"That's enough. Schedule the abortion. Just keep it short—she's already suffered enough.

"Sloane's running a fever—we need to get back and take care of her."

The doctor sighed, clearly conflicted.

"Mr. Scott, please reconsider. You've known Ms. Winnie for over 20 years. She's already lost her innocence, and now her legs are broken. If she loses the baby too, it could destroy her."

Camila Scott gently stroked her daughter, Winnie Scott's face, her voice full of sorrow.

"She was violated. God knows who the father is. And with her legs shattered, what kind of life would that child have? They'd only be mocked. Everything I'm doing... is for her own good.

"Besides, Vincent is..."

Caden Scott, Winnie's father, shook his head before he finished speaking.

"Our Sloane has suffered long enough. I won't let her lose anything else. That bastard child must be aborted."

Bastard.

That word hit Winnie like a blow to the chest, leaving her breathless.

The doctor's gaze lingered on Winnie's belly, then shifted to her broken leg.

He feared that once she woke up, she wouldn't be able to handle the truth and might choose to end her life. But in the end, he only sighed.

"Fate can be cruel. Ms. Scott is such a good person, and yet, she's not really one of yours... Never mind. There's no point in me saying more. I just hope you won't regret this later.

"Prepare for the procedure. Make sure there's no trace of the surgery. The most important thing is to do it while she's still unconscious. Spare her as much pain as possible."

Camila turned her head away, quietly wiping the tears from the corner of her eye.

"I still... can't help feeling sorry for her."

The doctor quickly left the room. Seeing that Winnie was still unconscious, Caden walked to the window and pulled out his phone.

"Keep a close eye on those people. Make sure none of them says a word. I'll have the payment sent to their families' accounts as promised."

He turned back to glance at Winnie and said in a low voice, "No one can ever find out about this, especially Winnie!"

Camila took the warm water and gently wiped Winnie's body again and again.

She had never done this kind of work before, but right now, she wanted to do more for Winnie.

The water was warm, but when it touched Winnie's skin, it sent a chill straight to her bones.

Winnie had given up everything abroad to return home, partly to spend more time with her parents, and partly to share the good news that she was pregnant.

But she never expected to be kidnapped the moment she arrived.

As the ethanol wore off, she opened her eyes to find someone on top of her, violating her.

Terrified they'd notice she was awake, she endured the assault in silence, all while quietly feeling around in the dark for anything she could use.

It wasn't until she managed to press the custom pager Caden had made for her in North America that she finally struck, kicking the man who was on top of her, trying to pull down his pants.

The moment she triggered the pager, Caden was supposed to receive her location and alert the police right away.

But no one came.

Not until those men, furious, broke both her legs with an iron rod.

Caden arrived late with the police in tow.

"It's my fault. I was in a meeting and didn't see the pager in time... I didn't call the police fast enough. I let those animals hurt you..."

She fainted before Caden finished talking.

In a daze, she could still hear Caden murmuring in her ear, "Don't be afraid, Winnie. Even if Vincent won't marry you because of this... I will always be here for you. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

Such touching words.

"I know how much you love to travel. From now on, I'll be your legs. I'll carry you across the world, wherever you want to go."

But all of it was part of a carefully planned lie.

Winnie struggled to sit up, desperate to ask them why they did this to her.

But her eyes refused to open.

Camila noticed her stirring almost immediately.

She wiped away her tears, her voice trembling. "Hurry with the surgery!

"Do it while Winnie's still unconscious, so it won't hurt as much!"

The anesthesia surged through her body like a jolt of electricity.

Camila held her tightly, cradling Winnie's head against her chest as if that could somehow ease the pain.

Scorching tears fell onto Winnie's face.

"Don't be scared, Winnie. I will always be here with you."

Caden gripped her other hand, holding on just as tightly.

"Winnie, I will be right here, waiting for you. Don't worry."

Cold machines stirred inside her body.

It should've been a routine, minor procedure—yet the doctor kept wiping sweat from his forehead.

Whether it was guilt or nerves, no one could tell.

Winnie felt like she was trapped in a dream.

Locked inside a small, empty room, surrounded by silence. All she could see was endless, blinding white.

She pounded on the door with all her strength. "Let me out! Let me out!"

But no sound came. She couldn't even feel her fists hitting the door anymore, only the motion of her arms swinging wildly in the air.

The sensation in her hands, the sound in her ears—both seemed stripped away in an instant.

All that remained was the churning in her lower abdomen.

A sharp, needle-like pain twisted inside her, while the numb ache in her legs spread like wildfire through her body.

At that moment, the agony, both physical and emotional, made her feel like death would've been kinder.

She curled up on the floor, whispering over and over, "Help..."

But no one heard her, not even herself.

When Winnie finally opened her eyes, the room was empty.

The parents who had promised to stay by her side and always be with her were nowhere to be seen.

Then she remembered what Camila had said earlier that Sloane Scott had a fever. She wasn't feeling well.

Of course. Sloane was their biological daughter. Naturally, that was who they chose to stay with.

She had always been the extra one.

After the surgery, her mouth felt painfully dry.

She slowly tried to sit up and reached for the teacup on the table.

But her legs were too weak to move, no matter how hard she tried.

She stretched out as far as she could but lost her balance and fell to the floor.

The water in the teacup spilled, soaking her clothes.

Lying there, Winnie stared up at the blank, white ceiling.

For a moment, everything felt unreal, like she was still trapped in that endless dream.

She suddenly didn't know why she was still alive.

Was it to live like this, stripped of dignity? Or to watch Sloane happily reunited with the parents who once claimed to love her too?

She smiled bitterly. The urge to die had never been stronger.

But she was afraid of death.

Thankfully, her phone had fallen nearby. With trembling fingers, she called the one person who had once begged her not to give up everything for anyone—her best friend.

"Ava, please do me a favor."

Not long after she hung up, Caden and Camila finally arrived.

Seeing Winnie lying on the floor, Camila rushed over to help her up, but her eyes kept darting to the spot where the water had spilled.

In her gaze was something Winnie couldn't ignore, undisguised shock and disgust.

"Winnie, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?"

Caden, unaware of the situation, looked at Winnie with concern, worried the fall might've caused more harm.

Winnie didn't respond right away. She gently touched Camila's face.

"Mom, I didn't pee myself," she said, reassuring her. "It's just water."

A flash of embarrassment crossed Camila's face. "Winnie, what are you talking about? I would never be ashamed of you!"

She took a towel and wiped the water off Winnie.

"No matter what you become, I'm your mom and I'll never be ashamed of you."

"Thanks, Mom."

Winnie's "Mom" came out so softly it felt like a feather brushing Camila's heart.

"Winnie, I have something to tell you..."

Camila looked up at Winnie.

For some reason, she felt like Winnie wasn't the same as before like she was about to drift away.

But when she glanced at Winnie's legs, she let out a sigh of relief.

With Winnie's condition, there was no way she could go anywhere.

She took a deep breath and continued, "Those monsters are inhuman... The baby you're carrying already..."

Even though she already knew, hearing Camila say it so softly still made her heart ache.

Camila didn't notice and just kept explaining her plan.

"Winnie, your body's not well right now, and since you lost the baby, your dad and I thought we'd find you a little sister to keep you company and cheer you up. You young people have things in common, and she can also help look after you..."

Every word sounded like it was for Winnie's sake.

The act was so convincing that Winnie didn't bother to call her out. If it's about care, why not a nurse instead of a sister?

"Sister?"

Winnie stayed silent for a long time.

Just when Camila thought she'd refuse, Winnie finally nodded. "Okay."

Camila pulled her into a hug, gently rubbing her back.

"Winnie, don't be afraid. Even if you end up bedridden, I'll always be right here with you."

At that moment, the phone on the bed lit up.

Winnie glanced over at it.

"Mom, I still feel sick.

"Mom, you won't leave me again, right? I'm so scared."

Below that was a family photo of the three of them.

Sloane was in the middle, and everyone was looking so happy.

Winnie smiled bitterly.

"Mom, you've got a message."

Camila stiffened, quickly stood up, and glanced at the phone.

After reading the message, Camila didn't even have time to speak and hurried out.

"Caden, your daughter—"

As she turned, the water she'd set aside to cool spilled onto Winnie's arm.

"Hiss!"

Hearing the sound, Camila paused.

Winnie's face twisted in pain from the burn, but Camila didn't notice.

She just nonchalantly asked, "Are you okay?"

Then she quickly turned and grabbed Caden by the door.

"Winnie, your dad and I will be back soon!"

"My arm was burned," Winnie said, but as soon as she spoke, they were already gone.

Staring at her red, swollen arm and the blister forming, Winnie laughed.

But the laughter slowly turned to tears.

Maybe from exhaustion, she didn't notice when she drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, a girl was standing in front of her, tilting her head and blinking at her.

When Winnie opened her eyes, the girl raised an eyebrow and whispered close to her ear, "Whether it's my parents or Vincent, they all belong to me. You're just a lost kid switched at birth. You don't deserve any of it!"

Pressing her hand against Winnie's lower belly, she added, "They haven't told you yet, but you'll never have children in your life."

The pain in her belly was nothing compared to Sloane's cruel words.

"Dad, Mom."

Sloane obediently turned to look at Caden and Camila behind her.

"When will my sister get better? Can she still come to Vincent and my wedding?"

Winnie's face turned pale at those words.

"Wedding?"

Caden and Camila immediately stepped forward after hearing from Sloane.

They hadn't figured out how to tell Winnie yet.

It was not because they were ashamed.

The situation was already set in stone; they just wanted to find a softer, more appropriate time to tell her.

After all, Winnie was a child they had raised themselves.

Even if she wasn't their biological daughter, there was still some bond between them.

Most importantly, they didn't want anything to go wrong.

"What do you mean by that?" Winnie's voice was cold.

Winnie leaned forward slightly. Caden quickly stepped in, shielding Sloane behind him, worried Winnie might hurt her.

After a moment, Camila finally spoke, "Winnie, this is...

"She's the sister Mom and Dad found for me. I like her."

Since it couldn't be changed, she chose to accept it.

"But what does she mean by the wedding?"

Camila's eyes flickered, but she didn't answer.

"Winnie, we're all upset about what happened to you.

"You've been so lonely lying around, so we thought having Sloane here would keep you company."

The tone was full of concern for Winnie.

Caden relaxed and stepped forward with Sloane, placing her hand gently over Winnie's.

"Winnie, from now on..."

Sloane lightly squeezed the blister on Winnie's hand, making her flinch instantly.

"Winnie, what happened to your hand?"

Caden stiffened, worry flashing in his eyes.

"What are the doctors and nurses at this hospital doing? How did your hand get like this?"

Camila's eyes showed pain as she turned to find a nurse to treat the burn.

"Winnie, do you not like me?"

Sloane's lips trembled, and tears welled up and slid down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Sloane?"

Seeing Sloane's upset face, Caden and Camila forgot all about Winnie's burn.

She wiped Sloane's tears with a tissue and asked gently what had happened.

"Mom, don't blame my sister. Maybe she doesn't like me as her sister, so she burned herself on purpose to..."

Sloane's words trailed off as she buried her face in Camila's arms.

Her shoulders were shaking as she cried, and seeing her so upset, even the tough Caden's eyes welled up with sympathy.

But it was the unfinished words that made Camila even angrier.

After calming Sloane, she pulled the girl behind her and stared fiercely at Winnie.

"I don't care if you like Sloane or not. She's my daughter! She has to stay with us! If you pull something like this again, don't blame me for disowning you!"

Sloane peeked out from behind Camila, her eyes full of provocation.

Such a clumsy lie.

But Camila and Caden believed it without question.

Caden glared at Winnie.

"We brought Sloane to keep you company because we care about you. We don't want you to be lonely. How could you do something like this?"

Caden grabbed Sloane and headed out without even checking if what she said was true.

Camila stood by the door, complaining, "I knew Winnie had a terrible temper! It should've..."

"Vincent!"

Camila's words were cut off by Sloane's excited shout outside.

Before Vincent Latham even got close, Sloane rushed into his arms, taking quick steps to reach him.

Hearing Vincent's name, Winnie's body trembled, her hands gripping the bedsheets tightly on either side.

"If he knew...

"If he knew our baby was gone, and that all of this was a plan by Caden and Camila for Sloane..."

Winnie awkwardly leaned forward to look outside. Vincent was gently stroking Sloane's hair as he always did to her.

Their intimate posture looked like that of a loving couple.

"Sloane," Vincent called her softly.

Winnie couldn't stop hearing Sloane's words that they were getting married.

She closed her eyes slowly, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

Right after the plane landed, she tried calling Vincent to tell him she'd landed safely.

But no one answered.

On the second call, she met the kidnappers.

The truth she didn't want to believe but had to accept surfaced.

"Winnie!"

The hospital room door opened, breaking Winnie's thoughts.

Sloane stood before her, arm linked with Vincent's.

Her head rested gently on Vincent's shoulder.

"Winnie, let me introduce someone."

Sloane sounded proud.

"Winnie, Vincent, and I are engaged. We're getting married next week."

She blinked and said, "You have to come to our wedding! You'll be our bridesmaid!"

"The baby must be aborted..."

Winnie heard Caden and Camila's words echo in her mind.

At that moment, she finally understood why the baby couldn't stay.

"Winnie, even if you can't walk, don't worry. Vincent and I won't despise you."

The more upset Winnie was, the harder Sloane pressed.

Sloane let go of Vincent's hand and walked over to Winnie.

"Vincent himself told my parents your baby has to be aborted," Sloane whispered close to Winnie's ear, so only they could hear.

"He said he'd never accept a bastard and that you don't deserve to be his child's mother."

The pain of losing her child hit Winnie like a tidal wave.

"You—"

Smack!

Before Winnie could finish, Sloane slapped herself hard twice.

"Sloane!"

"Winnie, you're right. Mom and Dad only took me back out of pity. I don't deserve anything. I'm just a bastard!"

Her face burned red from her own slaps, tears streaming nonstop.

"Don't worry, Winnie. I won't fight you for Vincent. I'll leave. I'll get out of this family!"

She raised her hand to slap herself again, but Vincent grabbed her wrist.

"Vincent, I..."

She threw herself into Vincent's arms, blinking her eyes like she was pitiful.

"I know I'm not worthy of you, but I really like you. Just being able to see you every day is enough. But Winnie can't even accept that."

"Sloane, don't worry. With me here, no one can say you're not worthy."