While I Burned with Fever in the ER, He Was at the Game with His Little Sister Chapter 08

While I Burned with Fever in the ER, He Was at the Game with His Little Sister Chapter 08

The moment Richard and Margaret heard the 

words “lawyer” and “court,” both of their 

expressions changed. 

They knew perfectly well that once formal legal 

proceedings began, they would have not advantage whatsoever. 

The only reason they had dared to do this was 

because they assumed I was afraid of damaging 

my reputation and would never risk taking the 

matter to court publicly. 

After more than three years, they knew exactly 

what I used to be like. 

I had always chosen silence and compromise. 

I had never been willing to confront anyone in 

public. 

That was why they had started the livestream in advance, hoping to use public pressure to force me into signing an unfair agreement. 

I turned and opened the door. Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard the rapid click of high 

heels behind me. 

The next second, Sophia grabbed my arm. 

She had dropped the helpless act. There was 

nothing but anger on her face now. 

“Ethan is already miserable. What more do you 

want from him?” 

“Will you only be satisfied once you’ve driven him 

to the breaking point?” 

“Let go of me,” I said. 

Instead, her grip tightened. 

I yanked my arm free and continued toward the 

door. 

But the moment I turned away, something struck. 

the back of my head with a dull thud. 

A burst of agonizing pain spread from the back of 

my head. 

The room spun around me. I lost my balance, and a sharp ringing drowned out every other sound. 

I grabbed the doorframe for support and 

instinctively touched the back of my head; my 

palm came away warm and sticky. 

When I looked down, my hand was covered in 

blood. 

Shards of crystal were scattered across the floor. 

I recognized the vase. 

It was the Waterford crystal vase I had given Richard for his birthday the year before. 

“Erin!” 

Ethan cried out in panic. I could not tell whether he 

was shocked or simply afraid. 

Margaret covered her mouth, all the color draining 

from her face. 

Richard was the first to regain his composure. 

He rushed over and spoke quickly in a low voice. 

“Get back inside.” 

“Sophia lost control. She didn’t mean to use that 

much force.” 

“Don’t press charges. I’ll have a serious talk with 

her afterward.” 

As he spoke, he tried to pull me back into the 

house. 

At that moment, I knew only one thing for certain. 

I could not stay there. 

Using every bit of strength I had left, I shoved 

Sophia away. 

She stumbled backward and knocked over the 

trash can beside the door. 

Clutching the back of my head, I ran out of the 

townhouse. 

The neighborhood street outside was deserted. 

Blood kept seeping between my fingers. 

Behind me, Ethan shouted with tears in his voice. 

“Erin, come back!” 

“Sophia didn’t mean to do it!” 

Even now, he was still defending her. 

I did not stop or look back. Gritting my teeth, I kept 

walking toward the end of the street. 

My steps grew slower, and darkness kept closing in around the edges of my vision. 

A neighbor’s garage door happened to open, and a middle–aged man walked out carrying a trash bag. 

He recoiled when he saw the blood covering my head. 

“Oh my God, ma’am. Do you need help?” 

As I passed him, I saw Sophia reach the doorway out of the corner of my eye. 

She had clearly intended to come after me, but the moment she saw the neighbor, she stopped. 

The first call I made was to my attorney, Rachel, as I leaned against a brick wall by the road. 

“I was just attacked and injured in the back of the head.” 

“The person who attacked me is Sophia Bennett.“. 

“Please secure the livestream recording, the security footage from the entrance, and all 

communication records immediately.” 

After ending the call, I dialed 911. 

By the time the ambulance arrived, a large section 

of the back collar of my white shirt had been 

stained red with blood. 

For the next week, the Walker family kept trying to 

find me. 

Every time they called, my phone was switched 

off. 

They contacted my friends, but everyone said they 

had no idea where I was. 

Ethan even waited outside my office, only to 

discover that I had taken an extended medical 

leave. 

During that time, the apartment management 

office called me. 

“Ms. Carter, someone tried to pry open your 

apartment door, but a security patrol stopped 

them in time.” 

I knew exactly who it was. 

I told management to back up the hallway 

surveillance footage immediately and send a copy to my lawyer. 

A few weeks later, the civil case officially went to trial. 

I needed thirteen stitches in the back of my head. 

The injury was not life–threatening, but it was more than enough to serve as clear, visible evidence. 

The trial proceeded smoothly. 

The apartment’s ownership was clear. Every payment for the down payment, mortgage, and 

renovations was supported by bank records and contracts. 

Ethan had never contributed a single dollar toward the property, and his name did not appear on the deed. 

The fifty thousand dollars in the wedding account was also supported by clear transfer records. 

As for my reasons for ending the engagement, I had screenshots from Sophia’s Instagram, text messages, and a complete timeline. 

Most damaging of all, although the Walkers had 

hurriedly ended the livestream, viewers had 

already recorded and saved it. 

The video clearly showed Sophia picking up the 

crystal vase and smashing it into the back of my 

head. 

My lawyer also submitted my ER records, medical 

report, the neighbor’s testimony, and the security 

footage from the entrance. 

The opposing attorney tried to describe the attack 

as an accidental altercation during a family 

argument, claiming that both sides had pushed 

each other. 

But after Rachel played the complete video in 

court, there was nothing left for them to argue. 

When the judge delivered the ruling, Ethan. 

collapsed into his chair, staring blankly ahead. 

Margaret covered her face and sobbed. 

uncontrollably. 

Richard kept his head lowered, looking exhausted 

and defeated. 

In the end, the full fifty thousand dollars in the 

wedding account had to be returned to me. 

The Walker family was also ordered to pay my medical expenses, legal fees, and compensation for emotional distress, totaling one hundred 

thousand dollars. 

Sophia’s criminal case concluded soon afterward. 

I refused to settle. 

She was sentenced to two years in prison for 

attacking me with a dangerous object and 

causing serious bodily injury. 

When the sentence was announced, Ethan 

suddenly stood up in the public gallery and 

shouted at me across the barrier. 

“Do our three years together mean absolutely 

nothing to you?” 

I glanced at him, my voice quiet. 

“When you pleaded for Sophia, did you think about 

our three years together?” 

“Did you think about them when she smashed that 

vase into the back of my head?” 

“What about when your entire family started that 

livestream and tried to destroy my reputation and 

take my property? Did any of you think about our 

relationship then?” 

Ethan opened his mouth, but in the end, he could 

not say a single word. 

I turned and walked out of the courthouse. 

Just then, my phone rang. It was Daniel. 

“Congratulations, Ms. Carter.” 

“The apartment has been sold. The final price was fifty thousand dollars above the listing price.” 

“The buyer is making an all–cash purchase. The title transfer should be completed within the next two days, and the money will reach your account next Monday.” 

After ending the call, I slowly let out a breath. 

The apartment was sold, and I had won the case. 

The people responsible had finally paid the price for what they had done. 

Two weeks later, I finalized my resignation and booked a flight to Boston. 

There was nothing left in Seattle worth holding on 

1. to. 

Those three years were over, and I would not allow them to affect the rest of my life. 

Once I left Seattle, I would begin again. 

Before boarding, I received a text from an 

unknown number. 

[Erin, I’m sorry.] 

[I only understand now how badly I messed up.] 

[Can you give me one more chance?] 

I did not reply. 

I removed my old SIM card, snapped it in half, and dropped it into an airport trash can. Then I 

switched to a new number. 

As the plane took off, Seattle grew smaller outside 

the window until it became nothing more than a blurred patch of gray. 

I did not look back. 

From that moment on, I had nothing more to do 

with the Walker family.