Being a man of few words, he got into the car after distributing the gifts. Through the girls’ eyes, I could see their reluctance to part with Amy and their envy for her, for the latter could finally leave the family.
When Ronald saw the gifts in the girls’ hands, he cast his eyes at me and made a meaningful remark, “There is no use in giving those gifts. They can only count on themselves to change their own fate. Let’s go. We need to head back to A City.”
In the car, I sat with Amy in the rear seat. The little girl was excited as she kept casting her eyes outside the car window. It seemed to be her first time riding a car. From the smile on her face, I could tell that she was happy.
When the village vanished from sight, I heard Amy heaving a sigh of relief.
Instead of feeling sad, the little girl was relieved to leave her parents. I felt my heart being tied into a knot upon that realization.
There was a better signal as the car drove onto the highway. Instantly, Anthony’s messages popped up on the screen, asking me where I was and what I was doing.
I gave him a call, and it went through in no time. “Why couldn’t I reach you the entire night? Who are you with and where are you?” he asked with his voice full of concern.
After answering all of his questions, I shifted my eyes to Amy, who had fallen asleep next to me, and fell silent. After some hesitation, I spoke up, “Anthony, I found a kid whose blood and tissue type is compatible with Summer’s, but… but she’s only five years old.”
The other end of the line was silent. Feeling agitated, I quickly explained, “It’s not what you think! I didn’t do anything illegal. I’ll bring her back to A City, and then only we decide what to do. Wait till I come home and talk to you about it, okay?”
Anthony was a highly moral and ethical man. I knew he wouldn’t agree to let a five-year-old kid donate her organ to Summer. After all, Amy was too young, and her body was still developing. The risk of being a living donor was high. Even if she was a matching donor, she might have to face the possible sequelae and negative effects of organ donation.
Nevertheless, I had decided to take Amy with me after seeing the harsh treatment the girls received in her family. It would be better if she could stay with Anthony and me. Even if we couldn’t adopt her, she could still live a better life in an orphanage than in that village.
I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t save Ann, yet I had the chance to help Amy escape that village.
After a long silence, Anthony said in a solemn voice, “Sienna, I know you’re worried about Summer. But, promise me you won’t harm anyone, alright?”
I nodded. “Alright. I promise you. Trust me!”
“Of course, I trust you,” Anthony said in a loving tone.
I knew Anthony was worried that I might lose rationality and throw propriety to the wind. I was now stuck in an insoluble dilemma. On the one hand, I would do whatever it took to save Summer. On the other hand, if Amy happened to be the perfect donor, I might not have the heart to sacrifice that little girl to save my own daughter. Both of them were innocent kids. I knew that once Amy underwent the transplant surgery, the damage done to her body was irreversible.
I chatted with Anthony for a while before ending the call. That was when I noticed Amy was looking at me with her bright eyes. Thinking the little girl was hungry, I said softly, “We’ll arrive home soon. Are you hungry?”
She shook her head while holding the bread and the bottle of water. Gazing at me, she asked, “Ms. Stanhope, we’ve come a long way. Why haven’t I seen the van that took Ann away? There are a lot of cars on the road, but none of them is that van. Where did she go? Can I still see her again?”
Hearing that, I was at a loss. Initially, I thought Amy was curious about the outside world, looking at the passing scenery outside the window. It turned out the little girl was looking for the van that took her sister away.
At that instant, I couldn’t help but feel upset. “Amy, your sister is going to become someone else’s wife,” I said as I suppressed my emotion, “she has married into another family, but I don’t know where they live.”
Hearing my reply, Amy lowered her head, fixing her eyes on the bread. I fell into silence, not knowing how to console the disappointed little girl.
Just then, Boris, who was behind the wheel, said, “Ms. Stanhope, you should get some rest. There are still a few hours of journey. I will wake you up when we arrive.”
Feeling perturbed, I couldn’t sleep. “Boris, does this happen in all the villages here? How could they treat their children so differently?” I asked.
That woman’s eyes were full of love for her son when she carried him on her back. In contrast, her daughters lived no better than a rat in that house.
Keeping his eyes on the road, Boris let out a sigh. “There are a lot of people suffering in this world. Everyone has their own hardships and perils in life.”
Everyone was born with different destinies. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth could live a good life. Whereas those who were born in a family living in uncivilized and remote villages should be grateful when they could even survive.
It was already late at night by the time we arrived at the villa. Anthony was sitting near a space heater in the living room with a book in his hands, waiting for my return.
Boris left after he sent us back home. Holding Amy’s hand, I led her into the villa. Anthony stood up the moment he saw us. Seeing the man with a strong aura, Amy took a step backward and hid behind me.
With a gentle smile, I comforted the little girl that she need not be afraid of Anthony.
Gazing at me, Anthony asked, “Have you had dinner?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t eat anything during the eight hours journey. Have you eaten yet?”
“I’m waiting for you,” was his reply. Then, he shifted his gaze to Amy.
Seeing that, I introduced Amy to him, “This is the kid I told you. Her name is Amy. We’ll let her stay in the house for a couple of days.”
Anthony nodded and sighed. “Since you’ve brought her here, have you thought of what you are going to do with her in the future?”
I shook my head. To be honest, I had no idea what to do with Amy. I was not against bringing her with me after seeing her parents’ harsh attitude toward their daughters. I couldn’t save all of them, but taking Amy with me was the least I could do.
Seeing my response, Anthony didn’t say anything. He made his way to the kitchen and called out, “Wash your hands, and we’ll have dinner. I’ve made your favorite dishes, see if they suit your liking.” Seeing my response, Anthony didn’t say anything. He made his way to the kitchen and called out, “Wash your hands, and we’ll have dinner. I’ve made your favorite dishes; see if they suit your liking.”
Feeling surprised, I led Amy as we followed him into the kitchen. The man was serving the food from the food thermos. Those were all my favorite dishes! I took Amy to the sink and washed our hands before we settled down at the dining table.
Just then, I received a call from Zachary. Boris must have told Dad about Amy.
I answered the call and asked, “Dad, have you had dinner?”
Zachary hummed a response over the phone. Then, he spoke up, “Boris has told me about the five- year-old kid. I know you’re a soft-hearted person, but Summer’s condition is getting worse. The cancer cells have spread to other parts of her body. She needs a transplant as soon as possible, or her other organs will be affected too. By that time, it will be impossible to save her life. I have discussed it with your mother. We will give the girl’s parents a sum of money and let her stay in K City. Your mother and I will take care of her. Don’t worry. The Moore family can definitely afford to raise a child. If she suffers any sequela from the surgery, we will find the best doctor to treat her. Sienna, Summer can’t wait any longer. You need to make that decision.”
I knew Zachary was right. Yet, I wouldn’t forgive myself if I harm an innocent child. I would live the rest of my life with guilt.
Noticing I was staring blankly into space, Anthony waved his hand before me. “What are you thinking about? Let’s eat now.”
I nodded. As the call was still going on, I heard Zachary’s voice saying, “Tomorrow, your mother and I will discharge Summer from the hospital. We will then bring her to A City. Before that, take good care of the kid. I’ll meet you there.” With that, Zachary ended the call.
I was a little distracted as I watched Amy savoring the food before her. Anthony placed the cutleries in front of me and reminded me, “You should eat more. Boris said you barely ate anything yesterday. You’re a mother now, and you should take good care of yourself.”
I nodded. Hearing Anthony’s words, Amy turned to look at me. “Ms. Stanhope, my mom is also pregnant. Is there a baby in your tummy too?”
With a faint smile, I helped fill her plate with food. “Yes. There’s a baby in my tummy.”
Hearing that, Amy curled her lips into a bright smile. The kids were indeed pure and innocent. They would just smile when they were happy and cry when they felt sad. After tucking the little girl in bed, I returned to the bedroom. While hugging me, Anthony asked, “How did you find that village?”
His question threw me off balance. I never told him about Armond giving me the name card. Thus, it wouldn’t make sense that I managed to get into contact with Brandon.
After thinking for a while, I lied, “My dad told me about the village. He asked Boris to go there with me.”
Anthony fixed his eyes at me, his eyes darkened. “Sienna, there should be trust between a husband and wife. You told me this, do you remember?”
Anthony’s serious attitude made me feel even more guilty. I kept my head down to avoid his eyes while my hands wrung. I didn’t mean to hide it from him. It was just that he was too wary of Armond. He would definitely get mad if I told him the truth.
With that in mind, I was all the more determined not to tell him about the name card. I looked up at him and uttered, “Anthony, it’s true. This is why I called you to stop my Dad from coming to A City. As you know, he is old now, and I don’t want him to be in trouble because of me. You heard it when I got the information from him. You even got mad at me for not telling you when I decided to come to A City. Have you forgotten about that?”
Anthony’s gaze turned cold. He sneered, “You came up with all these to lie to me. I guess it will be a disappointment to you if I don’t buy your story.”
With that, he turned and entered the washroom. The sound of running water ensued. The man was angry, or rather, he was infuriated.
I felt on edge as I wasn’t sure if Anthony knew about me finding Armond. Initially, I planned to tell him the truth when he came out of the washroom. However, I was too tired that I soon fell asleep.
The next morning, Anthony was gone when I woke up. Later, I received a message from Zachary, telling me that they had boarded the plane, heading to A City. After freshening up, I went to Amy’s room to find that the little girl had long woken up. She was sitting primly on the bed, waiting for me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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