As he spoke, a sinister glint appeared in the corner of Charles Sterling's eye.
"Then you can just go die with your sister! Go join her in the afterlife!"
Jane Sterling looked at the unfamiliar face before her, at Charles Sterling's twisted expression.
Although she had long since stopped considering them family, her heart still ached fiercely.
Even if her heart were made of iron, these were still the people she had lived with for eighteen years. It was impossible to feel absolutely nothing.
Jane Sterling's tears, as if they could no longer be held back, streamed from her eyes.
'Curse you for being so weak,' she scolded herself. 'How could you cry for people like this?'
The doctor outside must have heard the commotion in the room. He walked straight in, his expression displeased.
"Family of the patient, this is a hospital. Please keep it down. There are other patients who need to rest!"
Jane Sterling turned her head, wiped away her tears, and looked outside.
At the doorway, it wasn't just the doctor speaking with a sour face. Patients and their families from other rooms were also craning their necks from a short distance away, peering inside.
A brilliant idea sparked in Charles Sterling's mind. He would force Jane Sterling to donate bone marrow to Mimi in front of all these people.
With so many witnesses, the pressure of public opinion alone would surely compel Jane to donate her bone marrow to Mimi.
They simply couldn't find another compatible match. Seeing Mimi's condition worsen by the day, they could no longer afford to hesitate.
With that, he threw himself to the ground, grabbing Jane Sterling's legs and bursting into loud sobs.
As he cried, he spewed his grievances at her, a litany of complaints Jane was sick of hearing.
It was always the same: she was selfish, abandoning her sister with leukemia to live a carefree life of her own.
And how the Sterling family had raised her for eighteen years, only to be cruelly refused when they asked for a simple bone marrow donation.
Hearing this, a flash of panic crossed Jane Sterling's face.
She glanced at the crowd outside, some of whom were pointing and murmuring about the scene inside, and tried to pull her pant leg away.
She looked at Charles Sterling with extreme anger.
"What are you trying to do? I told you, I won't donate my bone marrow! What does this have to do with me? I'm a victim too!"
Seeing Jane Sterling's expression, Charles Sterling couldn't help but let a smirk tug at his lips.
'This way,' he thought, 'faced with everyone's judgment, Jane won't be able to refuse the request to donate her bone marrow, will she?'
However, the doctor standing to the side grew even more displeased seeing Charles Sterling's shouting and wailing.
"Sir, keep quiet. Otherwise, we have the right to remove you from this hospital."
The doctor was firm, his voice unconsciously rising in volume.
Seeing the doctor's action, Sharon Shelby, who was standing nearby, instantly erupted, roaring at him.
"Who do you think you are? Go get your supervisor! We're patients in a premium ward! What right does a doctor like you have to yell at us?! Watch it, or I'll have you fired!"
The doctor stood by the door and actually laughed in exasperation upon hearing Sharon Shelby's words.
"Ma'am, you need to understand something. The patients in our hospital aren't just the ones in the premium wards. Even if you take this to our director, my stance won't change. As for filing a complaint, be my guest."
With that, the doctor walked out without another glance at Sharon Shelby and SLAMMED the door shut.
Sharon Shelby's face turned ugly, and she redirected her anger onto Jane Sterling.
Jane Sterling knew this was a private, high-end hospital. The people who came here for treatment were all either rich or influential.
Every one of them was a person of status and influence; they truly had no reason to fear Sharon Shelby's threats.
Even the doctors were top talents the hospital had spent a fortune recruiting from abroad.
Jane Sterling curled her lip. 'Does she really think a bit of stinking money lets her do whatever she wants, wherever she goes?'
She let out a breath of relief, leaning against the wall and tilting her head as she watched the two of them, their composure shattered.
Seeing them so upset made Jane Sterling happy.
As the people outside gradually dispersed, Charles Sterling and Sharon Shelby saw the faint, sarcastic smile playing on Jane's lips. They pointed at her nose and unleashed another torrent of curses.
Jane Sterling was growing impatient. Just as she was about to pull the door open and leave...
Sharon Shelby lunged forward and grabbed Jane's clothes.
She yanked her over to the side of the hospital bed.
"Where do you think you're going? This isn't over, you can't leave! You heard the doctor. Your sister's life is in danger. You have to donate this bone marrow!"
As she spoke, her eyes bloodshot, Sharon Shelby pulled an elastic strap from the bedside cabinet.
Without another word, she immediately started tying Jane Sterling's hands.
Jane was caught completely off guard by this sudden turn of events.
'Are they really going to force a bone marrow donation in broad daylight?'
She had truly underestimated how shameless Sharon Shelby could be. Just as she was about to scream, Charles Sterling received a signal from Sharon, hurried over, and clamped a hand over Jane's mouth and nose.
In that instant, Jane Sterling's mind went blank with a BUZZ.
'What's happening?'
'They...'
'How could they?'
Now she was filled with genuine regret. She should never have had a moment of weakness and accompanied this shameless pair to the hospital to see her so-called sister.
Seeing her limbs being tightly bound with the elastic straps, unable to move, a tear of despair formed in the corner of Jane Sterling's eye.
'What do I do?'
'What am I supposed to do?'
'My life is in danger. Who can help me?'
This was a premium ward. Not many people passed by, and it was usually quiet.
The scene Charles Sterling and Sharon Shelby had just caused had made all the doctors and nurses on the floor disgusted with them.
No one would come near this room again. Jane Sterling closed her eyes, which ached from being open so wide in terror.
Just as the last of her rationality was slipping away, she heard Sharon Shelby let out a piercing scream.
She let go of Jane's limbs. For a moment, Charles Sterling was annoyed and turned to look at Sharon, who had been tying Jane's ankles.
Now, Sharon Shelby looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Staring at the inexplicable set of teeth marks that had appeared on her arm, she shrieked and scrambled into a corner.
"What was that? Something bit me! What's going on?!"
Charles Sterling looked at Sharon Shelby's loud clamoring with great dissatisfaction.
"Keep your voice down! Do you want to bring that doctor back here?"
If the doctor came back, they would truly lose their chance.
Charles Sterling's gaze fell on Sharon Shelby's arm, where a bloody bite mark had instantly appeared.
Charles was startled as well, and in that moment of distraction, he had unknowingly given Jane Sterling an opening.
Jane Sterling slammed her head into Charles's midsection and was finally able to breathe again.
She gasped for air, using both her hands and feet to rip off the elastic strap binding her hands.
Then, she snatched the fruit knife from the table, held it tightly in front of her for protection, and stared coldly at the two people before her.