Chapter 2

I had already made up my mind, but now wasn't the time to show my hand.

If people found out I had reunited with my real daughter and then abandoned my adopted one, I would get torn apart online.

Besides, I was in the middle of a promotion review, so I couldn't afford to be reckless. I had to wait until I could walk away without consequences before making any moves.

After the children were asleep, David and I headed to the bedroom one after the other.

David spoke earnestly. "I know you feel bad for Cynthia, but Sarah is our daughter, too. You can't ignore her feelings because you feel guilty about Cynthia."

I looked up at him, my voice steady. "So I'm supposed to make Cynthia suffer to spare Sarah's feelings?"

David was at a loss for words.

I pressed on, "Don't you know how much Cynthia suffered with her adoptive family?"

David was left speechless.

I continued, "She's only five, and she had to take care of her siblings. She was always hungry, never had enough clothes, and on top of that, she got beaten and yelled at."

The more I spoke, the more my anger boiled over. "Are you blind? Can't you see how skinny she is, and all those bruises and scars all over her body?"

David hesitated for a long moment before mumbling, "I'm sorry. I didn't think this through. I should have been more mindful of Cynthia's feelings."

I took a deep breath, fighting back the surge of emotions and tears. "It's not that you didn't think things through. You're totally biased."

When David glared at me with Robert and Sarah in his arms, he wasn't angry at me. He was taking it out on Cynthia, too.

That only made me more certain that if I wanted Cynthia to have a happy life, I had to keep her away from David, Robert, and Sarah.

Guilt flashed across David's face as he forced a smile, trying to win me over, and stepped forward to hug me.

"Honey, don't be mad. I know I messed up. I promise I'll be fair to all three kids."

I didn't buy it for a second, but now wasn't the time to call him out. "I hope you mean it."

David promised earnestly, "Absolutely."

I didn't say a word.

David tried to kiss me, but I turned my head away. "Cynthia got back, and she's still feeling insecure. I'm going to stay with her at night for a while. You should turn in early tonight."

David's expression turned cold, but he kept his temper in check. "Alright."

[The dad is hopeless, but the mom might still be worth holding out for.]

[Yeah, I hope the mom will love the real daughter unconditionally. It would be heartbreaking if the real daughter felt loved by her mom, only to get hit with another blow.]

[Honestly, don't get your hopes up. This is a family angst story, so the real daughter probably won't get a happy ending.]

[Seriously, can't we get a break? A strong mother-daughter duo would be amazing!]

Don't worry. I would give you the strong mom and daughter team you want.

*****

I was always tied up with work and couldn't keep an eye on all three kids at once. To make sure Cynthia wasn't getting picked on, I hired a professional babysitter, Hailey Lewis, to look after her.

David kept saying it wasn't fair, and Robert complained that I was playing favorites.

Sarah didn't say a word, but she kept giving me those pitiful, heartbroken eyes, which made David and Robert jump in to defend her.

I pretended not to notice any of it.

Sure enough, Sarah was up to her old tricks.

A few days later, Hailey quietly told me that Sarah was constantly pulling stunts behind my back to trip Cynthia up. She was far too cunning for a child her age.

She might look five, but she had the mind of a woman in her twenties. She was anything but an ordinary little girl.

To avoid tipping her off, I kept playing the role of the fair mother, treating all three kids the same. David, at least outwardly, played fair too.

*****

Before I knew it, a month had passed. On a Monday morning, I went into the study to grab some files and found one of my important documents covered in colorful scribbles, clearly the work of a child.

Sarah glanced at Cynthia with a conflicted look, then hesitated before saying, "Mom, yesterday afternoon, I saw Cynthia go into the study."

Robert blinked in surprise, then quickly chimed in, "Mom, I saw her too. She must've been the one who drew on your papers."

Cynthia was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. "Mom, I didn't draw on your papers."

I picked Cynthia up and kissed her forehead. "Don't cry, baby. I believe you. Besides, I have a backup, so it's not a big deal."

Cynthia stared at me through her tears, almost in disbelief, like she couldn't trust that I really believed her.