When the village vanished from sight, I heard Amy heaving a sigh of relief.
Instead of feeling sad, the little girl was relieved to leave her parents. I felt my heart being tied into a knot upon that realization.
There was a better signal as the car drove onto the highway. Instantly, Ashton’s messages popped up on the screen, asking me where I was and what I was doing.
I gave him a call, and it went through in no time. “Why couldn’t I reach you the entire night? Who are you with and where are you?” he asked with his voice full of concern.
After answering all of his questions, I shifted my eyes to Amy, who had fallen asleep next to me, and fell silent. After some hesitation, I spoke up, “Ashton, I found a kid whose blood and tissue type is compatible with Summer’s, but… but she’s only five years old.”
The other end of the line was silent. Feeling agitated, I quickly explained, “It’s not what you think! I didn’t do anything illegal. I’ll bring her back to A City, and then only we decide what to do. Wait till I come home and talk to you about it, okay?”
Ashton was a highly moral and ethical man. I knew he wouldn’t agree to let a five-year-old kid donate her organ to Summer. After all, Amy was too young, and her body was still developing. The risk of being a living donor was high. Even if she was a matching donor, she might have to face the possible sequelae and negative effects of organ donation.
Nevertheless, I had decided to take Amy with me after seeing the harsh treatment the girls received in her family. It would be better if she could stay with Ashton and me. Even if we couldn’t adopt her, she could still live a better life in an orphanage than in that village.
I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t save Ann, yet I had the chance to help Amy escape that village.
After a long silence, Ashton said in a solemn voice, “Scarlett, I know you’re worried about Summer. But, promise me you won’t harm anyone, alright?”
I nodded. “Alright. I promise you. Trust me!”
“Of course, I trust you,” Ashton said in a loving tone.
I knew Ashton was worried that I might lose rationality and throw propriety to the wind. I was now stuck in an insoluble dilemma. On the one hand, I would do whatever it took to save Summer. On the other hand, if Amy happened to be the perfect donor, I might not have the heart to sacrifice that little girl to save my own daughter. Both of them were innocent kids. I knew that once Amy underwent the transplant surgery, the damage done to her body was irreversible.
I chatted with Ashton for a while before ending the call. That was when I noticed Amy was looking at me with her bright eyes. Thinking the little girl was hungry, I said softly, “We’ll arrive home soon. Are you hungry?”
She shook her head while holding the bread and the bottle of water. Gazing at me, she asked, “Ms. Stovall, we’ve come a long way. Why haven’t I seen the van that took Ann away? There are a lot of cars on the road, but none of them is that van. Where did she go? Can I still see her again?”
Hearing that, I was at a loss. Initially, I thought Amy was curious about the outside world, looking at the passing scenery outside the window. It turned out the little girl was looking for the van that took her sister away.
At that instant, I couldn’t help but feel upset. “Amy, your sister is going to become someone else’s wife,” I said as I suppressed my emotion, “she has married into another family, but I don’t know where they live.”
Hearing my reply, Amy lowered her head, fixing her eyes on the bread. I fell into silence, not knowing how to console the disappointed little girl.
Just then, Boris, who was behind the wheel, said, “Ms. Stovall, you should get some rest. There are still a few hours of journey. I will wake you up when we arrive.”
Feeling perturbed, I couldn’t sleep. “Boris, does this happen in all the villages here? How could they treat their children so differently?” I asked.
That woman’s eyes were full of love for her son when she carried him on her back. In contrast, her daughters lived no better than a rat in that house.
Keeping his eyes on the road, Boris let out a sigh. “There are a lot of people suffering in this world. Everyone has their own hardships and perils in life.”
Everyone was born with different destinies. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth could live a good life. Whereas those who were born in a family living in uncivilized and remote villages should be grateful when they could even survive.
It was already late at night by the time we arrived at the villa. Ashton was sitting near a space heater in the living room with a book in his hands, waiting for my return.
