Adeena suppressed her gloominess before she grinned and said, “When I send you back, I’ll have to
bring some presents for the other kids too. These are the presents.”
Indeed, many people, young and old, frequently sent gifts to the orphanage, so Grapie nodded. “Thank
you, Miss!”
With that, Adeena drove her all the way to the orphanage.
It was a medium–sized orphanage in Cloud City. There were two old, used houses that were painted in
yellow and blue. Many kids were playing in the courtyard.
“Mama Sherry, I’m back!”
When Grapie pushed open the car door, she instantly rushed out into a forty–year–old woman’s arms.
“Grapie, you’re so disobedient. Where did you go alone? Do you know that everyone’s been worried
sick?” The director purposely darkened her expression and scolded her. “If this happens again, you
know your punishment!”
Grapie stuck her tongue out. Then, she turned around and looked at a four–year–old girl who was
standing behind the director. “Cherry, I bought you some marshmallows.”
She turned around, took a pink marshmallow from Adeena’s hand, and handed it over.
Only then did the director notice that someone had sent Grapie back. She quickly walked over and
said, “Thank you for sending Grapie back. She’s usually very obedient. I don’t know why she would
sneak out on her own today.”
Adeena looked at the little girl gently. “She mentioned that she wanted to buy marshmallows for Cherry.
She took $2 and walked around half the city.”
Right after she spoke, the four–year–old Cherry suddenly slapped Grapie on the back of her hand.
The pink marshmallow fell to the ground, and a lot of dust and grass clippings made it dirty.
“Why did you come back so quickly?” Cherry instantly lost her cool, and hatred shone in her childish
eyes.
Before the director could react, Adeena rushed over. She held Grapie, who was on the verge of crying,
in her arms and glared at the girl. “You’re Cherry, right? Grapie purposely sneaked out to buy you
marshmallows. Is this how you thank her?”
“Hmph!”
Cherry turned around and ran away.
“This girl!” The director sighed. “The two kids were quite close in the past. I don’t know why, but
Cherry’s been getting increasingly bad–tempered.”
Grapie’s eyes became teary. “Cherry said I stole Mama
Sherry’s heart, so she doesn’t like me anymore. I want her to like me, so I agreed to go out and buy her
marshmallows. Why does she still not like me after I bought her marshmallows? Sob…”
The sad little girl cried.
Adeena felt so heartbroken. She took a deep breath and softly said, “Grapie, you’re not chocolate or
ice cream. Why would everyone like you? Cherry may not like you, but there are still many other kids,
right? It’s good enough that everyone else likes you.”
The director suddenly slapped her thigh. “I realize why Cherry would suddenly make Grapie go out. A
married couple’s coming to the orphanage to see the kids later, and they’re planning to adopt a girl.
Cherry must have learned about this. She got rid of Grapie because she knows that she isn’t as pretty
as Grapie.”
Adeena trembled with fear.
A four–year–old girl could be so cunning.
Was it in her nature or had she slowly learned such tactics in the orphanage where only the best would
remain and the worst would be eliminated?
If Grapie turned out like that one day, it would be like throwing a piece of jade or jewelry to the ground,
breaking it into pieces.
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