The Severed Tail
At this moment, I am curled up on the cold stone altar, the burning pain from my Innate Snake Venom leaving my body still lingering at my fingertips.
My daughter, Maria, has been unconscious for three days.
The clan elders say that only my Innate Snake Venom can temporarily suppress the cold ailment inside her body, but each time I refine it, my cultivation level will regress by one step.
But as long as Maria can survive, what is this price compared to that?
I carefully put away the jade bottle containing the pale purple venom, then stood up to check on Maria. Just as I reached the bedroom door, I heard familiar voices coming from the living room.
He is my husband, Erik Zamora.
"Eva, hold on a little longer. Phoebe has just refined a batch of venom. We'll inject it soon, and you'll recover quickly."
Erik's voice carried a tenderness I had never heard before, a tone I had never experienced in the five years since I married him.
My footsteps suddenly stopped, my heart gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.
Eva, the flawless first love Erik has held deep in his heart.
She was recently diagnosed with a rare blood disease.
Erik Zamora was so worried that he didn't sleep for days and nights, but I never imagined he would set his sights on my Innate Snake Venom.
That venom was extracted at the cost of my cultivation level, all to save Maria!
Suppressing the fury burning in my chest, I pushed open the door and walked in.
In the living room, Eva Stafford lay on the sofa, her face pale, while Erik Zamora held a jade bottle, preparing to inject her.
The jade bottle looked exactly like the one I use to store the venom.
"Erik, what are you doing?" My voice held a barely perceptible tremor as my eyes locked onto the jade bottle in his hand.
Erik Zamora looked at me, a flicker of panic crossing his face before he quickly resumed his usual cold indifference: "It's nothing. Eva isn't feeling well, so I gave her some medicine."
"Medicine?" I sneered, stepping closer to him. "You know full well where that medicine came from!"
"That is the innate snake venom I used to save Maria. How dare you give it to her?"
Eva Stafford spoke weakly, "Phoebe, I'm sorry. I didn't know Erik was using your things. Please don't be angry. I won't use it anymore."
She spoke, still trying to push away Erik Zamora's hand, yet there was not a trace of remorse in her eyes.
Erik Zamora shielded Eva Stafford behind him, staring coldly at me. "Phoebe, Eva is my life; she cannot be harmed."
"Maria has you, so even without the venom, she will be fine. But Eva is different—she's just an ordinary person."
"Just an ordinary person?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Maria is your daughter too! How can you be so biased?"
"Daughter?" Erik Zamora sneered, "The only reason I married you was because the Innate Snake Venom of the Snake Clan's Saintess could cure Eva."
"Now that Eva's illness is nearly cured, you have no use anymore."
His words were like a sharp blade, piercing my heart so deeply that I could barely stand from the pain.
So, in his eyes, my five years of marriage were nothing more than a transaction.
I looked at Erik Zamora, my eyes reddening: "Erik, how can you treat me like this? We've been together for five years—did our feelings mean nothing to you?"
"Feelings?" Erik Zamora sounded as if he had heard a joke. "I have no feelings for the monsters of the Snake Clan."
"If it weren't for Eva, do you really think I would marry a half-human, half-snake creature like you?"
The word "monster" shattered the last of my hope.
I wanted to say more, but Erik Zamora suddenly drew a dagger and without hesitation slashed toward my back.
A sharp pain instantly coursed through my entire body. I looked down and saw my snake tail falling to the ground, blood staining the pristine carpet.
"Ah—" I couldn't help but scream out in agony, my body trembling violently from the pain.
Erik Zamora cast me a disdainful glance and said to the bodyguard beside him, "Throw her into the stinky ditch in the backyard. Don't let her be an eyesore here."
The bodyguard stepped forward and dragged me like a lifeless dog toward the backyard.
The moment I was thrown into the stinky ditch, the cold, filthy water soaked through my clothes, releasing a pungent stench.
Just then, Maria's voice came through: "Mother, why are you so filthy?"
I looked up and saw Maria standing by the ditch, frowning, her eyes filled with disdain.
"Maria, I'm in so much pain. Could you please help pull me up?" I said weakly.
"I wouldn't pull you up even if you begged," Maria stepped back, "You smell terrible, like a beggar."
"Aunt Stafford is much cleaner than you. She even buys me lots of delicious food, while you only make foul-smelling medicine."
"Mom, you'd better leave quickly. Don't embarrass yourself here."
My daughter's words pierced my heart more deeply than Erik Zamora's dagger.
I stared at my daughter, so familiar yet so unfamiliar, and my heart gave up completely.
There is no longer a place for me in this family.
I struggled to climb out of the stinky ditch, dragging my wounded body as I headed into the distance.
I must leave this place and find somewhere I can call my own.
Dragging my severed Snake Tail, I trudged forward, step by painful step.
With every step, the wound tore open anew, blood flowing steadily down and leaving a long trail on the ground.
I knew I had to treat the wound quickly, or I would die from blood loss.
I remembered that our clan possessed a secret medicine that could accelerate wound healing, even regrowing severed limbs.
I had left it in the storage room of Erik Zamora's villa before, though I wasn't sure if it was still there.
Gritting my teeth, I changed direction and headed toward Erik Zamora's villa.
I hid in a corner of the villa, waiting until the dead of night to slip quietly into the storage room.
Luckily, that bottle of secret medicine remained untouched.
I eagerly opened the medicine bottle and applied the ointment to the wound.
The moment the ointment touched the wound, a cool sensation spread through it, and the pain eased considerably.
Just as I was about to find a place to rest, I suddenly heard Maria's voice: "Mom, what are you doing here?"
I turned around and saw Maria standing at the entrance of the storage room, holding a toy in her hand.
"Maria, I'm looking for something. Why aren't you asleep yet?" I quickly hid the secret medicine behind my back.
Maria stepped in front of me, her gaze falling behind me. "Mom, what are you holding? Is it something tasty?"
"No, it's medicine that I use." I replied.
"Medicine?" Maria frowned. "Let me see." She said as she reached out to snatch the medicine bottle from my hand.
I didn't want her to take it, but I was too weak to stop her.
Maria snatched the bottle, glanced at the production date, and smiled. "Mom, this medicine is expired, and you're still using it? What a fool."
After saying that, she threw the medicine bottle out the window, where it fell into the stinky ditch in the backyard.
"Maria, how can you do this?" I glared at her in anger.
"What's wrong with me?" Maria said dismissively, "This medicine is expired; keeping it is useless. Throwing it away is just right."
"Mom, you better not stay here anymore. Father and Aunt Stafford will be angry if they see you."
I looked at Maria, my heart heavy with disappointment.
This is the daughter I fought with all my strength to protect, yet she doesn't care about me at all.
I no longer argued with Maria and turned to leave the storage room.
Over the next few days, I could only hide in an abandoned warehouse near the villa, surviving on the few supplies inside.
Because my wound wasn't treated in time, it became inflamed and began to fester; every breath tugged at it, causing unbearable pain.
That day, I was curled up resting in the corner of the warehouse when I suddenly heard footsteps by the door.
I thought Erik Zamora had sent someone to capture me, so I quickly hid behind a pile of boxes.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, and I saw Erik Zamora and Maria enter.
"Father, do you think my mother might be here?" Maria's voice sounded.
"I don't know, but she can't have gone far by now. Let's keep looking." Erik Zamora said.
I held my breath, not daring to make a sound.
"Father, look—there's bloodstains here." Maria suddenly said.
Erik Zamora walked over, glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, and sneered, "It seems she really is here. Phoebe, don't hide anymore. I know you're here—come out quickly."
I knew I couldn't hide any longer, so I had no choice but to come out from behind the box.
Erik Zamora frowned when he saw me. "Phoebe, how did you let yourself get into such a sorry state? You're becoming more and more disgusting."
Maria also said disdainfully, "Mother, you smell awful. Stay away from us."
I looked at the father and daughter, feeling a cold chill deep inside. "Erik, Maria, why have you come to see me?"
"Why?" Erik Zamora sneered, "The clothes at home haven't been washed, the floor hasn't been swept. Hurry up and come back with me to do the chores."
"Also, Eva's health hasn't fully recovered yet, so you need to keep preparing her medicine."
"I will not go back with you," I said firmly, "nor will I prepare medicine for Eva Stafford anymore."
"What did you say?" Erik Zamora's face instantly darkened. "Phoebe, don't shamelessly take advantage of my kindness."
"If it weren't for the fact that you can still do some housework and prepare some medicine, I would have kicked you out long ago."
"Father, I think Mom just doesn't want to work." Maria agreed.
"Aunt Stafford said that once she's better, she will help me wash clothes, cook, and even take me to the best hospital for care."
"Aunt Stafford is more like my real mother; she doesn't even deserve to be my mother."
My daughter's words struck me like a hammer, painfully smashing against my heart.
I looked at Maria, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. "Maria, I am your mother. How can you say that to me?"
"I don't want a mother like you," Maria turned away. "You're dirty and ugly, and all you do is mix those foul medicines. I hate you."
I could no longer hold back and turned, running out of the warehouse.
I wandered aimlessly, unsure of where to go.
At that moment, I saw Erik Zamora's car approaching, with Eva Stafford sitting in the passenger seat, dressed in a beautiful outfit.
The fabric of that outfit was very special—I recognized it instantly; it was my Snake Shedding.
Snake Shedding is a treasure of the Snake Clan; it not only beautifies and nourishes the skin but also strengthens one's cultivation level.
Earlier, because Maria was ill, I was distressed and accidentally shed my skin once, then placed the Snake Shedding in the wardrobe. I never expected Eva to take it and wear it.
I rushed over immediately and stopped Erik Zamora's car. "Erik, tell Eva Stafford to take off my Snake Shedding!"
Erik rolled down the window and looked at me coldly. "Phoebe, have you made enough of a scene?"
"It's just a worn-out Snake Shedding. If Eva likes wearing it, then let her. Why make such a fuss?"
"Worn-out Snake Shedding?" I trembled with anger. "That's my Snake Shedding, part of my cultivation level. How can you let her wear it casually?"
Eva spoke coquettishly, "Phoebe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just thought this outfit was pretty."
"If you don't like it, I'll just take it off and give it back to you." She said this, reaching to undo the buttons of her clothes, but her eyes were filled with provocation.
I couldn't hold back any longer; I yanked open the car door, intending to tear off the Snake Shedding from Eva Stafford.
"What are you doing?" Erik Zamora immediately got out of the car and pushed me aside.
Maria also got out of the car and kicked my leg, shouting, "Mother, don't bully Aunt Stafford!"
They pushed me to the ground, and my head struck the earth; everything immediately went black before I fainted.
When I woke up again, I found myself lying in the living room of Erik Zamora's villa.
Erik Zamora and Maria sat on the sofa, with Eva Stafford nestled in Erik's arms, looking at me with a cold sneer.
"Phoebe, you're awake?" Erik Zamora's voice was completely cold. "I warn you, don't cause any more trouble for Eva, or I won't be so polite to you."
I struggled to get up from the floor, staring at them, my heart utterly calm.
"Erik Zamora, from today onward, I will no longer wash your clothes, clean your floors, or prepare medicine for Eva."
"Everything in this family has nothing to do with me anymore." I said calmly.
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