Chapter 2

Pearl now felt dizzy and nauseous whenever she saw me.

Ethan ordered me not to go anywhere near the second floor and made me stay in the servants' quarters on the first floor.

I hugged my patched-up little blanket, my face full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Lucas."

"At my adoptive parents' house, I was only allowed to sleep in the dog kennel and the cattle shed."

"You're actually letting me stay inside the house -- you're so good to me."

"I must express my sincere gratitude."

I immediately knelt down.

This whole performance left everyone in the hall completely stunned.

Mom pulled me up with trembling hands.

"Vanessa, is this really how Daniel and his family treated you?"

I nodded, then shook my head.

"Mom, actually my adoptive parents were pretty good to me."

"As long as I worked hard enough, they'd share a bite or two of the leftovers from the dog's bowl with me."

I proudly rolled up my sleeves.

"Look, I may be skin and bones, but I'm really strong."

"I did all the housework, big and small."

Mom's gaze fell on the crisscrossing scars -- old and new -- on my arms.

She couldn't hold it in anymore and broke down crying.

I clumsily tried to wipe the tears from her face.

"Mom, don't cry."

"My adoptive parents said I was just a little bastard, and that letting me live this long was already an enormous blessing."

The word "bastard" completely enraged Dad, who had been playing the invisible man until now.

He roared at Lucas, "Go investigate this for me! How dare Daniel have the audacity to abuse my daughter like this?"

Lucas clenched his fists tightly.

He was torn.

He really didn't like me, this sister who had suddenly barged into their lives, but I did carry Hayes family blood after all.

The way Daniel and his wife treated me was essentially trampling on the Hayes family's dignity.

"Lucas, please don't investigate."

"I'm begging you on my knees."

Pearl appeared at the top of the stairs, looking so fragile a gust of wind could knock her over.

The family members who had just started feeling sympathy for me all rushed upstairs to comfort her.

I was so worried about Pearl that I shouted anxiously from behind.

"Dad, Lucas -- Daniel and his wife are Pearl's biological parents, after all."

"They've done so many illegal things."

"If you really investigate them, they'll definitely be arrested."

"Pearl shares their blood -- won't it break her heart?"

Mom and Dad's hands, reaching out to touch Pearl, froze in midair.

Pearl stood on the second floor looking down at me, grinding her teeth in hatred.

I smiled and waved at her.

"You don't need to thank me."

"We're such good sisters, even if we don't share the same parents."

Pearl's eyes rolled back again and she fainted.

This time, she probably wasn't faking it.

Dad looked at Pearl being carried horizontally in Ethan's arms.

His usually loving eyes held a trace of scrutiny.

"Pearl's body is weak."

"Take her back to her room."

"As for Vanessa -- she's your real sister."

"You can't be too biased."

Then he instructed the butler, "Go prepare the room next to Pearl's for Vanessa."

Lucas instinctively objected.

"Dad, no."

"Pearl has a lot of things."

"All the rooms on the second floor are prepared for her."

Mom raised her hand and slapped Lucas across the face.

"Lucas, do you have any humanity left?"

"When we were spoiling Pearl like a princess, your real sister was sleeping in a dog kennel at the Harper house, fighting dogs for food."

"Just because Vanessa is sensible and doesn't fight for things doesn't mean she doesn't deserve them."

"Mom, I know Vanessa suffered, but none of this is Pearl's fault."

"Why should she be neglected just because Vanessa came back?"

"In my heart, I only recognize Pearl as my sister."

Lucas argued stubbornly.

Afraid the two would damage their mother-son relationship because of me, I quickly explained.

"Mom, don't blame Lucas."

"He's right."

"All the family's love belongs to Pearl."

"I don't want anything."

"I'll go back to where I belong right now."

I hugged my tattered blanket and ran out of the mansion in a flash, heading straight for the dog kennel.