Chapter 3
The surgery was a success.
But when I woke up, it was already noon the next day.
The anesthesia wore off, and my incision burned like fire.
I barely moved my fingers, reaching for the cup on the nightstand.
It was empty.
My throat was completely parched. Even swallowing hurt and left a metallic taste in my mouth.
"You awake?" A familiar voice came from beside me.
I turned my head and saw Emily sitting in the visitor chair, her legs crossed and her phone in her hand. She was live-streaming.
Her phone was mounted on a stand, the camera aimed at her perfectly made-up face.
And I was in the background, my pale profile visible.
"Hey, everyone, Charlotte finally woke up. It's so sad. She went through this major surgery and doesn't have a single real friend to be here for her. It's only me, her cousin, keeping her company."
She sighed dramatically for the camera, even squeezing out a fake tear.
"What could I say? She's never nice to me, but I have a soft heart. Family is family."
The comments flew across the screen.
[Is this the ultimate cousin or what? So sweet!]
[Charlotte probably deserves it. She looks mean.]
[Poor Emily. She's exhausted and still has to take care of such an ungrateful person.]
Watching Emily perform for the camera made me sick.
"Water..." I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Emily pretended not to hear me, staying focused on the stream. "Thanks for the yacht, 'Emily's Guardian'! Love you."
"Water..." I said again, a little louder.
She finally turned, looking annoyed, and gave me a look before muting the microphone.
"What are you doing? Couldn't you see I was busy?"
She got up, walked over, and picked up the empty cup, shaking it in front of me.
"So, you want some water?"
A nasty smile crept across her face. "Then beg for it."
I stared at her. If looks could kill, she would be dead.
"Emily, you're going too far."
"Too far?" She scoffed. "Look at yourself. You're lying there helpless. Without me, you would not even get a sip. Aunt Linda went shopping. She said seeing you ruined her day. If I weren't here, you would be dead by now."
With that, she took the cup to the water cooler.
I thought she was finally getting me water.
But instead, she filled it with boiling water and placed it at the far end of the nightstand.
"There. Drink up. Careful, it's hot."
Then she went back to her chair, unmuted the microphone, and smiled sweetly at the camera. "I got Charlotte some water. I hope she'll feel better soon."
At that moment, I wanted to throw that water in her face.
But I couldn't move.
I could only stare at the steaming cup while my throat burned even more.
This was my so-called family.
The one I'd fought so hard to protect all these years.
Just then, the door to the hospital room opened.
A nurse walked in, carrying an IV bag.
She saw the cup pushed to the far side of the nightstand, then looked at my cracked lips and frowned.
"What's going on here? The patient just had surgery. She can't drink scalding water, and why is it all the way over there? How is she supposed to reach it?"
The nurse was young and had an attitude.
Emily paused for a moment and quickly switched to a pitiful expression.
"I didn't know. It's my first time looking after anyone. Charlotte keeps yelling at me. I'm so scared that I don't even know what to do," she said.
Her eyes started to well up.
That was an Oscar-worthy performance, right here in this room.
The nurse gave me a suspicious look.
I probably looked terrible. My hair was a mess, my face was pale, and my eyes were fierce.
Meanwhile, Emily looked sweet and innocent.
"Enough with the excuses." The nurse was not buying it. She grabbed the cup, poured half of the water out, and added cold water. Then she tested the temperature, put a straw in, and held it to my lips.
"Here, drink," she said.
The warm water slid down, and for a second, I felt human again.
I gave her a grateful look. "Thank you."
"Not at all. It's my job." She turned and glared at Emily. "This is a hospital, not a streaming studio. If you want to broadcast, do it outside. Do not disturb the patient."
Emily's face went red, then pale. But with the stream still running, she held back.
"Alright, I'm leaving," she muttered.
She grabbed her stand and slipped out of the room.
The hospital room finally grew quiet.
But I knew this was the calm before the storm.
Mom and Emily wouldn't have stolen my money so openly unless they thought they were covered.
They were betting on me being soft, on me caring about family.
Too bad for them. This time, they bet on the wrong horse.