"I read online that raising a daughter costs a lot of money. I'll have to work hard in the future!"

Mom looked at me without a word. She then patiently explained, "Sweetheart, there are many bad people in this world. Not everyone will love you the way Mom and Dad do. What if the person on the other end is a scammer?"

I refused to believe that. "No way. If she were a scammer, she'd definitely ask for lots and lots of presents. But my daughter only asked me for a single painkiller. Her mom left her. If I, her new mom, don't take care of her, she'll be bullied to death by her stepmom!"

Mom sighed. "That won't happen. The police will help her."

I shook my head as hard as I could. "The police can't help everyone. Besides, I'm her mom. I will protect her!"

As soon as Dad came in and heard my words, his briefcase slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

"What? Our sweetheart is a mom now? But you're still so young, dear. You can't even tie your own shoelaces yet—"

"I don't have to know how to tie shoelaces to be a mom!" Tilting my head, I argued, "All I have to do as a mom is wipe away my daughter's tears, share my sweets with her, and…"

Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed Mom and Dad on the cheeks. "And telling her I love her a hundred times every single day! I believe I can be a really good mom!"

At a loss for words, Mom and Dad sighed softly. "Alright, then. We believe you can be a good mom. But we still have to make sure you're safe, so we'll have to run a background check on that girl…"

I didn't understand what they were talking about, but what I did know was that they would definitely like my daughter, too, with how well-behaved and nice she was.

That night, my daughter sent me a photo. I couldn't see much of it as it was taken in a pitch-black attic.

Still, I could see a thin comforter spread across the icy floor. "This is where I sleep every night."

Seeing how dark and gloomy the attic was, I felt my heart ache.

I turned to snap a picture of the starry night lights stretching across my room. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'll share my lights with you next time!"

Smiling, she replied, "Okay!"

She then sent me another photo. It was an old, faded family portrait in which she was smiling brightly. The woman holding her was also very beautiful. On the woman's ear was a little mole that was very visible.

I scrambled out of bed and looked in the mirror at my own ear.

Then, I turned to Mom proudly. "Look, Mom! I have the same mole as my daughter's mom!"

I made sure to snap a picture of my ear before texting, "My grandpa told me that when people pass away, they bring a gift with them when they return to this world. See, the mole on my ear looks exactly like your mom's!"

After what felt like forever, my daughter finally replied, "Then, will you always be here for me, Mom?"

"Of course!"

This was nothing like the make-believe games I used to play because from this moment onward, I truly had a daughter. And I would always be there for her.

That evening, Grandpa and Grandma transferred some money to me.

I didn't hesitate to transfer the money to my daughter.

Shocked, she asked, "Why did you send me money?"

I answered, "Because you're my daughter! Moms are supposed to give their daughters allowances!"

She returned the transfer right away.

The chat box showed she was typing, but it took a long time before her message finally came through.

"Thank you, but I really can't take your money. My dad works on a ship. He pays my tuition and living expenses on time. And I can eat at school…"

My daughter continued, "Mom, you just have to be there for me every day and listen to what I have to say. That's all I need."

My eyes grew hot as I suddenly realized how mature and thoughtful my daughter was.

"Okay. Then you can tell me anything from now on!"

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Looking at the incoming call from my daughter, I started feeling at a loss.

If she knew I was only five years old, would she no longer let me be her mom?

After much thought, I still chose to answer the call.

On the other end of the line came the sound of rainwater pattering on the floor and a young lady's voice. "Hello. Thank you for agreeing to be there for me in my mom's place."

Though I tried to deepen my voice, the sweet, high-pitched tone slipped out anyway. "That's what mommies are supposed to do!"

Her voice trembled slightly. "Thank you. At the moment, you're the only one willing to keep me company besides Ollie."

I tilted my head to one side. "Who's Ollie?"

"She's the cat my mom used to keep. She's nine now, so she's an old cat."

As she spoke, she took a picture of her cat and sent it to me.

The orange tabby cat in the picture was round and chubby, but the tips of its fur had gone a little gray. It was clear that it was getting on in years.

I exclaimed in delight, "Wow, what a cute little kitty! Now that you have me and the kitty by your side, you shouldn't be sad anymore!"

"Alright. I won't be sad."

And so, every night, we talked on the phone. My daughter would share the funny things that happened at school and tell me how growing up was a joyful yet challenging journey.

I would then pick up the new storybooks Mom had just bought me and read her the stories.

Dad and Mom stood at my bedroom door, looking a little jealous.

Shaking their heads, they sighed helplessly. "I knew it. Once our daughter has her own child, she won't care about us anymore!"

"Sweetheart, are you not sleeping with Mom again tonight?"

I looked up at them and exclaimed, "Mom, my daughter's name is Abigail Sanford. Her name is so pretty! It sounds like the name of a sweet little princess!"

Dad nodded in resignation. "Yeah, it is. And your daughter is much better than mine."

Pouting, I retorted, "Your daughter's not bad either!"

But after that, everything began to change.

For three nights in a row, I would lie sprawled on the ground, waiting in anticipation for my precious daughter's call.

Yet, no calls came. I did not even receive the usual texts I would usually receive daily.

A feeling of dread started to creep into my heart.

Could something have happened to her?

Just as I was anxiously trying to figure out what to do, a sudden message popped up on my screen.

"Help me!"

I quickly shook Mom and Dad awake, crying out in worry, "Mom, Dad, Abigail is in danger! Let's go save her!"

…

This was my first time coming to the neighborhood where my daughter lived.

Even though it was already late at night, a crowd had gathered around the building. People had smiles on their faces as if watching a spectacle.

"Did you hear? Abby's stepmom tried to set her up on a blind date with an old man! Abby refused, so her stepmom tossed the cat out the apartment window!"

"That's a stepmother for you—truly vicious! I don't know what Abby's dad was thinking, bringing an outsider home to look after his child!"

"So what? Her dad's a sailor who's gone at sea all year long. Who's going to meddle in their family business with him not around?"

In the middle of the crowd, a thin, frail young lady was clutching a bleeding cat tightly in her arms.

Looking around helplessly, she begged the crowd for help.

"Please, somebody save my cat. I'm begging you!"

The young lady's broken voice echoed through the courtyard, yet no one paid any attention to her cries.

At this moment, a sharp-featured, mean-looking woman stepped forward, glaring coldly at the crying young lady.

"I told you to behave, didn't I? It's just a stupid cat, so what's the big deal? If you really want to save that stupid cat, then do as I say. Forget about the SATs and marry a man instead!"

The young lady's face turned pale. Holding the cat as securely as she could, she cried helplessly.

"Please just let me go… I have nothing left… Ollie is all I have… I want to take the SATs, and I don't want to get married. I just want to further my studies!"

The woman curled her lips into a sneer. "Study? You think you get a say? I'm your legal guardian. You think you can run from me?"

The mean woman used her high heel to step on the cat's tail.

As the cat was already badly injured, it no longer had the strength to struggle. The young lady could only pound on the woman's leg in desperation.

The woman scoffed. "If you want to save the cat, call your dad and tell him you'd rather marry than study. Otherwise, you'll neither get to study nor save your cat!"

The young lady hung her head low, her lifeless eyes filled with despair, as though she had finally accepted her fate.

Hoarsely, she uttered, "Alright. I'll call Dad."

Seeing this scene made my blood boil. I couldn't believe the one I held closest to my heart was being treated this way!

In a fit of rage, I broke free from Mom's arms, ran straight through the crowd, and stood in front of the evil woman.

Planting a hand on my hip, I pointed right at her.

"What do you think you're doing? Now that I'm here, I won't let you pick on my daughter!"

The woman burst out laughing, her whole body shaking with amusement. "Where did this brat come from? Kid, are you crazy? I'm her mother—her legal guardian! I'm just disciplining my own daughter, so how is that picking on her?"

At once, the onlookers around broke into roaring laughter, finding my behavior utterly absurd. They looked at me as if I were some joke.

The evil woman sauntered toward me, still smiling. "Little one, at your age, you should still be drinking milk, not standing up for others. She'll be the one who suffers the consequences if anything happens!"

Abigail stared at my back, her eyes full of disbelief and complicated emotions.

"I didn't think you were just a kid…" she murmured, tears spilling down her cheeks. "And I didn't think you'd really come to save me…"

Before she could finish speaking, the woman's hand landed lightly on her back in a veiled threat.

Abigail's body trembled uncontrollably. She pleaded with me. "I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me. I just want to ask if you could take care of Ollie for me…"

Her eyes were red as she placed the cat in my arms. "Thank you… Thank you for actually coming…"

Holding the weak little Ollie, I broke down into loud sobs. I realized at that moment that, as a mother, I couldn't even protect my precious daughter.

Suddenly, Mom's voice came from behind me.

"Ma'am, everything you just said will serve as evidence in court. As the top attorney of this country, I have reason to suspect that you committed marriage fraud and child abuse!"