Stephen, Sheena’s twin brother, stormed into the kitchen just as their mother finished speaking. Despite being her blood relative, his words were devoid of compassion.
"Exactly. The Wilson family is infamous for their cruelty. Dad and I practically begged on our knees, but they wouldn’t relent. They’ve only given us five days to hand someone over. If Jasmin goes, who knows what they’ll do to her? She wouldn’t survive!"
Sheena’s heart sank. So Jasmin couldn’t endure it, but she could? If she was sent as a scapegoat and the Wilsons discovered the truth, their wrath might cost her life. Yet, her family seemed entirely indifferent to this possibility.
Sheena stared at her mother and brother in disbelief. Were these not the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally? They were her biological family!
She remembered her childhood vividly—when her mother would cradle her in her arms, stroking her hair, and whispering, "Mommy loves Sheena the most. You’ll always be Mommy’s little treasure."
That love vanished when her mother lost a long-awaited pregnancy. The heartbreak of losing that unborn child changed her mother completely. She stopped smiling gently at Sheena and instead spent her days crying over the baby clothes she had prepared in advance.
Later, their father brought home a little girl from an orphanage. Everyone remarked how this girl bore an uncanny resemblance to the sister who had died at birth. Her mother agreed. And thus, Jasmin officially became the adopted daughter of the Brooks family. Her mother treated Jasmin like a precious jewel, cherishing her as if she were the very air she breathed. Jasmin not only healed her mother’s fragile mental state but also took all the love and affection that had once belonged to Sheena.
Initially, Sheena bore no resentment. If Jasmin could heal her mother’s pain, it was worth it.
But one incident changed everything.
One evening, Jasmin went missing after school. The Brooks family mobilized every resource to search for her. Her mother was inconsolable, pacing and sobbing hysterically until Jasmin limped home late that night.
As soon as she entered the house, Jasmin flung herself into Amanda’s arms, tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Did I do something wrong?"
"Why did Sister leave me alone in the woods?" Jasmin sobbed. "I was so scared."