that, Daniel stood up. "What kind of hospital takes an hour to fix an air conditioner?" His brows drew tight. "Cheryl's always had a weak constitution. She can't handle the cold. Move Elizabeth and let Cheryl have her room instead." The nurse hesitated, glancing uneasily at Elizabeth lying in the bed. Elizabeth had a severe allergy to chili peppers. After being force-fed so much of it, the fact that she was still alive was a miracle. But the damage was done. Her esophagus and stomach lining were badly burned. Even the slightest irritation could put her in danger all over again. Meanwhile, Cheryl had only eaten a single bite of a nut-filled dessert. A few allergy shots and she was already on the mend. And yet, everything Elizabeth had suffered didn't seem to matter at all to Daniel. "What are you waiting for? If Cheryl catches a cold in this dump, your entire hospital's going under," he snapped. The message was clear. The nurse had no choice but to obey. Soon enough, Elizabeth was moved to Cheryl's vacated room. Daniel stayed with Cheryl. Elizabeth was left alone, lying in the oversized hospital bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. As the memories of everything she'd endured replayed in her mind, the dam finally broke. Tears spilled silently down her cheeks. Then came the cold. A deep, creeping chill wrapped around her like a shroud. She glanced toward the source and froze. The air conditioner was on, blasting icy air at full power. In that instant, it all clicked. Cheryl had lied about the air conditioner being broken. It wasn't about escaping the cold—it was about creating it. She wanted Elizabeth to move here—to remain sick, weak, freezing. It was just another twisted form of revenge. The temperature kept dropping. The air sliced into her skin like invisible knives. She trembled so hard her teeth chattered. She tried to call for help, but her throat was too swollen. No sound came out. She reached for the call button, but her arm was too weak. It barely lifted an inch before falling limply back to the bed. Elizabeth curled into herself, clinging to whatever warmth she had left. She felt completely hopeless. She didn't know how long she lay there—abandoned, freezing, and slowly slipping away—before someone finally came. When she forced her swollen eyes open, the face that greeted her wasn't one of concern. It was Cheryl, standing at her bedside, smirking with sick amusement. "Elizabeth, look at you. You're pathetic. You look like a stray dog," she sneered. "Daniel did all this just to help me vent. By now, everyone would have seen your pictures—they're passing them around for laughs. "Oh, and guess what? Some adult film companies reached out earlier. Said you'd be perfect for the lead in their next shoot. Isn't that hilarious? Cheryl laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. Then, just as suddenly, her smile vanished. She grabbed Elizabeth's arm, right where the wounds were worst, and dug her fingers in. Blood spurted instantly. Elizabeth's vision blackened from the pain. "Now, do you finally understand who he loves? Be smart. Admit your mom was a homewrecker and disappear. I don't ever want to see your disgusting face again. You make me sick," Cheryl hissed. The light in Elizabeth's eyes dimmed, fading into a hollow, lifeless emptiness. Disappear? She would. Soon, she'd be leaving for a faraway country, and she would never look back.