“Whatever you say, Mommy.”

I finally let out a breath of relief.

At that very moment, Cassandra's reddened. She struggled to wheel herself closer to us.

She pleaded, “Auntie… life here is worse than you think. The donations from kind people are limited. I was born disabled so I can’t fight with the others for food or supplies. The director prefers healthy kids because they have a better chance of being adopted. No one here really cares about me!”

“All these years, you’re the only ones who ever talked to me … whoever bought me things. If you don’t take me home today, you might never see me again …” she continued.

“I’m begging you, Auntie. I know your family is doing well. So, adding one more person to raise won’t be a burden. I’ll work for you as a nanny. I’ll take care of your daughter. I’ll clean, I’ll cook—I’ll do anything. I don’t mind suffering …”

Her voice trembled, her expression pitiful, but her calculating eyes sent a chill down my spine. I instinctively stepped back and pulled my daughter closer.

“I already said no and I meant it. Our home isn’t some charity hotel. We worked hard to get where we are and it didn’t fall from the sky. Helping you is kindness, but not helping you doesn’t make us bad people. Just because we have money doesn’t mean we’re obligated to spend it on strangers. I’m no saint.”

“Besides, we’ll be back every week and I’ll give you five seventy-five dollars for your own expenses. That should be enough for you to get by. So don’t push your luck.”

Without waiting for her reaction, I turned around and walked out while taking my daughter with me.

Aaron also followed me behind. 

Although he didn’t understand why I was acting this way, as always, he supported me without question.

While he went to get the car, my daughter and I stood outside in the sunlight.

However, even with the warmth on my skin, I could feel a cold, poisonous gaze piercing my back. So, I turned around to look.

Cassandra was staring at us from the orphanage window. Her face changed in an instant, from venomous to pleading and pitiful.

However, I had seen that same expression before. I recognized the hidden cruelty behind her innocent mask. That possessive, determined glint in her eyes chilled me to the bone.

I frowned and quickly ushered my daughter into the car. I was still too scared that cold sweats broke out across my forehead.

Aaron handed me a tissue and he asked in concern, “Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? You’re not acting like yourself today. Cassandra's just a kid so you didn’t have to go that hard on her.”

My daughter also looked at me. There was sadness and confusion on her face as she said, "You look truly terrifying today, Mommy."

I tried so hard to calm down and after I did, I stretched my arm and stroked my soft little head gently.

"Ella, listen. Although doing good deeds is important, you have to know who the person you are helping is. Some people know how to be thankful while the others ... well, they don't know how to do that, instead they might stab you in the back."

Then I said again, "You're still young ... but Ella, I hope someday you'll understand that everything I do is for our family's protection."

Seeing the confusion in Aaron's eyes, I narrated everything that had happened in my last life. However, I framed it as if it were news.

I described how a couple with a kind heart took in a child as their adopted child. However, the child betrayed them. In the end, the child murdered the whole family."

Aaron knitted his brows and said indignantly, "That’s horrible. I shouldn’t have doubted you, You’re right, Honey. I'm sorry.”

"You do have a point though. We must concentrate all our energy on Ella. After all, she is still young and deserves all the energy that we have. As for the others, they're not the concern of our family."

When I heard his support, I could finally lean my head back and close my eyes. However, deep down, an uneasiness still crept into my heart.

Cassandra was just a teenager, but she had already learned how to fake a disability. A person with that kind of scheming mind would not give up so easily.

Especially since our family had caught her notice, would she really let us go without a fight?

Thankfully, Cassandra was already a seventeen-year-old girl right now. Once, she became eighteen years old girl, the orphanage would have to kick her out.

She would also not be eligible for adoption anymore and the threat would finally be gone.

Still … my nerves were strung too tight and as the tension drained away, I drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep.

In my dreams, I was pulled back to my previous life.

The scene of Cassandra's twisted, triumphant smile kept flashing before my eyes.

When I jolted awake in a cold sweat, the car had already arrived downstairs of our building and my daughter had hopped down the car. She was ready to go upstairs.

However, right at that moment, my phone rang. It was from the orphanage director.

“Hello. Mrs. Diana? Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know that Cassandra, the girl you’ve been sponsoring, has been adopted. I thought you should hear it from us directly.”

Since I did not want to know anything about Cassandra, I just told her some brief words and then ended the call.

It looked like she had found another target after I rejected her. I just hoped that my family would not end up the same wretched way as we did in my past life.

At this point, I could not afford to care anymore.

Once we arrived at our home, I helped my daughter to wash up and get to bed. However, when I lay down to sleep, it would not come so easily. I tossed and turned until the clock struck three.

That was when someone started pounding on our front door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocks were so loud and urgent that I sat up in a panic.

Then sounds also stirred Aaron awake. He was already halfway to opening the door when I held him back in a flash.

I pressed my index finger to my lips as a sign for Aaron to stay silent. Then with hurried steps, I went to the door and peeked through the peephole.

That was when I saw Cassandra. Her wide evil eyes looked straight at me from the other side of the peephole.

Fear overtook me and my body went weak. I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming.

However, she remained persistent. After she paused for two minutes, at first it came the sobs then the crying.

"Auntie, Uncle. I knew you were in there. Please, save Cassie! …. My adoptive parents have been beating me since they picked me up. I barely escaped with my life!"

"If you don’t help me, I’m going to be caught and die out there! Please, Auntie, Uncle, I'm begging you! Cassie will kneel if that’s what it takes.…”

How the hell did she find my home?

In the flash, Aaron was ready to open the door. Seeing this, I rushed and intercepted his way. 

Then I raised my voice and shouted through the door and said, “Cassandra, it’s already late. Auntie and Uncle need to sleep. The director told us you’ve already been adopted. Legally, we’re not your guardians anymore so we’re not even allowed to take you in. What if your new parents accuse us of kidnapping? We’d be in huge trouble!”

Then I added, "You should go home. We’re sorry, but we can’t help. Ella has school tomorrow, so ... Please, stop shouting.”

Aaron's knitted his brow. He disagreed with my approach.

"Diana Campbell! Cassandra's just a kid! Aren't you being too vigilant towards her? Look at her! It’s impossible for her to walk because her legs are disabled! What terrible thing can she do?"

"After all, it's just for one night anyway. As soon as morning comes, I'll personally take her to the police station. If it fails, I'll find someone to adopt her or send her back to the orphanage."

When Aaron reached for the door again to open it, I pushed him back for two meters and snapped at him, "Think about it! If she really can’t walk, how did she find our apartment? How did she get all the way up to the fifteenth floor? There’s no wheelchair ramp downstairs!”

Aaron froze as my words hit him. He understood what it meant.

Outside the door, Cassandra's shout grew louder and louder and her voice made the neighbors take notice.

She even ripped her clothes and intently exposed bruises that covered her body from being abused. The neighbors were soon talking.

Cassandra ever the actress, whimpered, “I’m an orphan. Uncle and Auntie, you used to help me. However, my adoptive parents beat me. I had no one else to turn to.”

The neighbors started knocking on our door too to assist her.

“Aaron! The poor kid’s in trouble. Just let her in for one night, will you?”

"Come on now, it’s the middle of the night and it's hard for a small kid like her," a neighbour said. You both know her and helped her before, so what’s one more time?"

"After all, adopting an orphan won't cost you a few dollars. Quick! Open the door and let her in already. Stop disturbing people at night."

Realizing I couldn’t avoid it any longer, I slowly opened the door.

Cassandra collapsed at my feet. Her body was smeared with blood.

The moment she saw me, she dragged herself forward and clung to my leg with a death grip.

"Auntie, I finally found you! Please, save Cassie!" she sobbed.

"Those people, they never wanted to adopt me! They just wanted a child bride for their mentally disabled son! When I refused, they beat me, yelled at me and starved me! If I hadn't run fast, they would have dragged me to the bed of a retard right now!”

She cried like her heart was being torn apart.

The surrounding neighbors also sympathized.

"In a law-abiding country like this, how are monsters like that allowed to exist? Do these deserve to be called a human too?”

"Aaron, you and your wife have always been kind. You volunteer at the orphanage every week. Why not take her in and adopt her? You’re a senior executive at your company, so you can afford to feed one more mouth."

“Yeah, and you’ve only got one kid. Raising two isn’t much harder than raising one. Maybe it's destiny that she is here. Let her stay. Poor thing."

I managed to convince Aaron. So at this moment, he did not have a gut to agree so readily before I approved.

I took his phone and called the police.

"Cassandra," I said gently, "it’s not that Auntie doesn’t want to help. However, your adoption paperwork has already been processed. If we take you in now, it’s illegal. You wouldn’t want your Auntie to be accused of kidnapping by your adoptive parents, would you?"

"The police will help. If your adoptive parents really abused you, the adoption can be revoked. Then you’ll be safely returned to the orphanage. Trust me,” I added.

After hearing what I had said, her eyes filled with hatred, but I did not care.

I calmly explained the situation to the police.

The neighbor wanted to sleep again so when he saw the matter being handled, he returned home.

Since Aaron did not have any recollection of her love, I worried he’d get soft-hearted again. Just in case, I insisted on taking Cassandra to the station myself.

Before I took my leave, I glanced back and saw my daughter peeking out of her room. She looked scared. So, I asked Aaron to stay and comfort her. Then I took Cassandra to the elevator.

All the way down the apartment, she continued her pitiful act, pleading with me to adopt her. She claimed everyone else in the world wanted to hurt her and they were horrible person.

Regardless of what she was saying, I stayed polite and silent.

I made a report at the police station until six in the morning. Meanwhile, Cassandra was held there while they contacted her adoptive parents.

When I returned home, I was completely drained. The aftermath of the robbery made me break out in a cold sweat constantly.

There was no doubt in my heart now, that Cassandra had her eyes on this place. So, we could not stay here anymore.

I spent the entire day selling the apartment and preparing to move out. However, I had never dreamt that it was not fast enough.

At six in the afternoon, I got a call from my daughter’s homeroom teacher.

“Hello, is this Ella Jackson's parents? I wanted to ask, why didn’t Ella come to school today? Is she sick? You didn’t submit any absence notice.”