Phoebe stared at me calmly, showing not the slightest hint of discomfort. I was puzzled and wondered if I had hit Maisie too lightly for it to have any effect.

However, asking me to truly hurt Maisie would be like stabbing myself in the chest.

As I wrestled with the thought, Phoebe suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud. Maisie instantly clutched her knees, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

"Mrs. Shaw, it's my fault. I took Maisie's room and her parents' love. Please don't hurt Maisie… If you must hit someone, hit me!" Phoebe cried, crawling toward me.

Her dramatic act caught me completely off guard, and I realized with dread that she was still trying to harm Maisie.

I quickly helped her up and gave Maisie a look that said, "Go to your room and think about what you've done."

As I led Phoebe to her room, Brandon, who was usually quiet, actually spoke up to comfort her. "Don't mind Maisie… She's too spoiled and needs to be disciplined properly."

I quickly stepped forward and pretended to trip, pressing hard on the spot where Maisie had been hit earlier. However, Phoebe remained completely composed with no reaction whatsoever.

Brandon pulled me up while saying something, but I could not hear him. My mind was racing, wondering why there was no reaction and what had gone wrong.

I suddenly stood up and walked into Maisie's room. Before she could react, I slapped her hard.

The cry came from Maisie, not Phoebe.

Meanwhile, Phoebe still looked perfectly calm as she hid behind Brandon, her dark eyes staring at me. She mumbled, "Mr. Shaw, I'm scared."

Brandon immediately frowned and looked at me coldly. "What's wrong with you? You're scaring Phoebe."

I immediately noticed something strange was happening. The pain only transferred when Phoebe got hurt. It was one-sided.

I held Maisie tightly, wondering how I could protect her.

Maisie placed her tiny hand gently on my shoulder, and only then did I realize I was trembling. "Mom, I know you wouldn't hit me for no reason. I'm not in pain anymore, so don't be upset, okay?"

Tears spilled down my cheeks in heavy drops.

…

Later, I was jolted awake by Maisie's screams. She sat clutching her foot, drenched in sweat, her pajamas soaked through.

Brandon woke up furious and yelled, "Maisie Shaw, quiet down! Phoebe only took your room, and you've been throwing tantrums every single day?"

I did not even bother putting on shoes as I rushed to Phoebe's room. Sure enough, I found her standing barefoot on a floor covered with broken glass.

Rage shot through me, my voice trembling as I shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

When she turned to see me, she deliberately fell to her knees among the glass shards, pretending to be frightened while her eyes remained perfectly clear. She said innocently, "Mrs. Shaw, I'm sorry… I accidentally broke the glass."

The glass pieces were spread evenly across the floor, making it impossible for this to be an accident. From the next room, I could still hear Maisie's agonized wailing, and I wanted to tear Phoebe apart.

Yet, I could not.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth as I carried Phoebe to the bed. Her legs were covered in blood, a horrifying sight to behold. The worst injury was on the sole of her foot, where glass had embedded deeply into the flesh.

I steadied my trembling hands and carefully used tweezers to remove each piece of glass. In the other room, Maisie had cried herself to exhaustion and could only manage weak sobs now.

Meanwhile, Brandon was still cursing and grumbling. "We shouldn't have spoiled you so much! You're making noise the first thing in the morning! How am I supposed to go to work?"

I felt something touch my forehead as Phoebe used a tissue to wipe the sweat from my brow.

"I'm so jealous of Maisie. She has parents who love her this much. This is the first time anyone has ever treated my wounds. Mrs. Shaw, don't worry. I don't feel any pain."

I smacked her hand away, snapping the cotton swab in two. My voice dropped, sharp and cold. "Why don't you feel pain?"

Phoebe froze for a second, then broke into an innocent, childlike smile. She said sweetly, "Because I know magic that makes pain disappear."

Maisie cried until she was exhausted and finally drifted into a deep sleep. The sound of me entering the room startled her awake. She immediately jumped up in fright, with a flash of panic in her eyes.

She mumbled frantically, "Mom, I'm sorry… I wasn't throwing a tantrum… I like Phoebe, but my legs really hurt. Am I sick? Am I going to die?"

The image of Maisie bleeding from all her facial orifices in my previous life immediately flashed through my mind. I rushed over in terror and held her close.

My breath caught as I said in a trembling voice, "No, you won't… I will protect you."

Since I could not find a solution myself and could not prevent Maisie from being hurt, I decided to confront Phoebe directly and make her tell me the truth.

I used the excuse of taking Phoebe shopping for clothes and drove to a secluded area. Before she could speak, I took the offensive and demanded, "What are you trying to do? Why are you hurting Maisie?"

Phoebe continued to act innocent. "Mrs. Shaw, what are you saying? I treasure this family. How could I hurt Maisie?"

I slammed my fist against the seat in fury, glaring at her. "You didn't hurt her? Then why is it that every time you're injured, the pain ends up straight on Maisie?"

She froze for a moment, and I pressed harder. "What trick are you using? Tell me how to stop it, or you won't be leaving here."

Phoebe suddenly gave me a sweet smile. "So you figured it out. Actually, it's just…"

I focused all my attention on listening carefully.

The next second, Phoebe's expression changed completely as tears streamed down her face. "I don't know… It really has nothing to do with me!"

At the same time, a strong force dragged me out of the car. Brandon, who should have been at work, stood there glaring at me furiously.

Phoebe immediately cried out to him for help. "Mr. Shaw, I never hurt Maisie! Please don't make me leave!"

Brandon looked at me like I was insane and roared, "First, Maisie throws a fit. Now, you're doing the same too? You were the one who said Maisie was lonely and needed a companion. Now that we've brought Phoebe home, you're both acting up. How are we supposed to live like this?"

I quickly tried to explain. "There's definitely something wrong with her. Every time she gets hurt, the pain transfers to Maisie's body."

At that moment, Phoebe frantically climbed out of the car and hugged Brandon's leg. "Mr. Shaw, I can prove it wasn't me… Please don't send me away!"

Brandon turned and got in the car. In a corner where he could not see, Phoebe smugly waved her smartwatch at me.

Once we got home, Phoebe took a knife from the kitchen, and my heart immediately jumped into my throat. She glanced at the confused Maisie and looked at me timidly.

She said, "Mrs. Shaw, since you don't trust me, I'll have to prove my innocence this way."

Immediately after, she stabbed the knife deep into her thigh.

Maisie opened her eyes wide, her mouth gaping open. However, she was in too much pain to make a sound.

The shock hit me like a bolt of lightning, and I screamed as I lunged forward. "Stop it! Stop!"

Phoebe ignored me completely and kept stabbing herself deeper and deeper.

I fought desperately to grab the knife, but I never expected a child could have such incredible strength. Even when I gripped the blade itself, I could not stop her from bringing the knife down.

Maisie had already passed out from the pain. Finally, she stopped the knife at her heart and asked with a bloodthirsty smile. "Mrs. Shaw, have I proven my innocence now?"

My mind went blank, and I could only nod frantically. "It was all nonsense! I made it up!"

Phoebe finally loosened her grip on the knife. I snatched it from her and hurled it across the room.

Brandon, pale with fear, stood trembling as he clutched his phone. "911, emergency…"

His voice shook as he hung up, then rage overtook him. He stormed toward me, slapped me hard to the ground, and shouted, "Are you satisfied now? Maisie fakes being sick, and you spout madness… Together, you've turned this house into hell!"

Without another glance at the unconscious Maisie, he scooped up the blood-soaked Phoebe and ran out the door.

I crawled desperately to Maisie's side, noticing that her small face had turned completely pale.

Just a few days ago, she had been bouncing around, dragging me out to go shopping. When we passed the toy store, she kept begging me for a claw machine as her birthday present.

Now she could only lie limply in my arms, barely breathing.

Maisie fell into a coma. After examining her, the doctor gave me the answer I already knew in my heart: everything was normal.

I was in a daze when Maisie's scream jolted me awake. She mumbled a few words afterward, apparently having a nightmare. Just as I closed my eyes, she suddenly straightened her legs and screamed continuously.

I jumped up and stumbled into the bathroom, where the strong smell of alcohol hit my nostrils.

The bathtub was filled with rubbing alcohol, and Phoebe was lying completely submerged in it. Her fresh wounds had turned white and swollen from soaking, while the bandages had been thrown in the trash.

I broke down, dragging her from the tub and dropping to my knees. "Please, let Maisie go. Whatever you want, I'll give you. Or transfer all the pain to me… Just spare Maisie. I'll take it all."

She simply said calmly, "I want you to be my mother."

I looked up in despair, but my gaze stopped at Phoebe's chest.

That was when I understood what was going on.

I wiped away my tears and stood up laughing, leaving the bewildered Phoebe behind me. I secretly sneered. 'Phoebe, I know your secret now… You want to be my daughter? I'll send you to hell first!'

Maisie's birthday was just a week away, and I absolutely could not let Phoebe succeed. The next morning, I took Maisie and boarded a plane to a foreign country.

As soon as we landed, I received a call from Brandon. "Why didn't you take Phoebe on your vacation? Even if she's adopted, you can't be this biased."

I smirked coldly. "We'll prepare a big surprise for her. Next week is Maisie's birthday, remember to…"

After that, I decisively hung up the phone and continued on with an excited Maisie.

…

On the night of Maisie's birthday, I walked into the restaurant right on time. All the decorations were just how Maisie liked them, exactly as I remembered.

When Brandon saw me walk in alone, his face soured. "Where's Maisie? Is she throwing another tantrum? It's her birthday!"

I smiled lightly and waved to the others. "Go ahead and eat, don't wait on us. Tonight, I'll cut the cake on her behalf."

Brandon wanted to argue, but under the watchful eyes of the guests, he bit his tongue and stepped aside.

Phoebe's gaze flickered nervously toward me, and I knew she must have learned our true destination from Brandon. After a long silence, she asked tentatively, "Where did Maisie go?"

"Of course, to where she truly belongs," I replied.

Phoebe's expression grew even more troubled. I looked at my watch, noticing it was almost time. I walked forward, cut a piece of cake, and handed it to Phoebe.

In my previous life, when Maisie and I both died tragically, this was exactly the piece of cake Phoebe had been holding.

Phoebe took it with confusion. The next second, she suddenly looked up and stared at me, her eyes filled with terror. Then, she immediately collapsed to the floor, rolling around and screaming in agony.

The cake was knocked to the ground, and the party setup was ruined.

Phoebe struggled to reach out to me for help. "H-Help me…"

The sudden turn of events caught Brandon completely off guard. He glared at me coldly and shouted, "What did you do to her?"