Chapter 5

The blade entering my chest hurt more than anything.

I almost couldn't stop the tears.

But this way, they would surely think I was dead. Helen's people would come for me.

Through the haze, I watched everyone rushing toward me.

My first father ripped off his jacket and pressed it to my chest to stop the bleeding.

My second father kicked the man holding the knife clear across the room.

My third father pulled emergency medication from his bag and forced it into my mouth.

My fourth father just kept calling my name, over and over.

"Iris — don't close your eyes!"

"Iris — Iris, look at me —"

The desperate way they crowded around me reminded me of that time I'd had a fever as a child.

It was Christmas. All four fathers had cleared their schedules to spend the holiday with me.

I'd played in the snow too long and developed a raging fever. I refused to take medicine.

The fathers sat around my bed for hours, coaxing me with every sweet word they had.

Back then, they really were good to me.

The best people in my world.

Even after everything they'd done to me because of Bianca, I still remembered those days.

I looked at each of their faces one more time — four faces, memorized one by one.

Then I closed my eyes.

A moment later, the pain dissolved.

When I woke, I found myself back in my third father's guest bed.

My wounds were bandaged. All four fathers sat nearby, haggard, looking like they hadn't slept in days.

Bianca was perched at my bedside. When she saw my eyes open, she squealed, "She's finally awake!"

My third father came over to check my pulse. Once he confirmed it was stable, he told me flatly: "The blade didn't actually reach your heart. It wasn't as deep as it looked. Combined with the emergency medication keeping you alive, you were only unconscious for five days."

Five days.

My third father had driven through the night to his mentor's private clinic — and used the world's only state-of-the-art nano-rescue system. All to save me.

I laughed bitterly at the news.

Such a priceless thing, wasted on me.

After all, I was still planning to leave. The moment I got the chance, I would "die" for them again.

My second father leaned in. "Iris, if you didn't hurt Bianca, why didn't you just tell us? Why go to such extremes and make everyone worry?"

This triggered a chorus of agreement from the fathers.

They took turns scolding me for being reckless.

The only one who spoke up for me was Bianca. "Stop blaming her! It's all my fault — I wanted to stop at the mall to buy her a gift and then got lost. If I'd gotten to her sooner, none of this would have happened."

Her eyes reddened as she spoke.

My first father glared at me. "Iris, Bianca didn't even celebrate her own birthday because she was worried about you, and this is how you repay her? Apologize. Now."

I almost laughed. "Apologize for what, exactly? What did I do to her? She got herself lost because she's an idiot. She chose to skip her own party. How is any of that my problem?"

The moment I finished speaking.

My third father's brow furrowed: "You're still this stubborn? Forget the past few days — what about everything you've done to her over the years? Don't you owe Bianca an apology for that?"

The mention of "over the years" broke something in me. "No! I'll say it one more time — I never hit her, never cursed her, never poisoned her, never sent anyone after her. She staged every single incident! She framed me! Why do you always believe her and let her take everything from me?!"