Mandy headed downstairs and poured herself a glass of wine. As she prepared to leave with her drink, she spotted
Esther by the window, gazing out at the distant sea.
“Would you like some wine?” Mandy asked.
Esther had just taken some painkillers, and the lingering dull pain slowly faded.
“No, thanks, I don’t drink,” Esther replied. She hesitated for a moment, considering that she and Mandy had
undergone liver donation surgery. “Ms. Pendleton, is your wound hurting?”
Holding her wine glass, Mandy looked puzzled. “What wound?”
“The one from the liver donation.”
Mandy had only undergone a small incision in the operating room.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“It doesn’t hurt at all. Are you in pain?” she asked.
Esther furrowed her brows slightly and whispered, “A little.”
“Could it be psychological?” Mandy suggested. “Or perhaps it’s the upcoming rain? I’ve heard that weather changes
can sometimes cause subtle aches in wounds like this. If it doesn’t get better, I recommend consulting Bradley or
even having a doctor check it.”
Esther softly thanked her.
Mandy took a sip of her drink and casually sat on the sofa, observing Esther by the floor-to-ceiling window. “It’s
quite late. Aren’t you going to rest?”
Before Esther could reply, Bradley abruptly entered the living room, holding a glass. “Esther, come with me!”
Seeing Esther’s sluggish response, Bradley firmly took her by the arm and led her down to the basement.
Esther’s heart raced with fear when she saw the crystal coffin gleaming coldly under the lights. Perhaps it was due
to her recent hectic work schedule, but she felt an overwhelming urge to escape.
Bradley commanded, “Get in.”
Esther looked at Bradley and slowly complied as though she were a puppet.
She lay down inside the coffin without displaying any emotion.
Bradley gently closed the crystal coffin with a remote control as Esther settled in.
Esther became a piece of art inside that crystal enclosure.
Bradley turned away coldly and left the basement.
She belonged to him—forever!
Nothing and no one could separate her from him!
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Bradley?” Mandy called after Bradley to remind him about Esther’s supposed pain from donating her liver.
However, she hadn’t actually donated her liver. If Bradley asked a doctor to check Esther’s wound, it might lead to
trouble if the doctor found out the truth.
“Do you need something?” Bradley asked.
Mandy answered softly, “Bradley, my father has been too generous with my mother over the years. Please don’t
stoop to her level if she has said anything unpleasant in front of you. I’m already searching for a job, and once I
start earning a salary, I’ll move out.”
Bradley briefly assessed Mandy with a sharp gaze and replied indifferently, “She is herself, and you are you.”
“Thank you, Bradley.”
Mandy and Bradley returned to their respective bedrooms.
–
Esther had been unable to sleep in the basement all this time. When the effects of the painkillers wore off, she once
again felt the subtle pain in her wound. She lightly tapped the lid of the coffin, but it was futile.
“Save me! Bradley! Bradley Warner!”