Living in Hiding With Her Child

Elena's first love, Marcus Blackwood, came back.

I heard he was a ruthless gang member who killed without batting an eye.

Terrified of being silenced, I fled overnight with my daughter.

Over the past eight years, Elena was busy holding a grand wedding with Marcus, traveling the world together, and attending various events.

They became the enviable power couple everyone admired.

But they never had children.

Meanwhile, I struggled to make ends meet, working seven jobs a day, scrimping and saving every penny for my daughter's medical expenses.

I became the laughingstock everyone mockeda cheapskate.

In the ninth year, I was working as a server at an important event.

While pouring wine for a guest, I accidentally bumped right into Elena.

She stared at me in shock, her voice trembling.

"Nathan. Where have you been all these years? Our daughteris she still alive?"

Eight years had passed. Elena remained as coldly beautiful as ever, while I stood frozen in place, momentarily speechless.

"You blind bastard! How dare you bump into Miss Winters! You must have a death wish! Get on your knees and apologize!"

The event manager rushed over and slapped me across the face.

"I'm sorry, Miss Winters. I didn't mean to dirty your clothes."

I quickly apologized. Just as I was about to kneel, Elena suddenly spoke.

"Forget it."

She frowned and glanced at me, then added, "If someone tells you to kneel, you just kneel? Don't you have any dignity left? Living this patheticallyyou might as well be dead."

Dignity?

I'd stopped caring about that long ago.

I still remembered the first time I kneltwhen my daughter Piper had a fever and I had no money. I knelt at the clinic entrance.

Later, I knelt to beg for jobs, to demand unpaid wages, when bullied by thugs... I'd knelt so many times I'd become numb to it.

As long as I could stay alive and Piper was doing well, that was enough.

But I didn't tell Elena any of this. I forced an ugly smile, thanked her, and turned to leave.

"Mr. Blackwood is here!"

At that moment, the crowd suddenly stirred with excitement.

I turned to look, my pupils constricting slightly. I deeply regretted accepting this event gig.

From the scar on his face, I could confirm it was Elena's first love, Marcus Blackwood.

When he'd returned to the country years ago, he'd threatened to chop me into mincemeat and feed me to the dogs, to strangle my daughter.

Afraid of being discovered, I quickly ducked into the crowd and headed straight for the break room to hide.

Buzz buzz!

Just then, my phone vibrated. The private hospital was calling.

"Mr. Anderson."

"We currently have a donor whose heart matches your daughter, but there's another competing recipient."

"The other party has money and influence. I can stall for one hour at most. If you can't get here and pay within that time, you'll have to wait for the next opportunity."

I was ecstatic.

"Within one hour, I'll definitely come pay and sign the papers!"

After hanging up, I immediately called a loan shark to borrow money at high interest.

The entire heart transplant surgery would cost at least two million dollars.

I didn't have enough money, but if I waited for next time, who knew when that would beor if my daughter could even hold on that long.

So I'd rather sell my body, sell my blood... anything to seize this chance.

Once the loan came through, I was about to leave when the event manager blocked me at the door.

"Mr. Blackwood's wedding ring is missing."

"All employees must go to the main hall for inspection."

I said I'd been at least thirty feet away from Marcus when I saw him earlier, so it definitely wasn't me. Plus, I urgently needed to get to the hospital.

But the manager wouldn't listen at all. He had security drag me to the main hall.

I hid in the back row, trying hard to keep my head down, terrified Marcus would recognize me.

"Whoever stole my wedding ring, step forward now! I'll spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for throwing you in the river to feed the fish!"

Marcus's cold eyes swept over everyone. "Last row, fifth from the rightlift your head!"

My heart sank. I broke out in a cold sweat all over, still refusing to lift my head.

"He's talking to you, idiot!"

The manager forcibly lifted my chin, and I found myself staring directly at Marcus.

"It's you."

Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly and walked toward me step by step.

"You stole my wedding ring, didn't you?"

He questioned coldly.

"No!"

I shook my head frantically. "Today's the first time I've seen you."

Everyone knew Marcus was ruthless and didn't value human life. To eliminate rivals, he'd use any means necessary.

From his demeanor, was he trying to make me the scapegoat?

"Marcus."

"It probably isn't him, right?"

Elena glanced at me, a mocking smile on her lips. "When you came back, he fled overnight. How would he dare steal your ring?"

She seemed to be blaming me for being a coward.

I didn't understand how she had the nerve.

The whole room erupted. Countless people cast contemptuous looks my way.

"From what she's saying, is he Mr. Blackwood's former stand-in?"

"A stand-in is just a stand-in. Miles away from the real deal. Look how pathetic he is nowcan only work as a server."

"If he didn't have a face that looked like Mr. Blackwood's, he wouldn't have enjoyed those few good years. He should be grateful."

Mocking voices poured down like a torrential rain.

I thought this might help me escape punishment.

But Marcus clearly had no intention of letting me go. With a playful smile, he said, "But this morning when I was changing and showering upstairs, I clearly saw him delivering clothes."

"Though at the time I thought I'd seen wrong, so I didn't pay attention."

Hearing this, Elena's delicate brows immediately furrowed. She said coldly, "Nathan Anderson, I didn't expect it really was you. Hurry up and hand over the wedding ring."

Eight years ago, I'd fled with my daughter not just because I feared Marcus, but because I was afraid Elena would be biased and believe only him.

I hadn't expected it to play out exactly as I'd feared.

"You're lying! I didn't arrive at the event until noon!"

I argued my case, casting pleading looks at the manager and my coworkers.

"Please help clear my name. I need to get to the hospital. I'll come thank you properly later."

But everyone remained uniformly silent.

Marcus coughed lightly. "Speak up. Why are you all standing there? Anyone who dares lie, I'll sew their mouth shut with a needle!"

Everyone shuddered.

The manager's eyes darted around, then he pointed at me. "Don't drag us down with you. You clearly came this morning."

"That's right!"

One coworker also stepped forward. "I saw Nathan Anderson enter Mr. Blackwood's room with my own eyes this morning."

"You people..."

I was utterly desperate, my eyes nearly red with anger.

Clearly.

They were deliberately framing me, wanting to use me as a stepping stone to curry favor with Marcus.

"Someone!"

"Search him! Strip off all his clothes!"

The manager waved his hand, then flashed a fawning smile at Marcus. "Mr. Blackwood, rest assured, I'll get to the bottom of this. No mercy."

Two security guards pinned me to the ground.

I tried to resist but was held down by my head. Several more guards arrived and began tearing at my clothes in front of everyone.

Though I'd knelt plenty over these years and taken many beatings, I'd never been humiliated like this.

Shame flooded my heart.

The key issue was that this entanglement would waste so much time. Who knew when it would be resolved.

It would delay me getting to the hospital to pay!

That concerned my daughter's life!

Forced into a corner, I looked at Elena.

"It really wasn't me!"

"You have to believe me!"

"In the eight years we were together, when did I ever take anything from the Winters family? When did I ever ask you for a single dollar?"

I believed Elena understood my character.

But she said, "People change. You no longer have the backbone you once had. When told to kneel, you just kneel."

I was so angry I wanted to laugh.

Did she really think I'd changed, or was she simply believing her first love Marcus's words?

Within a few breaths, my clothes were stripped off, my skeletal frame exposed to everyone's view.

"Hahaha, this is hilarious. Look at himskinny as a monkey and ugly too."

"So disgusting. So revolting."

"How did someone like this ever qualify to be Mr. Blackwood's stand-in? I really don't know what Miss Winters was thinking."

Mocking laughter continued.

Elena's face showed her discomfort. She frowned even more deeply, looking at me with disappointment and disgust.

After all, back then I'd worked out every day, extremely disciplined! Elena used to touch my eight-pack abs every day.

When she was unhappy, she'd rest against my chest muscles to relax.

She said I was so masculine.

She said no matter what, she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt me or slander me.

Compared to this moment, how ironic.

Marcus took my phone and used facial recognition to unlock it, then rummaged through it carelessly.

"Oh?"

"You actually borrowed a million dollars from loan sharks? Looks like you're desperate for money. That's another reason to steal the ring."

"Besides revenge against me, you could also sell it for money, right?"

Marcus displayed the loan message for everyone at the scene to see.

This prompted another round of mockery.

Elena's eyes filled with more disappointment. She shook her head and sighed, "I actually still held onto a shred of hope, thinking that under your care, our daughter might still be alive."

"How foolish of me."

"Someone as depraved as youhow could you care whether our daughter lives or dies?"

Seeing her act this way.

I couldn't help but say, "Then let me ask youwhen our daughter was first diagnosed, where were you?"

"Shut up! Say another word and I'll knock your teeth out!"

Marcus glared at me, then turned to comfort Elena. "Honey, don't be sad. As long as we keep trying IVF, we'll definitely have our own child."

Elena didn't respond, just looked at me with complex emotions, as if recalling scenes from eight years ago.

But I only wanted to say two words: karma!

Eight years ago.

Piper was seriously ill and hospitalized, and Marcus was returning to the country. So Elena devoted all her attention to Marcus, personally arranging welcome banquets and various events.

I hoped she'd use her resources to find a heart donor for Piper and complete the surgery before Marcus returned.

But I called her a hundred times. She only answered once, dropping three words: "Stop bothering me!"

That's when I finally made up my mind to run away with Piper.

"Anyway, I didn't steal the wedding ring. If you don't believe me, let's call the police."

I gritted my teeth.

"Call the police? Absolutely not!"

Marcus's expression turned cold. "Why would I need the police for such a small matter? I'd lose face. If you don't hand over the wedding ring today, you're not leaving. I'll cripple one of your hands first for fun."

He pulled out a knife and aimed it at my right hand.

"Marcus!"

Elena frowned. "That's enough. Don't go too far. It won't look good if word gets out."

Marcus shrugged reluctantly and put away the knife.

"Someone! Tie him to that pillar!"

At his command.

The manager personally dragged me toward a pillar.

"You have no solid evidence, and no right to restrict my freedom."

"Let me go!"

I struggled desperately, but I was outnumbered and couldn't break free. I could only look at Elena again. "For the sake of our past relationship."

"Help me this once. Trust me just this once, okay?"

"There's only half an hour left. If I can't get there in time, you'll definitely regret it!"

Elena froze, confusion flashing in her eyes. "Why do you need to go to the hospital? Who's sick?"

"Hmph, who else? His girlfriend, of course."

Marcus sneered. "Elena, don't listen to his emotional manipulation. He just wants to run away with his girlfriend."

Hearing the word "girlfriend," Elena's face instantly turned cold, resentment surging in her eyes.

Seeing this, I knew I had to tell the truth.

"Elena."

"Listen carefully. The sick person is your own daughter, Piper!"

"If I don't pay within half an hour, the heart donor will go to someone else!"

What?

Elena's eyes widened. She pushed Marcus aside and ran to me in three quick steps.

"Piper's still alive?"

"You're not lying to me?"

Her face was full of excitement.

"I'm not lying."

I took a deep breath. "If you don't believe me, my phone has photos of Piper and me, plus photos of her medical records."

Elena quickly turned and snatched the phone from Marcus, frantically scrolling through the screen.

But the light in her eyes gradually changed from hopeful excitement to disappointment.

"There's not a single photo on the phone. You're lying to me!"

She clenched her fists in anger.

"That's impossible. There were definitely..."

I frowned, about to explain, when I caught the mocking smile on Marcus's lips. I immediately understood.

Marcus must have just formatted my photo gallery.

That's why Elena couldn't find anything.

This Marcus was truly cunning and vicious, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals.

"Honey."

"I told you, this Nathan Anderson is full of lies and can't be trusted."

Marcus patted Elena's shoulder.

"I'm not lying!"

"Piper really is still alive!"

I shouted loudly.

Marcus frowned and gave the event manager a look.

The manager understood. He raised his hand and slapped me.

"Still making excuses?"

"Hand over the wedding ring now! Or don't blame us for not holding back."

The security guards behind me laughed menacingly.

"I didn't steal the ring. How can I hand it over? Let me go..."

"Stubborn fool. Beat him!"

The manager led the assault, raining punches and kicks on me.

Tied to the pillar, I couldn't protect myself, couldn't fight back, couldn't dodge.

Fists fell on my face like a rainstorm.

After several rounds.

I was beaten bloody, my ears ringing, excruciating pain spreading throughout my body.

"I'm not a thief, I'm not..."

I weakly looked at Elena through blurred vision. "Piper really is still alive. You don't have to let me go, but you must go to the hospital and pay."

"I'm begging you... she's our daughter. Please..."

As I spoke, I began crying in desperation.

Elena's expression showed a flicker of emotion.

Before she could speak, Marcus pointed at my nose and cursed, "You're such a bastard! To escape punishment, you'd even exploit your dead daughter."

Hearing this, Elena's expression turned cold again, as if she wished I were dead.

"I didn't! I really didn't! I can swear... there's only fifteen minutes left! We're really running out of time!"

My whole body trembled as I choked out the words.

"Still acting?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes, raised the knife again, and slowly walked toward me. "I'll pry out two of your front teeth. Let's see if you tell the truth then!"

I kept staring at Elena.

But this time she chose silence.

Marcus raised the knife toward my mouth.