Chapter 7

James' body stiffened when he heard Jocelyn's request. His gaze fell on Naomi, and his eyes were filled with hesitation and conflict. His fingers trembled slightly. It felt like someone had a tightening death grip around his heart. It hurt so much he could hardly breathe. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but as the words were about to escape his lips, he forced them back once more. The doctor noticed James' reaction and urged, "Mr. Payne, Ms. Mentley had already passed out from immense pain. The longer we wait, the greater the risk of permanent scarring. You need to decide—fast." Blood drained from James' face. He was forced into a corner. He took a deep breath, as if he had to fortify himself mentally, and said in a low voice, "Naomi, I've taught you since you were a child that anyone who does wrong must face the consequences." When Naomi heard what James said, a sharp ache blooming in her chest as though something had shattered. Her lips trembled. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. She suddenly realized that even though she desperately wanted to cry, she couldn't produce any tears at all. She thought that it might be because she had already used up all the tears she could have had when she was still at the academy. Naomi was eventually wheeled into the operating room, expressionless—like a hollow shell, drained of all feeling. The moment the door of the operating theatre slammed shut, Jocelyn, who was supposed to have passed out from immense pain, sat upright in her bed. Her face bore a triumphant smile, and there were no traces of burns that she allegedly claimed to have. She smiled brightly at the doctor as she sinisterly ordered, "Do it. Remember this—cut her skin out bit by bit, and do not use any anesthesia." The doctor and the nurses shared a look, but didn't dare defy her command. A few nurses approached Naomi, gripping her hands and feet tightly to pin her to the operating table. Naomi didn't struggle. She lay still on the table, staring blankly at the ceiling. The instant the scalpel cut into her skin, searing pain surged through her body. Her body trembled instinctively, but she gritted her teeth and refused to make any sound. As the scalpel slowly peeled her skin away, blood began to flow from the wound, staining the operating table crimson. Naomi's fingers gripped so tightly on the edge of the table that her knuckles turned white. Her nails dug so deep into her palms that they almost sank completely into her flesh. Even so, she refused to make a single sound. Jocelyn stood on the side, watching the scene unfold with amusement. Disdain and victory colored her eyes. She giggled, "You're so strange, Naomi. Even in your state, you manage to hold it all in without so much as a whimper." Naomi didn't respond. She kept her teeth clenched, enduring the waves of intense pain with each stroke of the scalpel. As the scalpel continued to glide across her skin, separating piece after piece of skin from her flesh, Naomi started losing consciousness. Her gaze became blurry, and her vision slowly dimmed. What was left was the beeping of the machines in the operating room and Jocelyn's gloating snicker. "Throw it out later. Feed it to the dogs." Finally, Naomi couldn't hold on any longer. Darkness swallowed her as she passed out. When she regained consciousness, Naomi found herself lying on a hospital bed, her arms wrapped in layers of gauze. Her arms were so tender that the slightest touches made her inhale sharply from the pain. The ward was eerily quiet. She could only hear the beeping of the machines and the occasional murmur amongst the nurses. "Mr. Payne treats Ms. Mentley very well. He keeps her company every day, and would feed her each meal by hand." "I know, right? I heard that they're getting married tomorrow. What a match made in heaven!" "I heard that Naomi was the young lady that Mr. Payne had adopted years ago, the same one he spoiled rotten. Why is he suddenly ignoring her? Poor thing." Naomi stayed silent, listening quietly as she counted down the days until she could finally leave.