Chapter 3

*Slap—*

An even harder blow struck the other side of my face.

Instantly, something hard and metallic-tasting flew out of my mouth, landing on the cold floor with a tiny *clack*.

It was a few small, bloody teeth.

I froze.

My mother froze too.

Her hand was still shaking, and a flash of panic crossed her face.

"What is going on here?"

Hearing the noise, the doctor rushed into the room. Seeing my bloody mouth, his brow furrowed deeply, his voice laced with anger.

"Those are baby teeth. Ma'am, you cannot hit a child in the face! This is extremely dangerous!"

My mother looked at him in disbelief. "She's ten years old! How does she still have baby teeth?"

The doctor looked up, his gaze sharp and accusatory. His voice turned cold. "Your child is severely malnourished. Her baby teeth never fell out properly because her adult teeth didn't have the nutrients to grow and push them out. This is a classic sign of long-term neglect, lack of vitamins, and calcium."

His words quickly drew the attention of the other patients and families in the ward. The whispers started immediately, cutting through the air like needles.

"She looks so wealthy, but she treats her kid like this?"

"How can a mother be so cruel?"

"Look at the younger one, dressed like a princess, but the older one is treated like dirt."

"If you can't love them equally, don't have them. Parents like her deserve to end up alone."

My mother’s face drained of all color.

She stared at my blood-stained chin, her eyes trembling violently.

Seeing her eyes well up with tears, my heart clenched.

*Don't cry, Mom.*

Suppressing the throbbing pain in my face and the metallic taste in my mouth, I quickly wiped the blood away with my sleeve. I forced a smile for the doctor and the crowd.

"It's not my mom's fault... It's me. I was just a really picky eater at the group home. I never ate my food."

My voice was a bit slurred, but I tried my best to speak clearly.

"My mom... she even made me lasagna yesterday."

I looked up at my mother, trying to make my smile look prettier, even though I knew I must look hideous with blood all over my mouth.

"Mom, it doesn't hurt. Really..."

The whispers in the room suddenly shifted.

"Oh, she’s adopted..."

"Well, at least this lady was kind enough to take her in and get her medical help."

"Yeah, it’s her biological parents who are the real monsters for abandoning her in the first place!"

They praised my mother's kindness and cursed my biological parents to hell.

They had no idea that the saint they were praising and the monster they were cursing were the exact same person.

I watched my mother’s embarrassed, fleeing figure. Yet, a strange sense of peace washed over me.

She hadn't sent me away immediately. She was still willing to let me get treatment.

Did this mean she was finally accepting me?

With this fragile, desperate hope, I spent the next few days in the hospital.

On the day of my discharge, I packed my few things early and kept my eyes glued to the door.

Hours passed. People walked by, but none of them were her.

My hope slowly deflated like a popped balloon.

Finally, a tall shadow blocked the light at the door. A man in a sharp, tailored suit stood there, looking at me with a complex expression.

The nurse called him Mr. Carter.

I scrambled off the bed, grabbed his large hand, and the word slipped out: "Dad!"

His body stiffened. Emotions I couldn't read swirled in his eyes. Ultimately, he just gave a low, heavy sigh.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

His car was incredibly spacious and comfortable. Rocked by the gentle motion of the ride, I quickly fell asleep.

In my half-dreaming state, I heard him speaking over the phone, his voice hushed.

"Are you still refusing to tell the Miller family?"

Vincent sighed. "There’s nothing to say. Julian Miller treated Stella like a rebound, a hollow substitute. She ran away pregnant and abandoned the baby rather than go back to him."

My heart skipped a beat. *Rebound... abandoned...*

"But what about you?" the voice on the other end asked, utterly confused. "You know that kid isn't yours. Even her own mother doesn't want her. Why are you so determined to play the savior?"