Chapter 4

Kingston's chest heaved with anger as he pointed at Dad and snapped, "Have you forgotten what happened last New Year? Addie was almost kidnapped by human traffickers! How can you be so heartless again this year?"

Around this time last year, Mom had called out to me through the security camera. She said a package had arrived and told me to go pick it up.

I nodded obediently.

But when I got down to the lobby, I froze.

The package Mom had ordered was taller than I was. Apparently, a giant teddy bear she'd bought for Amanda had been delivered to the wrong place. Amanda couldn't wait to see it, so Mom ordered me to go collect it and open it for Amanda to see.

I pushed against it with my tiny body. It didn't budge.

Fortunately, a kind man saw me and smiled as he asked if I needed help.

I remembered my kindergarten teacher telling me not to talk to strangers. But then, I had no choice. If I didn't get back soon, Mom and Dad would scold me.

"Please, sir. Help me." I begged him through tears, my voice trembling with sobs.

Unexpectedly, he carried the box and led me toward a van. I realized something was wrong and wanted to run. But if I left the package behind, Mom would definitely yell at me.

I had no idea what to do.

The man grabbed me by the collar and kept dragging me toward the van.

"What are you doing?"

A loud voice sounded from somewhere.

The next moment, a woman rushed over and pulled me to her side.

I knew the lady. She lived on the top floor. She was generous and kind, and she often gave me something tasty to eat.

"Addie, do you know this man?" she asked.

Tears welled up in my eyes before finally spilling down my cheeks.

The lady called the police and took me home. She also called my parents, who were back in our hometown, and told them how dangerous the situation had been. She asked in disbelief how they could have left me home alone and then sent me to pick up such a heavy package by myself.

But all she heard from the other end was an excited voice shouting, "I win!"

My parents had been playing poker, which was why they were in such a good mood as they listened to everything that had happened to me.

"What? You said Addie was almost kidnapped by human traffickers?" Mom's voice actually rose as she said it.

She went on to say, "She's getting smarter. She didn't want to pick up the package, so she made up an excuse. Wouldn't it have been great if the traffickers had really taken her? Whoever wants to raise her can take her."

She let out a mocking laugh, her voice dripping with contempt.

The lady's reaction back then was exactly the same as Kingston's now. Her eyes had widened in disbelief, and she couldn't help but look at me with eyes full of sympathy.

Kingston criticized, "She's your daughter! You brought her to this world but refuse to take care of her. What kind of parents are you?"

Despite Kingston's stern questioning, my parents didn't take him seriously at all. In their hearts, I was no different from a stray dog on the street. Only Amanda was their child.

"Where's your phone? Let me check the security camera and see Addie. I want to talk to her," Kingston said to Dad, holding back his anger.

Dad got annoyed and finally told him the truth. "We brought Addie along. She's at the rest area. I'll have my friend bring her back in a few days when he comes back. Since you're so worried about her, she can stay here from now on. If you like looking after kids so much, you can have her."

Kingston's eyes widened. He was so furious that his breath caught, and he could barely breathe.

He took several deep breaths before speaking in a trembling voice. "You left her at a rest area? And you plan to pick her up in a few more days? Then what? Are you going to dump her in the countryside? What did Addie do for you to hate her so much?"

Mom had just taken Amanda to her room. As she came downstairs, she heard Kingston's voice.

Instantly, she looked pissed as she retorted, "What do you know? We were supposed to have only one little princess, and that is Maddie. If the doctor hadn't said terminating the pregnancy would be dangerous, Addie wouldn't even have been born. She should be grateful that she's alive.

"But because of her, Maddie developed depression and tried to kill herself three times!"

She screamed hysterically, trying to list all the things I had supposedly done wrong.

Dad's phone suddenly rang.

Right after he answered, the voice that came through from the other end was gravely solemn.

"Hello. Am I speaking with Addie Starr's father? We're calling from the Lareton Police Station. Your daughter, Addie, went missing in a highway accident this afternoon. So far, the only thing we've found at the scene is one of her shoes."