Chapter 1
I huddled in the corner with expired bread.
The room in the orphanage was very dark, and I was afraid to sleep alone.
I don’t know how long it was before the door opened.
A man I didn’t recognize was looking at me, followed by three older boys.
One of the boys glanced at me coldly and said, “Dad, she looks just like you.”
I shrank further into the corner.
I recognized the man. My mom said Dad looked just like me.
But I didn’t dare call him that because Mom said Dad hated me. If he saw me, he would definitely kill me.
Thinking of this, I quickly lowered my head.
The man in front was very tall, his leather shoes creaking on the floor.
He called out to me, “Adeline?”
I shook my head desperately.
Mom had said never to admit to that name.
The boy in the blue shirt suddenly sneered, “Dad, is she an idiot who doesn’t even know her own name?”
The other two boys laughed along. They were handsome, just like Dad.
One of them kicked an empty can by my feet. “Dad, it’s disgusting to see her eating garbage.”
The tip of a leather shoe hit my toe, causing pain.
Dad reached out and pinched my chin.
His nails scratched me painfully, but I didn’t dare move.
I always knew my birth was a mistake.
My mother stood in for a wealthy heiress. After not finding love, she orchestrated my conception and was sent to a mental hospital.
Everyone said I was illegitimate.
“Her mouth and nose are just like mine,” Dad said, suddenly letting go. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers vigorously. “Filthy.”
“Dad, can we go now?” one brother urged. “I have a tennis game with friends.”
The boy in blue grabbed the back of my collar and lifted me up. I couldn’t make a sound as it choked me.
They didn’t even let me take that leftover bread.
When the car stopped in front of a white villa, I nervously pinched my palm.
Just now in the car, Dad introduced these three brothers.
The oldest is named Jasper, the second Declan, and the third Finn.
They are my half-brothers.
“Get out!” Someone pushed me, and I stumbled onto the cobblestone path.
The air was filled with the scent of grass, and the fountain’s water splashed coolly on my face.
“Country bumpkin,” Declan looked at me with disdain. “I heard you don’t even know how to use a toilet?”
“Declan,” Jasper, the one with glasses, coughed softly, “watch what you say. After all, she was picked up from the slums.”
I clutched the wrinkled corner of my clothes, feeling a bit embarrassed, and lowered my head.
“Get inside,” Dad tossed the platinum card on the entryway cabinet. “Nanny Johnson, take her for a bath.”
The hot water from the shower startled me.
So, bathwater can be warm, and towels can be as soft as clouds.
I stared at myself in the mirror, unable to resist touching the nightgown on my body.
Such soft clothes…
“Hey, what are you dawdling for?”
Finn’s impatient voice came from outside the door.
I hurried out, “Sorry, brother, it’s Adeline’s first time using a bathtub, it took too long.”
The chandelier in the dining room was beautiful.
I looked at the fork and knife in front of me, unsure of what to do.
Do I have to use a fork and knife to eat?
“Going to eat with your hands?” Finn sneered from his chair. “Well, in the orphanage, you only had expired bread, right?”
Father slammed the knife and fork down heavily. “Finn, don’t talk while eating.”
I mimicked their grip on the knife, but the steak slid off the plate with a “whoosh.”
Sauce splattered on Declan’s white sleeve, and he jumped up as if electrocuted. “Do you know how expensive this shirt is? Figures, a country bumpkin who can’t even use utensils.”
“Declan,” Jasper suddenly raised his voice, “stop it, isn’t the house noisy enough already?”
I stared at the beef on my plate.
It smelled so good…
Suddenly, someone took my knife and fork.
Jasper had somehow circled behind me. He took the knife and fork, and the steak obediently cut into small pieces. “Got it?”
I was just about to say thank you when Jasper spoke again.
His voice was cold, “Not knowing how to use a knife and fork is embarrassing for the Thompson family…”
I felt like crying, Dad, and my brothers didn’t like me.
But I held back my tears.
Mom said no one likes a crying child.
I chewed the meat in my mouth, unable to taste it.
But the long-lost warmth in my stomach made my nose tingle; it was the first hot meal I’d had in six months.