Chapter 4

“Dad, how can Mom do that to me? Just because I am not her biological daughter? I thought that having brought me up, she has affection for me and loves me,” Eve said as she cried in her father’s arms.

Mr Grant sighed helplessly. “You know that I can’t contradict her. Just bear with it at the moment, I will work on something, okay?” he said softly, his eyes showing the worry and pain he felt for Eve.

“But, how can I stay in that room? I can’t,” Eve said as she looked around the room. The room she had been allocated was thrice smaller than her previous room. It didn’t even have a walking closet and a study room.

Her clothes, they couldn’t even fit in the wardrobes. “I thought that after mom says that my clothes can’t fit, she would pity me and give me back my room, but instead, she asked the maids to take away the clothes that were left and divide them amongst themselves. Isn’t that humiliating me?”

The thought of her outfits being worn by maids made her angry. Some of the outfits were even bought recently, and she didn’t have a chance to wear them.

“It is already great enough that she didn’t chase you out. Get along with Tracy, that’s the only way to gain her affection once more,” Mr Grant said as he understood his wife after being married to her for so long.

“B…But…”

“No buts,” he said coldly as he gently pulled Eve away. If you don’t want to be chased away, listen to me. I am leaving before she realizes I am here with you,” Mr Grant said as he stood up.

Eve stared at his departing figure with hatred, thinking he was too cowardly; he feared his wife so much that he couldn’t even fight a room for himself.

“Mom,” Tracy called Alaine, who was sitting on the sofa in her room, going through documents.

Hearing her daughter calling her, Alaine lifted her head and looked at Tracy, who was seated on the bed.

“Can I change this room to a dancing studio? No, a studio where I can play piano, violin, dance, and even paint,” Tracy said, stunning Alaine.

“I thought you liked this room,” Alaine said with a frown.

“I did, but the thought of Eve living here for years makes me nauseated. I don’t know how to play instruments, dance, paint, or do calligraphy. I need to learn all this, but the studio is too small.” Tracy’s eyes were filled with ambition and pleading.

“Dear, there is a studio downstairs you can use,” Alaine said. She had just chased Eve away from this room for Tracy to sleep in; she felt that the latter was being willful, but she understood what Tracy felt every time she walked in here; she remembered someone had lived there. However, she didn’t want to give in to every one of her demands.

“But I thought if we connected the room beside mine with this one. That one will be my bedroom while this one becomes the studio, where I can practice here even late at night when I have sleepless nights. If I go downstairs in the middle of the night to practice, then come back, won’t it be better if it were adjacent? If I feel tired, I walk to the bathroom, clean myself, then go straight to bed?”

Alaine stared at her daughter; those hazel eyes reminded her of her father, which startled her.

“Mom, please,” Tracy begged as she walked to her, held her arm affectionately, and pouted, which made the strict expression façade break.

“Okay, okay. I will tell the butler to organize it. Since you aren’t sleepy, let’s go for a checkup, then we can go shopping,” Alaine said as she closed the file she had been reading, then looked at Tracy with a cheeky smile.

Tracy was stunned but still nodded her head. In her past life, she had hidden the wounds, since they weren’t treated, they left hideous scars. Out of shame, she always wore long-sleeved outfits and trousers to hide them. In this life, she wanted to change everything and enjoy life.

The two walked out and met Mr Grant on the way.

“Uhm, wife, Tracy, where are you guys going? I thought Tracy was resting?” he asked, a smile on his face.

After everything that had happened, he could tell how much Alaine treasured Tracy despite knowing her for an hour. He understood that he couldn’t continue showing his dissatisfaction towards the little girl. Also, thinking that she was also his daughter, he thought that he might as well treat her well and try getting along with her.

“She couldn’t fall asleep due to pain. I am taking her to the hospital,” Alaine said, causing Tracy to look at her in surprise.

She never thought that she would say such a thing.

Mr Grant looked hesitant; he had also seen that some wounds were fresh, so he didn’t doubt her words at all. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“That can wait till I come up,” Alaine said coldly. He had been told the man had gone to console Eve, now claiming he wanted to speak to her; she knew that it must be about Eve.

“Let’s go,” she said softly to Tracy, holding her hand and walking away, leaving the man standing there.

“It’s okay, I can wait. Talking to her later about her treatment of Eve is fine,” he mumbled as he looked at the figures, then walked away.

Alaine had thought that Tracy would look around the car as she had chosen a Maserati to go in it, but Tracy walked in and sat upright, which surprised her.

She didn’t behave like a country bumpkin at all. If it weren’t for the fact that she had investigated everything, she would have thought her daughter had grown up in riches and was taught etiquette.

Tracy had been in that car in her past life; also, she had seen a lot of cars, and this one was no different.

During the trip, she asked Tracy about her likes and dislikes as she wanted to understand her daughter, and in no time, they arrived at the hospital.

Alaine led her to the fifth floor, as she had already booked an appointment when Tracy was sleeping.

“Hello, we are here to see Mr Caleb,” she said to the receptionist at that floor’s desk.

“Miss Grant, your appointment is one hour later. Luckily, the doctor isn’t attending to anyone at the moment. You can just go to his office?” the receptionist asked as she identified her.

“Thank you,” Alaine said with a polite smile, then guided Tracy to the doctor’s office.

“Alaine, what a surprise,” Caleb said when he saw her walking in. They had met a week ago when it was discovered Eve wasn’t her daughter.

“Caleb, I brought my daughter for a check-up,” Alaine said, going straight to the point.

Caleb stared at Tracy, who had walked in after Alaine in surprise, not expecting the Grants to find her so soon. However, he was happy for them. His profession prohibited him from asking any questions. He just nodded and stood up.

“Come sit here,” he instructed Tracy, who walked over. She took off her jacket, startling Caleb when he saw the wounds.

“Oh my, child. You need to get the scar-removing cream to remove these scars. Which girl doesn’t love beauty?” he said. Tracy gave him a polite smile.

The checkup took an hour, then they were given the medicines.

Walking outside the hospital, Tracy saw an ice cream parlor and her eyes lit up.

“Mom, I want ice cream,” she said before dashing away, causing Alaine, who had just opened her mouth to say something, to shut it and look at her helplessly.

She took steps forward, then saw a car driving so fast towards Tracy, she felt as if her heart had stopped. “Watch out!” She screamed with all her might.

Her mother’s scream startled her and caused her to look back, but when she caught the speeding car on her right and the driver in it, she froze.

Luckily, Alaine’s scream alerted even the driver, who stepped on the brakes.