Chapter 4

Lynn's POV

While I was rinsing my wound in the restroom, the hospital called.

"Ms. Lynn, your father's condition has worsened. He needs surgery immediately. If you don't pay the full amount, we can't proceed..."

The doctor's voice on the other end was full of helplessness.

"How much?"

My voice trembled.

"Including what you owe plus this surgery, at least five hundred thousand. It must be paid by midnight tonight."

After hanging up, I looked at my ghost-pale face in the mirror.

Five hundred thousand.

For me now, it was an astronomical sum.

Preston had frozen all my cards. I'd already sold all my jewelry.

The only option left was to beg him.

I left the restroom and stumbled toward the second-floor private room.

The door was slightly ajar, laughter spilling out from inside.

"Preston, this necklace is beautiful. I love it."

Vivienne's voice was soft and sweet.

"If you like it, keep it. I bought it at auction for you anyway."

Preston's voice carried a smile.

Through the gap in the door, I saw Preston fastening an expensive necklace around Vivienne's neck.

That necklace...

My whole body went rigid.

That was my mother's heirloom!

When the Lynn family went bankrupt, all our assets were auctioned off, including this necklace.

I'd begged Preston for so long to buy it back for me, to keep as a memento.

What had he said then?

"A broken piece of junk, and you beg me for that?"

Now he'd bought it and put it on another woman.

Rage, despair, grief all twisted together until I could barely breathe.

But I couldn't lash out.

My father was waiting for money to save his life.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The laughter inside stopped abruptly.

Everyone looked at me. The smile vanished from Preston's face, replaced by darkness.

"Who told you to come in?"

I ignored the stares and walked straight to Preston, dropping to my knees.

My knees hit the floor with a dull thud.

Preston froze. Vivienne gasped and shrank into his arms.

"Lynn, what the hell are you doing?"

Preston spoke through clenched teeth, clearly feeling I'd embarrassed him.

I looked up at him.

"Preston, please. Lend me five hundred thousand. My father needs surgery. He desperately needs this money."

"Lend?"

Preston laughed coldly, swirling the wine glass in his hand.

"What will you use to pay me back? Your bankrupt family, or your broken body?"

"As long as you give me the money, I'll do anything."

Preston stared at me.

Vivienne suddenly spoke up beside him.

"Preston, Ms. Lynn is pretty pitiful. Why don't you help her out?"

She sounded kind, but then her tone shifted.

"But since Ms. Lynn is so filial, you must be able to hold your liquor, right? If you can finish all the alcohol on this table, I'll have Preston give you the money. How's that?"

On the table sat more than a dozen bottles of hard liquor.

Vodka, whiskey, brandy, all mixed together.

Forget a pregnant woman. Even a healthy person would need a stomach pump after drinking that much.

She wanted me dead.

I looked at Preston, hoping for even a trace of mercy.

But he simply glanced at the bottles on the table and said one word.

"Drink."

My heart died completely.

I picked up a bottle of vodka and tilted my head back, pouring it down.

The burning liquid flowed down my throat into my stomach, scorching like fire.

One bottle, two bottles...

My vision began to blur. My stomach churned violently. The dropping pain in my abdomen became excruciating.

Something warm trickled down my thighs.