Chapter 2

Henry's glower faded, replaced by a tender smile as he answered without hesitation, "Okay!"

With that, he turned and hurried out of the villa, choosing the daughter he had with Linda—abandoning Tina and Sophie once again.

Tina stood where she was, her heart breaking as her arms tightened around the urn containing Sophie's ashes.

She then gently patted it, like a quiet gesture to comfort her daughter.

Ever since Linda returned from abroad with her daughter, Henry had given them his absolute undivided attention.

It did not matter what time it was or what he was doing—he would be there with just a phone call.

And while Tina had no issue with abandonment, her heart ached for Sophie.

She was so sweet and kind, only for her father to hurt her time and time again!

Fortunately, this would be the last.

It would never happen again!

-

In the VIP ward of Jadelight Hospital, Linda was coaxing her daughter Rory.

Then, watching as Henry entered, she exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here, Henry? You said you were taking Sophie to the amusement park for missing her birthday…"

Realizing with a start, she then turned a stern glare on her own daughter as she lay on the sickbed. "Did you call Daddy behind my back again?"

"Daddy…"

Rory simply threw her little hands around Henry as she got near, looking up with tears in her eyes as she pouted. "The hospital is scary."

Henry hugged her gently in turn, patting her back gently as he told Linda, "She's only five—it's normal if she's afraid of the hospital. I'll stay here with her for the day… As for Sophie, there's always next time."

His words reminded Linda of her daughter's illness, and she could not bear to snap at her daughter.

Patting Rory's little cheek dotingly, she turned to Henry with a look of gratitude.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Linda choked through tears, "Bless you for being here for Rory, or she wouldn't have found a kidney donor. If not for you…"

"She'll be fine, as long as I'm around," Henry promised tenderly.

"You're the best…."

Linda leaned on him, and he patted her back reassuringly.

Still, he stood up just as she was about to wrap her arms around his waist, saying, "I need to talk to the doctors about Rory's condition. Take her downstairs—I'll catch up."

"Okay, Daddy. Please hurry up," Rory said sweetly as he strode out of the room and into the elevator.

Just as the elevator doors closed, the doors of the next elevator opened, and Tina hurried outside, heading straight to the office of Sophie's attending physician.

A nurse promptly strode in her way. "You can't go in, Ms. Smith—"

Tina ignored her and barged inside, striding up to Dr. Ferguson as she pleaded, "Please tell me, doctor… who was the recipient?"

If that kidney had not been stolen out of the blue, Sophie would still be alive!

As Dr. Ferguson remained silent, she suddenly dropped to her knees. "Please, I'm begging you…"

She would do anything as long as she got an answer!

Dr. Ferguson scrambled to his feet to pull Tina up, exclaiming earnestly, "Please, Ms. Smith! I really don't know who it was!"

He sighed audibly, seeing how much weight Tina had lost in a matter of days.

Compassionate like most doctors, he sympathized with her too—when Sophie finally had a donor match, someone stole it even before they could operate on her.

That was how Sophie ended up dead on the operating table, a sweet girl lost just like that.

As her mother, Tina would definitely be overwhelmed, but Dr. Ferguson did not have an answer either.

All he heard was that some bigwig's daughter happened to be a match too, and Dr. Ferguson would never dare to breathe a word on that.

Denied even a hint, Tina left the office somberly.

When she arrived downstairs, a tiny figure shot toward her like a cannonball.

Tina reached down to catch her in reflex, but even before she reached the girl, someone smacked her hand away violently.

At the same time, Tina heard the familiar voice of another woman. "Don't hurt my daughter!"

It was Linda.

And as Tina withdrew her hand, Linda hugged Rory protectively while holding Tina's gaze, choking as if on the verge of tears, "Come at me if you have a problem. Rory is just a child—don't take it out on her!"

Yet another staged act.

Tina's lips curled into a sneer—she did not even have to look to know that Henry must be near.

And to no surprise, as soon as Linda finished, Henry snapped coldly from behind, "What's gotten into you this time, Tina?"

As Henry strode over, he protectively shielded Linda and Rory behind himself, glaring icily at Tina in warning.

The sight of him going all out to protect Linda and Rory stung Tina in the heart, and she clenched her knuckles. But as she was still dejected from Dr. Ferguson's denial, she did not want more trouble.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, however, Rory hugged Henry's leg, looking up at him and pouting unhappily. "Is Sophie upset because Daddy celebrated my birthday, and not hers? Is that why Tina is upset too? It's all my fault…"

Tina's visage turned cool—that reminded her of the time when Sophie first met Rory.

Rory had fallen into the pool and was saved as Henry rushed to the scene in the nick of time.

It was the same apology back then, too. "Did I make you upset, Sophie? I'm sorry, it's all my fault…"

'It's all my fault'.

Though clearly an apology, it was also a thinly veiled accusation that Sophie had pushed her.

Henry exploded back then, refusing to listen to Sophie at all and snapping at her viciously, after which he made her stand outside the house to reflect on her mistake.

The punishment lasted hours, but Henry did not seem to care.

When Sophie got home, she fell sick right away with a burning fever that lasted three days and nights.

Then, when she finally woke up, she was crying so hard that she was convulsing!

"Mommy, I never pushed Rory," she said. "She pushed me and fell into the pool herself… It really wasn't me!"

"It's alright, baby! I believe you!"

Tina had hugged her as she comforted her endlessly, but Sophie's tears would not stop.

"Then why wouldn't Daddy believe me?"

That was what hurt Sophie the most—her beloved father doubting her.

Even now, Tina's eyes narrowed coolly as she stared at Rory.

"Oh, no!"

As Rory promptly started bawling, Linda appeared heartbroken and strode between her and Tina to stop Tina from glaring. "I told you! Come at me if you have a problem—"

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Tina did just as Linda asked, slapping her repeatedly!