As soon as Cameron came out of the bathroom after washing her hands, she was stopped by several people. The sight of the familiar faces before her had her raising an eyebrow. This same group of people once cornered her at a rundown, dirty alleyway where they mocked her condescendingly. "You're just a country bumpkin. How dare you bully Nerissa? It makes me wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Yorksworth have lost their minds to adopt someone like you.""Come on. Maybe she has something special to offer. Some people don't see their adoptive father as their father."The vile words spewing from their mouths extinguished Cameron's budding expectations for her new life.She leaned against the peeling and mottled wall with her head bowed in silence. Thinking she was afraid, they grew increasingly brazen. When they were no longer satisfied with verbal provocations, they began using physical force.They outnumbered her, leaving her no way to fight them all. So, she singled out the leader and put up
Once they were back home, Cameron made a beeline for the bedroom on the second floor. She frowned at the sight of her swollen face in the mirror. At the time, she assumed it was just a minor scrape, but it turned out to be more serious than she thought.After her shower, she carefully dried off her face. She was about to leave for the kitchen to fetch a hot pack when she opened the door to find Diane about to knock.Diane's expression fell when she saw Cameron's face. "Oh dear, what happened? Weren't you out with Mr. Carter? How did you get hurt so badly?""I'm fine. It's just a minor injury," Cameron replied.Diane's concern seemed genuine, which warmed Cameron's heart. However, she wasn't used to accepting kindness from others and even felt somewhat repulsed by it. It was as if she were a harbinger of misfortune. Throughout her life, anyone who was nice to her ended up in dire straits. Luckily, there weren't many people who treated her well, so she didn't have to bear much gu
Cameron was never a soft or gentle woman. Her patience quickly wore thin."You were so eager for a divorce. But now that I've agreed, you're not willing to go through with it? Do you have masochistic tendencies, or have you developed feelings for me after all the sex we've had?"It was a blatantly vulgar thing to say. But for her and Cade, that was the extent of their communication.Cade narrowed his eyes after sweeping a glance at her. He pressed his lips into a thin line, his expression turning glacial."How long will it take for the injuries on your face to heal?"This time, Cameron couldn't help but laugh. She raised an eyebrow as her voice took on a flirty tone. "Are you worried about me?"Cade looked indifferent. Despite the lack of sarcasm in his voice, there was mockery in every word."Don't prop your pillow too high when you go to sleep. It's bad for your health if you have too many dreams. "If you die in your sleep with your face looking like that, people are going t
Rob was Nerissa's friend. His grandparents lived on the compound. After he had been beaten up, he was too embarrassed to go home to his parents. So, he came over the night before. While Blaire was out on a walk upstairs last night, she happened to run into him. He looked like a complete wreck.At the time, she wondered who could have done such a thing. He was black and blue all over. She hadn't expected the culprit to be her own daughter.Blaire was still in shock from the revelation that her daughter had knocked down a muscular, six-foot-tall man when Wilfred Yorksworth's booming voice reverberated through the air."All you do is cause trouble. What else can you do besides that? Get in here this instant!"Wilfred was a military man who was strict and serious. Even though he was getting on his years, his voice still carried authority. Her husband's anger prompted Blaire to usher Cameron inside.Wilfred was sitting on the couch, leveling a sharp gaze at her. His brows, as usual,
"What gives me the right to hit her? I'm her father. Why wouldn't I have the right to do so?"Wilfred adopted the posture he used to reprimand new recruits in the army."Look at her. She's never satisfied. She acts like the world owes her something. She should see how kids living outside of civilization live. She's got it a thousand times better than them. What more does she want?""At least they wouldn't raise their biological daughters as adopted daughters outside of civilization," Cameron said.Her words were like a pause button. All the voices in the living room died down once she said her piece.Blaire stared at her. "Cameron…"She probably hadn't expected Cameron to know about it. She was so shocked that her tone changed.Before she could get another word out, she remembered that Nerissa was still watching from the sidelines. So, she forcibly choked back a reply and smiled stiffly. "Did you misunderstand something because of someone's gossip, Cammie? We can talk about th
Cameron didn't say anything more. After pulling her hand away, she walked straight past Cade. Once she stepped out of the courtyard, the streets slowly regained their liveliness. Many people were out on a post-dinner stroll, walking in pairs or groups with relaxed and contented expressions on their faces. The road was bustling with traffic. The neon lights lining the streets highlighted the city's splendor.She thought about the time she was first brought to the Yorksworth home. Wilfred and Blaire had gone to town to pick her up in person. It had also been at this time of day when she first set foot in the big city. She felt like an alien seeing the world for the first time. Her eyes were bright with curiosity.The door to the Yorksworth home slowly opened. Inside, a group of boys and girls were chatting. They were dressed in the most popular clothes of the season, making them appear glamorous. On the other hand, Cameron's clothes were faded and misshapen. Her sleeves and tro
Someone violently kicked open the bathroom door. Cade strode up to the tub and fished Cameron out of the water. His expression was as cold as ice."Have you lost your mind, Cameron? Pick a better place to die."Cameron gasped for breath. It took her a while for her vision to finally come into focus, but she was immediately greeted by the sight of Cade's furious expression. She glanced at the bathtub, but the woman was nowhere to be found. The water was also crystal clear. She let go of Cade's waist, her wet eyelashes fluttering downward. Her voice was hoarse as she spoke."I fell asleep." Then, she frowned. "I'm taking a bath. Why did you barge in?""Hah." Cade let out an exasperated laugh at her quip. "If I hadn't barged in, I'd be buying you a gravesite now."He had knocked on the door several times. It was Cameron's lack of response that made him kick it open."I don't intend to die." Even if she did, she would drag everyone to hell with her before perishing.Cameron unabas
Cade looked at Cameron as if she were a brainless idiot. There was contempt written on each of his features. He walked past her and went straight downstairs. When Cameron arrived downstairs, she saw that Diane had prepared two bowls of chicken noodle soup. Cade, who had a spoon in hand, was already eating. She got to her seat and sat down. Carrots, celery, and chicken floated in the broth with fresh parsley leaves sprinkled over top. It was an appetizing sight. The fragrance of the soup wafted up from the bowl.With how hot the food was, she absentmindedly stirred her soup. There was no telling what was on her mind. Her unfocused gaze swept across the dining room before finally settling on Cade."You haven't had dinner?""Mhm.""Do you like Nerissa?"The Carters had moved out of the neighborhood several years ago, which meant that the two families were no longer down the street from one another. However, there was no doubt that Nerissa was involved with Cade's coincidental a