To teach our daughter gratitude, my husband and I often took her to volunteer at an orphanage whenever we had time. There was a child born with a disability, unable to walk. My daughter pitied her misfortune and asked us to buy her many new clothes. Unexpectedly, after putting on the clothes, she held my hand tightly, refusing to let go. "Auntie, I want to be your daughter too... Can you adopt me? I will be very well-behaved." Unable to resist the persuasion of my husband and daughter, I completed the adoption procedures. But unexpectedly, a week later, my daughter accidentally fell from the balcony and died on the spot. My husband and I followed closely, dying tragically in a car accident. After our deaths, the adopted daughter inherited all the family assets. My soul floated in mid-air, witnessing her stand up from the wheelchair. She tore up our funeral photos with a sinister smile. "It's all mine now." When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the adoption. This time, I directly shook off her clinging hand. 1 "Auntie, this dress is so beautiful. I've never worn new clothes before. I love it. Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Uncle. You are such good people!" "Auntie, I want to be your daughter too. My legs are disabled, and the kids in the orphanage bully me. Please take me with you, okay? I swear I will be very obedient. I will work like a cow or a horse to repay you!" Saying this, Lily tried to rush off her wheelchair to kneel before us. My husband, Julian, hurried to hold her, looking relieved. "As long as you like it. Is there really anyone bullying you here? The director looks like a good person, how could this happen?" My daughter, Chloe, also reddened her eyes with sympathy, looking at me pleadingly. "Mom, why don't we take her home? I also want a sister to keep me company." The familiar voices rang out. I finally snapped back from the memories of my previous life. I was actually reborn. Still on the day of adopting Lily. In my past life, she relied on her disability, rushing to the front to act pitiful every time we came to do charity work. To set an example for my daughter, and because Julian and I were always soft-hearted, we couldn't withstand her request. So we agreed to adopt her. Unexpectedly, a single act of kindness resulted in the violent deaths of the whole family. After our deaths, the way Lily stood on her legs showed no sign of disability at all. Thinking about it, she must have been relying on disguise and acting to gain sympathy in the orphanage all these years. Julian and I ended up being the suckers. This time, I won't let the tragedy repeat itself no matter what! My face turned cold, and I said deeply: "My house really doesn't have an extra room for you. Forget about adoption. The orphanage is often sponsored by kind people, and the living conditions are good. You won't suffer." My husband didn't understand why I suddenly seemed like a different person. "Honey, what's wrong? Lily just said it casually, why are you so angry?" My daughter was scared by me, pulling the corner of my clothes with an aggrieved expression. "Mom, you didn't teach me like this before. You said when we encounter others in trouble, we should help as much as possible. Good people get good rewards." "Lily is really pitiful. Can't we really take her home?" Facing the bitter pleading of the two. My attitude remained firm. "No." "If you want to see her, Mom can bring you here for activities every week, but taking her home, I don't agree." "Chloe, you are Mom and Dad's only daughter, an only child, enjoying all of our love. Do you really want an extra sister to take away half of our care?" My daughter was young after all. After thinking, she understood my difficulties. "I'll listen to Mom." I breathed a sigh of relief. Lily's eyes turned red at this moment. She struggled to move her wheelchair in front of us. "Auntie, life here is not as good as you imagine. The supplies donated by kind people are limited. I was born disabled and can't compete with them at all. The director wants to raise healthy children well because they have hope of being adopted. No one cares about me at all!" "After so many years, only you guys chat with me and buy me things. If you don't take me away, maybe you won't see me next time you come!" "Can I beg you? Auntie, I know your family is well-off. Raising one more person isn't much. I can be a nanny in your house, I can take care of sister, I can do anything, I'm not afraid of hardship..." The look full of calculation made me cold all over. I took a step back and pulled my daughter to my side. "I said no means no. My family's good conditions were earned by ourselves, not dropped from the sky. Helping you is a favor, not helping is a duty. Must money be spent on strangers? I'm not that saintly." "Besides, we give you five hundred dollars pocket money every week when we come over. It's enough for your living expenses. Don't push your luck." After speaking, ignoring her reaction, I took my daughter and left the room. Julian followed closely behind me. He didn't understand why I did this, but he always supported me unconditionally. While he was getting the car, my daughter and I stood aside basking in the sun. But I felt a venomous gaze behind my back. I turned to look. Lily was at the window of the room, looking in my direction. Her expression changed extremely fast, pleading and pitiful. But I still discovered that familiar viciousness. With an inevitable momentum. I couldn't help frowning and quickly took my daughter back to the car. Still shaken, cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Julian handed me a tissue and asked in confusion: "What's wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?" "You didn't look like yourself just now. Lily is just a kid, no need to be so calculating with her." My daughter also stared at me pitifully. "Mom, you were so scary today..." I forced myself to relax. I lovingly touched my daughter's forehead. "Chloe, good deeds should be done, but we must distinguish the situation. Some people will be grateful, and some will be ungrateful." "You are still young, you will understand later. Everything Mom does is to protect our family." Facing my husband's doubtful gaze. I told him everything that happened in my past life as if it were news. Hearing that someone kindly adopted an orphan, only to be bitten back and have the whole family killed. His brows knit tightly, and he said indignantly: "There is such a thing? I blamed you wrongly, honey." "What you think makes sense. Chloe is still young. It's enough for us to focus all our energy on her. As for others, it has nothing to do with our family." Listening to him say this. I leaned back in the passenger seat and closed my eyes to rest. But deep down, I was still a little uneasy. Lily could think of feigning disability at such a young age. Such deep scheming. Since she has targeted my family, can she really let go so easily? It seems we can't go to this orphanage anymore in the future. Fortunately, Lily is already seventeen. When she becomes an adult, the orphanage will let her leave. By then, she won't need adoption anymore, and the crisis should be resolved. Because I was too tense, once relaxed, I fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, I seemed to return to my past life. The image of Lily's sinister smile kept appearing before my eyes. I woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat. The car had already arrived downstairs at our apartment complex. My daughter hopped out of the car, ready to go upstairs. My phone rang at this moment. It was the orphanage director calling. "Ms. Zhang? Hello, sorry to disturb you. You have been sponsoring Lily before. She has been adopted. I'm calling to let you know." I avoided anything related to Lily like the plague. I casually perfunctory said I knew and hung up the phone. It seems my refusal this time made her target someone else. I hope that family won't become suckers like me in my past life. I can't control more things. Back home, I took care of my daughter washing up and sleeping. I lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. When the clock pointed to three o'clock, the door of the house was knocked. "Bang bang bang—" The force was strong, I sat up in shock. Julian was also woken up and was about to open the door. I hurriedly stopped him. Putting my index finger on my lips signaling him to be quiet. I ran to the door and looked out through the peephole. Lily's vicious eyes stared wide, meeting mine through the peephole. I instantly went weak with fear. Covering my mouth, trying hard not to make a sound. But she still didn't give up. After two minutes of silence, her choking cry came in. "Uncle, Auntie, I know you are home. Please save Lily!" "My adoptive parents beat me as soon as they took me home. I risked half my life to escape. If you don't help, I can only be caught back and wait for death!" "Uncle, Auntie, I beg you! Lily kneels to you!" I don't know how she found my house. In urgency, Julian was about to open the door for her. I immediately blocked the door. Shouting out through the door panel: "Lily, Uncle and Auntie are asleep. The director said you have been adopted. Legally we are not your guardians, and we have no obligation to take you in. If your adoptive parents come over claiming we abducted a child, we can't clear our names even if we jump into the Yellow River." "You better go back. Uncle and Auntie can't help either. Chloe has to go to school tomorrow, stop shouting." Julian's face darkened with disapproval. "Zhang Jing, Lily is just a little girl. Are you too guarded against her? Her legs are disabled and she can't even walk. What bad things can she do?" "Anyway, just for one night. At dawn tomorrow, I'll take her to the police station. If not, find someone else to adopt or send her back to the orphanage." As Julian said this, he was about to open the door. I pushed him two meters away with force. "Haven't you thought about how she found our home with disabled legs? And how did she get up to the fifteenth floor? There is no ramp for wheelchairs downstairs!" Julian froze instantly. Obviously, he understood what I meant. Lily's shouting outside the door became louder and louder. Attracting many neighbors. She deliberately tore her clothes to reveal bruises from being beaten all over her body. The neighbors were soon buzzing with discussion. "Whose child is this? How did she find this place? Looking so pitiful with injuries all over. Didn't this family just come back this afternoon? Why don't they open the door?" Lily aggrievedly said she was an orphan. Had received sponsorship from my family. After being abused by adoptive parents, she could only find here for help. Hearing this, the neighbors also helped her knock on the door. "Old Julian, this child is quite pitiful. Let her in for a night, won't you?" "Yeah, it's not easy for a little girl to run here in the middle of the night. Not a stranger, you helped before, what's one more time?" "You even changed to a new car. Adopting an orphan doesn't cost much money. Hurry up and open the door to take her back. Don't disturb the residents at night." Seeing no escape, I could only open the door. Lily sat slumped on the ground, covered in bloodstains. Seeing me come out, she immediately moved her lower body and rushed up to hug my thigh. "Auntie, Lily finally found you. Please save my life!" "That family didn't want to adopt me sincerely at all. They just wanted me to be a child bride for their mentally retarded son! They beat and scolded me when I disagreed, and didn't give me food." "If I hadn't run fast, I would have been dragged to the retard's bed by now!" She cried tragically. Surrounding neighbors were also full of sympathy. "There are still such animals in a society under the rule of law? Do these deserve to be called humans?" "Old Julian, you and your wife are good people. You go to the orphanage for activities every week. How about taking this child back for adoption? Anyway, you are a company executive, not short of a few meals for her." "Exactly. Your family only has one daughter. Raising one is raising, raising two is also herding (Chinese idiom, means raising kids isn't that hard, like herding sheep). It's fate that she found you from so far away. Keep this child, she's pitiful." Julian was already moved by what was said. Without my nod at this moment, he dared not agree rashly. I took the phone from his hand and dialed the emergency number. "Lily, it's not that Auntie doesn't care about you. It's just that the adoption procedures have been done. It's illegal for us to bring you back. You wouldn't bear to see Auntie being framed as a human trafficker by your adoptive parents, right?" "The police will investigate properly. If your adoptive parents really have problems, the adoption won't count. You will still return to live in the orphanage, don't worry." With that, I ignored the resentment in her eyes. Explained the situation directly to the police. Neighbors were busy resting, and returned to their own homes seeing the matter resolved. After all, Julian didn't have the memories of the past life. Fearful that he would be soft-hearted towards Lily. I still chose to take the person to the police station myself. Before leaving, looking at the frightened figure of my daughter in the room. I asked him to comfort our daughter well. While I took Lily into the elevator. On the way, she was still pretending to be pitiful and begging me for adoption. As if the whole world except my family were bad people. But no matter what she said, I remained silent, responding politely. It was already six in the morning when the statement was finished. Lily was left at the police station waiting for her adoptive parents to pick her up. I finally returned home. The fear of surviving a disaster made me sweat cold sweat continuously. I clearly realized that this place has been targeted by Lily. Can't stay anymore. I spent a day selling the house at home and preparing to move. But unexpectedly, I was still a step too late. At six in the afternoon, my daughter's homeroom teacher called me. "Chloe's parent, why didn't Chloe come to school today? Is she sick? Why didn't you ask for leave from me?" In an instant, cold sweat soaked my back. The scene of my daughter falling from the building and dying in my previous life flashed through my mind continuously. When I spoke, my voice was trembling with nervousness. "My daughter was sent to school by my husband personally this morning. It's impossible she's not there. Is there a mistake? Have you searched everywhere in the school?" "Teacher, a child missing is not a small matter. You can't joke with me!" The teacher obviously didn't expect this result, stunned for two seconds before explaining: "Chloe's parent, I have been in school all day today and indeed haven't seen Chloe. You said your husband sent her, did the child feel unwell on the way and he took her to the hospital? Why don't you ask him?" "I have already investigated simply about Chloe's absence today. High school seniors have tight study schedules and their range of activities is not large. Classmates familiar with Chloe said they haven't seen her today, nor heard that she was asking for leave today. You better ask the child's father, don't let anything really happen." "High school seniors are under great pressure, in case the child can't think straight..." I couldn't hear what the teacher said afterwards. Only one thought in my mind. My daughter is missing. Countless bloody scenes flashed before my eyes. I don't know how I hung up the phone. When I came back to my senses, I was already sitting on the ground, without half an ounce of strength in my body. I hurriedly dialed Julian's number with trembling hands. He picked up after ringing for almost a minute. Sounded like he was in a meeting at the company. "What's wrong, honey? Calling me at this time, shouldn't you be picking up our daughter at school?" Hearing my husband's familiar voice, I couldn't help choking up. "The homeroom teacher just called and said Chloe is missing. Are you sure you sent Chloe to school personally this morning?" "Did you watch her enter the school? Why did a perfectly fine child disappear? How do you be a father!" "The child has no news for a day, what work and meeting are you still doing! Who is the money earned for?" Maybe my tone was too bad. Julian, who usually has a good temper, was also a bit anxious at this time. "I definitely sent the person to the school, but didn't watch her go in with my own eyes. Where can she run to when she's already at the school gate? Is the teacher mistaken?" "Chloe is usually so obedient and most active in going to school. Don't worry first, I'll go to the school immediately to ask the teacher, if not, call the police. It's a society ruled by law, a child as big as Chloe will definitely be fine." Julian's words reminded me. I was too anxious just now and almost forgot about calling the police. Thinking that Lily was still in the police station last night. There should be no opportunity to commit a crime in a short time. As long as confirming she is still at the police station waiting for her adoptive parents to pick her up, my daughter, even if missing, shouldn't repeat the tragedy of the previous life. Maybe she is just under too much study pressure. Maybe she just wanted to go out and relax today. I hurriedly dialed the police number to inquire. "Hello, I am the person who sent Lily to the police station last night. Is Lily still in the police station right now?" But the next second, my whole body stiffened, goosebumps all over. "Lily? She was picked up long ago. Forgot to notify you, sorry." I clenched the phone tightly, just about to say about my daughter's disappearance. The police continued to speak, tone puzzled. "However, when her adoptive parents came, we questioned them, and the situation was quite different from what she said last night. They took her back just to have an extra daughter. The family already has a mentally retarded son, and the family conditions are not very good. They want to raise a normal child so that they can have a guarantee for their old age." "Heard from them, when they just picked Lily back, they had already prepared an independent bedroom for the child, bought quite a few new clothes, and changed her wheelchair to a new one. Just don't know what happened, Lily's reaction has always been very flat, not like this age at all." "They thought the child was born disabled and somewhat introverted, so they didn't think much. As a result, Lily suddenly disappeared at night. If the police hadn't called, they would have gone crazy with anxiety..." Seeing no reaction from me for a long time, the police thought I was worrying about Lily. Kindly persuaded a few sentences. "Don't worry too much. Lily is a smart kid, she should be fine. It's just maybe because she's an orphan, she has some psychological problems. Now being adopted, family harmonious, should be able to recover slowly." But I didn't care about Lily's situation at all. Only the sentence "their family conditions are not very good" was in my ears.
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