Chapter 6
Jessica, holding the phone, stiffened up. She was almost begging when she said, “Ms. West! Please! Make an exception! I’ll find a job soon! I’ll rent a house! I-”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Dawson. Rules are rules.” Georgia’s voice was firm, leaving no room for compromise. “Please be understanding. We have to be responsible for the child. We’ll send someone to pick her up this afternoon.”
The call was then ended. Mom looked at the brand–new divorce certificate in her hand, then at me. A wave of despair and helplessness instantly overwhelmed her.
She covered her face and broke down in tears. I stretched out my hand and pried her hands away from her face. She lifted her
tear–streaked face that was filled with despair and guilt.
“Sweetie, I’m sorry. I’m useless. I…”
I wiped away the tears on her face, then gripped her cold fingers tightly. There wasn’t a trace of fear on my face–only a bright
gap–toothed grin.
In my loudest voice, laced thick with my country accent, I said, “What’cha cryin‘ for, Mom? It ain’t such a big deal! So what if the adoption’s gone? This stew won’t taste good if it gets cold!”
I laughed as I finished my last meal with Mom.
The next day, I was sent back to that cold and familiar yard. The other kids looked at me differently when they saw me.
“Hey, isn’t this Kiddo? Why’d you crawl back again?”
“Hmph! I told you. How could rich folks really want her? A wild child will always be a wild child!”
“Exactly! What’s she acting like she’s from the city for? How tacky!”
A few older kids who always liked to cause trouble surrounded me, shoving me around and deliberately smearing mud on the
clean clothes Mom had just bought for me.
I clenched my fists so hard that my nails nearly dug into my flesh. I tilted my head back and shouted at the top of my lungs, “My name ain’t Kiddo! My name is Sally Dawson!
“Sally Dawson! I have a mom! My mom’s name is Jessica Dawson!”
“Pfft! Jessica Dawson? Didn’t she just dump you back here? Quit pretending!”
A chubby boy shoved me hard, and I stumbled to the ground. My palm was scraped open, stinging with pain. I gritted my teeth and got back up. I had mud smeared on my face, but my gaze burned brightly, like a wolf cub that was provoked.
“My mom didn’t dump me! She’s figuring things out! She’ll come back for me! My name is Sally Dawson!”
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Chapter 6
More comments flashed before my eyes.
“I’m crying! Why are things like this? Isn’t love enough to make a family? Don’t cry, kid! Mommy’s trying her best!”
“To the person above, note that the orphanage is responsible for the kids. It’s understandable, but it’s still so cruel.”
“These brats are so annoying! Poor Sal!”
“I’m sobbing at ‘My name is Sally Dawson!‘ Her attachment to her name is her attachment to her mom!”
“Hang in there, Sal! Mommy’s fighting for you!”
+26 Bonus
Mom didn’t break her word. She never went back to that gilded cage. Instead, she was working hard to look for a job.
Of course, the difficulties were far greater than she had imagined.
Mom tried to find a proper job, even as an office clerk or a sales associate in a mall. But in every interview, the other party either
stammered an excuse or directly rejected her.
Finally, one time, an outspoken woman in an HR team secretly told her, “Miss, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but someone
from above gave instructions… We can’t afford to offend that McNeil guy.”
Just as Mom walked out of that company’s building, her phone rang. It was Xander.
“Jessica, it doesn’t feel good to hit a roadblock, does it?”
His deep voice carried a trace of mockery and arrogance. “I told you, as long as I give the word, no one will dare to take you in.
“In this huge city, you won’t be able to move forward a single step without my permission. Be smart–come back and admit your
mistake.
“I’ll help you adopt that baggage again. Serena doesn’t mind you two. It’s still better than you begging out
there.”
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