Chapter 2

Sabrina lunged forward and seized Elena. "I stitched this dress with my own hands! Put it on, now. Don't push me."

Elena frowned and burst into loud sobs.

I stepped between them, taking the dress from Sabrina's grasp. "Don't frighten her, Sabrina. She's not used to colors like these. Don't blame her for that. She's just a child."

Sabrina's expression tightened into a scowl. "Picky, huh? Alex never makes a fuss over clothes. How dare she… Still, she has to wear this. The old priest blessed it. It'll keep her safe."

She bent down once more, her tone soft and coaxing. "This is a princess dress, Elena. Once you wear it, you'll be a little princess. Don't you want that?"

But Elena only clung to the hem of my clothes, pressing herself behind me. "No… I don't want to. I don't like the colors."

A wave of revulsion rose in my chest, but I forced it down and twisted my lips into a grateful smile. "Sabrina, it means a lot that you care for Elena this way. Why don't you leave the dress here? Once she has calmed down, I'll make sure she puts it on. I promise your kindness won't be wasted."

Sabrina was about to argue further when her phone rang.

"Get back here, quick! Alex's skin is torn again!"

I pretended not to hear Jerome's frantic voice and crouched beside Elena, gently wiping away her tears.

The instant Sabrina learned that Alex was in trouble, her eyes flicked from the dress in my hands to the earnestness on my face—a sincerity she couldn't doubt. Then, she rushed back home.

Once she was gone, I pulled out my phone and called my younger brother, Owen Reid. I invited him over to celebrate Elena's birthday.

The people Sabrina despised most were Owen and me. In her mind, all the Reids' wealth should go to Jerome alone. She never tired of asking why Mom and Dad hadn't been content with Jerome and why they had to burden themselves with a useless daughter and another son.

And yet, it was I who ended up the successful one. I married a man far better than her husband.

Meanwhile, Owen became nothing but a spoiled wastrel, squandering his life on alcohol, gambling, and women. In my past life, he knew everything Sabrina had done to me, yet he felt not a flicker of sympathy. Instead, he had just stood by her side, helping her claw at the Satchwells' inheritance.

Owen was rotten through and through. Even after he got the money, he squandered every last bit of it. His reckless indulgences finally caught up with him, leaving him with HIV.

In the end, everything played out just as Sabrina wished. The Reids were stripped down to Jerome alone. He, Sabrina, and Alex lived on comfortably, a tidy little family of three.

So, Sabrina wanted a healthy Alex? Fine. I'd hand her Mom's "precious boy" and watch if she could stomach him.

She thought she could trade her sickly son for my daughter? In that case, I'd let her get an Alex who was rotten to the core.

I was holding Elena and just about to cut the cake when the doorbell rang.

The moment Elena saw that it was Owen, her brows knitted together. In her eyes, Jerome, Sabrina, and Owen were nothing but vermin.

Owen always had a habit of laying his hands on Elena, and I hated having him anywhere near her. But now, I had no choice but to swallow my disgust and let him in.

The moment he stepped through the door, not even bothering to take off his shoes, he asked, "Herman's not home, huh?"

"Yeah. He's on a business trip."

At the mention of Herman's absence, Owen's face lit up. "Happy birthday, Elena! Now, hurry up and give me some pocket money."

Shameless was far too mild a word. What kind of man would ask a child for money?

"I invited you here to celebrate Elena's birthday. And you're asking her for money?"

Owen curled his lip. "You know I'm broke, Emma. I've got plans later, so just hand me some cash. Once I strike it rich, forget birthdays, I'll buy Elena her own island!"

I laughed. This was Owen—slick tongue and full of empty promises but always dressed up pretty.

Mom had always doted on him the most. Since we were kids, the best food and drink were laid at his feet first.

Had Jerome not had Alex and had Owen not been a freak, perhaps Owen would still be Mom's and Dad's favorite.

I had left the dress Sabrina sent, along with the new gold necklace I had bought, deliberately sitting out on the table. Sure enough, Owen's eyes landed on them right away. He strolled over to the table. "Emma, this gold heart pendant's got to be worth a fair bit, huh?"

He weighed it in his palm. "At least two ounces, easy."

"That's Herman's birthday gift for Elena. As for that dress, my friend brought it back from Serania. She told me that even secondhand, it could fetch around six grand. Elena had only worn it a few times before deciding she didn't like it."