Ezra’s expression instantly darkened.
Isaac and Harper downstairs heard the commotion and came up to comfort Liliana.
They stood outside my door looking at me, all silent, as if an unbridgeable chasm lay between us.
I collapsed onto the bed, instinctively curling up.
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So my new home wasn’t paradise after all–demons lived here
too.
This distant memory brought tears to my eyes.
I didn’t want to remember anymore and forced my eyes open.
Jacob stood in front of me, observing my condition while taking
notes.
Beside me, Isaac, Harper, and Ezra had all removed their helmets and were resting. But their expressions were strange- they looked at each other without saying a word.
My tears were still flowing.
Actually, I wasn’t sad anymore. It was just that the distant memory had stimulated my tear ducts, making me cry uncontrollably.
Ezra said helplessly, “Stop crying. I misunderstood you back then. Liliana was young and particularly mischievous. Don’t take it to heart.”
Harper also comforted me, saying, “Yes, Scarlett, Liliana has been mischievous since she was little. I’ll scold her next time.”
Isaac asked Jacob directly, “There are two more chances. You need to hurry up and make her remember where my daughter went.”
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Jacob said confidently, “Mr. Isaac Clark, don’t worry. Ms. Clark is very cooperative. We’ll definitely succeed.”
Isaac, Harper, and Ezra stopped talking, rested for a while, then sat back down and put their helmets back on.
Jacob wiped away my tears and hypnotized me again.
He asked, “Ms. Clark, you and Ms. Liliana Clark are sisters. What’s the most memorable thing about her?”
The most memorable thing?
My memory began to get confused, and the dreamscape became chaotic.
I couldn’t stabilize the dream immediately because in my memory, there were many memorable events.
These events were very scattered, all appearing as fragments in
my memory.
Like at the school gate, when I caught Liliana smoking, she immediately grabbed me and scolded, “So what if I smoke? If you dare tell Mom and Dad, I’ll kill you.”
I swore I wouldn’t tell, but she smiled and lifted up my skirt, saying, “I believe you won’t tell. But I still have to teach you a lesson because I’m wearing a skirt today too, and you
shouldn’t
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be wearing a skirt.”
As she spoke, she pressed the cigarette butt against my thigh.
With a “sizzle,” my thigh smoked, and I screamed in pain.
But Liliana laughed and said, “Your legs aren’t bad.”
Like on a stormy day, Liliana said to me, “Hey, it’s raining outside. My pajamas got blown out by the wind. Go pick them up.”
I wanted to take an umbrella, but she snatched it away and pushed me out the door. “You’re just a stinking wild dog, why would you need an umbrella? Just go out and get soaked.”
I was locked outside, completely drenched, while Liliana laughed loudly inside the house.
Like how Liliana often told me to go back to the countryside, saying, “Bitch, I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars if you go back to the countryside. I get annoyed just looking at you.‘
She tried both threats and bribes, but I wouldn’t
agree.
So she said angrily, “You don’t want to leave, do you? Do you think you’re really a princess? Let me tell you, I’m the only princess in this house. Get on your knees!”
She loved making me kneel down, probably because she was
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psychologically twisted.
I refused to kneel. She didn’t hit or scold me, just smiled and pulled out money, saying, “If you kneel down, this money is yours.”
I silently took the money and then knelt down.
Liliana laughed loudly and said, “You really love money! Looks like I don’t need any other methods to deal with you–I just need to give you money. But money is the one thing I’m never short of.”
Yes, as long as you gave me money, I was willing to do anything.
“Enough.” A voice came from outside my dreamscape.
Ezra pulled off his helmet and cursed, “Jacob, what are you doing? How could these memories be real? She’s slandering Liliana.”
Isaac and Harper couldn’t take it anymore either, and pulled off their helmets directly.
Jacob responded respectfully, “Theoretically speaking, memories cannot be fabricated.”
“Shit!” Ezra kicked a stool, too angry to speak.
Isaac looked at me, his face darkening. After a long while, he
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finally said, “It’s Scarlett who’s despicable. She wouldn’t resist just for money. She encouraged Liliana’s mischievous behavior.”
Harper also criticized me: “Yes, Liliana is still young and likes to play pranks, while Scarlett wouldn’t resist just for money. Scarlett is also at fault.”
Listening to Harper’s voice, my dream began to gradually stabilize and was no longer chaotic.
I longed most for Harper’s love, but she didn’t seem to love me.
Jacob glanced at the equipment and said urgently, “Mr. Isaac Clark, Ms. Clark’s memories are still continuing. Do you want to keep watching?”
Isaac, Harper, and Ezra looked at each other, then quickly sat down and put on their helmets.
This time, I dreamed of Harper.
Harper had a high fever and was lying in bed, delirious, moaning from time to time.
Isaac was out of town, and Ezra was at the company. Apart from the nanny, only Liliana and I were home.
Following the methods I’d learned in the village, I brought a basin of hot water, soaked a towel in it, and repeatedly wiped Harper’s forehead, arms, and lower back.
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She was groggy and remained barely conscious after taking medicine.
Liliana glanced over and said disdainfully, “Mom already took medicine. The doctor said it’s nothing serious. Why are you so
nervous?”
I was very scared and said, “I’m cooling Mom down so her brain doesn’t get damaged by the fever. In our village, there was at woman whose brain got damaged from high fever, and now she acts foolish every day.”
Liliana laughed loudly: “You’re killing me. This is an international metropolis, not your broken village.”
I ignored her and continued caring for Harper.
I was very anxious, constantly afraid Harper would become a fool, so I didn’t eat or drink, watching over Harper every
moment.
I stayed up all night, and Harper had recurring fevers three times.
By dawn, she finally broke the fever completely and fell into a deep sleep.
I was exhausted to the extreme but finally felt relieved. After cleaning up the basin and towel, I went back to my bed to lie
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down.
But as soon as it got light, Ezra dragged me up.
He pulled me to the foot of the bed and slapped me directly.
Ezra said furiously, “You still have the nerve to sleep? Mom had a high fever all night, where were you? You still have the face to say Mom didn’t need care after taking medicine? Is she made of iron?”
I was both hurt and confused, covering my face and stammering, “I… Mom…”
Ezra scolded, “Shut up! You bastard have no filial piety at all. You only get enthusiastic when given money. Liliana didn’t sleep all night, taking care of Mom until dawn. She almost fainted just now, while you slept so soundly.”
This was the first time Ezra hit me. Actually, he’d been displeased with me for a long time.
And this time was just the trigger for his explosion.
My tears flowed down because of the pain.
I ran out wanting to explain, but saw Liliana supporting Harper, chatting and laughing as they walked past me.
I looked at Harper, and she glanced at me with eyes full of
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coldness.
For so long, this was the first time she looked at me with such
eyes.
The maternal love I’d longed for was completely shattered.
“Was it Scarlett taking care of me that night?” A voice from outside shattered my dream.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Isaac, Harper, and Ezra had already removed their helmets and were looking at me in surprise.
My consciousness was a bit blurry, unable to distinguish whether I was in reality or still in a dream.
Harper hesitantly walked over and touched my face, her eyes reddening: “Scarlett, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I misunderstood you.”
I didn’t say a word.
Those nightmare–like memories caused me too much pain, and I was becoming increasingly numb.
After a long silence, Isaac sighed helplessly and said, “Scarlett never speaks up about anything. She completely indulged Liliana. As an older sister, she actually spoiled her younger
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sister like that. She bears great responsibility. Of course, I’ll also punish Liliana. Once we find Liliana, I’ll confine her for three days.”
Ezra frowned: “Dad, you don’t need to punish Liliana. She didn’t do anything wrong. Actually, I can understand her. She told me more than once that she was afraid of losing us, afraid of being replaced by Scarlett, so she acted irrationally.”
Yes, she was just being somewhat irrational.
I closed my eyes again and showed a bitter smile.
Why could I still smile?
How strange.
Probably because even at this point, they still loved Liliana.
I had never been loved.
How ridiculous.
How could someone never be loved?
Looking at my condition, Jacob reminded, “Mr. Isaac Clark, should we continue? Ms. Clark’s memories have been extracted twice. Although she’s very cooperative, her condition seems a bit strange. I suggest we stop for now.”
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Chapter 2
19 min left
Isaac said angrily, “Stop? My daughter’s whereabouts are unknown, her life or death uncertain. She’s never suffered hardship since childhood, and she’s been missing for five days now. I must find her immediately.”
His manner frightened Jacob into not daring to say more, so he could only continue hypnotizing me.
