Frederick's words made me chuckle. Back when I used to get jealous, he thought I was being ridiculous. And now that I didn't care, he suddenly asked why I wasn't making a fuss.

Without another word, I headed upstairs.

…

That afternoon, I overheard Frederick scolding Karen.

"Whatever happened before, I'm willing to let it go. But if you still can't figure out who the lady of this house is, you can pack your things. Understand?"

Karen's voice came quietly from the doorway, "Yes, sir."

Moments later, Frederick opened the door, the family doctor trailing behind him.

The left side of my face was still slightly swollen, the shape of a handprint clear and red.

Frederick's expression shifted uneasily. He pressed his lips into a line, then said coldly, "Come here. Let the doctor have a look."

Even though the wound on my head had already scabbed, it still throbbed.

The doctor went through the motions of examining me. After a while, he smiled smugly and commented, "Ms. Sherman, I've seen plenty of cases like this. The wound on your head is self-inflicted, right?

"You're just trying to make Mr. Burke feel sorry for you. Well, too bad you didn't do it hard enough. The cut's superficial and already scabbed."

As he spoke, he parted my hair to show Frederick.

The doctor continued, "Mr. Burke, she's fine. The wound would've healed on its own. But Ms. Reeves… That's another story.

"She fell from a second-floor window some time ago and hit her head badly. It wasn't fully healed, and now someone's slapped her. She just told me she's feeling dizzy and nauseous."

Right on cue, Colette bit her lip and leaned weakly against the doorframe.

They played their roles perfectly. It was enough to make anyone feel sorry for her.

Almost immediately, Frederick's expression darkened. He didn't even give me a chance to defend myself. Instead, he grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door.

"What the hell happened to you, Anastasia? Apologize to Colette now!" he barked.

I stumbled from the push, knocking over an antique vase. Its shards sliced into my hand, and before I knew it, blood dripped from my fingers.

I looked up, raised my bleeding hand, and said calmly, "Frederick, this is the third time today you've hurt me."

His expression changed again at my words. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and reached out to touch my wound.

"Anastasia, I never meant to hurt you…"

Nearby, Colette and the doctor exchanged a glance. A beat later, she feigned panic, crouching beside me and taking my hand.

"Ana, if you don't want to apologize, then don't. But why pretend to lose your balance and knock over the vase? Please stop hurting yourself. Freddie and I both hate seeing you like this."

Right then, the doctor knelt beside me as well.

He added, "Ms. Sherman, is this because I said you didn't hit your head hard enough? So now you've shoved your hand into broken glass just to make it look worse? Come on. This is a waste of medical resources!"

Frederick's gaze toward me shifted sharply when he heard their words. Perhaps deep down, he believed I was just as manipulative as they claimed.

Even at that point, Colette and the doctor kept insulting me.

"You're so petty!"

"I can't believe how unreasonable you are!"

My palm stung from the glass, but I ignored it and got to my feet. With shards in hand, I slapped Colette twice. Then, with what little strength I had left, I struck the doctor.

"Anastasia, have you lost your mind?" Frederick shouted.

He shoved me aside and rushed to check Colette's face.

I collapsed to the floor again.

This time, Colette cried genuine tears. She cupped her bleeding cheek, terrified of a permanent scar.

I let out a bitter laugh. Little did they know, once they came in contact with my blood, they would be exposed to radiation, too.

After that, I wiped the blood on my clothes and turned to leave. However, after just a few steps, I blacked out.

…

When I came to, I overheard the specialist telling Frederick, "Ms. Sherman's condition is unusual. Her skin is soft and weak, as if it's rotting from the inside.

"Logically, she should be dead by now. But somehow, she's still alive. It's a miracle. That said, I don't think she has many days left."