She carefully wrote down her address, ensuring her parents would know where to find her.
Watching the postal worker take the sealed envelope away, she exhaled deeply.
For the first time in two lifetimes, she felt a weight lift off her chest.
By the time she got home, it was dinnertime.
Wendel was in the kitchen, cooking.
Meanwhile, her adoptive mother, Stella, sat on the heated brick bed, chatting with Esther—looking every bit like a warm, happy family.
The moment she stepped inside, Stella's expression shifted. "Have you thought about school yet? Did Wendel ask you to work at the factory instead?"
Before Iris could answer, Esther quickly intervened, looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes—like a frightened little rabbit.
"Sis, don’t listen to Mom. I would never dare take your spot at school!"
Her adoptive mother immediately patted Esther’s hand, reassuringly.
"Nonsense. Your father saved our family’s lives. Helping you go to school is the least we can do."
Watching them, so close, so affectionate—like a real mother and daughter—Iris' lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.
"Didn't Wendel tell you? I already agreed to his request," Iris replied indifferently.