But children were highly sensitive.
Queeny knew that she was superfluous to this world.
Her birth father had gone. Her birth mother couldn't look after her, either. Like a piece of drifting duckweed, she had been leading a wandering life.
But now, she finally found someone willing to give her a home. This man bought her beautiful clothes and taught her reading and writing. Of course, she would want to hold on to him and never let go.
At the end of the day, despite her shrewdness, Queeny was still a child who felt insecure.
The only way that she would gain a little sense of security was to prove that she was not useless to Mr. Webber.
She didn't want to be a worthless person who only took but never gave.
Mr. Webber had, of course, seen through her worries.
He felt both pained and resigned. Though he didn't approve of this, he also knew that this was the only way that she could get some comfort.
Thus, he let her do the chores.
Just like this, Queeny lived in the orphanage until she was 18.
She and Felix had also accompanied each other for nearly a decade.
That decade was unforgettable to Queeny.
So was it to Felix.
Strictly speaking, the two both had no families around. In some sense, they were like two entangled roots that absorbed nutrients together and grew together.
During the 10 years, Meredith and her second daughter, Sarah Dempsey, came to see Queeny several times. Except for them, no other people in the Dempsey family ever visited her.
Queeny did not hate Sarah, for she knew that no matter who was in the wrong, Sarah had nothing to do with this.
She was just an innocent child. When Queeny was kicked out, she hadn't even been born yet.
Thus, every time Sarah brought her some snacks or toys, she would accept them with delight.
She appreciated Sarah's kindness and also wanted to see her as her family.
After all, they were half-sisters.
Plus, Sarah was young at that time. She didn't understand adults' grievances.
She also couldn't understand why Queeny, her sister, didn't live in the big house with her family but in an orphanage.
She had asked many people about this. But no grown-ups cared to tell her the truth.
Time passed by quietly.
When Queeny was 18, Mr. Webber passed away.
Felix already left the orphanage two years before that.
Unlike Queeny, he was only there for study. He was a guest who would leave sooner or later.
But Queeny had truly regarded this orphanage as her home.
Therefore, even though Felix left, she continued to stay there.
But the two had lived under the same roof for so many years. Even after they parted ways, they still held each other dearly in their hearts.
Queeny would never forget what Felix said to her under that sycamore tree in the yard the night before he departed.
He asked her, "Queeny, will you go with me?"
She smiled back at him and gently shook her head. "Sorry, I can't."
Yes, she couldn't leave with him.
Although Mr. Webber had passed away, the orphanage still needed someone to run it.
It was all thanks to Mr. Webber's adoption and care that Queeny had grown up happily. Thus, she couldn't just walk out on the children in the orphanage.
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