Chapter 25 Body Donation Agreement

It was Corona's cellphone ringing, and her expression changed dramatically upon seeing the number on the screen.

It was a call from her supposed husband, Joseph, a disabled man.

Corona's hand trembled unconsciously as she answered the phone. She asked, "Joseph, what's wrong?"

"Corona, where are you? Are you with other men? You bitch! Hurry up and come home!" Joseph shouted, revealing his psychologically twisted state.

Corona took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm. She said, "Joseph, can I come back a little later? I have something urgent..."

"What's the matter? Are you in a hurry to betray me? Come back right away! Otherwise, I'll tell Mr. Burke. You don't want your grandmother to suffer, do you?"

Hearing him mention Devon, Corona couldn't help feeling heart-wrenched. She thought of Devon's threat and said to Joseph softly, "Okay, I'll go back soon."

After hanging up, Corona turned to look at Penelope with a guilty face. "Penelope, I'm sorry. I can't take you to the hospital. You have to go there yourself and have the doctor treat your wound."

Corona was afraid that she would burst into tears if she continued to speak. Thus, she rushed out of the door as soon as she had finished her words.

Penelope restrained herself from dwelling on the recent phone call until the door of the apartment was closed.

Joseph's voice was so loud that Penelope could hear him distinctly as she stood beside Corona.

Penelope knew very well what Corona would suffer when she came home. She would be badly beaten and humiliated. Penelope tried to prevent her from going back to Joseph, but she finally said nothing.

Despite her concern for Corona, she could not force Corona to watch her grandmother suffer.

After she was adopted by the Burke family, Corona found out that her grandmother, whom she had depended on, survived the earthquake as well. To better control Corona, Devon sent her grandmother overseas on the pretext of treating her grandmother's illness.

Devon forced her to marry Joseph, leaving her to be tortured by him in revenge for Linda. If Corona had dared to oppose Joseph, her grandmother would have suffered.

Corona had fought back once before. The result, however, was that Joseph called Devon, who stopped her grandmother from taking her medication for three days and made her grandmother feel unbearable pain.

Since then, Corona didn't dare to stand up to Joseph anymore.

Penelope felt so bitter for Corona. However, she was too powerless to help Corona.

Penelope put away the money from Corona carefully. She didn't use it to cure her hand. She had spent all her money on her and Ethan's hospitalization. Thus, she had to be more careful with her money.

She was on the verge of death. It was no big deal for her to have a hand injury. Even if she had been infected, in fact, it would not have mattered to her except that she felt the pain.

Compared to curing herself, she'd rather spend time on making money.

As the saying went, every cloud had a silver lining. When Penelope went out to do odd jobs, she overheard something.

A research institute was said to have recently emerged, specializing in cancer research. It purchased remains at a high price for research needs, and the remains of cancer patients were especially in need. For well-preserved remains, nearly 160 thousand dollars in comfort money was available to their families.

Penelope was overjoyed by the news. She inquired about the address of the research institution and signed a body donation agreement with it.

The institution promised to offer her a total of 130 thousand dollars, of which she or her family would receive half as a deposit and half upon her death.

Since Ethan was in urgent need of surgery, Penelope kept pleading with the institution to provide her with more deposit. The institution was probably moved by her and agreed to offer her 110 thousand dollars.

Looking at the money on her bank card, Penelope was overjoyed. With the 25 thousand dollars she got from Corona, she had a total of more than 135 thousand dollars. As long as she could gain another 25 thousand dollars before her death, Ethan could have the surgery in time.

Penelope had heard that a lot of money could be made overnight by selling drinks at the Lust Club.

For those who were lucky enough to run into a generous customer, they could earn a commission of 3,000 dollars or even more per night. Of course, the odds were relatively small, with more people earning only a few hundred dollars a night. For Penelope, though, that was pretty good, too.

She had applied medicine to the severed finger on her left hand, but it failed to stop the wound from suppurating. She wore a pair of white gloves to cover her injured hand.

She had a smooth interview at the Lust Club. As soon as the manager saw her face, he decided to let her work there at night, as if he feared she might change her mind.

The Lust Club was a high-end club in Sea City. All the girls who sold drinks there had to wear uniforms.

The atmosphere inside the Lust Club was soft and nostalgic. Penelope's work uniform for the evening, therefore, was a gilded, rose-colored sleeveless dress. From the first sight of the dress, Penelope could tell that it was very expensive, and this gave her more confidence in earning her money here.

Soft, soulful music echoed through the club, accompanied by flickering lights and shadows that create a sense of luxury and indulgence.

The wealthy people in Sea City tended to talk business and hang out at places like the Lust Club. Many of them were decent and didn't do anything intimate with the girls here, but they still liked to come, as if only the place could showcase their high social status.

Penelope adjusted her gloves. Since she was in a rose-colored dress, her white gloves were rather abrupt at first sight.

However, a good-looking appearance was indeed of utter importance. Although her outfit itself was a little odd, she looked delicate as well as mysterious.

The manager seemed to value Penelope. On her first day on the job, she was assigned to serve in the most exclusive VIP private room on the top floor.

Penelope was actually a little nervous. She was only responsible for selling drinks at the Lust Club and did not entertain customers. She had heard, however, that some of the customers here liked to take advantage of the girls who promoted the drinks. She only hoped that the customers she met would not get her into trouble.

"Penelope?"

Just as Penelope reached the top floor, a malicious voice was heard behind her. She could not help trembling with fear at the sound she had so often heard in her nightmares.

She turned and saw Ralph, with a wicked smile, standing at the top of the stairs.

"Penelope, it's you! Long time no see."

As he spoke, Ralph strode forward and seized Penelope by the wrist.

"Ralph, let go of me!" Penelope couldn't help trembling all over at the thought of what he had done to her four years ago.

It was indeed a nightmare. She could not bear to suffer that again.

Ralph laughed more and more arrogantly, "Are you kidding me? If I let go of you, you will go away at once. Then, who can I be intimate with?

"Do you know how much I miss you? If my grandma hadn't forced me to be abroad for four years, we would have already been together. Come and be my woman tonight!"

With that, Ralph pressed her hard against the wall beside him.