Chapter 2

"Serena." Maya saw me first.

Her call made the two men, who had been all smiles, look somewhat embarrassed.

Dawson ran toward me. "Serena, is the baby okay?"

I didn't respond, just walked silently toward the bed.

"Serena, don't be too sad."

Maya handed the baby to Nathan, then took off a gold bracelet from the child.

"This is what Dawson and Nathan gave to my baby. They said it would bless the child with peace and health."

"Now I'm giving this blessing to your baby. Your child will be fine too, don't worry."

I raised my eyes slightly, glancing at those two delicate little objects.

Before Maya's child was even born, Dawson had spent a long time carefully selecting that gift.

Back then, I thought it was meant for our child.

Apparently not.

"No, thank you."

My voice turned cold.

"If it carries that much of their affection for your child, then mine cannot accept it."

Hearing my refusal, Maya clutched the item helplessly.

"Serena, do you still think I'm stealing from you?"

She trembled as she bit her lip, her face turning pale.

But I only found it laughable.

Hadn't she been doing exactly that?

From the moment she was adopted by our family at age ten.

The first thing that happened was she said she was afraid to sleep alone, so she took half my bedroom.

Later, when she caught a cold and got sick.

She said she was afraid of infecting me, so I was completely moved out of what had been my room.

When I was thirteen, I ranked first in the entire school on an exam.

Nathan bought me a limited edition complete Lego set.

She just cried in her blanket, and my Lego became her Lego.

My new dress also became her new dress.

Even the university I got into through my own merit-she could walk onto the same campus through family connections.

And there was Dawson, who I'd grown up with. The moment he firmly proposed to me.

I finally felt I had something that was completely mine.

But it turned out it was only because we had an arranged marriage.

How stupid I was. It took a disabled child today to verify this truth.

Seeing I didn't speak, she shoved the gold bracelet into Dawson's hands.

"Forget it, Dawson. Since Serena is unhappy, you should take your gift back."

Dawson immediately frowned.

"Serena, it's just a gold bracelet. If you like it, I'll buy another one. There's no need to be this upset."

I laughed coldly, not wanting to argue with them.

My weak body couldn't hold up much longer anyway.

I placed the baby in the crib and was about to lie down on the bed.

Maya suddenly lunged at me.

Just as her hand was about to press down on the baby, I used all my remaining strength to push her away.

But the next second, a loud slap landed on my face, making my ears ring.

I looked back in disbelief at Dawson, whose hand was still raised.

His face was cold and severe, his arms steadying Maya.

"Serena, you're too vicious."

"Just because of a gold bracelet, you'd treat your sister-someone you've lived with for so many years-this violently?"

"Don't you know Maya has a back injury? If I hadn't caught her just now, she would have hit the corner of the table and caused secondary damage."

Nathan also spoke coldly.

"I saw it clearly. Maya accidentally lost her balance just now. You could have just steadied her, but you insisted on pushing her instead."

"Serena, you've eaten the same food as Maya since childhood. How did they raise you to be so malicious and petty?"

"Apologize now."