Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Amber remarked flatly, "That sounded so pervy."

Axel's expression collapsed. He argued, "l was a brother who doted on his sister! You just don't get it!"

He took care of Alyssa for another reason. Before their mother passed away, she called the four siblings to her bed and reminded the brothers to take

care of Alyssa to the best of their ability.

He recalled Jennifer comforting them, "Don't cry. Please don't think that Mommy is not around anymore. Mommy will be in the sky, looking after you

and protecting you."

He teared up at the thoughts—a lump formed in his throat.

"That was really sweet.” Amber stared at her reflection on the water, which resembled Alyssa. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, and she hurriedly

hid the reflection with clothes. She added, "Ms. Alyssa certainly grew up in happiness.”

Despite taking on Alyssa's face, Amber knew her fate was the opposite of Alyssa's. Alyssa was the daughter of a wealthy family who was raised in

great care, unlike herself—a

could Jameson even think of using her as

pretended to drop a casual question while washing the clothes.

the

| don't have parents. Jameson was the one who named me," she

put on a pensive expression. "Guess that explains why you volunteer

back on how | was beaten, yelled at, and starved for three

row?"

made his heart stop in shock. He shot a deep

world are safe havens for kids. Sare hell on earth." Her

thank. Without

only survived until this day

was the hell that Jameson put her through. Rather than salvation, she met a fate more brutal and despairing

and starvings that she

best to look nonchalant as he wrung the clothes dry. "You're considered mentally tough for women. If |

orphanage after all the childhood