Patrick and Marianne were impatiently pulling bags of things out of the trunk.
Little Serena's eyes instantly lit up, and even the pain coursing through her body seemed to vanish.
Limping, she dragged her injured leg and rushed toward the parents she had longed to see. "Dad, Mom, you... you're really here!"
Grandma had told her that if she got hurt, her mom and dad would come to see her.
She thought Grandma was just trying to comfort her.
She never thought it was true!
However, what awaited little Serena was not her mother's warm embrace.
The moment she got close.
Marianne's brow furrowed, her face filled with disgust as she looked at the disheveled, blood-and-grime-covered child before her. Without a second thought, she shoved her away.
Little Serena was already seriously injured. The forceful push sent her small body crashing onto the gravel-strewn dirt ground.
Her wounds struck the ground again, and a searing pain made her face turn pale instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"What are you crying for? All you know is how to play the victim!" Marianne stared at her coldly, her eyes showing no trace of concern for her injured daughter, only pure disgust and impatience. "Always acting pitiful, making up excuses so your grandma will call and force us to come back, right? So manipulative at such a young age!"
As she spoke, she scanned little Serena from head to toe with a sharp, judgmental gaze. “You look fine to me! You're up and about, nothing's wrong with you! Lying and scheming at your age, you really were born worthless!"
Little Serena was stunned.
She sat blankly on the muddy ground, rainwater mixing with her tears, soaking her face.
She looked down at the bandages on her body, at the stinging wounds and the blood seeping through.
Her whole body ached so much she wanted to scream.
She was so hurt, so obviously.
Why did her mother say nothing was wrong with her?
Little Serena wanted to cry, wanted to ask her mother if she couldn't see the injuries on her body at all.
But meeting Marianne's cold, impatient, and disgusted eyes, all the words caught in her throat, turning into silent sobs.
"Marianne! What are you doing?!" Old Mrs. Wynn, returning from outside with an umbrella, saw little Serena on the ground and was so furious she threw the umbrella at Marianne.
She hurried to Hittle Serena's side,
pulling her into a heartbroken embrace, then turned to yell at Patrick and Marianne. "Are you even human? How long has it been, Since you came to see your child? She's hurt like this, and you don't show a shred of concern, you just get physical with her? What kind of parents are you?"
Marianne, having been scolded,
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grew even angrier and pointed a finger at Old Mrs. Wynn's nose. "How am not human? Who do you think you have to thank for the comfortable life you're living here? Don't we have to make money?”
"Dad left us that rundown company, and it took me and Patrick ages to get it off the
ground. So many people depend on us for their livelihoods!"
"Do you have any idea how much
money it costs to travel back and forth from Vaelion City to this dump? How much of my time it
f
wastes? A single day's loss for us is
deal worth millions of dollars! Do
you understand?"
Furious, she pointed at Old Mrs. Wynn, then at Serena. “From now on, unless it's an emergency, don't call us!"
"You!" Old Mrs. Wynn trembled with anger. She quickly raised her hands and
covered little Serena's ears, not wanting her to hear such heartbreaking words.