Chapter 2

She didn’t know that the person standing in front of her, dressed in faded and worn clothes, was also Richard Sinclair’s daughter.

Yet I had nothing at all.

“Would you like to buy a small piece of cake to try?”

But even a small piece was something I couldn’t afford.

On the side of the street, a crying child threw his cake box onto the ground and shouted, “I don’t like this flavor. I want strawberry flavor!”

His parents gently comforted him and said, “Alright, sweetheart. Mom and Dad will go buy you another one right now.”

I walked over and softly asked, “Could you give this cake to me?”

They looked at me in surprise and pity, then nodded.

I bent down and picked up the cake box. Holding it like a treasure, I sat by the roadside. I carefully put the broken cake into my mouth.

So, this is what cake tastes like.

It was very sweet… but why did it taste a little salty too?

I wiped my tears and wanted to take another bite, but someone suddenly snatched the cake away.

“Audrey, why are you picking up trash to eat here? That’s so dirty. Throw it away!”

Mom immediately threw the cake into the trash can.

“Sis, you’ve been back with the family for three years already. Why do you still look so poor, picking up any trash wherever you go? That’s disgusting.”

Behind my mother, Audrey stood in a beautiful dress, her face full of disgust.

Mom shot her a sharp look, then noticed me staring at the dress.

Feeling guilty, she explained, “Your sister just started working nights as a hostess to earn money. This dress was borrowed.”

“Hurry up and take it off. If it gets damaged, we can’t afford to pay for it.”

Audrey pouted and stayed silent.

Mom suddenly seemed to remember something. She grabbed my hand, her eyes full of pity. “Your father and I have been so busy that we forgot it’s your birthday today. Good girl, what birthday gift do you want?”

My throat felt tight. I pointed at the cake on the ground that had been completely ruined. “I want a cake.”

Mom lowered her head, looking troubled. “It’s our fault for being useless, my dear. That cake is too expensive. We can’t afford it. How about we go home and I’ll cook you some noodles instead?”

I didn’t answer.

Seeing that I didn’t object, Mom let out a sigh of relief and pulled me to leave. But after only a few steps, the pain in my stomach was so strong that I could barely stand.

I fell to my knees in the snow with a dull thud.

Mom’s panicked voice echoed in my ears. “Althea, don’t scare me. Althea, what’s wrong?”

***

When I woke up again, I was already lying in a hospital bed.

When Mom and Dad saw me awake, their eyes turned red as they pulled me into their arms. “Althea dear, it’s all Mom and Dad’s fault…”

Seeing the guilt on their faces, my heart instantly tightened.

I felt nervous.

Did they already know that I had stomach cancer? Were they finally going to tell me the truth? Would they feel even a little regret for lying to me?

I softly asked, “Did the doctor tell you the test results?”

Mom froze. She avoided my eyes and said uneasily, “Our family is too poor… we don’t have money to do your tests. I think you just hurt your stomach by eating that cake from the trash.”

“I asked the doctor to give you some medicine… See? Don’t you feel a little better now?”

I stared at her in silence.

Mom stood up and pulled my arm. “Since you’re awake, come home with me. Hospital fees are too expensive. We don’t have money anymore.”

It felt as if my tears flowed back into my heart.

And slowly, my heart filled with bitterness.