Seeing this, the nurse put down the small spoon and picked up a straw instead. She gently inserted it between my tightly - closed teeth, attempting to squeeze a little water in bit by bit.

But my throat seemed to be locked, and even the instinct to swallow had deserted me.

The water pooled in my mouth, unable to make its way down my throat.

Some of it even choked into my windpipe, triggering a violent fit of coughing.

Yet, even as I coughed, my body remained as motionless as a log, without the slightest hint of a rise or fall.

Sarah stood by the side, her hands tightly gripping the corners of her clothes.

Frank, on the other hand, turned his back.

His shoulders twitched slightly, and his hands were constantly ruffling his hair, looking extremely agitated and despairing.

When I regained consciousness again, it was already the next day. Frank and Sarah thought I was still in a coma.

"Alice is in such a bad state. Do we really have to expose her for seducing men today?" Frank asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.

Sarah was silent for a long while. "If Alice remains spotless, how can Jenny gain the favor of those nobles?" she replied coldly.

And there I lay, on the hospital bed, my heart brimming with shock and desolation as I listened to their conversation.

Just then, the nurse entered to check the drip.

The moment she caught sight of my paper - pale face and eyes filled with utter despair, she froze for a split second. But before she could utter a word of inquiry, I wearily closed my eyes.

Sarah, my so - called sister, was fully aware of my harrowing backstory.

As a mere infant, I was mistakenly swapped and ended up in a desperately poverty - stricken family.

From the moment I could remember, life was a constant struggle.

I often went to bed with an empty stomach, my small frame shivering in the thin, tattered blankets that barely offered any warmth during the cold winter nights.

School was a luxury I could barely afford.

I had to scavenge for used textbooks, and more often than not, I would work odd jobs after school just to earn a few coins for a simple meal.

I faced ridicule from my peers for my shabby clothes and unkempt appearance, but I refused to let their words break me.

When I discovered my passion for belly - dance, there were no fancy dance studios or professional instructors for me. I learned from old, grainy videos in a dilapidated community center, practicing on a worn - out floor until my feet bled. There were times when I was on the verge of giving up, exhausted both physically and mentally, but the dream of making something of myself kept me going.

After years of scraping by, enduring countless rejections, and pouring every ounce of my being into my craft, I finally managed to catch a break.

One small performance led to another, and gradually, my name started to spread in the belly - dance community.

With each new opportunity, I worked harder, perfecting my moves and adding my own unique flair.

Through sheer grit and determination, I clawed my way up to become a renowned belly - dance master.

And now, I was lying in this bed, my body so feeble that I lacked the strength to even sit up unassisted.

If only I had known that returning to my own family would lead to a life worse than death, I would have never, ever set foot in the Brown family.

An hour later, out of the blue, the hospital ward door was brutally smashed open with a thunderous crash.

A ravenous mob of individuals, each brandishing live - streaming gadgets like weapons, charged in like a pack of wild beasts unleashed from their cages.

Men and women, indistinguishable in their frenzy, crammed into the confined space.

Despite my desperate will to react, my body, enfeebled by illness, remained completely paralyzed, a lifeless vessel.

All I could do was gape in abject horror, my eyes dilated to the size of saucers, helplessly witnessing the unfolding nightmare.

With a blood - curdling screech that pierced the air like a banshee's wail, they hollered, "Hey, everyone! Feast your eyes on this! This is the so - called renowned, top - of - the - world belly - dance virtuoso, Alice! Word on the street is that her private life is so disgustingly promiscuous that it defies all imagination. She's been cavorting with a dozen people at once! And now, look at her! She's landed herself in the hospital. What else can you call it but karma? Alice, got any excuses left, you shameless hussy?"

Another streamer, fueled by a competitive urge to out - insult the first, leaped up and down like a deranged puppet, bellowing at the top of their lungs,

"Alice, you've been making quite a name for yourself in the belly - dance circuit, haven't you? But let's be real here. You've clawed your way to the top by selling your body and stooping to the lowest of lows. There are probably enough sugar daddies in your past to form an entire battalion! Aren't you all dying to know more? Flood those bullet comments right now!"

A third person, their face contorted into a mask of pure venom, sneered.

"Look at you now, a pathetic heap of flesh. You think you'll ever dance on a stage again? In your wildest dreams! You're going to be bed - ridden for the rest of your miserable life, dependent on others for every single thing, from eating to using the toilet. You'll probably be wetting the bed like a baby. You're nothing but a worthless, good - for - nothing invalid, a burden on society!"

All I could do was stare in sheer terror, my eyes bulging wide open, helplessly watching this nightmare unfold before me.

Suddenly, like a ferocious lion unleashed from its cage, Frank burst into the room.

He glared at the streamers with a murderous look, his face contorted with fury.

With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the ward, he bellowed, "You lunatics! What on earth do you think you're doing?"

All I could do was stare in sheer terror, my eyes bulging wide open, helplessly watching this nightmare.

Suddenly, like a ferocious lion unleashed from its cage, Frank burst into the room.

He glared at the streamers with a murderous look, his face contorted with fury.

With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the ward, he bellowed, "You lunatics! What on earth do you think you're doing? Who the hell gave you the audacity to barge in here!"

Sarah's face etched with anxiety and heart - wrenching concern, instantly sprang into action.

With lightning speed, she yanked off her coat and, like a mother hen shielding her chicks, wrapped me tightly in her embrace.

Frank spun around and advanced menacingly towards the streamers

"You scumbags! You'll stop at nothing for some measly views. Get out of here this instant! Do you really want to spend the rest of your lives broadcasting from behind bars?" he snarled.

One of the streamers, displaying a reckless bravado, shoved the phone right in Frank's face, sneering, "Oh, who do you think you are? Don't try to scare us! We're just exposing the truth. What's wrong with that?"

In an instant, Frank's temper exploded like a volcano.

With a furious swipe of his hand, he sent the streamer's phone crashing to the floor. "Truth? You call this malicious slander! You're nothing but vultures, feasting on human misery!" he roared. And with that, the two men lunged at each other, locked in a fierce struggle.

The room descended into chaos, with shouts, grunts, and the sound of objects being knocked over filling the air.

Sarah, meanwhile, held me even tighter,. She used her own form as a living shield, determined to keep any hint of chaos and malice at bay.

The way they coordinated, seemingly in perfect harmony, was nothing short of ironic in my eyes.

Frank wrenched himself free from the scuffle and rushed to my side, dropping to his knees.

"Alice, don't be afraid. I won't let them spout another word of nonsense,".

Amidst this chaos, several deranged streamers, taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the altercation between Frank and the other streamers, stealthily squeezed their way to the bedside.

Their hands, resembling those of demons, lashed out and started to roughly grope my already battered body.

My hospital gown was torn to shreds in an instant.

Horrifying welts and scratches appeared on my arms, shoulders, and chest in rapid succession.

My skin was sliced open by their nails, and blood oozed out slowly.

I gasped in pain, trying to wriggle free but having no strength left. All that escaped my lips was a feeble moan.

In that moment of utter chaos and searing pain, my spirit finally succumbed to the overwhelming torment.

My consciousness plunged into an abyss of endless darkness, as if swallowed by a bottomless void.

Suddenly, a shrill scream from one of the streamers pierced through the cacophony in the ward. "Is she dead?" the voice screeched.

In an instant, the hospital staff, alerted by the commotion, came hurtling in with a stretcher.

Their faces were etched with urgency as they swiftly transferred my limp body, and then immediately plunged into the arduous task of life - saving.

Doctors and nurses worked feverishly, their hands a blur of activity, their eyes fixed intently on the monitors, determined to pull me back from the brink of death.

At long last, the lights above the operating room door finally flickered and then extinguished.

The doctor emerged from the operating room with a solemn expression.

"I'm truly sorry. By the time the patient was brought in, her injuries were already far too severe. Despite our all - out efforts, her complete paralysis is now a certainty, and her condition remains extremely critical."

Upon hearing these words, Frank froze in his tracks .

After a brief moment of stunned silence, he suddenly lunged forward, seizing the doctor's arm with both hands.

"What did you say? Complete paralysis? That can't be true! There must be a way, right? No matter how much it costs or what methods are needed, you have to cure her! She's my entire world!"

Sarah, her face already a mask of tears, suddenly felt her legs give way beneath her.

With a heart - rending wail, she crumpled to the floor, her body convulsing with sobs.

"Alice, you can't just give up like this! You can't be reduced to this state!"

A few weeks later,

I gradually regained consciousness.

I found myself back in the hospital ward, where the dim lights cast an eerie, oppressive glow.

Every part of my body, save for my left hand, which had sustained less severe injuries, was swathed in bandages. Each breath I took sent jolts of pain shooting through my entire being.

Just as I was starting to gather my wits, a shrill ringtone suddenly pierced the silence of the hospital ward.

In an instant, Frank's voice filled the air, carrying a tenderness and doting affection I had never heard before.

"Hello, Jenny. How are you feeling today? My mind is completely filled with thoughts of you. Every time I think about you donating your liver to me, my heart just melts. I really owe you everything this time. I don't know what I would have done without you," he cooed, his voice as soft as a gentle spring breeze, yet hitting me like a sledgehammer.

After a brief pause, although I couldn't make out Jenny's words, Frank's response was dripping with affection. "Silly girl, what are you talking about? I'd do anything for you. You're the very breath of my life,"