Chapter 2

After the doctor treated my burns, Victoria, my biological mother, clutched my hand tightly.

She had been crying since she first hugged me on the way to the hospital.

Richard, my biological father, stood by, constantly comforting her, his eyes filled with guilt as he looked at me, occasionally handing his wife a fresh tissue.

Victoria sniffled, “It’s all… it’s all our fault. If only we had arrived a little sooner, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”

Victoria’s hand felt warm, making my palm sweat.

Just like her embrace, it was intensely warm.

And she smelled really nice.

Maybe it was her overwhelming perfume, but the burning sensation on my leg seemed to fade significantly on the way over.

I turned my face away from her, pulling my hand free without hesitation. “You can both leave. I’m a little tired.”

“Hazel…”

Victoria tried to say something more, but Richard stopped her, leading her out of the room.

I watched them walk out of the hospital room, my gaze fixed on Victoria’s tightly clenched hand.

In it, she held a strand of my hair, which she’d subtly plucked when she hugged me.

My scalp had stung when she pulled it, but I had to pretend not to notice a thing.

She was trying to be clever, but it wasn’t exactly rocket science.