Clara, supporting herself on a pillar in the pavilion, slowly stood up. The wound on her back burned like fire; every step pulled at her flesh, and the seeping blood had stained the back of her loungewear a dark brown, sticking to her back, cold and astringent. She took out her phone, her fingertips trembling slightly from blood loss, and dialed her private doctor's number—the one she had hired with her ballet competition prize money years ago, who had been responsible for her family's health for years. This doctor had been by her side during her dance injuries and prenatal checkups.
"Doctor, I have a back injury and I need you to come and treat it." Clara 's voice was weak and strained; the sharp pain in her back forced her to lean against the wall to keep her balance.
After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Dr. Zhang's troubled voice came through: "Madam, I'm so sorry... Mr. Liam just called me and said that Ms. Vanessa was injured outside and asked me to go to the city's central hospital immediately. He also specifically emphasized that Ms. Vanessa 's hand is used for playing the piano and cannot be scarred, and that I must handle it myself... Could you... wait until I get back from the hospital?"
“There are doctors in the hospital, of course.” Clara sneered, her laughter filled with sorrow. “Dr. Zhang, I am also the master of this house. I will double your consultation fee for coming today, and I will also give you an extra tip for your trouble.” She knew Liam ’s priorities all too well— Vanessa ’s minor scrape was “extremely precious,” while her bleeding back could only “wait a while.”
After hanging up the phone, Clara slowly walked back to the villa, leaning against the wall. The living room was empty; no one asked where she had been, no one cared about her wound. She found the first-aid kit herself, clumsily unwrapped the gauze, and tried to bandage herself—the wound on her back was invisible, so she could only feel her way around. When the alcohol swab touched the wound, the pain made her shudder, and tears almost welled up in her eyes. Before, when she injured herself while dancing, Liam would carefully treat her wound, blowing on it and scolding her, "How could you be so careless?" But now, the person who would have cared for her was by another woman's side.