Beginning: The lies

Lin Jingxuan didn't know what had changed little Meilin in such a short period of time but it was a good change. She was now looking around curiously and even smiling widely. It was pleasing for him as a father to see such happiness.

He drove her to the Lin Mansion, not because of the threat but because he needed her to be safe. The thought of anything bad happening to her yet she could be his daughter would break him. He was risking his happy family with Yi Shuyan.

Lin Jingxuan: "Meilin, can you answer my questions?" He hoped he could get information from Meilin.

Meilin nodded rapidly.

He touched her forehead as he said," Take it easy,it's just some simple questions.

She nodded and replied with a tiny "yes".

Lin Jingxuan:" Do you remember your mother?" He asked in the kindest way possible so as not to frighten her.

Meilin frowned and her eyes teared up as she said," I've been alone since for a long time. I remember mother took me to the park one day but she never came back. Meilin has been alone since then and I don't remember how mother looks like,will she be angry?

Lin Jingxuan nodded and said "no" as he wiped her tears and rubbed her hair.

"Did Meilin call him father because she assumed he was taking her to meet her mother?" Why did her mother leave her?

"Meilin,who told you that I'm your papa ?",he asked.

" Kind uncle at the orphanage, did he like?," Meilin asked confused and she nearly cried.

Lin Jingxuan: No, he didn't lie, don't cry. Can you tell Papa how uncle looks like?

Meilin tried to think for a while then said,"Uncle wears a mask, Meilin doesn't know."

Lin Jingxuan sighed deeply and continued driving.

"Meilin,I'm taking you to meet a nice mom and a sister, I'm going to tell them you're a friend's child first so that they can adjust,you will also meet your grandma, aunt and cousin."

Meilin seemed scared to meet them but said,"I understand, "papa".

Lin Jingxuan didn't like lying to her but he felt relieved when she grasped the most important part,not letting anybody know.

Meilin couldn't help but stare and feel excited when she saw how big the mansion was. She couldn't believe that anybody could own such a big and beautiful house. Life at the orphanage was bad and she wouldn't want to go back there so she'll be at her best behavior.

Lin Jingxuan told Yi Shuyan that Meilin was a daughter of his friend who died. Yi Shuyan was unwilling to believe it due to the abrupsy. Meilin resembled Yue Ling and that only made her think the worst but she trusted him. It ate him up that he had to lie.

There were also rumors about Lin Jingxuan bringing home an illegitimate daughter but he dismissed it several times. The fire died down slowly as years went by.

Meilin went by the surname Wang in the beginning since the old lady loved her alot and adopted her. Yi Shuyan also treated her like a daughter. Meilin was welcomed into the family by everybody.

At least that's what it seemed like.

Yi Shuyan and Lin Jingxuan had bought their own home and lived there with Yue Ling and Meilin. Yi Shuyan was okay with taking care of Meilin as she understood that the orphan was now her husband and her responsibility. The family of three now lived harmoniously as a family of four.

At the age of thirteen, Meilin started behaving differently. Whenever Lin Jingxuan wasn't around,she would be in her room the whole day and didn't even eat with Yi Shuyan and Yue Ling. She was displaying bad behavior but Yi Shuyan understood she was now hitting puberty so that's why she was behaving strangely. Something was still strange about it, this attitude was only displayed before Yi Shuyan and Yue Ling.

One day at the old mansion, Meilin locked herself in her room nearly the whole day . Whoever tried knocking couldn't convince her and eventually everybody got worried since Meilin had never thrown a tantrum, Yi Shuyan who knew this wasn't new didn't comment to keep peace in the family . When the door was broken, Meilin was lying on the floor and she had fainted.

She was diagnosed with depression and the doctor told them that she had many scars so they suspected abuse.

They didn't involve the authorities since this had happened to the owners of the hospital and they agreed to solve it peacefully.

In Meilin's room, she was weeping endlessly.

She was asked about what happened but she only cried. When Wang Changli came and soothed her for a while and asked she mumbled," Mummy Shuyan was only punishing me."

Questioning looks stared at Yi Shuyan. She remembered telling Meilin to stay in her room as punishment for speaking rudely. Meilin could even go out if she wished. Why was Meilin bringing this up when her abuser was asked? Was this intentional?

"I knew that this lady was evil but none of you believed me,she's hurting the girl," Lin Yaoha spoke.

Grandma Wang stood up and slapped Yi Shuyan. This was her way to vent out her anger and justify it with punishing. She was going to do it again when the Elder Lin said," How can you jump to conclusions now? Meilin isn't in her right state of mind.

Lin Yaoha didn't like both Yi Shuyan and Yue Ling since they were always aloof and didn't try to win her favor,on the other hand, Meilin treated her like a goddess.

Yi Shuyan had just received a slap from her mother inlaw and was being accused of abusing a child. Throughout all this,her husband didn't even try to defend her. She wasn't used to crying so she just left the room and went to Yue Ling's room to sleep that day. She was relieved that Yue Ling might not have heard what was going on.

She didn't know Yue Ling was awake.

Yue Ling had never liked Meilin ever since she came but she never showed her displeasure.

Yi Shuyan had been avoiding Meilin ever since the incident but that didn't stop Lin Yaoha and Wang Changli from hurling abuses and calling her heartless.

One day,a banquet was to be held to celebrate Wang Changli and Elder Li 's anniversary.

When Yi Shuyan was checking the arrangements,she followed Meilin when she saw her acting weirdly and saw her deliberately cutting the dress bought for Yue Ling. Yue Ling confronted her and what she heard next was ," I'll make sure you and your mother are ousted." This is all mine. Did you even know that I'm your half sister?

Yi Shuyan entered the room and yelled," What are you saying?"

Meilin suddenly shed off her previous behavior and started wailing," Please forgive me aunt."

Yi Shuyan didn't know that other people had entered the room till she heard her husband ask what was going on.

Lin Jingxuan even raised his hand to hit her.

"Is Meilin your biological daughter?"she asked.

Lin Jingxuan was silent.

Yi Shuyan didn't like the silence,she couldn't believe she was the one taking care of her husband's child all this while on the pretext of calling her an orphan.

Yi Shuyan started hitting Lin Jingxuan as she cried but the only thing he repeatedly said was, "I am sorry."

Seeing Lin Yaoha and Wang Changli 's smiling faces tore her pride. Everybody in this family was so ungrateful. She was lied by each one of them.

The next few days before she left she expected Lin Jingxuan to beg her or explain, none of it happened.

Meilin the angel of the family was having the best days of her life. Her lips curved sinisterly.

She was five years old when Uncle Xi first approached her. She was living in a one bedroom cramped up and improper apartment with the lady supposed to be her mother.