The sharp scent of disinfectant stung my nose, and I slowly opened my eyes. The fluorescent lights from the ceiling were so bright that it was hard for me to open my eyes.

A guy sat on the sofa. His black suit accentuated a cold, aloof demeanor. His deep-set eyes projected a commanding, powerful aura.

"You're awake," he said. His voice was deep and magnetic. "I'm Andre Marsh.

I knew the name. A week ago, he came to see me. He offered me a job in the national research center and intended to purchase my research patents.

"I received your call and reached your home within ten minutes." Andre's gaze fell on my pale face. "You were lying on the floor unconsciously. Where is your family?"

I managed a bitter smile.

They must be gathering around Savannah's hospital bed and offering comfort and care. How could they remember me after they left me behind and nearly suffocated?

"Mr. Marsh," I asked in a hoarse voice, "does your previous offer still stand?"

Andre straightened and became serious. "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes." I nodded solemnly. "I'm ready to give all my patents to the nation and join the national research institute to contribute to the medical field."

My words seemed to break the icy aura surrounding Andre. His stern face softened into a faint smile.

He stood up and gave me a respectful salute. "On behalf of the national government and all the soldiers on the front line who need medical support, I thank you for your generosity and dedication."

He took out his phone and quickly tapped a few buttons. "I'll expedite the paperwork immediately. But I must remind you that it is a highly confidential government project. After signing the confidentiality agreement, you'll need to work at a military base for three years. You can't contact others during that period. I'll send someone to pick you up a week later." Then he added, "During this week, you'd better say goodbye to your family."

I shook my head. I didn't tell Andre that I no longer had any family.

After Andre left, I leaned against the headboard to rest.

The aftermath of the asthma attack lingered. I felt tightness in my chest. Even slight movements left me breathless.

Just as I was about to sit up for a sip of water, the hospital room door burst open with a loud crash.

George stormed in, and his eyes were filled with rage.

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me off the bed.

My knee slammed into the cold tile floor with a dull thud, as I had never expected that. I shivered in pain instantly.

"George, what are you doing?" I shouted, and my voice was warping with pain as I struggled to get up.

George squeezed my throat, and his eyes became fierce. "You've caused Savannah to hemorrhage severely. She has Rh-negative blood, and the hospital blood bank is running critically low. You are the only one who can save her."

"No, I can't…" I protested.

I had just suffered a miscarriage and an asthma attack. I couldn't be a blood donor at all.

But he ignored my pleas and dragged me to the operating room. "Doctor, take her blood."

I fought desperately, but the two bodyguards George had brought restrained my arms and legs. They forced me onto the hospital bed.

My blood flowed through the transfusion tube, and I felt dizzy and broke into a cold sweat. I even had bouts of nausea.

The doctor quickly halted the procedure and said to George. "Mr. Wood, Clara's condition is too frail. 400cc is her limit…"

"Stop talking." Georg gripped my throat tightly and almost suffocated me. "She knocked Savannah over. This is her penance. Take as much as needed to save Savannah and my baby."

The doctor's face turned pale, but he continued under duress.

The machine connected to me suddenly emitted a piercing alarm.

"The blood pressure is dropping steadily. The heart rate is unstable," the doctor shouted, frantically trying to save me.

The overwhelming dizziness from blood loss hit me. I looked at George's cold face and asked with my last ounce of strength, "George, are you really willing to kill me for Savannah?"

"You pushed her earlier." George's eyes showed no remorse. "You must face the consequences of your actions. It's only fair, Clara."

He was talking about being fair.

But was it truly fair? Was it really my fault?

The room began to spin, and darkness engulfed my consciousness.

The doctor shouted urgently, "She's fading. Stop the blood draw immediately…"

"Continue!" George said coldly.

That was the last sound I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness.

I didn't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke again, I was back in my previous hospital room.

A nurse was adjusting the IV flow. Seeing me awake, she smiled gently and said, "Thank goodness you're finally awake. You're out of danger now. Don't worry."

I forced a weak smile and managed to say, "Thank you."

Once the nurse left, the room returned to silence.

My phone on the bedside table buzzed with a new message. I turned it on to find a message from Andre. "All procedures are complete. The confidentiality agreement and the military base access application have been sent to your email. It can be activated if you reply to confirm it."

I opened my email and found the prepared documents. Without hesitation, I replied to the email.

"I confirm it."

In a week, I would be saying goodbye to those people.

I would leave that place that had brought me so much pain and be away from those who had hurt me deeply. I would start a new life.

"Stay optimistic and don't get too pessimistic." The doctor repeatedly advised as he scrutinized my test results.

I nodded in agreement, but my heart felt desolate. How could I not be pessimistic with such a family?

On the day I was discharged, I went to collect my final check-up report. Just as I reached the ultrasound room's entrance, I heard a familiar voice inside.

Savannah nestled in George's arms and gently traced her fingers over her rounded belly. She said gently, "Baby, you must be good, and don't worry about Mommy and Daddy."

George gazed down at her, and his eyes were overflowing with tenderness. "I'll make sure to take good care of you and the baby."

I stood at the doorway and felt like an unwelcome intruder.

Savannah noticed me and immediately displayed a look of "surprise" as she slowly approached me with her belly bulging.

George followed closely behind.

Savannah gave me a conciliatory smile and said, "Clara, "I heard everything from George. Thank you for donating blood to save the baby and me. Without you, we would have been in danger."

I let out a cold laugh and said, "Don't say that. I didn't do it voluntarily."

Savannah was stunned. Her eyes became slightly red as she lowered her head in distress.

George instantly frowned and glared at me with icy eyes. "Clara, you are bullying Savannah again. Can't you be less harsh?"

"George, don't say that." Savannah tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "Clara was just discharged from the hospital. She hasn't fully recovered, and it's reasonable that she's not in a good mood. Let's go and let her stay quiet."

As she passed by me, she suddenly leaned in close and whispered provocatively, "Clara, I'll take good care of George for you."

I watched them walk away together and gripped my test report so tightly that my knuckles turned pale.

Back home, my father, Charles Ahmed, showed no concern for me. Instead, he coldly furrowed his eyebrows and warned me. "If you don't want to be kicked out of the family, stay away from Savannah."

I stared at him, and my heart felt broken. "Dad, I'm your daughter. Why do you only have eyes for Savannah and never care for me?"

Charles's expression twisted into a snarl. "Shut up. Savannah is my only daughter. When I was diagnosed with kidney failure, Savannah generously donated one of her kidneys to save my life. And you, Clara, you ran away. You left me to die in the hospital."

I was stunned, and my mind went blank.

How could that be?

It was I who donated the kidney back then.

After the surgery, I still bear a long, ugly scar on my waist.

I never mentioned it all these years because I didn't want my father to feel indebted to me.

"That's not true, Dad." I hurriedly explained. "I was the one who donated the kidney..."

"Shut up!" My father interrupted me harshly, and his eyes were filled with fury. "You're stealing Savannah's credit again. You've been jealous of Savannah since you were little. You always snatch her things and blame her for everything. How did I have such a malicious daughter like you?" He advanced towards me, and his tone was icy and piercing. "I wish it were you who died back then. You're nothing but a shame to me."

My blood froze instantly as I stood there, watching him storm off in anger.

Tears filled my eyes. How could my father disgust me like that? Was I really so bad?

That was not true. They were blinded by falsehood. It was not my fault.

I wiped away my tears and walked resolutely back to my room.

I gathered everything related to George, including the matching shirts, the photos, the gifts he had given me, and the memorabilia.

Holding those things, I went to the yard and found a metal barrel to set them ablaze.

The flames leapt up, consuming those once sweet memories. The smoke stung my eyes with tears, yet I felt relieved.

Just then, George's car screeched to a halt at the yard's entrance.

He pushed open the car door, and his face turned livid at the sight of the fire.

He strode towards me and shouted angrily, "Clara, what on earth are you doing?"

George reached into the flames without hesitation. He only grunted in a low voice, even when his hand got burned.

Unfortunately, all he managed to retrieve was a half-charred photograph. It was taken on our wedding day.

His eyes were red, and he was like a wild beast out of control. He roared to me, "Why did you burn them? These are our memories."

I took out the divorce papers with my signature and threw them in front of him. "These are useless things, so I burn them. It's time to cut ties between us. Let's get divorced."

"That's impossible." George didn't even glance at the papers before tearing them to shreds. "You are a member of the Wood family. We only part through death, not divorce."

He gripped my chin so tightly that it felt like he might crush my jawbone. "Clara, the Wood family has influence all over the whole city. You can't escape me."

"You jerk!" I shouted in anger.

Yet George merely scoffed and said to the bodyguards, "Prevent her from getting out."

I was effectively under house arrest in the villa by George.

My doors and windows were guarded by bodyguards, and my phone was monitored. I couldn't even step outside the front gate except for essential activities.

There was only a day left until my leaving with Andre, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break free from George's surveillance.

Then, Savannah suddenly suggested to George that they take a luxury cruise for a vacation at sea, and George agreed.

Before departure, Savannah feigned concern and asked me, "Clara, do you want to join us on the cruise? You've never been on a cruise, right?"

"You're right. I haven't," I replied. I nodded immediately and said, "I'll join you. I want to go out and relax."

Savannah was stunned. Her smile froze for a brief moment, as she clearly hadn't expected me to join them.

George eyed me suspiciously and said, "What are you up to? Are you planning to escape?"

I sneered, "George, you're surrounded by a dozen bodyguards, and some of them even watch me when I read a book in my room. Don't you have any confidence? Besides, once we're at sea, there's nowhere to escape to. Am I going to jump and feed the sharks?"

"As if you'd dare do anything." George agreed to let me go with them.

I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as I got out of the villa, it would be much easier for me to leave.

I got into the back seat of the car, with George and Savannah seated in the front.

The bodyguards' cars surrounded us.

As soon as we got in the car, Savannah began chattering about the ocean's night scenery and the decor of the baby's room. I pretended to play a game with my phone while discreetly messaging Andre about my new location without being noticed by George.

Andre replied instantly, "Be careful. Stay in touch. We'll meet you at the port.

Upon entering the cruise cabin, I quickly checked every corner and found the miniature earpiece Andre had left behind the bathroom mirror.

As soon as I put it on, Andre's firm voice came through. "Clara, at ten o'clock this evening, someone will come to the emergency exit at the back of the cruise to pick you up. Keep an eye on your surroundings and stay safe."

"Understood," I whispered back, feeling a bit more assured.

As the time approached, I was organizing my belongings when there was a sudden knock on the door.

I opened it to see Savannah standing there. "I want to have a talk to you, Clara."

"I have nothing to talk to you," I said emotionlessly.

I was about to shut the door when Savannah persisted and blocked the doorway. She said with a smug tone, "Don't you get it? George doesn't love you anymore. Do you know what he and I were doing the day you lost your baby? We were camping on the hilltop, stargazing and moon-watching. He held me and told me that he would love me forever. On the day your mother passed away, he claimed to be on a business trip, but he was actually on a vacation with me. We were in the car..."

"Shut up!" I spun around sharply, and my eyes almost froze her with an icy stare. "Get out!"

Savannah smiled and stepped closer. "I just want you to face reality. George doesn't love you and never has. You'd better disappear. It is the end you can have."

Her shameless words made me tremble with anger. Just as I raised my hand to slap her, George appeared at the door.

Seeing my gesture, he quickly stepped in to shield Savannah. He looked at me with increasing disdain. "Clara, haven't I warned you not to bully Savannah again?"

At the same time, Andre's voice came through the earpiece once more. "Clara, in one minute, we'll create a mess on the cruise. Use the chance to shake off the bodyguards and head toward the deck."