Chapter 1

I felt a dull ache in my stomach all morning, a persistent throb that made focusing in class impossible.

Ethan, my boyfriend of four years, noticed.

"You okay, Sarah?" he asked, his brow furrowed with what I thought was concern.

"Not really," I admitted. "Think I need to see someone at the clinic."

He nodded, "Alright, I'll take you after my practice."

The university clinic was mostly empty when we arrived.

Ethan' s step-sister, Chloe, was there, a nursing student doing her clinical rotation.

She greeted Ethan with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes when she looked at me.

"Sarah, not feeling well?" she asked, her voice overly sweet.

I just nodded, not in the mood for pleasantries.

A doctor saw me quickly, suspected a minor stomach bug, and ordered a blood test just to be safe.

Chloe was assigned to draw my blood.

"Arm out, please," she said, her tone clipped.

I extended my arm. Ethan stood by, scrolling on his phone.

Chloe tied the tourniquet too tight, my fingers started to tingle.

She slapped my inner elbow a few times, harder than necessary.

"Veins are a bit tricky today," she murmured, almost to herself.

Then she pushed the needle in.

Pain, sharp and immediate, shot up my arm. Not the usual pinch. This was different.

I gasped, pulling back instinctively.

"Hold still," Chloe snapped, her grip tightening on my arm.

She dug the needle around. I could feel it scraping.

My eyes watered. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

Ethan finally looked up. "Everything alright?"

"Just a difficult draw," Chloe said smoothly, still maneuvering the needle.

Finally, she got the blood, her expression unreadable.

When she pulled the needle out, she pressed a cotton ball down hard, then slapped a bandage on.

My arm throbbed, a deep, burning ache.

"You're all set," she said, turning away without another word.

I looked down at my arm. A dark bruise was already blooming under the skin, large and ugly.

"Chloe," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "That really hurt. You should be more careful."

She turned back, a flicker of something cold in her eyes.

"Some people are just more sensitive," she replied, a smirk playing on her lips.

"I think you owe me an apology," I insisted, my anger rising through the pain.

Ethan stepped forward. "Hey, come on, Sarah. She's learning. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal when it's my arm, Ethan," I said, looking at him, expecting support.

He just shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

Chloe crossed her arms. "I did my job. There's nothing to apologize for."

She walked away, leaving me staring after her, my arm throbbing, a knot of anger and disbelief tightening in my chest.

Ethan just wanted to leave. "Let's go, Sarah. It's done now."

He didn't understand. Or maybe he didn't want to.