Though Claire was puzzled, she followed instructions and brought a black garbage bag from the kitchen.
Without hesitation, Claire placed the bag over Nathan's head.
This act shocked and angered Adah, Ethan, and Vanessa.
"Claire, how could you be so cruel? Dad is already in this state, and you still want to suffocate him with a garbage bag. Are you even human?" Vanessa cried out, raising her hand to strike Claire, but Claire swiftly blocked her.
"If you don't understand, just keep your mouth shut," Claire snapped, silencing everyone present.
She glanced at them coldly. "The purpose of placing a plastic bag over the head is to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body. When a patient hyperventilates, they exhale too much carbon dioxide, causing its levels to drop, which raises the blood pH and leads to alkalosis. By covering the mouth and nose with a plastic bag, the carbon dioxide they exhale is re-inhaled, helping to restore the normal acid-base balance."
"Vanessa, weren't you one of the top students at Elite Crest High? How come you don't understand something as simple as maintaining acid-base balance?" Claire mocked, her voice dripping with disdain.
Vanessa's face flushed with anger, but she remained silent, unable to retort.
After a while, Nathan slowly regained his composure. He yanked the bag off his head, threw it to the ground, and angrily moved toward Claire.
Claire's voice was icy. "I advise Mr. Linwood to stay calm. Otherwise, if you have another attack, you might not be so lucky next time."
"You... you ungrateful daughter."
Claire gave him a dismissive glance, snorted coldly, and turned to head upstairs.
Nathan shouted angrily, "If you're so proud, stop living upstairs and go back to your storage room!"
Standing on the staircase, Claire looked down at Nathan. "I didn't stay because I didn't want to owe you anything; now I stay because I saved your life. In my eyes, your life is only worth a room. Otherwise, I could have asked for the whole house, and then you'd be the one out on the street."
"You... you're just twisting words," Nathan fumed, his anger nearly causing another episode.
Seeing this, Ethan hurriedly picked up the plastic bag and put it over Nathan's head again.
Nathan's breathing in and out made the bag inflate and deflate, a sight as absurd as it was comical.
Claire smirked.
As usual, the soup was rich with noodles, vegetables, and egg, garnished with fresh green herbs and a few drops of sesame oil, filling the room with a tantalizing aroma.
"Miss Claire, you only had a few bites earlier. You must still be hungry."
Claire's eyes welled up. "Thank you, May."
In the entire Linwood household, only May treated her with kindness.
She cared for Claire, protected her, and whenever Claire was beaten, May would step in to shield her. Without May, Claire didn't know how many times she might have perished.
"It's because of you that I can survive in this house," she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Seeing Claire's teary eyes, May hesitated, a pained look in her own eyes. "Miss Claire, why don't you secretly leave tonight?"
Claire's eyes reddened slightly, warmth spreading through her heart. She looked up at May, her voice quivering, "May, I know you mean well, but I can't leave."
"Why? Are you still attached to this place? Miss Claire, you don’t know how ruthless Mr. Linwood is. Just yesterday, your shoulder wound was stitched up, and before the anesthesia wore off, he dragged you home just to arrange a marriage with that Foster family heir," May's eyes brimmed with anger and sorrow.
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