Whether from fear or rage, a scream lodged itself in my throat. I held it back until my vision swam with stars. I was desperate to roar, to shriek, but fear paralyzed me. I couldn't imagine what they would do to me if they discovered I was lucid. My home, my children… ten years of my life… I sank my teeth into the blanket, biting down with all my might to stifle the heart-wrenching sobs that threatened to erupt. A decade of memories swirled in a dizzying vortex in my mind, stealing my breath until the world faded to black and I lost consciousness. When I woke, my mind was unnervingly clear. I couldn't just lie here and be slaughtered. I had to know the truth. What gave them the right to do this to me? An affair was one thing, but to poison me? They wanted me dead. This was a dead end. The only way to save myself was to risk everything. My eyes fixed on the upper-left corner of the room. I reasoned that if Deng Jiazhe already sensed something was wrong with me, he wouldn’t have overlooked the surveillance camera in this room. I had to make that ‘eye’ go blind for good. But to do it right under their noses without being discovered seemed next to impossible. I never imagined my chance would come so soon. It seemed fate hadn't completely abandoned me. Towards evening, I faintly heard Zhao Mingzhen’s voice in the hallway, followed by the sound of Deng Jiazhe on the phone. It seemed he was back early, or perhaps he had never left at all. His voice was loud enough for me to understand: there was a power outage in the entire residential community. A jolt of excitement shot through me. It was a godsend! But just as I started to sit up, the doorknob clicked. I threw myself back down, holding my breath. In the dim light of the room, I squinted and saw Deng Jiazhe peer inside before backing out again. The door didn't latch properly, and I could clearly hear Zhao Mingzhen’s impatient complaint. “Why did the power go out? Dinner isn't even ready! What did management say? When will it be back on?” “They're looking into it. If it takes too long, we'll just eat out,” Deng Jiazhe said flatly. “Oh? Can we?” Zhao Mingzhen’s voice brightened with obvious excitement. “But her medicine isn’t ready yet!” “We'll deal with it when we get back. It doesn't look like she'll be waking up anytime soon.” “I'll go get the kids dressed then!” Zhao Mingzhen's footsteps faded quickly down the hall. A short while later, I heard a car engine start downstairs. My heart sank into a pit of despair. A single hot tear traced a path from the corner of my eye into my hairline. But there was no time for self-pity. I scrambled out of bed, my heart hammering against my ribs, a frantic mix of excitement and terror. My body felt weak, my legs trembling uncontrollably. I struggled to drag a chair over, climbed onto it, and checked. Sure enough, the camera was still there. I pulled it down and turned it over in my hands. I had no idea how to make it look intact while completely frying its circuits. In a panic, I scrambled down and rushed to the bathroom. I filled the sink with water and unceremoniously dropped the device in. Then I hurried back to my nightstand to look for my phone. It had been so long since I'd used it, I had no idea where it could be. I had to call Haizhen, ask for her help. I needed to know what they had been giving me. Zhou Haizhen was from my hometown, a former classmate, and more importantly, the only friend in Qingcheng I could trust with my life. But I tore through every drawer, checked the gaps beside the bed, scanned the shelves… until I collapsed, utterly exhausted, without finding it. My useless heart was pounding so hard I thought it would explode. I lay collapsed on the bed, gasping for air. A tear traced a path down my cheek, an itchy, wet track. I wiped it away, cursing myself internally. How had I become this pathetic? I took a moment to compose myself, drawing a deep, shaky breath. Then, gritting my teeth, I rose and crept to the door. I peeked out cautiously. The entire house was eerily silent, cloaked in the advancing darkness. I slipped out of the room like a ghost. Barefoot, I hurried down the hall and straight to Deng Jiazhe’s study. I had to find my phone before the power came back on; it was my only way to contact the outside world. If the electricity returned and the cameras were working again, I couldn't imagine I would ever get another chance like this. It had been a long time since I’d been in the study. I was certain Deng Jiazhe had taken my phone. I went straight to his desk. His laptop was there, and I reached out to touch it. Still warm. He had been using it just moments ago. I bent down to pull open the drawers, only to find them all locked. He never used to lock his drawers. Now every single one was secured. I stamped my foot in frustration.