Chapter 1

Staring at the wailing baby inside the cardboard box in front of me, I didn’t hesitate. I picked up my phone and called the police.

"Hello? Yes, there’s an abandoned baby outside my house. I don’t know who left him here."

The officer said they would arrive shortly. After I hung up, my parents, Owen and Julia Ashford, came out of the house. The moment they saw the baby, their first reaction was to rush over and pick him up.

"Oh my god, whose baby is this? The poor thing. It’s freezing out here, and someone just dumped him like this."

"Natalie Ashford, don’t you love kids the most? Why don’t you just adopt him?"

I watched them perform with cold indifference.

In my previous life, I had adopted this child and named him Tom Ashford. I gave up my career and struggled to raise him on my own.

Then, on the very day Tom was accepted into a top-tier university, my younger sister, Sophia Ashford, suddenly appeared and accused me of stealing her child.

Overnight, I became a despicable human trafficker, cursed and reviled by everyone.

Even after learning the truth, my parents didn’t defend me. They kicked me out of the house without hesitation.

Only then did I find out that the family Sophia wanted to marry into valued reputation above all else. If word got out that she had given birth out of wedlock, the media would tear her apart.

So they all conspired together. They tricked me into taking in Sophia’s illegitimate child, raising him into someone accomplished, only to snatch him back once he was grown.

As if life worked that way.

This time, I wasn’t letting them get what they wanted.

"Mom, Dad, what are you talking about? How could I adopt a child of unknown origin? What if he has a genetic disease? And I still plan to get married in the future. If people see me raising a child, who would want to marry me?"

For a moment, they were left speechless.

The noise had already drawn the neighbors over, and soon a small crowd gathered to watch.

"She’s right. Maybe the baby was abandoned because he’s sick. Better to call the police and let them handle it."

The moment someone mentioned calling the police, Mom hurriedly stopped the neighbor who was pulling out their phone. "If you call the police, this poor child will be sent to a welfare home! That’s too cruel. Absolutely not!"

I crossed my arms and let out a cold laugh. "This child isn’t related to you by blood. Why are you so nervous?"

Faced with my question, they stammered for a long time, unable to come up with an excuse.

Just then, Sophia walked out of the house. She looked at the baby on the ground with feigned shock, then pointed straight at me and accused me outright.

"How could you give birth to a child and then secretly abandon him? Do you have any idea that this is illegal?"

All eyes immediately turned to me.

Sophia continued, "Mom, Dad, Natalie hasn’t been home these past few days. Last night, I heard a baby crying. I went downstairs and saw her sneaking out with a big cardboard box. I never imagined she was throwing away her own child!"

The neighbors erupted into chatter.

"How can someone be that cruel? That’s her own flesh and blood."

"And she even said the baby was sick. I bet she’s the one who caught some filthy disease…"

I found her story laughable.

"You say I abandoned the baby. Where’s your proof? Just your word? And if I really wanted to dump a child, why would I leave him right at my own doorstep and wait for you all to find him?"

"Who knows? Maybe you had a change of heart and couldn’t bear to throw him away after all."

The murmurs grew louder. People were already pointing at me openly.

Mom put on a look of false kindness and tried to persuade me. "Natalie, hurry up and take the baby inside. If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined. Where will our family’s dignity go?"

In my previous life, this was exactly how it happened. Sophia accused me without evidence, my parents urged me to adopt the baby to quiet things down, and I obediently listened.

This time, I wasn’t going to be that stupid.

"If anyone spreads rumors about me, I will pursue it legally. I’ve already called the police. Once they arrive and pull the surveillance footage, we’ll know exactly who abandoned this baby."