Ivy and Lilith soon arrived at Smith's home. Lilith's parents hadn't seen their daughter for three months, and they had been eagerly awaiting her return. Without waiting for her to speak, they questioned her, "Where have you been all this time?" Lilith was already accustomed to her parents' tone and simply gave them a knowing look when she met Ivy. Lilith’s father sat upright in the main seat of the living room's sofa, looking at Lilith with a disheveled appearance. Suppressing his anger, he ordered, "We can talk about your running away from home without permission later. Hurry and take a shower and get ready. I'll take you to meet the Chairman of the Alter Group later." Upon hearing this, Lilith immediately protested, "Even if Kevin’s engagement is a fake one, can't you see how close he is to his fiancée? If I go now, I'll just be embarrassing myself!" She had been trying to escape this mess by pretending to go on a blind date with Kevin. How had it come to this? Lilith’s mother tried to console her, "Lilith, Chairman Alter already said that they are only pretending to be engaged, and they will resolve the engagement soon." Lilith pushed away her mother's hand and looked at her parents with a cold gaze, refusing to speak. Her father continued, "If you don't like Kevin, we have another suitor. The son of the wealthiest family in City B has been in contact with me." "That son weighs three times as much as Hulk, and even walking is a problem. If you make me marry him, won't I end up a widow?" "Even if you become a widow, it's better than you casually marrying someone!" Mr. Smith's eyes turned red with anger, and he glared at her fiercely. "You can live as a widow for a few years, or even have a child for their family. Isn't that better? The entire Smith family's fate depends on your child. When that husband of yours dies, you can play with as many men as you want in the future. What's there to be afraid of?" Lilith felt wronged and turned her eyes away. Even though she had already anticipated this response, it still hurt when she heard it for real. This was her parents, who raised her in pampered luxury, all for a day like today, to sell her for a good price. Thinking of this, Lilith regained her composure and said, "Stop daydreaming; I'm pregnant!"Mr. and Mrs. Smith were immediately stunned, thinking they had heard it wrong. "What did you say?" Lilith bit her lip and tightened her grip on Ivy's hand. "I'm pregnant!" With a slap, Mr. Smith slapped Lilith across the face. "You wretch!" He was furious, cursing and grabbing a nearby teacup, not caring how hot the water inside was, and threw it at her. "Be careful!" Ivy shouted and jumped in front of Lilith to shield her. The scalding tea splashed onto her back, causing Ivy to grit her teeth in pain. “Ivy, are you okay?" Lilith's heart was shattered; she didn't expect her biological parents to be so ruthless. Ivy shook her head, and tears welled up in Lilith's eyes. She smiled to comfort her. "Luckily, I was wearing silk underwear today; otherwise..." "Even at a time like this, you're making jokes!" Lilith chuckled, a mix of tears and laughter. But after this commotion, her tense heart finally settled. She carefully helped Ivy up, and when she saw that she wanted to continue standing in front of her, Lilith held her hand and gently shook her head. "I can handle this myself!" Ivy, after hearing that, didn't insist and voluntarily stepped back. She discreetly pinched her thigh to distract herself from the pain on her back. It should have blistered. "After you've hit me and cursed at me, I'm leaving. I will definitely give birth to this child, and I will raise it on my own. I've already informed the media, and they will soon release the news of my unwed pregnancy. I believe that no prestigious family will consider marrying me in the future." "Lilith, why are you so naive!" Mrs. Smith wiped away her tears, crying bitterly. Her gaze shifted to Ivy, who had been silent the whole time. She staggered a bit and finally found a target for today's turmoil and her outburst. "Ivy, we've been kind to you in the past. Why would you repay us with ingratitude?" Ivy was taken aback. While she had hoped that the release of tension would come at her expense, she didn't expect it to take this form. Just as she was thinking, Mrs. Smith fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. "I told you to stay away from Ivy, but you didn't listen. Now it's turned out like this. Lilith, you'll regret your choice today!" "You've done enough!" Lilith couldn't stand her parents insulting her friend this way. "If I've become like this, it's my own fault. It has nothing to do with Linlin!" With that, she pulled Ivy and turned to leave. "Lilith, if you dare to leave the Smith family today, I'll cut off all your expenses!" Mr. Smith's threatening voice came from behind. Lilith hesitated for a moment but then walked away decisively. Ivy held her hand tightly and reassured her, "Don't be afraid; I'm here." "Okay." Ivy first entrusted Lilith to her mother's care and made sure she was in good condition before returning to the clinic. The burning pain on her back made it almost impossible for her to move, and without medical attention, there was a risk of inflammation and fever. With that in mind, Ivy called over Alyssa and gestured for her to close the office door. "What's wrong, Dr. Jones?" Alyssa had been working tirelessly these past few days and looked fatigued and confused. She watched in horror as Ivy turned away and removed her clothes. Her blurry vision focused on the blister-covered back. She couldn't control her emotions, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. "Dr. Jones..." she choked out. Ivy signaled her to speak softly, lowering her voice, "Please fetch some disinfectant for me." "Shouldn't I conduct a full-body examination for you?" Alyssa suggested. Ivy's mouth twitched. Her back was the problem, and a full-body examination was unnecessary. "There's not enough staff here right now; let's not bother with that. I know my body, don't make a fuss. Just apply some ointment. And don't tell anyone, especially my husband." "But..." Alyssa wanted to say more, but seeing Ivy's determination, she didn't press further and turned to get the ointment. When Alyssa hurried back to the office, she accidentally bumped into Jasson, and the medicine she was carrying fell to the floor. "Are you okay?" Jasson picked up the medicine and handed it to Alyssa, noticing her anxious expression and reddened eyes. He asked, "What's wrong?""It's nothing. I have to go; I still have work to do," Alyssa said and rushed off. Jasson watched her run into Ivy's office, and due to the door not being locked, he could see through the crack. What he saw was Alyssa assisting Ivy in treating her wounds while she muttered curses under her breath. "The people from the Smith family are really ruthless; they've injured you like this. If this wound gets infected, it'll scar." Ivy closed her eyes in pain, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat due to the excruciating pain. "They were just impulsive, lashing out. Lilith is pregnant now, and I didn't want her to get hurt, so I took the hit. Fortunately, it wasn't her who got hurt." "Dr. Jones, you shouldn't make excuses for the Smith family. You might not know this because you're usually busy with work, but I understand the Smith family's situation. My parents have always said that the social hierarchy within that circle despises the Smith family. It's because they treat their children like money trees." Ivy pursed her lips and remained silent. In the world of the wealthy, who didn't view their children as potential money-making tools? Alyssa seemed to understand Ivy's thoughts and added, "Dr. Jones, in our families, children are meant for arranged marriages, but any potential spouse is carefully selected by parents, unlike the Smith family, who would marry their children off to anyone who came their way. From what I know, Miss Lilith is quite shrewd and has always managed to extricate herself from these situations..." Alyssa didn't continue, and Ivy's heart sank. Lilith was an optimist, and she hadn't thought she'd gone through such hardship. The more Ivy thought about it, the more repelled she felt by these so-called elite families. She was determined not to let Lilith be harmed any further. Outside the office, Jasson was shocked by what he heard. He hadn't expected Lilith to go through such difficult experiences. Moreover, he was the father of her child. How could the Smith family hurt his child and the child's mother without any regard? No, he had to deal with them properly. With that in mind, Jasson immediately went to find Shawn and informed him about Ivy's injury.***