Chapter 3

Everyone was startled and turned to her.

“Wife, what’s wrong?” Mr Grant asked with a frown.

Alaine didn’t glance at him. Her attention was on Tracy’s hand. Ignoring the stares, she walked towards her daughter. The room was filled with silence; only her soft steps could be heard.

Eve looked at her mother, not understanding what she was trying to do. She could tell from the direction that she was walking towards Tracy, prompting her to turn and look at her ‘new sister’.

Alaine stood in front of Tracy, took her hand, and started caressing it gently. She saw it clearly; it was due to beatings, and since they weren’t treated, they left a hideous scar.

Both Eve and her father were stunned when they saw her actions; their eyes fell on the wounds. Mr Grant was displeased when he realized that they were the cause of Alaine’s scream.

Eve stared at Tracy, hatred and displeasure in her eyes, as she started suspecting that Tracy had revealed those wounds on purpose.

“What…what happened to you?” Tracy asked, tears cascading down as she imagined the pain her daughter had gone through. Tracy’s expression was stiff and brittle, as if her face might crack; she never expected the woman to react the way she did.

Tracy glanced at the woman, then stared at her wounds. “My adopted parents didn’t like me. If she arrived home and found that the meals weren’t prepared yet, I would be beaten. As for my adopted father, when he was drunk, he was abusive, beating me until he was satisfied.”

Her mouth was curled up into a smile, hoping to reassure the woman, but when Alaine stared at her eyes, she just saw the pain and shadow in them. ‘The smile is fake.’ She told herself inwardly, but felt more pain at the thought that when recalling the ugly past, her daughter still wanted to reassure her.

A tidal wave of emotions crashing over her, her jaw trembled as a mist veil covered her eye, she fought back the tears as she didn’t want to shed tears in front of Tracy.

“Does it hurt?” she asked. Her tone was so soft and full of fear, the fear that portrayed what she was feeling inside; she was afraid of hearing the answer.

“The recent wounds from beatings hurt, but the old ones don’t,” Tracy replied.

Alaine’s strength cracked at her words, and hot tears burned down her cheeks.

“Mom, stop crying,” Eve said as she walked towards Alaine and hugged her.

“Don’t touch me!” Alaine shouted as she pushed Eve away, startling her. Luckily, her father, who was nearby, rushed and held her before she fell.

“Alaine, what are you doing? Do you want to hurt our daughter?” Mr Grant asked coldly, but his eyes were fixed on Tracy, blaming her for what had happened.

If only she had hidden those wounds, none of that would have happened.

“Our daughter? She isn’t our daughter! She is an imposter who stole my daughter’s life!” Alaine shouted as she turned to face the man. She felt as if her heart was torn into pieces seeing his actions.

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes when he heard those words, “She might not be related to us, but she is the daughter whom we brought up, loved, cherished, and pampered. How can you bear being this cold to her?”

Alaine stared at her husband, disappointed. She glanced at Tracy, wondering whether she was hurt by her father’s action, only to find her staring at her father. Thinking that she was hurt, she caressed Tracy’s face, startling the girl, and she turned to her. “Don’t worry, mommy is now here to protect you.” She mumbled, but Tracy heard it clearly.

She stared at the woman, feeling conflicted. In her past life, she believed that her mother didn’t love her as she was only indifferent, but this time, seeing how things were escalating, she understood that she might have been mistaken.

Still, the scars were still flesh in her heart; she had let them go after years in prison, but on her death, she blamed the woman also. She didn’t reply to Alaine or even offer her a smile; she just stared at her before looking at Eve, causing Alaine to misunderstand.

Alaine wiped her tears forcibly and then turned to her husband. “Right, we pampered her, but how did her parents treat my daughter? I carried her for nine months; my blood runs in her veins. If you don’t feel pain for her, then shut up. I understand you don’t know a mother’s pain.”

Mr Grant had a cold expression staring at Tracy, blaming her for the quarrels in the family, before staring at Alaine.

“Mom, I am tired. I want to go rest,” Tracy broke the cold silence and the glares that were being thrown at each other by the couple.

Alaine shot Eve a cold look, adjusted her expression before turning to Tracy. “Okay, sweetie, mommy will take you to rest.”

Tracy looked at the direction Eve had been taking her with a reluctant gaze, then asked, “Mom, is my bedroom on the ground floor? I thought that the ground-floor bedrooms were meant for the servants?”

Eve had clenched her hands as she understood what Tracy was plotting.

Alaine’s smile froze, then she recalled what her husband and Eve had planned.

‘Wife, you know that she is coming from the countryside, so we should first give her a small room for her to get used to it. What if we give her a master guestroom, so that she fails to understand the house features in there? Won’t it be embarrassing for us?’

That was what she had been told. Though reluctant, she had thought that instead of making the servants laugh at her for being unable to use them, she might agree with them.

 “Of course not. How can my daughter stay in such a room?” Alaine said, turning to give Eve a cold look. She had given Eve everything, while her daughter not only endured beatings but also had to stay in a poor room. How could she let her stay in such a room even after coming back?

“But mom, there is no vacant room upstairs,” Eve hurriedly stated when she saw Alaine leading Tracy to the stairs.

“Then you can stay in there,” Alaine said coldly as she pointed at the room which had been ‘specially’ prepared for Tracy.

Mr Grant opened his mouth to say something, but got a glare, causing him to shut up.

Tracy was led upstairs, Alaine holding her hand, as if afraid that she might disappear any time.

Mr Grant glanced at Eve before following the two. Eve stared at their departing figure with a cold glint, hating Tracy for coming back. ‘Why switch us if you can’t make her stay there for life?’ she mumbled coldly as she thought of her biological mother.

“Mom, can I have that room? It is well ventilated, and where it is, the sunrays can get in through the window,” Tracy said as she pointed at the room in a corner. “Also, since it is in a corner, I won’t get into anyone’s way.”

Alaine was heartbroken when she heard that. “Baby, this is your home, and everything here belongs to you. You don’t need to request anything.”

She saw some servants cleaning and said, “Please help Eve take her belongings to the guest room downstairs, on the first floor.”

Eve had just gotten to that floor when she heard those words. She felt cold. Why did she have to lose everything, and it wasn’t her fault? “Mom, that has always been my room! How can you give it to her!” Eve said as tears flowed down her face.

Alaine looked at her and said, “This was supposed to be my daughter’s. It is just going to its rightful owner.”

“Baby, rest a bit, then I will take you to the hospital; your wounds need to be treated,” Alaine said as she glanced at the wounds.