Orville shot me a look so cold I thought it might kill me on the spot. Then he picked Blaire up in his arms like a damn prince and stormed out of the room.
My father pointed at me, his hands shaking.
“If anything happens to her… you’ll pay for it, Presley. You hear me?!”
Then he strode out the door too.
Just as they crossed the threshold, I caught a glimpse of Blaire turning her head toward me, her lips curling into a faint smirk.
And then, she lifted her middle finger at me.
Moments later, the living room fell into complete silence, as if everything that had just happened had been a dream.
I hugged myself, curling into the shadows. For the first time in years… I didn’t know what to do.
Then—the door slammed open.
Orville stormed back in.
Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me to my feet.
“Let go of me! What are you doing?!”
But he didn’t listen. He dragged me out like a madman and shoved me into the passenger seat of his car.
I stopped fighting once we hit the main road. He was driving so fast, weaving through traffic like he didn’t care if we lived or died.
At the hospital, he pulled me down the corridor and shoved me into the doctor’s office.
“She’s a match. Same blood type as Blaire. Draw her blood—now!”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“What?! She fell down! You’re telling me she needs a transfusion for that?!”
I jumped to my feet. I couldn't take this bullshit anymore!
“Why the hell should I? Do you even remember what I’ve been through these past three years?!
“All those treatments… the surgeries… the blood I lost when I miscarried… the trauma… the major depression…
“My body never healed. You fucking know that! You know I’m still severely anemic!
“And now you want me to bleed again… for that bitch?!
In fact, the past two years were the only time I started to feel halfway human again.
But Orville slammed me back into the chair.
“This is your fault! Blairie was overthinking everything—she’s anemic now! She collapsed today, she’s still unconscious, and she’s carrying our baby! Don’t you think you should save her?!”
I let out a cold, bitter laugh.
“Oh, come on, Orville, there’s plenty of blood in the bank! You want to save your precious darling? God damn it, buy it! It’s not like you can’t afford it. Why force me to give her my blood?
“Listen, I’d rather pour it down the drain than give it to that manipulative bitch!”
His eyes turned razor sharp.