Can't Win Me Back

Amber remarked flatly, "That sounded so pervy."

Axel's expression collapsed. He argued, "I was a brother who doted on his sister! You just don't get it!"

He took care of Alyssa for another reason. Before their mother passed away, she called the four siblings to her bed and reminded the brothers to take care of Alyssa to the best of their ability.

He recalled Jennifer comforting them, "Don't cry. Please don't think that Mommy is not around anymore. Mommy will be in the sky, looking after you and protecting you."

He teared up at the thoughts-a lump formed in his throat.

"That was really sweet." Amber stared at her reflection on the water, which resembled Alyssa. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, and she hurriedly hid the reflection with clothes. She added, "Ms. Alyssa certainly grew up in happiness."

Despite taking on Alyssa's face, Amber knew her fate was the opposite of Alyssa's. Alyssa was the daughter of a wealthy family who was raised in love and great care, unlike herself—a lookalike and a puppet. How could Jameson even think of using her as a replacement for Alyssa? What a delusional maniac!

"What about you, Ms. Altman? Where are your relatives?" Axel pretended to drop a casual question while washing the clothes. "Hasn't your family asked about your life over the years you worked for Jameson Schmidt?"

"I was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. I don't have parents. Jameson was the one who named me," she revealed in an emotionless tone.

Axel put on a pensive expression. "Guess that explains why you volunteer here. Is it to reminisce about your childhood?"

"There's nothing to reminisce." She chuckled dismissively. "Why would I think back on how I was beaten, yelled at, and starved for three days in a row?"

Her words made his heart stop in shock. He shot a deep look at her.Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

"Not all orphanages in the world are safe havens for kids. Some are hell on earth." Her hands were red from washing the clothes by now. She remarked in a soft voice, "In some way, I have Jameson Schmidt to thank. Without his help, I would have died of starvation on the streets on that cold night. I only survived until this day because he took me in."

What she did not reveal was the hell that Jameson put her through. Rather than salvation, she met a fate more brutal and despairing than the beatings, scoldings, and starvings that she had experienced. Axel tried his best to look nonchalant as he wrung the clothes dry. "You're considered mentally tough for women. If I were you, I might never step foot in an orphanage after all the childhood trauma." "Well, I wanted to help because I was in the same shoes. I suffered in an orphanage, and I didn't want the kids here to go through the same thing. It makes me happy to see their smiles." She beamed and spoke from the bottom of her heart.

Axel pressed his lips. He was extremely moved by her noble intentions, knowing that she wasn't just helping the orphans but also making up for her traumatic childhood.

"Ms. Altman, come here for a minute." A teacher showed up at the door of the laundry room to look for Amber.

"Coming." Amber quickly rose from the stool and wiped her hands dry on her jacket. Then, she left in a hurry.

At that moment, Axel heard a soft patter of an item falling onto the ground. A silver object sparkled on the ground under the afternoon sunlight.

He approached the object that Amber had dropped-a locket. He slowly crouched to pick it up. Squinting under the sunlight, he carefully checked it out.

With a click, he opened the locket and found a photo of a stranger—a young girl. The sight of her youthful and lovely face tugged at his heartstrings.