As dusk descended that day, snowflakes began to drift down once again.

That evening, Shermaine followed her usual routine. After tutoring her classmates on Zoom, she performed frame interpolation on the blurry video. Just before bedtime, Joshua brought her a glass of warm milk. After falling asleep, Shermaine had a dream.

The sun was shining brightly as five-year-old Shermaine, her hair in cute pigtails and dressed in a pretty little dress, was gently helped into the car by her mother, who wore a warm, gentle smile. Behind the wheel sat Jameson.

A kiss landed on Shermaine’s cheek. “My sweetie,” Ruth said, “have fun at the amusement park with Daddy.”

Shermaine frowned. “Mommy, aren’t you coming?”

“There’s an issue at the research lab where I used to work, so I have to go and handle it,” Ruth said regretfully. “Next time I’m free, I’ll go together with you and your brother.”

“Okay,” Shermaine pouted.

“Won’t you give Mommy a kiss?”

Shermaine leaned in and planted a kiss on Ruth’s cheek. “I’ll miss you, Mommy,” she said sweetly.

“That’s my good girl.”

With that, the car pulled away.

In the car, Shermaine reached into her little backpack and pulled out a book. She opened it and started reading intently. When they stopped at a red light, Jameson glanced back at her and asked, “What are you reading, Sheary?”

Shermaine answered seriously, “A magazine.”

Jameson said, “Clever girl.”

“Yup.”

Maybe because Jameson was hardly ever home, things always felt a bit awkward between him and his daughter, and they just couldn’t seem to find anything to talk about.

After about twenty minutes of driving, Jameson spoke up again, “Sheary, how about I bring a little boy to play with you at the amusement park today?”

“Who is he?” Shermaine asked.

“It’s the son of my friend,” said Jameson.

Shermaine nodded and said, “Okay!”

Soon, Jameson pulled over by the roadside. A woman opened the car door and lifted a little boy into the car.

The little boy looked glum.

Shermaine wasn’t the outgoing type, so when she saw him, she didn’t bother to say hello.

Chapter 113

After a brief exchange with the woman, Jameson drove off again.

Shermaine instinctively frowned at the woman outside the window but kept quiet.

Before long, they arrived at the amusement park.

But soon, the little boy threw a tantrum, tears streaming down his face. “You’re my dad!” he sobbed. “Why do I have to call you uncle?”

Jameson was at a loss. He stammered, “Jason, don’t cry. I will get you some ice cream, okay?”

Shermaine’s chubby face scrunched up in displeasure. “That’s nonsense! How could my daddy be your daddy? My daddy only has one son, and that’s my brother!”

The little boy cried out. “No, you’re lying! He is my daddy! Mommy said he’s my daddy!”

The argument quickly escalated into a fight.

Shermaine balled her tiny fists and punched the boy square in the nose, giving him a nosebleed. He fell to the ground and burst into even louder sobs.

At the sight, Jameson roughly shoved Shermaine aside and rushed to help the boy up. “Jason, are you okay?” he asked anxiously.

Jason sobbed, “Daddy, it hurts so much!”

Jameson gently said to Jason, “I’m taking you to the doctor now. Don’t cry, okay?”

Panicked, Jameson scooped Jason into his arms and rushed toward the clinic.

Shermaine watched her father’s receding figure, and in an instant, her eyes reddened as tears streamed down her cheeks. She was crying so hard that when someone handed her a tissue, she took it automatically. After wiping her tears, her vision went black, and she fainted.

Just then, Shermaine jolted awake and sat up in bed. Even though the room was warm from the heater, she was drenched in sweat.

She realized that what she had dreamed about was actually her own memory from before she was abducted at the age of five. So that was how she was abandoned back then. No wonder she always felt such intense loathing whenever she saw Jason.

Sure, hearing it from Janice was one thing, but recalling it firsthand was something else entirely. Only by reliving that memory did Shermaine realize just how absurd—and heartless—it all was.

Her own father, for the sake of his illegitimate son, abandoned her without a second thought, leaving her there as he rushed off to the clinic with Jason.