Chapter 2
The house staff rushed in, saw the baby, and were equally terrified, quickly rushing out to call for help.
Serena snapped back to reality, trying to stop them, but it was too late. Her legs gave out, and she fell heavily to the floor.
Julian’s parents arrived, and the sight scared them out of their wits.
Julian’s mother fainted on the spot.
Suddenly, the Lin household was in utter chaos.
I was getting a foot massage when I heard about it.
My best friend, Chloe, vividly described the scene to me: panicked parents, a shattered and bewildered Julian, and a hysterical, collapsing Serena.
Chloe said with some pity, “That poor child, having a mother like that.”
Even though the child was born deformed, Julian’s parents and Julian himself were still very good to the baby.
They hired a professional team of postpartum nurses and a medical team to care for the child and assess its condition, planning surgery once its health indicators stabilized.
It was Serena, the mother, who, despite appearing decent on the surface, ignored the child behind closed doors, unwilling to even glance at it.
The house staff weren’t blind; everyone in the family knew.
So their poor impression and attitude towards Serena had a reason.
Unfortunately, Serena, fueled by jealousy and imbalance, chose a crooked path.
She tried to swap my healthy child for a deformed one, so she shouldn’t blame me for giving her a taste of her own medicine.
This incident created quite a buzz in our circles for a while. Everyone said Serena was getting her just deserts.
The next time I saw Serena was at my son’s hundred-day banquet.
He was the first grandson of the Thorne family, so my in-laws placed great importance on it, hosting a lavish banquet at a prestigious venue in the city’s most exclusive district.
They invited all our relatives and friends from the city’s elite circles.
Serena followed behind Julian. In two months, she seemed to have aged significantly.
Even dressed up, her憔悴 (weariness) was evident.
When she saw me, a flash of hatred crossed her eyes, quickly concealed.
She followed Julian to my front.
Julian, ever since his marriage, had barely met with me outside of major public events to avoid any awkwardness.
Seeing me now, the complex emotions in his eyes were undeniable. He spoke with some difficulty, “Cassie, I wish you and the baby health and peace.”
As he spoke, he handed over an exquisite box. I smiled, took it, but didn’t open it directly, instead handing it to my assistant, Maya, who stood nearby.
Serena’s gaze at me was full of envy and resentment.
I ignored it, greeted them, and then continued to entertain other guests.
Julian walked directly to the garden perimeter, leaving Serena standing alone.
A few ladies gathered around me, showering me with congratulations and compliments.
As we chatted, the topic of Serena’s child came up.
“Mrs. Thorne, you wouldn’t believe it, that child is covered in fur, it doesn’t look human at all.” A woman lowered her voice slightly. “More like an animal.”
“I heard about it too. How could a perfectly normal child suddenly grow fur? It was already deformed, and now it mysteriously sprouted fur all over. It’s so bizarre.”
“If you ask me, it must be something the mother did. Retribution on the child.” The woman glanced at Serena not far away. “Don’t forget how she used such dirty tricks to climb into the Lin family.”