Chapter 1

I was the adopted son of the Smith family, but in reality, I was just a personal blood bank for Racquelle Smith, the eldest heiress of the Smith family.

Due to her weak health and rare Rh-negative blood type, the Smiths found me—someone with the same blood type—and signed a contract, binding me to stay by her side. In exchange, they would fund the treatment of my bedridden sister until she fully recovered.

The contract began when they adopted me at age ten and would end on Racquelle's 20th birthday.

But Racquelle despised me, convinced I was there to seize the Smith family's wealth and get close to her for my gain. For ten years, she had humiliated and tortured me, calling me a lowly dog.

Though I quietly endured it, I felt nothing but revulsion for her. I only needed to last one more month until her 20th birthday, after which I would be free.

...

30 minutes ago, Racquelle received a call from the hospital—Vernon Cherr, her first love and senior, had been in a car accident and needed an emergency blood transfusion.

The hospital's blood bank was running low, and she, frantic with worry, dragged me out of bed and demanded I donate blood for him.

Stunned, I shook my head. "Racquelle, you're forgetting—our blood type is Rh-negative. We can't donate it to people with a different type."

Her anger flared, and she pointed her finger at me. "Shut up! Rh-negative blood type is precious. How can it not work? Even if it doesn't, your blood belongs to me. I can take it whenever I want!"

She yanked me into the car, pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and ignored red lights to the hospital. Once there, she forced me into the blood donation room, ignoring my protests and the doctor's attempts to explain. They took 400 mL of my blood.

400 mL was the maximum allowed in a single donation. However, when Racquelle saw Vernon lying on the hospital bed, his face pale as death, she snapped.

Red-eyed and desperate, she pleaded with the doctor, "Please, just take more blood. Please, you have to save him. You can't let anything happen to him!"

She clamped onto my arm, fearing I would run away.

The doctor shook his head in resignation. "I'm sorry, Ms. Smith, but I've already explained—Mr. Smith's blood type isn't compatible with the patient's. He can't donate."

"What do you mean, it's not compatible?"

Racquelle's voice rose in panic as she clutched the doctor's hand tightly. "Rh-negative blood type is rare and precious! It has to be able to save Vernon!"

The doctor sighed, knowing any further explanation would be futile. "We've already ordered emergency blood supplies. Mr. Cherr should be fine. Please try to calm down, Ms. Smith."

After donating so much blood, my chest felt tight and heavy. I could hardly breathe, and my face was growing pale.

As Racquelle's personal blood bank, I had donated so much over the years that my body's supply barely kept up. Chronic anemia plagued me now. Every time I passed out from blood loss, she would just glare at me in disgust, accusing me of faking weakness to gain her sympathy.

At last, my body couldn't handle it, and I collapsed to the ground as darkness claimed my vision.

I heard the doctor's alarmed shouts mixed with Racquelle's angry curses.

"Joshua, I'm just asking for a little blood for Vernon! Do you have to be so dramatic? I'm warning you, if he's in danger because you didn't give enough, I'll make you pay!"

Her scolding filled my ears as I lay helpless. I was too weak to move until I finally lost consciousness.

I didn't know how long I was out, but when I groggily opened my eyes, the antiseptic smell of the hospital filled my nose.

From the adjacent room, I could hear the doctor's voice. "Ms. Smith, thanks to the hospital's blood supply, Mr. Cherr is now out of danger. The blood we drew from Mr. Smith wasn't needed after all, but due to excessive blood loss, he has—"

Before the doctor could finish, Racquelle coldly interrupted, "You can just discard his blood then. There's no point in giving it back to him, is there?"

Her mind was solely focused on Vernon, anxious about any potential threat to his health.

I listened silently to Racquelle's callousness and let out a bitter laugh.

In her eyes, I was nothing but a personal blood bank. She wouldn't care even if my blood wasn't needed or whether I was drained dry.

I dragged myself up slowly and went to pour myself a glass of water.

She stepped into the room at that moment, sneering as she saw me.

"Heh! What a tough dog. You're still standing even after losing so much blood!"

She sized me up and commanded me. "Vernon wants some salmon congee. Get some from The Heritage by the docks. Got it?"

The dock was a three-hour round trip from Pinevale Hospital.

Racquelle, entirely unconcerned that I had just fainted from blood loss, ordered me off on an errand—just to satisfy her precious Vernon's appetite.

Chapter 2

"Ms. Smith, Mr. Smith is severely anemic. He could go into shock at any time and needs proper rest," said a passing nurse, unable to bear the scene any longer. She tried to convince Racquelle to abandon her demand.

But Racquelle merely shot me a scornful look and sneered in disgust. "You don't understand. Joshua would do anything for money. He's perfectly happy being our family's dog. If you need anything, please order him around—don't worry about his well-being."

The nurse looked at me in shock, her gaze a mixture of pity and disbelief. To outsiders, I was the scion of the Smith family and a competent general manager of the Smith Group. Yet, why was I reduced to being worthless when Racquelle mentioned me?

She looked at me coldly and asked arrogantly, "Isn't that right, Joshua?"

"Ahem..." A sharp pain gripped my chest, forcing a rough cough out of me. The weakness from anemia sent waves of dizziness over me.

Racquelle grabbed my arm out of irritation and snapped, "Why are you pretending to be pitiful after losing a little blood? If you weren't still useful, I wouldn't even want to look at someone as filthy as you!"

She tightened her grip on the needle marks on my arm. The skin turned bruised and purple, causing blood to seep through.

I grunted in pain, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath.

She let go with an expression of disgust and stared at me as she ordered icily, "Do as I say while I'm still willing to talk to you in a civil manner! If anything happens to Vernon, I'll make sure something happens to your sister, too!"

I looked up at Racquelle in shock. Her gaze was filled with contempt as if I were no more than an insect she could crush at any moment.

Julianna's illness was severe.

She suffered from an incredibly rare condition—the first documented case in the country—with no available cure. She could only rely on machines to sustain her life.

The Hill family had been investing in research specifically for Julianna's condition. But if Racquelle decided to interfere, her last hope could vanish.

How could I risk Julianna's life?

Enduring the pain radiating through my body, I nodded immediately. "I'll... I'll go right away."

After taking Racquelle's car keys, I headed straight for The Heritage.

When I arrived, the waiter apologized, "I'm sorry, sir. We're out of salmon congee. "

"What? Can you make some if I get the ingredients?"

Seeing my desperate state, the waiter agreed.

I hurried out, searching for salmon. However, it was late, and raining cats and dogs—finding fresh salmon was impossible.

Without ingredients, there would be no congee.

I braved the downpour, trying to reach the shore to catch salmon myself, but dizziness overwhelmed me, and I collapsed in the rain.

When I came to, a doctor the restaurant had called was standing beside me, warning me sternly, "You have severe anemia. That has led to poor heart function and coagulation issues. You need to rest and can't donate blood anymore."

"Thank you. I understand," I replied, brushing it off.

The waiter looked at me angrily, shouting, "You're insane! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

I let out a bitter laugh. If I didn't bring that congee back, Racquelle might really kill me.

There was one month left until her 20th birthday. For the next month, I would have to give my blood to her whenever she needed it.

After all, she held Julianna's life in her hands. I couldn't risk it—I didn't dare.

Once the doctor left, I paid the restaurant to find a way to procure salmon and make the congee. Then, I rushed back to the hospital.

Racquelle was cutting fruit for Vernon and feeding him gently, piece by piece.

When she saw me enter, she threw the knife directly at my face.

I barely dodged it, but she came over and slapped me hard across the face.

"You useless idiot. Why did it take you so long? Are you trying to make Vernon sick with cold congee? How vicious can you be?"

Chapter 3

"Get out. I don't want to see you anymore." Racquelle took the salmon congee from my hands and dismissed me coldly.

"Alright." I nodded and dragged my exhausted self back to the adjacent ward.

Yet, I could truly rest when lying down. As general manager of the Smith Group, I still had to handle the mess left behind by Racquelle, who didn't lift a finger at work.

As I pulled out my phone, my assistant gave me a ring, saying, "Mr. Smith, I need Ms. Smith to sign some documents, but I can't reach her..."

I was all too familiar with this situation.

"Send the documents to me. I'll take care of it."

Gerald Smith—that would be Racquelle's biological father and my adoptive father—had assigned these projects to Racquelle to train her to lead the Smith Group. But much to his disappointment, she spent all her time wrapped up in her romance with Vernon, with no interest in learning anything about the business.

Whenever something urgent required her attention, she would call me to offload everything before going to enjoy herself.

Ironically, I had benefited from this neglect. By now, most people in the industry knew of me.

Because of my name and reputation, I could secure a good position even if I left Smith Group one day.

When I finished reviewing the documents, it was already 1:30 am.

As I was about to head to the bathroom, I heard Racquelle's furious shouting from the next room.

"Dad, I'm already 20 years old. I'm an adult now! Why keep that useless idiot around? Are you trying to spy on me? Why should I care if he lives or dies? I hope he drops dead so I won't hear him buzzing around my ears. It's so annoying!

"I really don't get it. Why do you trust him so much? Who's the biological child now? Me or him?"

The next moment, she stormed out of the room. When she saw me, she immediately slapped me across the face. My ears rang, and a wave of dizziness swept over me.

"How dare you eavesdrop on my conversation!"

Rubbing my stinging cheek, I replied evenly, "I was just passing by."

"Hah! Who do you think you're fooling, Joshua? You came to our family just because we're wealthy, right? Trying to make a move on me and become my fiance, huh? Let me tell you—you're not worthy!" She cursed me out with hatred before turning and leaving.

I calmly watched as she left.

In the ten years I had spent with the Smith family, Racquelle had shown her spoiled, domineering side to the fullest.

To get rid of me, she once stabbed herself with a knife and accused me of trying to harm her.

She had even put sleeping pills in my drink. At the worst time, I had to get my gastric lavaged four times before I stabilized.

Relatives and friends looked down on me, despised me, and scorned me for willingly becoming her lapdog just for money.

I was a lapdog without dignity, one that Racquelle couldn't drive away no matter how hard she tried.

However, I knew I had no way of affording Julianna's steep medical bills, and her rare illness left me helpless.

I gave up ten years of freedom for her chance at life, and I had no regrets.

At least this cruel existence would end in one more month. Once I was out of the Smith family, I would finally have my own life.

As for Racquelle... I would never spare her another glance.

Chapter 4

The doctor insisted that I stay in the hospital so they could monitor my condition closely, but I went ahead and discharged myself.

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital made me uncomfortable. I would rather return to Smith Group and lose myself in work than sit in this lifeless place, waiting for time to pass.

After all, passing out from blood loss wasn't anything new to me. I was used to it by now.

With only a month left until I could finally leave, I planned to sort out the company's affairs so that Racquelle would have an easier time taking over. Beyond that, I wasn't responsible for anything else.

But a week later, a phone call threw all my plans off course.

It was from Jack Mitchell, one of our long-time suppliers. We had always worked well together, so I was stunned when he called, furious, demanding to know why we terminated our partnership without notice.

I tried to keep my tone light and explained, "Mr. Mitchell, there must be some misunderstanding. Why would we terminate our partnership with you? You're one of our longest collaborators."

His tone was furious as he roared, "How would I know what's going on with you people? Somebody at your company decided to start giving me trouble this morning!"

Before I could say anything else, he hung up.

The dial tone beeped in my ear as I helplessly put down the phone. Then, I called Racquelle's assistant, Lily Hewitt, to ask about it.

"I heard our company terminated a contract with Jack. Do you know what happened?"

"Mr. Smith, Ms. Smith ordered it," she replied immediately.

"Racquelle?" I was taken aback and couldn't help but ask. "Why would she do that?"

"Mr. Smith, I'm not sure about that. After all, she's the boss; I'm just an employee."

Her response left me at a loss for words. Everyone in the company knew Racquelle's character, and no one could question her decisions.

"Alright, I understand."

I hung up and continued sorting through documents until 7:00 pm. Finally, I finished organizing everything and stretched my aching shoulders.

As I was ready to grab a late dinner and head home for some rest, Racquelle suddenly called me.

"Come pick me up at the Bengen Hotel. I've been drinking and can't drive!"

"Beep..."

Before I could respond, she hung up on me.

Every conversation with her lasted no more than three sentences. She would always order me to do this or that as though she were my boss and I was her assistant.

Until Julianna's treatment was over, I would have to continue following orders.

Sighing, I hailed a cab and headed to the Bengen Hotel.

This was the most luxurious hotel in Jutra, where Racquelle had paid for Vernon's month-long stay after he returned from abroad.

I was already familiar with the place since I constantly ran errands for them—picking up food or other needed items.

When I arrived at the entrance, I saw her in an expensive designer outfit, slightly flushed from the alcohol and holding onto Vernon's arm.

The moment she spotted me, she slapped me hard across the face.

"What took you so long? Vernon just recovered. Do you want him to catch a cold?"

Chapter 5

"Racquelle, is this the obedient lapdog from the Smith family you mentioned?" Vernon asked with an amused smirk as he glanced at me.

With her arms crossed, she nodded, and her tone was disdainful. "Exactly. He doesn't fight back or talk back—always obedient. Move aside! Don't block my path!"

She shoved me aside, almost causing me to stumble on the steps. Then, she climbed into the car with Vernon without a second glance.

Lowering the window, she barked, "What are you standing around for? Get moving and take us to the party! If we're late, you'll pay the price."

I managed to steady myself before nodding. "Yes, Ms. Smith."

Since my last fainting spell from donating blood to Vernon, my health had weakened significantly. Even just gripping the steering wheel took a considerable amount of energy. When we hit a slight bump, Racquelle reached forward and slapped me hard across the face.

"Can't you drive more carefully? Vernon just had surgery! You trying to reopen his stitches?"

"Sorry." I suppressed the pain in my cheek as I tightened my grip on the wheel and focused on keeping the car steady.

Behind me, Racquelle and Vernon exchanged sweet nothings, ignoring my presence in the car.

Half an hour later, we arrived at our destination. Racquelle's face was flushed as she fixed her disheveled hair. She got out while pulling Vernon by the hand.

"You, come with us." She pointed at me and tossed her expensive purse at me.

I carefully held the bag worth over 200 thousand. Once, I hadn't caught her bag properly, and she had deducted half a year's pay from my salary to buy her a new one.

With only a month left before I could leave, I didn't want to risk staying longer just because of a purse.

The event was the annual business gala, attended by wealthy heirs and entrepreneurs. Dressed in custom suits, these people exuded confidence and sophistication and mingled easily. They radiated a confidence I deeply envied.

I looked down at my casual, budget outfit and rubbed my cheek, still red from Racquelle's slap, feeling more out of place than ever.

Stifling my discomfort, I went to the balcony for fresh air.

A moment later, the door to the balcony opened, and Vernon stepped out with two glasses of wine. He smiled as he approached me.

"Why not mingle around? Aren't you bored standing here alone?"

I waved him off. "I'm not a fan of these events. There are too many people."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at me curiously. "If I'm not mistaken, the renowned 'business prodigy' should be able to handle himself here just fine. What's changed?"

He didn't wait for me to answer, smiling as he offered me a glass of wine. "Come on. Have a drink with me—to thank you for going out in that rain to get me salmon porridge."

I declined politely. "Sorry, I don't drink."

Vernon's expression shifted as he moved closer, lowering his voice. "You don't drink—or you just don't want to accept my gesture?"

Before I could respond, he abruptly splashed his drink over himself. Then, he shattered his glass on the ground and fell with a loud yell.