Chapter 1

After my six-year-old daughter, Vera Taylor, was finally brought back home, she always kept her distance from me.

My husband, Rayden Wells, said she needed time to get used to everything. He suggested that when I returned from working abroad, I could buy her some gifts, and then maybe things would get better.

Just as I was about to leave, I accidentally caught Vera's thoughts.

'Should I tell Mom that Jenny keeps bullying me?' Vera wondered. 'Dad says Mom hates tattletales, and she doesn't really like me. But if I don't tell her, I might not even make it until Mom comes back.'

My heart jolted, and I quickly turned to look at Vera, who was curled up in the corner.

Our eyes met, and I saw tears shimmering in hers.

Vera didn't say anything out loud, but I could hear her thoughts echoing in my mind.

'Maybe I got to travel back because I wanted to see Mom one more time,' she thought.

Rayden saw me standing there and urged me, "Hurry up, the plane's about to take off."

Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. Screw you. I was staying right here with my precious girl. Nobody could hurt my kid.

Rayden held his cheek, looking at me like he couldn't believe what happened.

I'd always been a bit bossy, but I'd never actually hit anyone before.

Seeing how pissed I was, he mumbled something about work and bolted out the door.

As soon as Ryan left, Vera, who'd been standing next to me, immediately hid behind the pillar.

'Mom really is as scary as Dad said,' Vera thought.

Hearing her thoughts again took me by surprise.

That slap was all because I was so freaked out after hearing Vera say she might get killed.

I admitted I had been a little impatient, but except for today, I'd never actually laid a hand on anyone. Then why did Rayden tell Vera I was scary?

Ever since Vera was switched at birth, she spent six whole years growing up in an orphanage. When she finally came home, Rayden was extra cautious with her. He even made a document listing all the dos and don'ts for interacting with her.

We'd been married for years, and he'd always tolerated my temper, always taking the initiative to look after the kids.

I believed that he wouldn't say anything bad about me in front of Vera. She probably just misunderstood what Rayden meant.

Seeing Vera huddled behind the pillar, all I wanted was to get closer to her.

I crouched down with a gentle smile. "Mom's not working today. Want to go visit your new school together?"

Vera's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

I gathered Vera into my arms, and once again, I caught her thoughts.

'Mom smells so nice, and her hug is so warm,' Vera thought. 'It's a shame that in my previous life, the first time Mom ever hugged me, I was already gone, so I never felt her warmth.'

My heart clenched. According to Vera's memories, I should have already gone abroad by now in her previous life.

In this life, I dared anyone to mess with my girl. Let's see which idiot tried to hurt her.

After I helped Vera change into her new clothes, I went upstairs to grab my bag. When I came back down, I caught Jenny Taylor, the girl who was mistakenly raised as my daughter, yelling at Vera and pointing her finger right in Vera's face.

"You country bumpkin, who said you could wear that outfit?" Jenny snapped. "That dress is mine and mine alone. I'm the only princess in this house. You little trash, just because you're here doesn't mean you belong in this family."

As Jenny was saying, she grabbed at Vera's clothes, trying to pull them off.

My heart raced with anger. I rushed downstairs to them, only to find Jenny already lying on the floor.

She was still clutching a piece of fabric she'd ripped from Vera's clothes, but she raised her arm, sobbing to me. "Mom, I don't know why Vera hit me."

Seeing Jenny play the victim first, Vera quickly tried to defend herself, "Mom, I didn't."

"It's you," Jenny snapped back. "You said I stole your spot for three years and you wished I were dead.

"Mom, I can leave and let Vera have my place, but please don't let me die. I'm scared I'll never see you again if I die."

Vera stammered, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just stayed silent.

'If I try to explain, Mom will see me as a troublemaker who can't admit my mistake,' Vera thought. 'Back in my previous life, whenever Jenny bullied me, Dad and my three brothers always took her side.

'They thought I was the one picking on Jenny, and that I was always lying and pretending to be the victim.'

My chest tightened as I watched Vera, so careful and anxious. Her head hung low, and she was about to apologize.

I quickly stepped in front of her, putting myself between her and Jenny. "Jenny, I saw it with my own eyes. You were the one who grabbed Vera's clothes first. Why are you saying she's the one bullying you?"

Jenny stared at me in disbelief, and then suddenly burst into tears. "Mom, you don't believe me. I can't believe you trust this wild child instead.

"You two are real mother and daughter, and I'm just the outsider here, so of course you both gang up on me.

"You promised you'd still love me the same even after she came back, but that was all just a lie."

Jenny ran upstairs, sobbing, and locked herself in her room.

Even though I was angry, I had to remind myself that Jenny had been the center of our world for three years. Finding out she wasn't really my daughter must've turned her whole world upside down.

She was just a kid, and she didn't always think before she spoke. It was no wonder she had some resentment toward Vera.

Swallowing my frustration, I went upstairs, determined to talk things through with Jenny and help her understand.

But as I got closer to her room, I heard Jenny's voice coming from inside. "That old woman is already showing favoritism. I'm bawling my eyes out, but she only cares about what really happened instead of me.

"The truth is that little brat deserves to die. Just wait till Lucia's not home. I'll make sure that little monster pays for it."