Later that day, while he went out to buy me porridge, Lorraine slipped quietly into my hospital room.
"Well, if it isn't my savior," she said with a smirk.
"Poor thing—you've been unconscious for so long! You nearly drained yourself dry to save me. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I'd be dead by now."
My stomach churned. My voice was hoarse.
"Get out."
Her smile vanished, her eyes flashing with venom.
"What's with that attitude, blood bag?" She scoffed and stormed out.
A few minutes later, Renald burst into the room, his face dark with fury.
"Danica! Why did you bribe the nurse to poison Lorraine's medicine?!"
I blinked, stunned. "What?"
"Lorraine said you were angry that I forced you to save her. She claims you paid a nurse to tamper with her medication—she went into shock and barely made it out of the ER alive!"
His voice was sharp, full of accusation.
"I didn't!"
At last, my restraint shattered. I shot up from the bed, tears spilling down my face.
"Renald! I've had enough—do you hear me? Enough!"
"You always believe her. Always take her side! I nearly died because of her again and again—look at me, I'm covered in scars!"
"And you—what have you ever done for me besides force me to sign, to bleed, to suffer, to die for her?!"
"Your love makes me sick—absolutely sick!"
Renald froze in place.
The door to the ward swung open, and Lorraine leaned against the frame, her voice trembling with false tears.
"Renald, you promised me! You said I could deal with her for three days!"
Renald's gaze flickered between us, torment warring in his eyes. After a long pause, he finally gave in.
"These three days," he said coldly, "you cannot harm her life. That's my bottom line."
"Don't worry," Lorraine immediately replied with a sweet, poisonous smile. "I just want to teach her a lesson. I won't kill her."
I stared at him in disbelief. Renald—my husband—was actually offering me up to that woman just to calm her down?!
"Renald! Don't you dare!"
I tried to get out of bed in panic, but before I could move, Lorraine waved her hand. Two burly men in work uniforms stormed in and dragged my frail body off the bed without mercy.
"Renald! Help me! Please—I don't want to go!"
I reached out for him, tears streaming down my face, my voice cracking with desperation. But he only clenched his fists and shut his eyes tightly, standing still, refusing to look at me.