Chapter 3

Zachary found this reasonable and turned to glare at me, but I cut him off first.

"No need to say all that. I went to no less than thirty hospitals looking for you last night. Every hospital has a record of my inquiries. You can go check for yourselves."

"And the first place I went was Harrison Private Hospital. But your father once gave an order that anyone or anything related to me is absolutely forbidden from entering Harrison Private Hospital!"

"I went there this morning too. I was dragged away right in front of your family of three. Ethan, you don't need to pretend you don't know anything. I saw you!"

Zachary frowned slightly, turning to look at Ethan with some confusion.

Ethan's expression turned panicked. When their family of three had left, he had turned his head and seen me.

He had watched with his own eyes as his biological mother was beaten bloody by a group of security guards and dragged out like a dog, yet he hadn't made a sound.

He'd even kissed Autumn right in front of me.

When I was thrown out earlier, I'd still been thinking that maybe it was just my imagination, that the child hadn't seen me.

But seeing this scene now, I was completely heartbroken.

Perhaps I really shouldn't have appeared here at all.

Zachary was very displeased about this. He wouldn't allow a child raised by his family to be labeled as someone who abused his biological mother. After all, this was his designated heir.

"Ethan, did you see your mother?"

Ethan had always been most afraid of Zachary, but he had a solution. Using Autumn's usual trick.

"Oh no, Dad, my stomach is starting to hurt again. I feel terrible!"

He clutched his stomach, hunching over, though being so young, he couldn't help but steal glances at his father while putting on the act.

Such crude acting, yet these two adults both believed it.

Autumn cried inconsolably beside them. Anyone who didn't know better would think I was bullying their family of three.

"Zachary, stop it. The child is so young and he's sick. It's perfectly normal that his eyes were blurry and he didn't see Sophia clearly!"

"Besides, the child was calling for his mom all night. Have you forgotten how pitiful he was?"

Hearing this, Zachary sighed and picked up the child to leave.

Autumn, following close behind, shot me a challenging look before smiling and catching up with the father and son.

I let out a bitter laugh and returned to my room, gritting my teeth as I peeled off the clothes stuck to my wounds.

The instant the fabric tore away, the barely clotted wounds began bleeding again.

The pain was bone-deep and piercing, yet I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Because on my way home, I'd received a message from Mrs. Harrison asking me to fill out various application forms.

After simply treating my wounds, I immediately filled out the application forms and sent them to Mrs. Harrison, then let out a breath.

It would finally be over soon.

Since I hadn't slept all last night, I was now completely exhausted. I collapsed on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Perhaps because I was about to leave, I actually dreamed of the year I first met Zachary.

Everyone thought I was the one who had broken up Zachary and Autumn.

In truth, Zachary and I had known each other since we were twelve years old.