The next morning, workers arrived at the orphanage to start demolishing the buildings.
The children were still asleep, but they were woken up by the loud noises.
These children, the oldest of whom were no more than ten years old, looked confused and scared.
Seeing their bewildered faces, my heart ached terribly.
They trusted me, but they were being hurt by the man I once loved.
In that moment, whatever love I still had left for Simon vanished, replaced entirely by disgust.
“What are you doing? That’s Laura’s!”
Hollie was about to take a jade ornament from my office when a little girl ran over and grabbed her by the hem of her dress.
It was Julie, the first child I had adopted.
Simon and I had brought her home together.
A flash of disdain crossed Hollie’s face.
Seeing that no one was around, she ruthlessly shoved the little girl to the ground.
“Get lost! Laura’s not coming back. Everything that was hers is mine now!”
Julie was still a child, and the force of Hollie’s push caused her head to hit the floor hard.
Instantly, she began to cry.
Simon rushed in,”What happened?”
As soon as Hollie saw him, her vicious expression disappeared, replaced by one of innocence.
“I just wanted to take a look at Laura’s jade ornament, but Julie suddenly barged in and told me to get lost. She even scratched me.”
She showed him the faint mark on her arm, which had come from her accidentally bumping into the desk earlier.
“Is that what happened?” Simon asked, looking at Julie, who was still on the floor.
“No! She was trying to take Laura’s things!”
“How could you lie like that? I know Laura doesn’t like me, so I guess you don’t like me either. But how could you lie?” Hollie pretended to be shocked, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Simon’s expression immediately softened with concern. He looked at Julie with anger.
“You always seemed so well-behaved, but I didn’t realize how bad you could be! You’ve been around Laura too long-you’ve become an expert liar like her.”
Julie shook her head frantically. “I didn’t lie.”
“Still arguing!” Simon yelled, scaring Julie so much she couldn’t speak. She wanted to explain but didn’t know how.
Hollie, smug, glanced at Julie before turning to Simon.
“She’s learned to lie so young. Who knows what she’ll grow up to be? It just so happens that I have a friend who’s been wanting to adopt a child. Their family is well-off and strict with discipline-perfect for her. What do you think, Simon?”
I looked at Hollie in disbelief. Just moments ago, she was treating Julie with disdain, and now she was suddenly so “kind”?
“You’d still help her even after what she did to you? Hollie, you’re too kind. If only Laura were as understanding as you…” Simon trailed off as his expression darkened when he mentioned me.
I had been gone for seven days.
Seven days without a trace.
For a moment, Simon began to feel uneasy, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.
Maybe this time, I was just being stubborn, waiting for him to back down.
Simon never considered that anything worse could have happened to me.
—-
Hollie acted quickly, and by the next day, she had arranged for a couple to visit.
They were middle-aged, likely in their forties or fifties, and something about them didn’t sit right with me.
The woman gripped Julie’s arm tightly, as if afraid she might escape.
Despite Julie’s struggles, the woman smiled at Simon. “Mr. Smith, don’t worry, we’ll make sure to raise her well.”
As expected, as soon as Simon left, their attitude changed.
The man slapped Julie hard across the face. “Shut up! Cry one more time, and I’ll sell you right now!”
My eyes widened. I had been right.
Hollie had found human traffickers!