Chapter 2

By the time the bodyguards dragged me to the gates of the Shields residence, I still hadn't fully understood what was happening. It was the homecoming that I'd longed for for over ten years. I never imagined that I would be in such a state the moment my dream finally came true. In the grand hall were my parents, whom I'd dreamed of hundreds of times. Finally, all that yearning that I'd held in for so long found an outlet. Like a bird returning to its nest, I lunged toward them. What greeted me was a vicious slap from Mom. "Street mutt, who gave you the nerve?" That address instantly tore me out of my beautiful dream. I lifted my deformed hand to cover my face, weakly opening my mouth and trembling as I mouthed, "Mom?" At that moment, Nicole appeared, pulling James along with her. Her beautiful face was twisted with rage, and her voice was icy cold. "I already know everything. He deliberately drugged the cake that James prepared for me. No wonder he was behaving so strangely in the room. His eyes were practically glued to me. How disgusting and despicable!" The disgust and contempt in Nicole's eyes were like a blunt knife, carving my heart to pieces. Meanwhile, James, who was hiding by the side, had a trace of guilt that flashed across his eyes. I panicked, opening my mouth and desperately signing with my hands as I cried, "You're my sister. How could I ever drug you?" When I entered the private room, I clearly saw James pour in a packet of powder. However, my fingers had been beaten and deformed by James, so I couldn't even sign something simple to tell them it wasn't me. Dad stared at me with a dark expression for a long while, then stepped forward and kicked me hard in the abdomen. "How dare you harm my child. Do you want to die?" Pain wracked my body, and I trembled violently before spitting out a mouthful of dark blood. My parents stood against the light, and the coldness in their eyes as they looked at me felt vaguely familiar. Then, I remembered it. Back in kindergarten, a reckless kid once bullied me. When Mom heard about it, she moved the knife away from Dad's stomach, and Dad loosened his grip on Mom's throat. The way they looked at the boy from back then was exactly how they were looking at me now. It was as if they were staring at a loathsome corpse. A sharp pain suddenly exploded in my chest. It felt a thousand times more painful than my physical injuries. Gritting my teeth and shaking violently, I dropped to my knees and began groveling. Only when they saw me "admit my guilt" did my parents' expressions soften somewhat. The murderous glint in Nicole's eyes also faded slightly. She waved her hand, and someone immediately came to tie me up beside the dog cage in the backyard. A ferocious hunting dog bared its fangs and growled at me through the iron bars. Terrified, I tried to run. The moment I stood up, a baton smashed into my leg. My wretched state was reflected in Nicole's beautiful yet indifferent eyes. "Since you harbored such disgusting thoughts about me, you're worse than a dog. Then, stay here and live with the dogs for one night. Of course, you can always choose to say no." Upon hearing this, the bitterness in my heart swelled even more. Still trembling, I humiliated myself and lay prone on the ground, mimicking a dog. I grew up by their side, so I knew all too well how insane the three of them were. Anyone who defied them would meet a terrible end. James raised his brows and laughed smugly. "Dad, Mom, look at him. He even imitates a dog pretty well. I guess he was born to be pathetic." Mom shot James an annoyed glare but still took his hand and led him away. "James, next time listen to Nicole and come home earlier, okay? Do you know how worried I was?" Dad immediately plastered on a loving smile and patted James on the shoulder. "James, I've bought that sports car you liked last time for you." Amid the family's cheer and laughter, Nicole instructed the butler to keep an eye on me. Cold, hungry, and in pain, I was also in constant fear. I curled weakly on the ground in utter despair, and actually managed to force out a hoarse sound. "Dad… Mom… Nicole…" Yet, my voice was too soft, and Nicole didn't hear it. She told the butler not to open the dog cage. She just wanted to scare me, not to draw blood. When asked why, she paused for a long while before she said, "He's the same age as Jamie." After Nicole left, the hunting dog suddenly went berserk. Struggling violently, it found a wider gap, thrust its head out, and lunged at me with its jaws gaping wide. I dodged in time, but the clothes on my shoulder were still torn apart. The butler, who had been watching me with cold indifference, suddenly changed his expression when he saw the birthday on my shoulder. He lunged forward in shock, examining it closely, then cried out, "Mr. Jamie? Are you Mr. Jamie? Don't worry, I'll contact them right away!"