Chapter 16
“Aria, you got caught in the rain today. Drink this ginger milk
while it’s warm. It’ll help keep the chill away, don’t catch a cold
now.“”
Grace, the heiress of the Lockwood family, was about the same
age as Aria, with a fiery temper. If a single word offended her,
she’d throw down; no one’s face was spared.
She was a proud little princess.
H
Everyone in the Whitmore family went to the birthday
banquet, except for Aria.
Not only that, but no matter what the Whitmore family did, she
was always excluded.
It wasn’t without heartbreak.
Aria took the ginger milk, thanked Zoe, and, despite the
discomfort, drank it all in one go.
Zoe took the bowl back to the kitchen but paused at the
doorway. “Miss Aria, what do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll
cook for you.”
Chapter 16
Without a second thought, Aria said, “Anything’s fine. I’m not
picky.“”
She knew Zoe was trying to fill the emptiness inside her heart.
But how could someone else’s care ever make up for the hurt the
family caused?
Aria silently walked over to the calendar and circled the 15th in
red.
May 1st was getting closer.
Her things at the Whitmore family were running out.
Just as she put the pen back, her foster mother, Ivy Caldwell,
called.
“Your grandmother broke her leg and is hospitalized now at the
hospital on Cloudie Road. Bring some money and come quickly!”
Aria’s heart skipped a beat. She told Zoe she was going out and
wouldn’t be home for dinner, then rushed out.
The rain outside had stopped; the ground was wet. Aria hurried
on, and Zoe handed her an umbrella, just in case.
In her previous life, Ivy had made this call, but she didn’t go.
Chapter 16
Because of a lack of money, her grandmother missed the best
treatment window and never got back on her feet.
That had been a lifelong pain.
When Aria was three, Ivy abducted her home. When she was
abused and beaten, her grandmother protected her, feeding her,
applying medicine.
At the ward door, nurses were giving her grandmother an IV.
Besides Ivy, her son Dominic Caldwell was also there.
During the ten–plus years she lived with the Caldwell family,
Dominic treated his non–blood–related sister well and looked
after her.
When she was hungry, Dominic would secretly save food for
her.
Dominic stepped forward and gently pushed Aria aside. “You
don’t really have to come. I’ll figure out the money!”
Aria pressed her lips, glanced at him, said nothing, and walked
past him into the ward.
Seeing Aria enter, Ivy handed her the payment slip. “Go pay the
medical fees first. I don’t have much money.”
Chapter 16
The woman hesitated, but the meaning was clear.
Meeting Ivy again stirred a complex mix of emotions in Aria.
She hated this foster mother because of her grudge with her
biological mother; she took her in and poured all her hatred onto
her.
Abuse from childhood, either beatings or verbal abuse, going
hungry one or two days was normal.
If not for Ivy, she wouldn’t have been separated from her
parents and brothers for so long.
The little princess of the Whitmore family would have been her,
not Tessa.
Then all the suffering she endured would never have happened.
How could she not hate?
Seeing her hesitate, Ivy snapped angrily, “What are you standing
there for? Hurry up and pay! Do you want to watch the old lady
die?”
Aria took the slip, glanced at her grandmother sleeping by the
bed, and silently followed the nurse out.
After paying all the fees, Aria returned to the ward. Her
Chapter 16
grandmother was awake, smiling kindly at her.
“Aria, you came. I told you there’s nothing wrong, no need to
waste money in the hospital.”
“Though the Whitmore family is rich, life over there isn’t easy.”
Her daughter made mistakes; the Whitmore family already
hated them.
If they knew Aria was paying her grandmother’s medical bills,
the little girl would have a hard time back home.
Aria curved her eyes like a crescent moon and smiled.
“Grandma, I’m doing well over there. Don’t worry about me. I
have money, I earned it myself.”
