Chapter 2

I froze in place, the blood in my veins turning to ice.

Rage shot straight to my head.

"Didn't I say no one could pick up my child without my permission?"

The teacher looked away guiltily and hurriedly pointed in a direction.

"The principal approved it. There was nothing I could do."

"But they just left. They're over there."

I whipped my head around just in time to see Mom and Vivian shoving my daughter into a car.

As the car door was about to close, my eyes blazed with fury:

"Someone's kidnapping a child! Stop them!"

Hearing my voice, they moved even faster.

But this was a kindergarten—the one place that couldn't tolerate child abduction.

A swarm of people rushed forward and surrounded the car.

Mom and Vivian got out holding Lily. Before I could say anything, the two of them dropped to their knees in front of me.

Mom hunched over, tears streaming down her face:

"Rachel, you can't be this heartless. Your nephew is dying. How can you refuse to save him?"

Vivian's eyes were also red as she explained to the onlookers:

"We're not kidnapping a child. My son is dying. We just wanted her daughter to do a compatibility test."

"But she's never liked me and refuses to save my son. I had no other choice!"

Mom took Vivian's hand, and the two of them stood united against me, intimate and aligned.

As if I, the biological daughter, was the complete outsider.

I trembled with rage, my voice shaking terribly as I questioned her.

"Mom, is Vivian's child precious while mine is worthless?"

I lunged forward and pulled my daughter into my arms.

My voice was hoarse with desperation:

"She's so young, and you know her condition. You're trying to kill her!"

Mom straightened up, her eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at me.

"Rachel, how did I raise a daughter like you?"

"You slept around with men and had this child at twenty. We helped you raise her!"

"Now your nephew is sick, and to let him die, you're even making up lies about Lily being ill!"

The parents who had just helped me stop the car now began to lecture me.

"Miss, it's just a compatibility test. It's not a big deal."

"Who knows, maybe one day you or your daughter will need their help."

Listening to their remarks, I was so angry I wanted to laugh.

My daughter was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder at birth. Even a tiny cut could be fatal for her.

All these years I've been so careful, never letting her get hurt or bleed.

But now my own mother was conspiring with Vivian to twist the truth, trying to force me to let my daughter save their grandson and son.

I held my daughter tight and backed away step by step.

"Impossible. I will never let you harm my daughter."

Just as I was about to break through the crowd, Jackson jumped out of his car.

His eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed my arm and tried to shove me into the vehicle.

I was too weak to break free no matter how hard I struggled.

The people around just watched coldly. No one was willing to help.

My daughter clung to my neck, crying hysterically in terror.

My eyes reddened, my voice shaking violently.

"Don't do this!"

"Lily really can't save Dylan!"

"If you really do something to Lily, her father will never let you go!"