Chapter 3

"You lay one finger on her and I'll fight you to the death!"

Like a crazed lioness, I broke free from the bodyguards' grip and bit down hard on the head guard's wrist.

The metallic taste of blood instantly filled my mouth.

The guard cried out in pain and backhanded me across the face, sending me crashing into the coffee table. My lip split against the edge, blood trickling out.

"What are you waiting for? Lock them both in the backyard, and don't let anyone open that door without my permission!" Melissa shrieked, clutching her face in fury.

The two bodyguards stopped being gentle. They dragged Eleanor and me out and threw us by the outdoor pool in the backyard.

*BANG.*

The heavy double glass doors slammed shut and locked.

It was December in the New York. Heavy snow was falling outside, and the temperature was approaching negative ten degrees Celsius.

The backyard had no shelter from the wind. Eleanor was already dressed in thin clothes, and now she was curled up in a ball, shaking like a leaf in autumn wind.

"Grace... Grace... my chest... it hurts so much..."

Eleanor's withered hand reached out weakly, clutching at my clothes. Her voice was barely audible, her breathing growing more rapid.

I quickly stripped off my coat and wrapped it tightly around her.

"Eleanor, hang on. I'll call an ambulance right now!"

With trembling hands, I reached for my phone in my pocket.

Empty.

I jerked my head up. Through the transparent glass door, Melissa was smugly waving my phone at me.

The house was heated to a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius. Wearing just a thin silk nightgown, she lounged comfortably on the sofa.

"Want your phone? Beg me."

She pressed the intercom button, her mocking voice broadcasting into the backyard.

"Grace, where's that backbone you had when you slapped me? Didn't you say Ethan would kill me when he got home? I'd like to see who freezes to death tonight."

I rushed to the glass door and pounded on it frantically.

"Melissa! I'm begging you, give me my phone! Eleanor really does have a heart condition---she'll die!"

I pounded until my hands were bright red, tears mixing with snow and streaming down my face.

Melissa leisurely peeled an imported cherry and popped it into her mouth.

"Heart condition? You're quite the actress. You old country hags are tougher than cockroaches. One night in the cold won't kill you."

Eleanor's face had turned from blue-black to deathly pale. Her eyes were rolling back. The hand clutching her chest slowly loosened, and her body slid limply downward.

"Eleanor! Eleanor, wake up!"

I completely broke down and turned to scream into the intercom.

"Melissa! The medicine is in the black bag on the living room sofa! Give me the medicine! I'll agree to anything you want if you just give me the medicine!"

Melissa paused.

She walked to the sofa, found the black bag, and pulled out a white medicine bottle.

"Oh my, there really is medicine."

She shook the bottle at me through the glass, a malicious smile playing on her lips.

"I can give you the medicine. But first, you need to kneel down, slap yourself three times, and shout 'I'm a country dog' three times. Then I'll slide the medicine under the door."

Looking at Eleanor barely clinging to life, I didn't hesitate. I dropped to my knees on the frozen tiles with a thud.

My knees struck the hard ice with piercing pain. But I couldn't care about that now.

I slapped myself three times hard. My face turned red from the blows.

"I'm a country dog! I'm a country dog! I'm a country dog!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice especially shrill against the wind and snow.

"Now can you give me the medicine?" I stared at the medicine bottle in Melissa's hand with desperate hope.

But Melissa suddenly burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. She laughed so hard she was practically doubled over, tears welling in her eyes.

"Grace, you really are an obedient little dog. Too bad---I just changed my mind."

Right in front of me, she unscrewed the cap of the medicine bottle.

As I watched in confusion and horror, she dumped the entire bottle of life-saving emergency heart medication into the nearby trash can.

"Oops, my hand slipped." Melissa covered her mouth in mock surprise. "You country people are tough, right? You can survive one night in the cold, can't you?"