Chapter 2

Childhood traumas had left me in fragile health, and over the past two years, I'd been working tirelessly to get my body ready for a baby in the Campbell family—but nothing had happened.

That was why she was so desperate to welcome Penelope into the home.

I replied coldly, "I'm not a maid or a doctor. How could I possibly care for her? You'd better hire someone qualified."

Embarrassment flashed across Penelope's face as she forced out a few tears. "Does Lizzie dislike having us here? If I'd known we'd be such a burden, we never would have come."

Winford drew her protectively into his arms, tenderly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Don't cry. The doctor said your pregnancy is delicate—it could harm the baby. If Lizzie truly can't stand it, I'll take you to a hotel instead."

Margery's expression turned stormy. "If you can't put up with them, then get out. This is the Campbell family, and you don't get to make the rules."

I watched the three of them aligned against me.

Winford, who once loved me more than anything; Margery, who'd treated me like her own flesh and blood.

Now they were both taking her side, turning on me.

I wasn't truly a Campbell, after all.

I bit my lip hard, holding back the tears welling in my eyes. "I'll leave the Campbell family."

Once I'd retreated to my room, they started gossiping about me in the living room.

Over the past year, Winford had been constantly away on business, leaving the house without a man around. Concerned about safety, I'd had surveillance cameras installed just last month.

Winford still had no idea.

I watched as Penelope feigned worry. "She wouldn't actually move out, would she? Maybe I should go apologize."

Winford brushed it off right away, soothing her. "She won't. An orphan with no family—where else would she go? The Campbell family is all she has."

"That's good. The last thing I want is to break up your family."

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "You're so thoughtful. If she had even half your sense, I wouldn't have to deal with all this nonsense."

I truly was an orphan.

But my parents had died trying to save Winford.

That year, after a fight with Margery, Winford'd run away from home.

My mom and dad went out in the car to search for him and wound up rescuing him from kidnappers.

My dad was stabbed to death by the human traffickers.

Then, overwhelmed by grief over Dad's death, Mom suffered a fatal heart attack. On her deathbed, she kept insisting I shouldn't blame the Campbell family—the real culprits were those evil people.

At just ten years old, I was left completely alone in the world.

Riddled with guilt, the Campbell family took me in.

From then on, Margery and Galen Campbell raised me as their own—even doting on me more than on Winford.

That was when Winford stepped up as my guardian, aware of how deeply it scarred me.

He wouldn't tolerate anyone mentioning it. Back then, if someone dared call me an orphan, he'd go berserk, pummeling them until they were bloody and silenced.

He'd face consequences himself, only to come home and get a brutal whipping from Galen.

Seeing his injuries, I spoke to him voluntarily for the first time.

"You didn't need to fight them. It's the truth, after all."

He looked at me with such pain in his eyes, aching to hug me but holding back.

"You're part of the Campbell family for good. My parents are yours too. No one gets to say that to you."

He stuck by me, and it took a full decade for him to truly earn my trust and affection.

Yet here he was, throwing that same painful fact in my face to comfort Penelope.

Just then, my phone pinged with a video.

It was from Neil—the recording of his balcony talk with Winford.

I: [Why tell me?]

Neil: [You know the reason, right? I've been waiting for this opportunity forever. He doesn't deserve you. Will you marry me?]

I'd met Neil thanks to Winford. This past year, Winford kept using work as an excuse to bail, so he'd ask Neil to keep me company instead.

Skipped movie nights, our anniversary, even my birthday.

Neil was the one there for all of it.

The look in his eyes eventually gave away his unspoken feelings.

As soon as I picked up on it, I made things clear.

Winford was the one I loved.

I suggested we keep our distance—and we hadn't really spoken in three months.

At the funeral, he was the first to notice when I fainted.

I: [You know I can't love you back right now.]

Neil: [Lizzie, even if I'm just a temporary lifeline for you, I'd cherish every moment.]

I: [Give me a little more time to think.]

As I hauled my suitcase out of the Campbell family home,

Margery gave me a quick glance, then spun around and went into the kitchen. She emerged with a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Penelope.

"Drink this to build up your strength. Some folks were supposed to get it too, but they've lost out now."

Penelope smiled her thanks, then turned to me. "Lizzie, if you'd just back down a bit, you could stay right here in the Campbell family."

Her eyes were full of mockery and challenge.

Winford eyed the suitcase in my hand with a frown, then looked out at the gathering dusk. "It's getting dark already. Where do you think you're going?"

I fixed him with a sharp stare, my tone laced with sarcasm. "None of your business, right?"