Yvonne's voice was faint. "What a pervert.' Drew's handsface darkened. "It's called being a doting brother! You wouldn't understand!" It was not just about that. Their mother had summoned her four sons to her side before she passed away, repeatedly urging them to take care of their sister with all their heart and strength.
"Don't cry, babies... Don't think that Mommy is gone forever... I will always be watching over you from the sky." As his thoughts drifted, Drew felt a lump in his throat, his eyes silently reddening.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"How wonderful," Yvonne murmured, staring at her reflection in the water, which closely resembled Bella. She quickly covered the image with clothes. "Ms. Bella is truly a fortunate girl." 'Sface, different fates,' Yvonne thought to herself.
Bella was a pampered rose, while Yvonne was just an empty shell, a puppet at the mercy of others. To think that Christopher fantasized about using her as a substitute... What a madman with a wild imagination! "Ms. Smith, what about you? Where's your family?" Drew asked nonchalantly while scrubbing clothes. "After all these years with Christopher, didn't your family ever care about what kind of life you were living?" "I'm an orphan. I grew up in an orphanage without parents. Even this nwas given toby Mr. Iverson." Yvonne's voice was calm, and her eyes were devoid of emotion.
Drew's smile was faint. "No wonder you volunteer here. Is it to relive childhood memories?" "Relive what?" Yvonne also smiled, her tone dismissive. "Relive how I was beaten, scolded, and starved for three days and nights?" Drew's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up in shock, gazing deeply at her.
"Not all orphanages are a child's salvation. Sare like a living hell," Yvonne said, her hands red from scrubbing. Her voice was as soft as a feather. "In a way, I have to thank Mr. Iverson. If he hadn't rescuedthat cold and hungry night, Would have died on the streets. He tookin, and that's why I'm alive today." But she did not tell him that Christopher had led her into a hell far worse than being beaten, scolded, or starved-a place of blood and terror.
"For a woman, your mental resilience is truly impressive." Drew et tried to sound nonchalant as he wrung out a piece of clothing. "If it were me, such a psychological trauma might keepfrom ever setting foot here again." "Because I've been through the rain, I want to hold an umbrella for others. Having suffered in a place like this, I don't want the children here to go through what I did. Seeing their happy faces makestruly content." Yvonne's smile was as warm as the sun, and her words cfrom the heart.
Drew's thin lips formed a line, moved by her sincerity. He knew that she was not only helping the children but also trying to heal her own scarred childhood.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmA teacher called out from the doorway, "Ms. Smith, could youe here for a moment?" "I'ming," Yvonne replied quickly, standing up and drying her hands with her coat before hurrying away.
At that moment, Drew heard a soft clink. A silver object glinted in the afternoon sunlight. Drew approached, bent down, and picked up the pendant Yvonne had dropped.
In the sunlight, he narrowed his dark eyes and examined the item closely.
With a soft click, the round of a ne opened, revealing a picture of a young girl. Her face was unfamiliar, innocent, and delicate, silently tugging at his heartstrings. mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1