Chapter 3

The intense emotional upheaval sent me into critical condition again that night.

My breathing was rapid, blood oxygen saturation continuously dropped, and they nearly had to put me on a ventilator.

Nurse Evelyn, the head nurse who had always taken care of me, gave me medication with red-rimmed eyes, constantly patting my back to soothe me.

"Serena, just hold on a little longer, you have to make it! Didn't Dr. Thorne succeed? I even saw the news yesterday, saying his new drug performed miracles…"

Her voice caught as she spoke.

"I remember when you first got sick, how much Dr. Thorne cared for you. He stayed by your bedside night after night, holding your hand and saying, 'Don't be afraid, Serena, I'll save you.' Now he's finally done it. Your suffering will soon be over."

I listened to her words, a bitter smile twisting my lips.

After I finally stabilized, Nurse Evelyn went to get me some water, leaving me alone in the room.

Just then, Valerie's figure appeared at the doorway.

She held an exquisite medicine box, her smile blindingly bright.

"Serena, guess what I brought you? This is Julian's new drug!"

She deliberately dangled the box in front of my eyes, then pulled it back.

"But… this drug is crazy expensive, half a million a shot. Serena, you can't even pay your hospital bills. I'm afraid you can't afford it."

I took a deep breath. "My parents left a medical fund…"

"Ten million?"

Valerie suddenly laughed. "Serena, you still don't know?"

She walked to my bedside, looking at me triumphantly.

"That money was used up by Julian long ago."

"You're lying!" I struggled, trying to sit up.

"Lying?"

Valerie pulled out her phone, found a photo, and tossed it in front of me.

It was a financial statement, clearly detailing the sources and uses of funds.

"He used your parents' money to build his lab, bought a river-view mansion, and a luxury car."

"And…" She smiled, pointing to one column, "the allowance transferred to me. It's added up to over a million these past few years."

A chill ran through me, and my fingers trembled as I looked at the statement.

The column for my medical expenses was laughably small.

"Do you know why your condition hasn't improved in ten years, and instead, has gotten worse?"

Valerie leaned in close, speaking syllable by syllable.

"Because what Julian gave you wasn't treatment medicine at all."

"It was just a placebo for his control group."

"Just ordinary vitamin pills."

A roar exploded in my head, and I couldn't hear anything else.

"Serena, did you think you were his fiancée?"

Valerie's voice seemed to come from far away. "You were just his experimental control group, a living specimen."

"To prove his new drug's effectiveness, he needed a control group like you — no real treatment, letting the disease progress naturally, so he could compare the new drug's efficacy."

"For ten years, you thought he was saving you?"

"He was watching you slowly die, recording data."

"And the money your parents left to save you? He used it all to make himself a success."

My mouth hung open, but no sound came out.

The monitor's data began to fluctuate wildly.

Valerie watched my reaction with satisfaction, her smile growing even more triumphant.

"Now the new drug is a success, and the academic world is hailing Dr. Thorne as a genius. But they have no idea that this drug could have saved you so much sooner."

"But Julian chose to let you die, because…"

She leaned into my ear and whispered, "Because you're worth more alive than dead, Serena."

"Serena, do you know why Julian has visited you less and less these past six months?"

"Because your data has been collected, and you're almost out of use."

"So now, you can go ahead and die."

My chest heaved violently, and breathing became increasingly difficult.

The monitor emitted a shrill alarm.

Valerie stood up, adjusted her clothes, and looked at my suffering without a trace of pity in her eyes.

"Serena, don't blame me for being heartless. Blame yourself for being so naive."

She finished speaking, turned, and left, the ward door closing with a heavy thud.

When Nurse Evelyn rushed in, my face was ashen, and my lips under the oxygen mask were turning purple.

"Serena! Serena, hang in there!"

She frantically adjusted my oxygen and pressed the emergency call button.

The on-duty doctor arrived quickly, and after a series of emergency procedures, my vital signs slowly stabilized.

"Nurse Evelyn, Ms. Chu's emotional fluctuations are too extreme. We must keep her calm, otherwise…"

The doctor shook his head and didn't finish the sentence.

I knew what "otherwise" meant.

Otherwise, I would die.

I would obediently wait for death, just as Valerie had said.

But suddenly, I didn't want to die anymore.