The late autumn wind, cold and biting, pierced through Bailey's thin clothes. It seemed to tug at her tired body as she made her way home, only to be shocked by what she saw in front of her.
Strangers were gathered around the door of the house, frantically moving things around.
A tall and lanky soldier told Bailey that her family's house had been resold, that her parents had moved out, and that at that moment, they had packed their bags and were ready to drive away.
Bailey just felt her mind go blank and she ran out the door without thinking much.
When she got outside, Bailey saw the familiar sedan pull up to the curb, as if it had been waiting for her. At that moment, the car door opened and Bailey's father, Harland, got out and walked towards her.
"Bailey, this might be the last time we see each other. We're moving away, and you're going back to your birth parents," his tone was filled with dismay.
Harland's mind drifted back to three months ago, when he was in urgent need of blood and Bailey donated blood to him. Only then did they find out that the two of them weren't related.
This discovery shocked everyone.
After recovering from his illness, Harland finally found his real daughter, Chloe, after many attempts.
Now, the Harland family had traded for a better house for Chloe, and Bailey, the child who wasn't related to them, was naturally left on her own.
"The police found us yesterday and said that it was your real mother, and they're going to take you back today," Harland patted Bailey's shoulder with mixed feelings. "If you want anything else, just ask. Just... when you get there."
Harland had learned from the police that Bailey's birth mother's family was in a really bad situation.
They lived in a dilapidated and rundown area.
The people there lived right next to a stinking sewer that reeked of decay. There, having a house was a luxury, and Bailey's birth mother's family was crammed into a rickety little boat.
All year round, several people huddled in that small and cramped boat to eat and sleep. As for using the toilet, they could only do it directly in the river.
Over there, not to mention wearing designer clothes and going to a prestigious school, even getting a decent meal was a problem.
Bailey stood in front of Harland. It seemed that she could read his mind, and there was not a single ripple of emotion in her clear eyes.
She said calmly to Harland, "Are we done here? I'm leaving."
She turned to leave, her back showing determination, as if she had no attachment to this home at all.
Victoria was immediately annoyed. "This ungrateful girl doesn't even appreciate you. All these years, you've spoiled her! She even had the nerve to dance with Chloe's boyfriend at the ball and steal Chloe's man."
As everyone knew, that boy was Bailey's boyfriend.
But after Chloe was brought back by Harland, the boy rejected Bailey because she was no longer the Alpha's daughter.
Bailey danced with him not realizing that they had been together for a long time. She was clearly betrayed but was instead seen as the other woman.
"He's such a great Alpha's son. He's really good to me now. I know my sister has always liked him, and I hope you'll give us your blessing," it was Chloe who spoke. It had been a month since she was picked up from the Moonlight Pack.
Bailey looked at her with a hint of sarcasm and asked back with a blank expression, "Who said I liked him?"
Chloe was stunned for a moment. She had expected Bailey to be so heartbroken by the news that she would burst into tears on the spot.
Bailey gave her a disdainful look and said coldly, "If there's something wrong with your eyes, go see a doctor. The people you think are so precious are worthless in my eyes."
Huh? What did she just say?
Chloe wanted to get angry, but with Harland and Victoria there, she had to swallow her anger.
Yesterday, she had overheard her parents talking. Just thinking about a future where Bailey would live with people worse than bums gave her a sense of superiority. She couldn't help but say, "Bailey, I know you don't want to go back to that slum area, and you must be really struggling right now, aren't you?"
Chloe took an envelope out of her backpack and handed it to Bailey. "Here's $500. I heard that the conditions there are really bad. I would have prepared more cash for you, but I heard that the people there are generally not very trustworthy, and there are especially a lot of thieves and robbers... It's not safe for you to carry too much money with you."
Chloe's eyes were full of anticipation, but she couldn't hide the smugness and arrogance in her tone. "Five hundred dollars means nothing to me, and you need it more than I do! Take it!"
Victoria was unhappy. "You silly girl, her situation is like a bottomless pit. Even $10,000 wouldn't be enough to fix it."