My heart skipped a beat. “Cameron? What happened to him?”
“I just hope… you don’t hate him.” There was a pleading emotion in his gaze. “You don’t know, Anne was always his favorite since childhood… her accident hit him hard.”
“Laura, could you please understand his feelings? Actually, Cameron is quite pitiful. I often see him in the study, staring at the photos of the three of us from our childhood for hours. He’s a very sentimental person, always giving his all to both me and Anne.”
“Laura, I know he has misunderstood you, treated you disrespectfully… but he’ll understand eventually. So please forgive him, okay?”
My emotions were complicated. He probably didn’t know how his dear little brother tortured me when he wasn’t here. However, to reassure him, I nodded and leaned my face against his knees.
He gently stroked my hair… I couldn’t quite describe the feeling at that moment. I appreciated Carter; he was the only one in the family who truly cared for me. Yet, I also sensed that my heart was gradually dying. The ache, akin to a blunt knife slicing through flesh, might be a burden I’d carry for a lifetime.
The Lynch Family would inevitably remain a nightmare I couldn’t escape throughout my life…
After making the agreement with Carter, I started looking into various information about in vitro fertilization. First, I needed to regulate my body because before undergoing in vitro fertilization, I would need numerous injections. This was not just a test of physical endurance for a woman but also a torment and torture of willpower.
The doctor advised me on many precautions, and only after repeatedly confirming our decision to proceed with IVF did she sign the agreement with us. When my name landed on the paper, my hands trembled slightly. This thin agreement might be the guarantee for regaining my freedom in the future. I even fantasized about working as a journalist, being free from Cameron’s control…
Thinking of this, I bit my lip and resolutely signed my name. Compared to the desire for freedom, this sacrifices were nothing.
During that period, I persisted in exercising, taking vitamins on time, and maintaining a calm mindset. At home, I tried to avoid Cameron. He usually left for the company around 8:30 in the morning and came back for dinner around 6:00 in the evening, sometimes working late into the night.
I hid in my room during these time slots. Taking care of Carter was a fitting excuse. No matter how much of a jerk Cameron was, he couldn’t forcibly enter Carter’s room to torment me.
However, I underestimated him.
…
That night, Cameron came home unusually early. However, as soon as he arrived, he hurried into the study without even having dinner.
As I prepared for bed, I couldn’t help but notice a faint glow emanating from under the door of his study. It appeared he had a lot of work to attend to, likely keeping him up late into the night. Turning back to my room, I reflected on how these days, without his interruptions, life had become considerably more peaceful and satisfying.
Carter had already taken medicine and fallen asleep. I changed into a nightgown and lay down beside him, intentionally leaning towards his side. Listening to his steady breathing, I felt an indescribable sense of security.
I held his hand, our fingers intertwined like many couples sleeping together. I embraced him, gently closing my eyes.
However, at that moment, the doorknob made a “click” sound. Startled, I sat up abruptly, staring straight at the door.
In the darkness, the bedroom door creaked open slightly, and a shadow emerged, moving slowly from the outside. My heart leaped into my throat. Clutching the blanket tightly, I pulled it closer around me. The shadow drew nearer until it loomed directly in front of me, and then a hand gently rested on my shoulder.
I was on the verge of screaming.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared of me?” A familiar voice and scent lingered around me. I felt a chill down my spine as Cameron sat on the edge of the bed. His hand reached over, caressing from my earlobe down to my neck.
“What are you doing?” I recoiled, instinctively glancing at Carter. Strangely, Carter seemed to be sleeping deeply, as if he couldn’t hear anything.
Cameron grinned, and in the dimness, his eyes glinted with an icy light, resembling that of a merciless and malevolent wolf.
“Carter won’t wake up,” he sneered. “Think about what medicine you gave him today.”
My mind was in chaos.
Aside from the medication Carter usually takes, what else could I have given him?
“Is it you, Cameron?” I whispered, “Did you… Did you put something in Carter’s medication bottle?”
“Nothing, just something to help with sleeping.” He picks my chin up and curls his mouth like a total gangsta, “Let’s get Carter to sleep once in a while and we can have some fun …”
“Cameron, you’re crazy!”
“Would you like to experience it? While you’re having sex with another man with your own husband lying next to you …?”