When I arrived at the hospital, I saw Ella lying silently on the bed by herself. Her eyes stared blankly out of the window.

When she heard the door open, she turned her head. Upon realizing it was me, her eyes lightened up. However, then, as her eyes looked behind me, the light immediately dimmed and she turned her head with a disappointed look on her face.

I knew she was looking for her father, Simon.

A pang of sorrow gripped my heart and my eyes burned with unshed tears. Yet I didn’t dare cry. Holding back my emotions, I brought over a bag full of Ella’s favorite things and set them gently by her bedside.

On the nightstand lay a crumpled, opened manila envelope. The paternity test results were scattered in plain view. The result was glaring vividly in my eyes. It clearly stated that Cassie was ninety-nine point ninety-nine hundred ninety match, while Ella was just ninety-nine percent.

Biologically stated having a match of over ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent confirmed that the recipients have a parent and child relationship.

I stared at those cold, unforgiving figures, momentarily dazed. With a deep breath, I pushed the papers aside and covered them with the gifts I had brought.

"Ella, how are you feeling? Is anything still hurting?” I asked, my voice shaky but gentle. “Mom brought you some things you love..."

"Aunty Sarah, thank you for your kindness,” Ella cut me off. Her voice was flat and distant. “However, I don’t need any of it. I’m terrified I won’t be able to pay back everything I owe to the Barnes Family.”

Her words were like a knife twisting in my heart. She glanced at me with an unreadable expression before turning away and pulling the blanket over herself.

“Ella, please, don’t say that. It doesn’t matter if we don’t share the same blood. We’re still family. You’ll always be ….”

“Family?” she interrupted, her voice cracking. She flung the blanket off and sat up, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m eighteen, Ma'am! I’m an adult! Even if I were your biological child, you wouldn’t be obligated to care for me anymore. I have no parents because I’m an orphan! He said it himself. I’m not shameless enough to stay in the Barnes Family home any longer!”

"Ella, you know your father didn’t mean that. He’s just feeling resentful right now,” I pleaded, desperately trying to comfort her. “Cassie had suffered all those years she was out there and he’s struggling to adjust. However, he… he’ll come around! He ... he ....”

My words faltered, I was not sure how to comfort Ella. The room fell silent, except for the sound of Ella's quiet broken sobs,

"Ella, don’t get so upset. I’ll talk to your father again. He doesn’t truly want to abandon you. You’re still our beloved daughter, no matter what! Even with Cassie back, we’ll treat you both equally.”

I reached out and gently patted the mound of blankets that was hiding Ella. Tears slipped from my eyes and I tried to blink them away.

"Do you mean it, Mom?" came her muffled, trembling voice. She slowly stretched a hand from beneath the covers, tentatively reaching for me.

“Yes, I do!” I couldn’t hold back anymore. My tears burst forth, flowing like a river as I grabbed her hand and pulled her into a fierce embrace. We clung to each other, sobbing together, our pain and love entangled.

No matter what, feelings that had been forged over eighteen years did not disappear just like that. I couldn’t let her go and I knew she couldn’t let me go, either.

I believed deep inside his heart, that Simon could not sever ties with Ella so easily.

When I finally left the hospital, I did my best to calm myself before returning home.

There was no one in the mansion, so I climbed up the stairs alone. As I passed Cassie's room, I stopped, then slowly turned and gently pushed the door open.

Simon had taken Cassie out to play early in the morning. Looked like he was trying a great lengths to make up for the eighteen years he had missed with his lost daughter.

I gazed around the room, taking in the endless display of expensive clothes, jewelry, rare designer bags and the fairytale-like décor fit for a princess. A strange feeling flickered inside me.

It seemed I, as her mother, still fell short. I often talked about treating both of our daughters equally, but everything in Cassie’s room had been personally arranged by her father. It made me look like an inattentive parent.

I silently reflected on this, then gently closed the door and turned to head a short distance down the hall to Ella's room.

Ella might have to stay in the hospital. I had already hired a caregiver for her, but no one could attend to her as well as I could. My plan was to pack some fresh clothes for Ella and head over to take care of her myself.

As I looked around Ella's modest room, at this moment, the strange feeling that I felt before began to make sense.

For eighteen years, Ella had been our daughter, mine and Simon’s. Although we hadn’t spoiled her with everything she could ever want, she had certainly lived a life of luxury.

However now, with Cassie back, the difference between the two rooms was stark. Suddenly, Simon’s attention toward Cassie felt overwhelming, almost too excessive.

Especially when I looked at Cassie's lavish setup and then at Ella's simple room, it made the favoritism glaringly obvious.

Simon had never been this doting on his daughter before. Now, he seemed like the ultimate girl dad, entirely wrapped around Cassie's finger.

I pushed down my uneasiness and convinced myself that the reason Simon loved her so much stemmed from the guilt that he had lost Cassie for sixteen years.

Actually, Simon had always been a wonderful father to Ella. While her room looked simple and ordinary, it contained many valuable items and several were handcrafted by him. His love for her was genuine and irreplaceable. It made sense that Ella had always been especially attached to her dad since she was a kid.

With that thought, I smiled at the small trinkets Simon had made for Ella, then packed a few of her favorite clothes into a bag. With the help of the house staff, I got the rest of Ella's things ready, as I planned to have the family driver take me to the hospital.

I opened Ella's door and stepped out. I had every intention to call the driver to prepare the car. Yet, I just walked a few steps when I heard the sound of a girl’s laughter coming from Cassie’s room.

Had Simon brought Cassie home already so early? I wondered.

As the thought entered my mind, I drew a deep breath and decided to discuss Ella's situation with Simon. However, before I could take another step, a sudden, muffled scream came from Cassie’s room, followed by Simon’s voice.

My brow furrowed as an unsettling feeling washed over me. Carefully, I tiptoed closer to Cassie’s door.

“No … please, don’t …!” her playful voice rang out sharply at the moment.

A chill shot up from my feet and raced through my body, freezing me in place. My mind hadn’t even caught up to what was happening when I instinctively reached for the door handle.