Chapter 4

The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

After the fall, my condition worsened, and Dr. Evans ordered absolute bed rest.

Thomas stayed by my side every single second, his eyes brimming with worry and rage.

I stopped him when he wanted to go confront them. I just shook my head wearily.

It was pointless. There was no arguing with people who didn't care if you lived or died.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Chloe.

The moment I picked up, her weak, tearful voice came through the speaker.

"Sophie... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to take your kidney..."

"But my recovery isn't going well. The doctors say my emotions are too unstable..."

"Mom and Dad said it's all because of you. Can you please stop making them angry? I'm so scared... I'm scared my body will reject the kidney..."

Her pathetic, theatrical act only sounded incredibly repulsive to me now.

She was always like this. She would play the victim, stir up trouble, and then hide behind our parents while they fought her battles and handed her the spoils.

In the past, I might have argued. I might have been angry. I might have cried.

But now, I was just tired.

"Chloe," my voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.

"You've already taken everything you wanted. From now on, never call me again."

With that, I hung up.

I knew a bigger storm was coming.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later, Eleanor and Richard kicked my hospital room door open.

"Sophie! What did you say to Chloe!" Eleanor’s finger was practically poking my nose.

"She just had surgery! Her vitals are unstable now because of you! She almost had to go back into the ICU!"

"Do you want her dead? Is that it?"

"How did we raise such a wicked daughter!" Richard roared.

"You are going to apologize to Chloe right now!"

"And then, you will sign a document stating that your savings are a voluntary gift to her, so she can recover in peace!"

"Otherwise, we will sue you for intentional distress and physical harassment!"

They yelled in perfect harmony, their vicious words sounding like they wanted to tear me apart.

Looking at these two monstrous "parents," the final thread of family affection snapped.

Snap.

"Fine," I whispered.

To their shock, I reached under my pillow and pulled out a document. I had asked Thomas to prepare this beforehand.

"I can write the statement. I can even give her the money," I said, handing the paper to them. Every word was crystal clear. "But first, you sign this."

They stared at the paper. It was a Legal Severance and Liability Waiver Agreement.

Eleanor let out a sharp laugh. "A severance agreement? Sophie, do you really think you can survive without us? Who are you trying to threaten?"

They thought it was just another one of my pathetic tantrums.

Without a second thought, they scribbled their names on the document and threw it back in my face like trash.

"Done! Now get your ass over to Chloe's room and apologize!"

I picked up the signed agreement, folded it carefully, and handed it to Thomas.

Then, with his help, I got into a wheelchair.

Just as my parents thought I was going to crawl to Chloe's room, my phone rang.

Thomas answered it and put it on speaker.

A calm, professional male voice came through: "Mr. Thomas, the medical transport jet for Mrs. Sophie is ready at the airport."

"The specialized transplant clinic we contacted in Germany has everything set up. We have a perfect kidney match waiting. When can you depart?"

The room fell into a dead, suffocating silence.

The smug, contemptuous looks on my parents' faces froze, replaced by pure shock and disbelief.

Meeting their horrified eyes, I let out a genuine, beautiful smile—one I hadn't made in years.

Thomas pushed my wheelchair, turning away from them, away from Chloe’s room, and toward a real future.

Behind us, we left two signed papers, and two thoroughly discarded "parents."