Chapter 1

Born amidst blessings, I was nonetheless a short-lived soul with a defective heart.

My mother gave up her passion for painting to take care of me, while my father sold off our possessions and took me from doctor to doctor in search of a cure.

But after five years, there was still no improvement in my condition.

At the age of six, I was kidnapped.

My father was brutally attacked, suffering ten knife wounds, which left him unable to have more children. I suffered severe head injuries that led to a gradual mental decline.

Upon hearing the news, my mother fainted on the spot, only to find out she was three months pregnant.

My grandmother threatened suicide if she didn't keep the baby.

All my mother did was hold me close, crying endlessly.

"Don't worry, Charlotte. Mom will definitely heal you," she cried.

From that day on, it was as if my mother had transformed into someone else.

One day, I snatched a doll from my little brother, Samuel Sutton.

Unable to contain herself any longer, my mother broke down in tears.

Once she had cried her fill, she shouted, "We've given up everything for you. Why do you have to haunt us?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have taken Samuel's toy," I said, terrified.

My mother froze.

Suddenly, she pulled me into her arms, whispering apologies.

That night, Dad broke his own rule and took me to the street.

As I turned around with a carefully chosen pearl bracelet for Mom, I found myself utterly alone.

This was the sixth time he had lost me.

But this time, I didn't wait for him to come back for me.

Instead, when an out-of-control truck headed straight for me, I closed my eyes with a smile.

*****

"Charlotte," my dad called out.

The pain I was expecting never came.

Dad was running as fast as he could, his limp barely slowing him down.

In that split second, the strong scent of Dad's tobacco enveloped me.

I found myself in his warm embrace, meeting his complicated gaze.

"Charlotte, didn't you see that truck coming? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? If I'd been even a second later, you'd be dead," Dad yelled.

I stared blankly at Dad, who'd come rushing back for me, dazed and at a loss.

His eyes were bloodshot again. The last time I saw him like this was when I took Samuel's snacks.

He said Samuel was Mom's new hope, but he used to tell me I was her hope.

Before I could process it, Dad grabbed my chin.

"Charlotte, say something. Would you die without me?

"Why did you have to be the sick one? Why did you have to turn out like this?" he demanded.

Tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes.

So even Dad, the one who always protected our family from the storms, could be this vulnerable.

I stared at him, tears flooding down my face like a broken dam.

"Dad, I'm sorry," I whispered.

Dad desperately grabbed me by the collar and shoved me into the passenger seat.

He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel.

He lit up a cigarette, gripping it tight in his hand.

He didn't move until the cigarette butt burned his fingers. Only then did he start the engine, looking completely resigned.

I asked where we were headed, but Dad just stared straight ahead with that cold look.

"Home," he said.

I didn't dare say another word. I quietly took out the pearl bracelet from my pocket and kept fidgeting with it in my hands.

Ever since Samuel was born, Dad started playing hide-and-seek with me all the time.

But he was terrible at it. He'd only ever managed to find me after it got dark.

Whenever that happened, Mom would totally lose her temper.

Tomorrow was Mom's birthday, and I'd saved up my pocket money for ages just to buy her this pearl bracelet.

The saleslady said it was the best pearls they had in the shop.

I just knew Mom would love it.

Thinking about it, I let out a happy laugh.

When we got home, Mom was slumped on the couch, her hair all tangled, with crumpled bills scattered around her feet.

Her eyes were just as red as Dad's.

She kept looking at me, hopelessness written all over her face.

"Failed again?" she muttered.

Dad stayed silent, so Mom snatched up a vase and smashed it at his feet.

"Quincy, how many times has this happened? Why don't you just dump this fool already? How long are you going to keep pitying her?

"We've blown all our savings trying to fix her. Do you even realize Samuel's about to start kindergarten? We can't even scrape together enough for his tuition.

"It's all her fault. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be stuck like this. I'm sick of living like this, scraping by every day," she sobbed.

Mom fell to her knees, clutching her head and sobbing so hard her words turned into a mess.

"Ever since she was born, I gave up my career and my dreams for her. You became a cripple saving her, and you even got fired. She's just a curse. We don't owe her anything anymore," she snapped.

Dad just stood there, letting her scream and hit him, not saying a word.

I knew deep down it was all my fault.

Ever since I could remember, it was just surgery after surgery for me.

The doctors kept saying my condition was way too complicated, and there was no way to actually fix me.

My meds were crazy expensive, and every surgery cost a fortune.

I didn't want them fighting because of me, but in the struggle, Mom accidentally shoved me, and I ended up bumping into the coffee table.

Instinctive tears slipped down my cheeks, but I did my best to hide the pain. I pulled a piece of candy from my pocket and offered it to her.

Mom used to say that when you're feeling down, a piece of candy always makes things better.

"Mom, have some candy. Don't be upset," I said softly.

Mom froze for a moment, her whole body trembling.

The phone kept ringing and ringing before someone finally answered.

Grandma's voice was so frantic it felt like she was shouting right through the phone.

"Samuel's drowned. The doctor says it's a lung infection," Grandma cried.

My hand went limp, and the candy fell to the floor.

Later, I tasted the candy, but it didn't make me happy at all.

Mom lied.

Mom walked out without even looking back.

Dad hurried after her.

I heard the lock click on the door.

Once again, I was locked inside the house.

The spot on my lower back where I'd hit the table corner stung like fire.

But I still gave myself a bath, then went back to my room and lay down on the bed all by myself.

Mom always said she loved her well-behaved little girl the most.

Mom won't be angry if I go to sleep like a good girl.

But I was absolutely starving. I hadn't had a single bite to eat all day.

I searched everywhere in the house, but there wasn't a scrap of food to be found.

I ended up wandering into Samuel's room without even realizing it.

His snack shelf was overflowing with three whole shelves of goodies, and on his bedside table sat the Winnie the Pooh plush toy he'd snatched from me.

That was a birthday gift from Mom.

She told me the Winnie the Pooh plush toy would always look after me for her.

But I guess she forgot about that.

After Samuel came along, all my snacks and toys ended up being his.

At first, I was so mad. I just wanted to grab my Winnie the Pooh plush toy and my snacks back.

But every time I tried, Samuel would burst into tears.

And when Samuel cried, Mom would get all upset.

I didn't want Mom to be unhappy.

So I'd rather let Samuel keep my Winnie the Pooh plush toy.

I don't even know when I finally drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by the sound of the front door bursting open.

I peeked out through the crack in my door.

Mom was crying, or at least it sure sounded like it.

Dad was slumped on the couch, keeping hitting his own leg again and again.

"Quincy, Samuel's still lying in the hospital with a high fever. We can't support two sick kids. We don't even have the money for his treatment yet. Do you want Samuel to end up brain-damaged like her?" Mom shouted.

She suddenly stood up, looking like she'd made up her mind, and headed straight for my room.

"Since you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll be the bad guy," she said.