Chapter 3

Julian took Lily back to his villa.

I looked at the familiar furnishings inside. This had once been our marital home, still spotless, but everything related to me had been meticulously erased.

Lily stood at the entrance, looking at the clean floor, hesitant to step on it. She quietly took off her worn shoes, standing barefoot in the foyer.

"Julian, you're back."

Sophia Reynolds, a woman in a beige shawl, glided out from the master bedroom.

It was Sophia, my mother's adopted daughter.

After I "fell" and left home, she seamlessly filled the void I'd left, completely replacing me, staying by my mother's and Julian's side.

Seeing Lily, she clearly paused. "This child is..."

"Aubrey, that bitch, just dumped her here." Julian loosened his tie, annoyed. "She's run off again."

Sophia walked over to Lily, kneeling down. "What's your name, little one?"

Lily hugged her rag doll tighter, timidly shrinking back. "Lily."

"What a sweet name." Sophia smiled and reached out to touch her head, but Lily recoiled.

Sophia's smile faltered for a second, then quickly softened again.

"The child is so dirty; I'll take her to have a bath."

Julian nodded, and Sophia led Lily towards the bathroom.

I frantically followed, a sense of foreboding washing over me.

Sure enough, as soon as the bathroom door closed, the tenderness vanished from Sophia's face.

She intentionally made the water scalding hot. Lily screamed in pain, but Sophia pretended not to hear, vigorously scrubbing her wounds.

"Shut up. A junkie's daughter has no right to cry about pain."

I desperately tried to push her away, but I couldn't even touch a strand of her hair. I could only watch helplessly as my daughter was tormented.

After the bath, Sophia led Lily out and sighed to Julian.

"Julian, look, this child has so many marks on her body." Sophia lowered her voice.

"It seems Aubrey's life out there... has been a mess. Who knows how much suffering this child has endured with her."

Julian's face grew even darker. "What good could a junkie ever do?"

"Julian, please don't be angry." Sophia gently soothed him. "You've already done more than enough for Aubrey."

Lily's eyes lit up when she saw the bread on the table, but she didn't dare to take it.

Julian casually picked up a slice of bread and tossed it at her feet, as if shooing away a stray dog.

Lily was starving; she swallowed her pride, picked up the bread, and wolfed it down, almost choking.

But she only ate half, then carefully wrapped the rest and tucked it into her pocket.

Julian frowned. "Eat, why aren't you eating more?"

Lily was startled by his harsh tone, timidly saying,

"Mama... saved for Mama. Mama's in the suitcase, she doesn't have food."

"She's out there selling her body for her next fix. Do you really think she'd starve?" Julian sneered.

Lily seemed not to understand. She pulled out a crumpled bill from her pocket, carefully smoothed it flat, and offered it to Julian.

"Uncle, Mama said we shouldn't take things for free. This is all my money."

That was the last ten dollars I got from selling my blood to pay for Lily's medicine; it still had faint traces of my blood on it.

Julian slapped the bill away. "Keep it. Maybe it'll buy your mother a coffin."

The bill fluttered to the floor. Lily slowly picked it up, folded it neatly, and put it back in her pocket.

"Mama said, if I'm good, she'll come back."

"You actually believe anything that junkie says? She can't even take care of herself, why would she come back for you?" Julian lit a cigarette.

Lily shook her head. "Mama really is in the red suitcase. I saw her."

"I also saw men hitting Mama, and Mama bled so much red. Lots and lots of red..." Lily's tears started again.

"My doll also got red from the liquid. Mama said it has bad people's secrets inside..."

"Enough!" Julian suddenly stood up.

"Has Aubrey, that bitch, taught you to lie at such a young age? What red suitcase, what bad guys? It's all a twisted game she made up!"

Lily was so scared by Julian that she collapsed to the floor, crying.

My heart was in agony. I reached out to hug my Lily, but my hand passed powerlessly through her tiny body.

I'm so sorry, Lily. Mommy was useless.

Sophia stepped forward and took Julian's arm.

"Julian, please don't be angry. It's normal for a child to pick up bad habits from an adult like that, we'll just have to teach her slowly."

She turned to Lily.

"Sweetheart, what your mommy did was very wrong, but Uncle Julian and Auntie Sophia will teach you to be a good girl."

I looked at Sophia in fury, wishing I could rip apart her hypocritical facade.

Before Sophia could finish, my mother stormed into the villa.