"Loraine Carter, you jinx! Even your real parents didn’t want you!"

"You ruined Dr. Connor’s leg, you’re a damn curse!"

"Why are you still alive?! Just drop dead already!"

In the rundown alleys of Haojia Village in District 8901, a crumbling shack stood barely upright. In the corner, curled up inside a filthy doghouse, a tiny girl of about four or five shivered under the coarse boards.

A bunch of school kids were pelting her with stones, yelling all kinds of nasty things.

A big black dog, tied up by a rusted chain, barked frantically as it watched its little owner suffer.

The kids weren’t scared at all. Instead, they picked up larger rocks and started hurling them at the dog, causing it to yelp pitifully.

"Please, stop hitting us..." Loraine covered her head, sobbing in a low voice.

A big bump had swelled up on her forehead, red and throbbing. It was hard to look at without wincing.

The kids eventually got tired as night fell, leaving with smug grins like they’d just played a fun game.

Covered in bruises, Loraine lay helpless beside the nearly unconscious dog, clinging to each other for warmth.

Not long after, angry voices echoed in from the distance—her foster parents were home.

Her little body trembled violently as she curled up tighter in fear.

And just like always—

Before she could even hide, someone hauled her out by the back of her shirt. Under the dim yellow bulb at the entrance, she locked eyes with her foster dad’s harsh, square face.

"You little pest!"

"Ah!" Loraine hit the floor hard. Before she could even sit up, a broom came down on her leg, sending waves of pain through her.

Evelyn Reed, bony as a stick, glared down at her with eyes full of cruel resentment. She raised the broom again. "Useless jinx! Why’d you even come back?! Do you know how much you cost us?!"

"I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to..." Loraine cried, dazed and dizzy from the beating.

For someone who grew up in Haojia Village, her life was unlike any other child’s.

She wasn’t just kept in a dog kennel at night—she was slapped, screamed at, and starved every time something didn't go their way.

Not long ago, Howard Carter lost everything gambling, so he decided to sell her to Dr. Connor, the creepy old man who always gave her the chills.

The old perv was over fifty and already getting too handsy.

She was only five.

During an escape attempt, Dr. Connor tumbled down a slope chasing after her and ended up with a broken leg.

"You ungrateful brat! You actually tried to run? I’ll beat the life outta you!" Evelyn yelled, smacking her over and over without mercy.

Most villagers lived along the main road and were now out front after dinner, munching on sunflower seeds and watching the show like it was prime-time TV.

"This girl's really asking for it. A man like Dr. Connor willing to take her in? That was a blessing!"

"Totally! Even a dog knows how to show loyalty! Now her ‘parents’ gotta pay him back *and* cover his medical bills. She’s lucky they don’t toss her out!"

"A girl from this dump? She’s got zero worth. Do you know how many people would kill for a spot as Dr. Connor’s adopted child?"

Just then, Dr. Connor appeared, hobbling with a cane.

His beady eyes scanned the crowd, then landed on Loraine, who lay motionless on the ground.

"Dr. Connor!" Howard dragged Loraine in front of him like she was a sack of potatoes, smiling from ear to ear. "See? I dealt with her real good! She won’t be causing any more trouble from now on!"

"I don’t like forcing anything," Dr. Connor said with a sigh, flashing his yellowed teeth. "The kid looked sweet and sharp, and since I’ve got no kids of my own, I thought I’d take her in."

"But now... after that beating? Doesn't feel right anymore."Evelyn Reed panicked the moment she heard that, quickly shoving Loraine Carter forward. "Dr. Connor, don’t say that. This kid’s tough! Just needs a day or two and she’ll bounce back, you know how kids are."

Dr. Connor, though somewhat captivated by Loraine’s looks, thought better of it. Buying someone who looked half-dead was just asking for trouble. He waved it off. "Forget it. Let’s just drop this."

Howard Carter spat on the ground, face full of disgust.

Evelyn’s face darkened, fuming inside. That worthless little brat usually got beat up all the time and never made a sound, but today she had to act all delicate?

She’s seriously messing up my chance to make money!

An old man nearby, clearly unable to watch anymore, took off his jacket and gently draped it over Loraine. He sighed, "Kid, yours is a real hard life. Your mom had you before getting married and just walked out on you. Now this... it’s really a sin, I tell you."

Loraine had been lying there lifelessly, but those words lit something in her. She clutched the old man’s sleeve, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "You mean... they’re not my real parents? Then where are my real ones?"

The old man yanked his sleeve away, annoyed. "What's the point asking that? Sure, your life here's not great, but at least they feed you. Your bio mom didn’t even want to do that."

The tiny spark in Loraine’s eyes died just as fast as it came.

Guess no one in this world actually gives a damn about me...

Just then, the loud rumble of a car engine broke the heavy silence.

A luxury car with Federal plates rolled up slowly and stopped just outside the gawking crowd.

“Holy crap, that’s a Federal vehicle!”

“What’s someone that rich doing here?”

“Maybe they’re looking for Dr. Connor? He’s actually kind of famous outside, you know.”

The murmurs made Dr. Connor puff up with pride.

After all, this was just some no-name, code-numbered place dubbed Sector 8901 of the outcast zone. Not even a Federal plane would fly over this dump. If anyone deserved this kind of visit, it had to be him.

The car door opened.

A stunning beauty stepped out gracefully.

She wore a long white silk dress, and everything about her screamed elegance and status. She was the absolute opposite of everyone around her.

Just that dress—most around here couldn’t afford a meter of that fabric even if they starved for a year.

Two officers followed close behind her, medals gleaming on their chests, clearly not your average soldiers.

The woman scanned the crowd with sharp, focused eyes before walking straight toward where Dr. Connor was standing. Her heels clicked lightly against the muddy ground.

Dr. Connor was totally stunned, and the villagers just stood there slack-jawed.

They’d never seen anyone this fancy in their lives.

"Dr. Connor, you really are impressive. Look at that, even top brass come looking for you," one villager flattered quickly.

"I’ve been saying it, Dr. Connor isn’t ordinary. Came here just to help the needy."

"You’re basically a living saint, Doc!"

"Now now… that’s going too far," Dr. Connor said, smugly adjusting his collar. "Sure, I’m decent at what I do, but if they needed me, a call would’ve—"

Before he could finish, the woman walked right past him.

The whole crowd froze.

Howard and Evelyn were just about to drag Loraine’s limp body outside when the group veered straight toward them.

The moment the woman saw the state Loraine was in, tears started streaming down her cheeks.

And then, something happened that left everyone speechless.

Without saying a word, she dropped to her knees in the dirt and cried out loud, "Miss! I’m so sorry we’re this late!"