His shoulders twitched slightly, and his hands were constantly ruffling his hair, looking extremely agitated and despairing.
When I regained consciousness again, it was already the next day. Frank and Sarah thought I was still in a coma.
"Alice is in such a bad state. Do we really have to expose her for seducing men today?" Frank asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.
Sarah was silent for a long while. "If Alice remains spotless, how can Jenny gain the favor of those nobles?" she replied coldly.
And there I lay, on the hospital bed, my heart brimming with shock and desolation as I listened to their conversation.
Just then, the nurse entered to check the drip.
The moment she caught sight of my paper - pale face and eyes filled with utter despair, she froze for a split second. But before she could utter a word of inquiry, I wearily closed my eyes.
Sarah, my so - called sister, was fully aware of my harrowing backstory.
As a mere infant, I was mistakenly swapped and ended up in a desperately poverty - stricken family.
From the moment I could remember, life was a constant struggle.
I often went to bed with an empty stomach, my small frame shivering in the thin, tattered blankets that barely offered any warmth during the cold winter nights.
School was a luxury I could barely afford.
I had to scavenge for used textbooks, and more often than not, I would work odd jobs after school just to earn a few coins for a simple meal.
I faced ridicule from my peers for my shabby clothes and unkempt appearance, but I refused to let their words break me.
When I discovered my passion for belly - dance, there were no fancy dance studios or professional instructors for me. I learned from old, grainy videos in a dilapidated community center, practicing on a worn - out floor until my feet bled. There were times when I was on the verge of giving up, exhausted both physically and mentally, but the dream of making something of myself kept me going.
After years of scraping by, enduring countless rejections, and pouring every ounce of my being into my craft, I finally managed to catch a break.
One small performance led to another, and gradually, my name started to spread in the belly - dance community.
With each new opportunity, I worked harder, perfecting my moves and adding my own unique flair.
Through sheer grit and determination, I clawed my way up to become a renowned belly - dance master.
And now, I was lying in this bed, my body so feeble that I lacked the strength to even sit up unassisted.
If only I had known that returning to my own family would lead to a life worse than death, I would have never, ever set foot in the Brown family.
An hour later, out of the blue, the hospital ward door was brutally smashed open with a thunderous crash.
A ravenous mob of individuals, each brandishing live - streaming gadgets like weapons, charged in like a pack of wild beasts unleashed from their cages.
Men and women, indistinguishable in their frenzy, crammed into the confined space.
Despite my desperate will to react, my body, enfeebled by illness, remained completely paralyzed, a lifeless vessel.
All I could do was gape in abject horror, my eyes dilated to the size of saucers, helplessly witnessing the unfolding nightmare.
With a blood - curdling screech that pierced the air like a banshee's wail, they hollered, "Hey, everyone! Feast your eyes on this! This is the so - called renowned, top - of - the - world belly - dance virtuoso, Alice! Word on the street is that her private life is so disgustingly promiscuous that it defies all imagination. She's been cavorting with a dozen people at once! And now, look at her! She's landed herself in the hospital. What else can you call it but karma? Alice, got any excuses left, you shameless hussy?"
Another streamer, fueled by a competitive urge to out - insult the first, leaped up and down like a deranged puppet, bellowing at the top of their lungs,
"Alice, you've been making quite a name for yourself in the belly - dance circuit, haven't you? But let's be real here. You've clawed your way to the top by selling your body and stooping to the lowest of lows. There are probably enough sugar daddies in your past to form an entire battalion! Aren't you all dying to know more? Flood those bullet comments right now!"
A third person, their face contorted into a mask of pure venom, sneered.
"Look at you now, a pathetic heap of flesh. You think you'll ever dance on a stage again? In your wildest dreams! You're going to be bed - ridden for the rest of your miserable life, dependent on others for every single thing, from eating to using the toilet. You'll probably be wetting the bed like a baby. You're nothing but a worthless, good - for - nothing invalid, a burden on society!"
All I could do was stare in sheer terror, my eyes bulging wide open, helplessly watching this nightmare unfold before me.
Suddenly, like a ferocious lion unleashed from its cage, Frank burst into the room.
He glared at the streamers with a murderous look, his face contorted with fury.
With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the ward, he bellowed, "You lunatics! What on earth do you think you're doing?"
All I could do was stare in sheer terror, my eyes bulging wide open, helplessly watching this nightmare.
Suddenly, like a ferocious lion unleashed from its cage, Frank burst into the room.
He glared at the streamers with a murderous look, his face contorted with fury.
With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the ward, he bellowed, "You lunatics! What on earth do you think you're doing? Who the hell gave you the audacity to barge in here!"
Sarah's face etched with anxiety and heart - wrenching concern, instantly sprang into action.