Chapter 7 A Clean Break

"You..."

Her words cut through John and Olivia like a knife, filling them with shame and making them wish they could vanish. Tonight's disaster had clearly pushed Laura to her breaking point. She felt dizzy but managed to gather her last bit of strength to say, "Enough! No more nonsense! You have two choices: First, I leave and cut all ties with the Smith family forever. Second, I stay, marry William, and we face whatever comes together. You choose! William, what do you say?"

William felt like he could barely stand, but his mind was still clear. He gritted his teeth and said, "I... I don't want to die! Laura, you don't want to see me die, do you?"

"I get it." Laura's smile was filled with despair. "Fine, as you wish. Tell me, when and where."

"It's... it's all in here. He said if you agree to his terms, just follow the instructions inside... and it'll be fine."

William, feeling guilty, couldn't look Laura in the eye. He shakily pulled a paper packet from his pocket and placed it in front of her.

Laura held the heavy packet, knowing it was the key to opening a door to disaster.

She wiped away her tears.

Ignoring the three members of the Smith family, she went to her room and quickly packed a few things.

The Smiths stood there, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

Soon, Laura returned to the living room with a small suitcase, her face expressionless. "From the moment I walk out this door tonight, I have nothing to do with the Smith family anymore. If we meet again, let's pretend we don't know each other."

She took one last look at the home she'd lived in for twenty years, then walked out of the living room without looking back, slamming the door behind her.

"Laura!" Olivia suddenly shouted, but she knew Laura couldn't hear her anymore. "What... what do we do now? John, this..."

"William, you bastard! Why don't you just die? I'd rather see you dead than see you ruin a good girl like this! Olivia, we really let Laura down! When we adopted her, we swore we'd treat her well..." John said, looking like he'd aged ten years in an instant, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing her husband cry, Olivia also broke down in tears.

"I... I know I was wrong, I really was! I shouldn't have sacrificed such a good girl to save our useless son! It's all my fault! I'll go after Laura and tell her we've decided to let William face the consequences! I'll go right now!"

She wiped her tears and stood up, staggering towards the door.

Seeing his parents' sudden change of heart, William panicked and grabbed his mother, shouting, "Mom! Are you crazy? Look at who your real son is! You can't let that outsider go while letting your own son die! Don't forget, we took her in from the outside. After raising Laura for twenty years, she owes me! That's right, she owes me!"

"Slap!"

Olivia slapped William hard. She couldn't believe her son could say something so heartless.

She collapsed to the floor, pounding her chest and crying hysterically.

"Oh God... what did I do to deserve this? How could I have such a son! Laura, I'm so sorry, we're all so sorry..."

But Laura was already gone, unable to hear their remorse.

After leaving the Smith house, Laura suddenly realized she hadn't asked William the name of the creditor. Who was this person that scared William so much?

But it didn't matter. Since the person had left a packet for her, it must contain detailed instructions.

The most important thing now was to find a place to stay and take things one step at a time.

She found a nearby motel and checked in.

Fortunately, she had always kept her paycheck card and some cash with her. So even though she had left the Smith house, she could still manage for now.

However... she probably couldn't continue her current job.

Given how things had developed, she would wait ten days, then leave this dirty, nightmarish place and avoid the Smith family forever.

After settling in the motel, Laura opened the packet. It contained detailed instructions, emphasizing that William must not mention anything about the person's identity and included several other requirements, like not turning on the lights.

With a cold smile, Laura slowly burned the packet, watching it turn to ashes.

A black rendezvous with no escape, no end!

William, you really are ruthless! I gave up my first love, ready to repay the Smith family for raising me, and you sold me for two million dollars! To a complete stranger!

Fine, very well! Perfect!

That night, white lilies seemed to guide me in the dark. I finally broke free from the selfish, shameless Smith family, feeling a strange sense of relief.

If I had to spend my life in that family, I'd rather be with a complete stranger, even if it sounded crazy and unrealistic.

To pay off the family's two-million-dollar gambling debt, Laura agreed to a strange deal—a ten-day contract. And just like that, her girlhood ended abruptly.

In that luxurious room, there was a seemingly gentle but actually cold bed, and a mysterious man wearing an eagle mask. All of it marked the end of Laura's innocence.

Not wanting to think about what happened three days ago, Laura closed her eyes with a bitter smile, her heart aching. As she smiled, tears streamed down her face, one after another.

She cried quietly for a while, until her tears dried up. Then she wiped her face and started looking for her clothes.

She remembered leaving her clothes by the bed last night. But now, they were gone—outerwear, underwear, shoes, everything.

How could there be a thief in a place like this? Even if there was, they wouldn't want her plain clothes. No one would pick them up off the street.

Luckily, there was a new nightgown nearby. Laura put it on and saw a note on the nightstand, clearly left for her.

She picked it up and read it: "Call this number when you wake up."

Laura hesitated, realizing the masked man probably wanted the person on the other end to tell her what to do next.

With a chaotic mind, she finally mustered the courage to dial the number.

"Hello? This is..."