I was transmigrated into a tragic novel as the three-year-old daughter of the main characters. In this life, I was merely a prop in my parents' toxic love story. When my mom went on a hunger strike, I starved with her. When she tried to run away, I was forced to kneel until my knees bled. They tortured each other in their twisted romance, and I was the collateral damage. After my mom ran away again, I knocked on the door of my dad’s sworn enemy. "Does your Border Collie adopt humans? I'm easy to raise. I can survive on half a slice of bread." He had five cats and three dogs, all strays his dog brought home. I figured since he’d already taken in so many strays, he could squeeze in one more: me. Chapter 1 When I was three and a half, my mom found a lipstick mark on my dad's suit collar. Heartbroken, she ran away from home. My dad, furious, choked me and threatened my mom over the phone. "If I don't see you by tonight, I'll drag Lily to the river, chop off her fingers one by one, and feed them to the fish." Gee, thanks, Dad. You're a real peach. I kicked my short legs in the air, trying to struggle. My dad kicked me away with his hard leather shoe, his eyes colder than a fish that had been frozen for a decade. I couldn't stay in this house anymore. My parents fought every other day, and every time they did, I was the one who suffered. Previously, my dad's rival, Ethan Cole, had given me a business card with his address. He lived in a mansion with a huge lawn, five cats, and three dogs—all brought home by his Border Collie, Coffee. Since Coffee loved collecting strays, maybe he could spare a metal bowl for me too. With my mind made up, I secretly followed our housekeeper, Mrs. Potts, and slipped out through the iron gates of the villa. Goodbye, cage. Little Lily is free. I clutched the card and showed it to adults along the way. With their help, I successfully entered the upscale Sterling Heights community and arrived at Ethan's gate. There was a photo of Coffee on the gate. I couldn't reach the doorbell, so I jumped up and down, yelling: "Coffee! I'm here to play!" As soon as I shouted, Coffee's head popped up in the window. He barked, then quickly ran to the door, his tail wagging like a propeller. "Coffee, don't open the door randomly! Cream might run out again." Chasing Coffee out was Ethan Cole, wearing a Cinnamoroll bathrobe and mismatched slippers. His hair was messy, a stark contrast to the sharp-suited businessman I had seen before. I almost didn't recognize him. Through the fence, I opened my palm to show the crumpled business card I had held the whole way. "Grape Brother, does your Coffee adopt humans?" "Who taught you to call me that?" Ethan pressed down on Coffee's head with one hand and pinched my cheek with the other. "Little Chick is skinny again. My house doesn't take picky eaters." "I'm not a Little Chick." I puffed up my cheeks in protest. But Ethan ignored me, kneading my face like dough with his long fingers. "I'm Lily. You saw me on the big fancy boat." "Dad gave Mom a grape. Mom wouldn't eat it, so Dad gave it to me." "It was a huge grape. It got stuck. I saw stars." I grabbed my neck, vividly reenacting the scene. "You picked me up and whack! The grape came out." "That was ages ago. You remember that? New brains really work well." Ethan's gaze fell on my neck, and he frowned. "Why is your neck red?" "Dad pinched it." I hugged his leg and deepened my voice to mimic my dad: "If I don't see Mom tonight, I'll chop off Lily's fingers and feed them to the fish. That's what he said." "Your dad is a piece of work." Ethan bent down and picked me up. I took the chance to wrap my arms around his neck. "Brother saved Lily. Saving a life means I belong to you now. Grape Brother, Lily is yours." "Hey, hey, less of that nonsense. I'm twenty years older than you. You should be calling me Uncle." Ethan flicked my forehead. I looked at him with puppy eyes. "The pretty ones are brothers. The mean ones like Dad are uncles." "You are pretty. You are the pretty Grape Brother." Afraid he wouldn't want me, I hugged him tighter. "Brother, I'm easy to raise. Half a slice of bread is enough." "I can clean my bowl, comb my hair, play with toys, and sleep by myself." "I'm very good. Brother, don't send Lily away." I blurted out all my selling points, clinging to Ethan like a koala, tears welling up in my eyes. "I won't send you away. Coffee has brought home so many brothers and sisters; we can spare a bite for you." Ethan sighed, touching my thin arms, shaking his head. "Lighter than my cats. Your parents are terrible at raising kids. Your hair is all knotted, and you're so skinny your bones hurt my hand." He complained, but his movements were gentle. Before putting me on the sofa, he laid down a soft cushion, treating me like fragile glass. Coffee jumped onto the sofa, nuzzling his head into my chest. I wanted to pet him, but Ethan spoke up. "Pet him gently." "Coffee, I'm talking to you. Don't pretend you can't hear." I immediately softened my touch, only to see Ethan glaring at the dog. So Coffee retracted the paw he had placed on me. Chapter 2 "Usually, the housekeeper cooks. I can only make instant stuff. Make do with this." Ethan had changed into an apron. His clothes were all pastel colors, completely at odds with his cool face. He placed a bowl of creamy mushroom soup on the table. While he turned to get a bib, I had already thrown the spoon aside, buried my face in the bowl, and was frantically grabbing mushrooms and shrimp with my hands. "Hey, don't..." The soup was the perfect temperature. By the time Ethan lifted me out of the bowl, I had already finished most of it and was licking my lips, wanting more. "Brother, I'm full. You can flip the table now." Facing Ethan's shocked gaze, I blinked and said obediently: "I'll eat the soup off the floor too. Mrs. Potts told me to cherish food. After Dad flips the table, I eat all the food off the floor. I don't waste anything." "Your dad flips the table every time you eat?" Ethan's smile faded, his eyes turning cold. "Yeah. If Mom doesn't eat, Dad says, 'Then no one eats,' and flips the table." "I'm used to it. I use my hands so I can eat more before Dad flips it." After all, if Mom didn't eat, Dad would force-feed her later. But if I didn't eat, I'd starve. "The nanny lets you eat food off the floor?" Ethan's face looked grim, even though not wasting food was a good thing. I looked at my dirty hands, thinking maybe Grape Brother thought I was too dirty. "I'll wash my hands properly. I won't touch the cats and dogs with dirty hands." I looked at him cautiously. Ethan sighed deeply, sat next to me, and patiently wiped my hands with a towel. "Lily, do you know how to use a spoon?" Seeing me nod, he wiped a smudge of oil from my mouth, his tone gentle. "From now on, in this house, no one will flip the table, and no one will snatch your food." "You can eat slowly. You don't need to eat off the floor. In our house, we live comfortably. You don't have to watch anyone's mood." "Understand?" He served another bowl of soup and put the spoon in my hand. I slowly drank the soup, half-understanding. Then Ethan patted my head. "Good girl." Turns out, eating soup slowly can get you praised too. My eyes stung, and tears fell into the soup, making it taste salty. It rained heavily that night. The swaying tree shadows looked like monsters coming to eat children. Before the next thunderclap, I covered my ears tightly, hugged my small blanket, and hid in the cat's bed. The black cat yawned and good-naturedly shared half the bed with me. I buried my face in its furry belly, listening to its purring. My cold body gradually warmed up. In a daze, I smelled a faint scent of herbs, and someone lifted me onto a bed. "Why didn't you come to me if you were scared of thunder? Coffee had to knock on my door to tell me you were fighting the cat for territory." Ethan tapped my nose. I snuggled into his warm embrace, nodding as he spoke in a tone gentler than a lullaby. "Dad doesn't let me in his room when he's in a bad mood. He makes me sleep with the broom..." "Aren't you scared when it thunders?" Ethan patted my back. My eyelids felt heavy. I pointed at the bottle on the nightstand. "Bottle. Magic round pieces inside. Eat one and sleep, won't be hungry, won't be scared. It's magic. Mrs. Potts gave me this treasure." Just as I grabbed the bottle, my head tilted. The last thing I heard was Ethan's sigh, very soft, but it felt heavy to me. "Silly girl, that's not treasure. Those are sleeping pills." "If you eat too many, you'll never wake up." I had a very sweet dream. It was so sweet that when I opened my eyes, I could still smell the sweet scent of milk. I tried to get up but felt a heavy weight on my chest, pinning me down. Was it a ghost pressing on me? I waved my hands frantically. Then Ethan's scolding voice came from afar. "Bread, get off your sister!" "You're a heavy truck, why do you love lying on people's stomachs? Don't you know how heavy you are?" Coffee quickly jumped onto the bed and chased away the ball-like orange tabby. The orange cat meowed in dissatisfaction and went to clang its food bowl. Everything felt like a dream. I walked to the mirror in a daze and pinched my cheek. It hurt. Not a dream. I had really left Mom and Dad. I had left that home. Chapter 3 "Giving a child sleeping pills? Only their nanny could do something so low." "Julian Sterling must have allowed it. He's shrewd in business; if someone dared to give sleeping pills under his nose, would he not know?" "Is this kid really Julian's? She doesn't look like him. And he's so cruel to her, maybe..." The new sister in the house kept glancing at me. I smiled and said: "Hello, pretty sister. I'm Lily." "Oh my god, I'm melting." The sister clutched her chest, shaking her head with absolute certainty: "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. I don't believe Julian could produce such a cute child." "She is biologically his. I checked before," Ethan said, rolling his eyes and speaking sarcastically. "Scum who would let a child choke to death on a grape is actually Lily's dad. This world is crazy." "Did you contact the North City project team at his company?" "I did. Their boss treats them like dirt; the team is very disgruntled." "Okay. Tell the team leader we'll pay double. We must poach the North City team." Ethan fingered the prayer beads on his wrist, grinding his teeth: "While Julian is away, I'm going to his office tomorrow to pull out his money tree. Does that dog deserve to be rich?" "Calm down. That's too obvious." The sister shook her head in disapproval. "Let me do it. I'll have Mom apply as a janitor at his company and unplug their internet every day." Wow, corporate warfare is intense. I listened in confusion, thinking the adult world was indeed complicated. "Coffee, come closer. I'll share some milk with you." "Lily, that's your milk. No sharing with Coffee." Oops, busted. After eating, I put on the new dress the sister bought and sat in front of the mirror while she braided my hair. "Lily is so pretty, so cute." "Be good when you get in the car with sister later, okay?" I said yes, then asked: "Am I leaving?" Last time, Mom dressed me up beautifully, fed me a milky cookie, and then disappeared. I guessed maybe Grape Brother was too busy, so the sister wanted to send me away. It's okay. Lily had sweet milk, cats and dogs to play with, and Grape Brother to coax me to sleep. I was satisfied. Even if I had to go home now, I wouldn't be sad. "Yes, Brother Ethan has to work. He's worried about leaving Lily alone at home." The braids the sister made were beautiful. I sniffled and smiled brightly: "Thank you, pretty sister." "Baby, you are too lovable." The sister hugged and kissed me, then put me in the black sedan. Just before the door closed, I took a milk candy from my pocket and handed it to her, saying seriously: "Sister, can you give this candy to Brother for me?" "The candy is yummy. Mom gave it to me. Lily saved it to eat with Mom." "Now Brother is the best person to Lily. Lily likes Brother, so Lily wants to give the candy to Brother." I put the milk candy in her palm. Thinking I wouldn't see Brother one last time, tears uncontrollably flowed from my eyes. "Sorry, Sister. I only have one candy. I like you too, but... but I can't take out a second candy." The sister panicked instantly, hugging me clumsily to comfort me: "Don't cry, don't cry. I hate candy. Brother can eat it alone. I know Lily likes me, and I like Lily the most too. Don't be sad." "But, Lily is leaving, and I don't have two candies." I was holding it in, but the sister's comfort opened the floodgates. I choked out: "Sister made me pretty braids and gave me new clothes. I can't repay you." "You're not leaving. I'm calling Ethan right now. No kindergarten for you." The sister quickly pulled out her phone and put it on speaker: "Let Lily play at home for a couple of days. We have eight nannies; we can handle it." "You're coming home? This fast? Fine. Lily wants to see you too; she says she has candy for you." In the end, I gave the candy to Ethan personally. Seeing my tear-stained face, he hooked my pinky finger helplessly: "Little ancestor, I won't send you away. Stop scaring yourself, okay?" "Pinky promise. One hundred years, no changing." After pressing our thumbs together, he ate my candy and bragged to the sister: "Lily gave this candy specifically to me. None for you." Chapter 4 "Oh please, Lily promised to give me some later too. Right, Lily?" The two adults fought to hug me. I laughed through my tears and kissed each of them on the cheek. "Yes, I'll give Sister candy later too." "Lily, remember, Mom and Dad don't love you because they are very, very bad, not because you aren't a good child." Ethan wiped away my tears and said seriously: "Our Lily is the best child in the world, unique and precious. Brother got lucky finding you." "Since I took the day off, let's go to the amusement park, okay?" "Okay! Grape Brother is the best brother in the world." "And the handsomest." Ethan emphasized. The sister elbowed him. "Look at you, so full of yourself." We spent the day playing on the carousel, riding the Ferris wheel that went super high, and feeding goldfish. When the sun went down, we walked the dogs. Brother let me sit in a cart pulled by the dogs, letting them drag me along, messing up my hair. The sister, who went to buy ice cream, came back and slapped Brother hard on the back, scolding him all the way home. "Letting a three-year-old ride a dog cart! What were you thinking? What if it flipped?" "Relax, Coffee is smarter than you. He wouldn't flip it." So Brother got slapped again. "Kids can't eat too much cold stuff, so Lily can only have a bite." The sister bought five ice creams. Three for the dogs, one for Ethan. She let me take a bite of the remaining one. Icy, and very sweet. Ice cream tastes like Brother and Sister. Cold on the outside, sweet on the inside. When I told the sister this, she laughed for a long time, saying I was probably the only person in the world who would call Ethan sweet. "But I think Lily is right." The sister smiled at Ethan coming out of the store. He was carrying a big bag, showing off the new coloring book and crayons he bought for me. "Gifts for you. Now you won't be bored at home alone." I happily hugged the coloring book, thinking Brother really was sweet. That was the flavor of Brother's soul. After spending a week playing with the cats and dogs at home, the nanny would turn on the TV for me while she walked the dogs. I sat on the sofa, coloring book and crayons spread on the small table, excited to draw a family portrait. "There needs to be Brother and Sister, Brother Coffee, Brother Cream, Sister Black Forest..." I drew circles one by one. Just as I was about to dot the eyes, familiar people appeared on the TV screen. My hand holding the crayon froze. I stared blankly at my parents on the screen. They were in a field of purple flowers, with four-leaf windmills spinning behind them. "Mr. Sterling, on your second wedding anniversary, what made you decide to buy this flower field and recreate your honeymoon?" "Someone fabricated photos of me cheating. My wife was deeply hurt and even contemplated suicide. I realized that all these years, I only provided for her materially but failed to fill the void in her heart." Dad interlaced his fingers with Mom's and kissed the corner of her mouth deeply. "Realizing this, I decided to spend a year accompanying my love to see the scenery she wants to see. Our journey will span the globe, ending with viewing a once-in-a-century meteor shower." Dad spoke eloquently, his words hard to understand as always. I looked at Mom leaning on Dad's shoulder. She smiled shyly, her lingering gaze on Dad exceptionally sweet. They reconciled again. I wasn't surprised. Dad was the best at pleasing Mom. No matter how cruelly Dad abused me, no matter how many tears Mom shed, as long as Dad was willing to soften, willing to stand up for Mom once. Mom would always forgive him and pull my hand to persuade me: "Lily, Dad loves you. He's just strict. Don't blame him." The red handprints on my neck were still visible. Was Dad choking me love? If it was love, why did the Brother who treated me so well get angry when he saw it? I told Dad the nanny made me take pills, made me eat food off the floor, that my stomach hurt, and I wanted to see Mom. "You're a big girl of three. Solve problems yourself. Don't come crying for Mom all the time." Dad pushed me hard, letting me fall to the floor, looking down at me arrogantly. "If you can't eat, grab it. If your stomach hurts, find a doctor." "Lily Sterling, your only value is keeping your mother by my side. I don't care if you live or die, but if you dare persuade your mother to leave me, leave this house again..." He squeezed my jaw, his vicious tone chilling me to the bone. "I will cut out your tongue."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387847", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel