Seeing this, Celeste’s mother’s face turned white with rage.
hed her leg hard.
She looked down at her own frail daughte
with
ruthlessly, pinc-
Celeste finally let out her first cry.
“Waaah-”
It was a weak, mosquito–like sound.
Though inwardly furious at her daughter’s lack of performance, Celeste’s mother put on a smile and brought her closer to Mrs. Torrence. “Madam Torrence, Celeste wants you to hold her too.”
When Mrs. Torrence first arrived, she had felt sorry for Celeste and her mother, thinking she should comfort them. But after holding me and playing with me for a while, she looked at Celeste and saw only a small, sallow–faced baby, her face wrinkled from crying.
Her interest instantly vanished.
“The child is too weak. It’s better to keep her bundled up and let her rest. Don’t move her around too much,”
Celeste’s mother’s face was a kaleidoscope of emotions.
For the next few days, Mrs. Torrence came to see me every day. Since I had started talking, I would occasionally let out other wor- ds, like “Mama,” “Auntie,” and “Sissy,” charming all the new mothers and nurses in the center.
Except, of course, for Celeste’s mother.
But she was a master of disguise.
“Anna, what do you think of this outfit? Wouldn’t Nina look adorable in it?”
“Anna, have you thought about which preschool to send Nina to? I heard there’s a great new bilingual school nearby…”
“Anna, our girls have such a connection. Why don’t we make them god–sisters?”
My mother was a simple, vain woman with a natural weakness for the wealthy. So, even though Celeste’s mother was only the wife of the Torrence CEO’s assistant, my mother saw her through a thick filter of wealth and prestige. With Celeste’s mother’s delibera-
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Chapter 1
16:00
te attempts to get close, my mother soon treated her like a long–lost best friend.
I pretended not to notice, continuing my daily routine of exercise, study, reading, and listening to music. It wasn’t that I didn’t want
to get away from this woman. It was just that my mother’s standing in her own family was so low that no one had come to visit her
since I was born. Going home for postpartum recovery was not an option.
As for changing rooms, I had considered it, but quickly dismissed the idea. My mother was completely caught up in the fantasy
friendship Celeste’s mother had created for her. No matter what I did, she wouldn’t even think of moving.
Besides, I needed Celeste and her mother as an excuse to continue building my relationship with Mrs. Torrence.
Since I couldn’t get away from her, I had to stay on high alert.
A few days later, my fears were realized.
“Anna, this is a special formula my husband brought back from Australia. It’s great for boosting a baby’s immune system. Don’t you think Celeste looks much healthier these past few days?”
You were saying your milk supply is low. Why don’t you give some to Nina?”
After half a month in the care center, sustained by a variety of expensive supplements, Celeste was indeed looking much better.
My mother, completely unsuspecting, naturally accepted the offer.
My instincts screamed that Celeste’s mother was up to no good. When my mother brought the bottle
refusing to drink no matter how much she coaxed me.
over,
turned my
head away,
Embarrassed, my mother explained to Celeste’s mother, “Nina’s never had formula before. She’s probably not
“It’s okay for a child to be fussy, but as a parent, you can’t indulge her. Anna, if your milk supply is low and
drink formula, she won’t get enough nutrients.”
doesn’t learn
to
Celeste’s mother’s tone was earnest, as if she truly had my best interests at heart. “How about this? Mix the formula with your
ast milk in the bottle. Start with a small amount and gradually increase it. That way, Nina will get used to it.”
bre-
“You can do that? Okay, I’ll try it. You’re so smart, Sharon.”
Looking at my mother’s foolishly grateful expression, I knew I was in trouble. I had to find a way to break this spell.
The next day, when my mother approached with the bottle, I didn’t push it away. Instead, I played with it, taking a small sip every
now and then. It was unusual, but at least I was drinking.
My mother was relieved. Celeste’s mother also seemed to relax.
But no one expected that by the time Mrs. Torrence came to visit, I still hadn’t finished the bottle.
When Mrs. Torrence took me in her arms, I knew it was my chance. I opened my mouth and started to retch, my body convulsing,
my eyes rolling back in my head. Mrs. Torrence’s face went white with terror. She immediately had someone take me for a check-
- up.
The results came back normal. That wasn’t surprising. This was the 21st century. Celeste’s mother wasn’t stupid enough to use a poison that would be easily detected.
But she never dreamed that I would bring the half–empty bottle of milk with me.
When the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me, they tested the milk in the bottle as a last resort, just to be thorough for the Torrence family.
And that’s when the truth came out.
