Chapter 3

The car moved incredibly fast. Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to a massive private hospital.

The building was huge, entirely white, and blindingly bright.

I stood at the entrance, trembling.

"Dad said hospitals are for dirty mortals who eat garbage food."

"Angels don't go to hospitals. We just sit under the moonlight, and we get better."

Alex didn't argue. Seeing that I wouldn't budge, he simply scooped me up and carried me inside.

He took me into a large, quiet examination room.

The doctor there wore a pristine white coat, his face incredibly grave.

From their conversation, I realized he was Alex's friend. Alex called him Dr. Chris Evans.

For the next two hours, they drew my blood, took X-rays, and slid me into a giant, glowing tube.

I shook with fear during every single test.

But Alex stayed by my side the entire time. Every time I turned around, he was right there.

When the results finally came back, Dr. Evans’s hands were shaking as he held the stack of papers.

"Alex, where on earth did you find this kid?"

"I have never seen a child from a seemingly normal family this severely malnourished!"

Dr. Evans pointed to the X-ray on the screen.

"She is six years old, but her bone development is that of a four-year-old! She has severe osteoporosis and her stomach has partially shrunken."

"It's highly likely she has never eaten meat or dairy in her life, and she is getting almost zero essential carbs and fats."

"Allergic to protein? Her immune system is practically nonexistent! It has nothing to do with allergies!"

I couldn't understand most of the medical jargon.

But I could tell they were angry at my parents.

I panicked, jumping off the chair and shouting, "Doctor, stop saying that! My mom is the best! She wakes up before the sun is even up to collect morning dew for me! It's so hard for her!"

"My dad says you have to raise a boy humble but raise a girl rich! Leo only gets cheap takeout, but I get to eat organic cabbage!"

I turned around and pointed at my own back. "And my wings are about to grow! Dad said these two bones sticking out of my back are my angel wings trying to break out!"

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Dr. Evans stared at my back, his eyes filled with a painful mixture of pity and horror. My shoulder blades were protruding sharply through my skin, solely because there was no meat on my bones.

Alex's hands clenched into tight fists, the veins on his knuckles bulging.

The assistant, who had been waiting outside, stepped into the room. His face was pale.

"Mr. Vance, we ran a background check. The parents own a construction materials company. Their annual income is around $400,000."

"They spend over $4,000 a month on their son, Leo's, lifestyle and education. But Chloe..."

The assistant glanced at me, finding it hard to continue.

"Chloe's clothes are all cheap synthetic polyester ordered off Wish for $5. She has never been to preschool. The parents told neighbors that public schools would 'pollute her angelic spirit.'"

"In reality, they took the tuition money they saved and put it all into Leo's private tutoring and extracurriculars."

Wish? $5?

I didn't understand what those words meant.

Every time Leo tried to touch my dress, Dad would push him away.

He said Leo’s hands were too dirty to touch an angel's clothes.

"Uncle Alex, he's wrong," I whimpered. "Dad said my dress is woven from the clouds in heaven. It's very expensive."

Alex looked at me. There was something in his eyes I couldn't comprehend.

It looked like rage, but also like deep, profound sorrow.

He walked toward me, but before he could speak, the door to the examination room was violently pushed open.

A wave of expensive perfume filled the air.

My mom rushed in.

My dad followed close behind, carrying my five-year-old brother, Leo, in his arms.

Leo was holding a half-eaten Häagen-Dazs ice cream bar, chocolate smudged all over his mouth.