The Child Who Wasn’t

Phoebe stared at me calmly, showing not the slightest hint of discomfort. I was puzzled and wondered if I had hit Maisie too lightly for it to have any effect.

However, asking me to truly hurt Maisie would be like stabbing myself in the chest.

As I wrestled with the thought, Phoebe suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud. Maisie instantly clutched her knees, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

"Mrs. Shaw, it's my fault. I took Maisie's room and her parents' love. Please don't hurt Maisie… If you must hit someone, hit me!" Phoebe cried, crawling toward me.

Her dramatic act caught me completely off guard, and I realized with dread that she was still trying to harm Maisie.

I quickly helped her up and gave Maisie a look that said, "Go to your room and think about what you've done."

As I led Phoebe to her room, Brandon, who was usually quiet, actually spoke up to comfort her. "Don't mind Maisie… She's too spoiled and needs to be disciplined properly."

I quickly stepped forward and pretended to trip, pressing hard on the spot where Maisie had been hit earlier. However, Phoebe remained completely composed with no reaction whatsoever.

Brandon pulled me up while saying something, but I could not hear him. My mind was racing, wondering why there was no reaction and what had gone wrong.

I suddenly stood up and walked into Maisie's room. Before she could react, I slapped her hard.

The cry came from Maisie, not Phoebe.

Meanwhile, Phoebe still looked perfectly calm as she hid behind Brandon, her dark eyes staring at me. She mumbled, "Mr. Shaw, I'm scared."

Brandon immediately frowned and looked at me coldly. "What's wrong with you? You're scaring Phoebe."

I immediately noticed something strange was happening. The pain only transferred when Phoebe got hurt. It was one-sided.

I held Maisie tightly, wondering how I could protect her.

Maisie placed her tiny hand gently on my shoulder, and only then did I realize I was trembling. "Mom, I know you wouldn't hit me for no reason. I'm not in pain anymore, so don't be upset, okay?"

Tears spilled down my cheeks in heavy drops.

…

Later, I was jolted awake by Maisie's screams. She sat clutching her foot, drenched in sweat, her pajamas soaked through.

Brandon woke up furious and yelled, "Maisie Shaw, quiet down! Phoebe only took your room, and you've been throwing tantrums every single day?"

I did not even bother putting on shoes as I rushed to Phoebe's room. Sure enough, I found her standing barefoot on a floor covered with broken glass.

Rage shot through me, my voice trembling as I shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

When she turned to see me, she deliberately fell to her knees among the glass shards, pretending to be frightened while her eyes remained perfectly clear. She said innocently, "Mrs. Shaw, I'm sorry… I accidentally broke the glass."

The glass pieces were spread evenly across the floor, making it impossible for this to be an accident. From the next room, I could still hear Maisie's agonized wailing, and I wanted to tear Phoebe apart.

Yet, I could not.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth as I carried Phoebe to the bed. Her legs were covered in blood, a horrifying sight to behold. The worst injury was on the sole of her foot, where glass had embedded deeply into the flesh.

I steadied my trembling hands and carefully used tweezers to remove each piece of glass. In the other room, Maisie had cried herself to exhaustion and could only manage weak sobs now.

Meanwhile, Brandon was still cursing and grumbling. "We shouldn't have spoiled you so much! You're making noise the first thing in the morning! How am I supposed to go to work?"

I felt something touch my forehead as Phoebe used a tissue to wipe the sweat from my brow.

"I'm so jealous of Maisie. She has parents who love her this much. This is the first time anyone has ever treated my wounds. Mrs. Shaw, don't worry. I don't feel any pain."

I smacked her hand away, snapping the cotton swab in two. My voice dropped, sharp and cold. "Why don't you feel pain?"

Phoebe froze for a second, then broke into an innocent, childlike smile. She said sweetly, "Because I know magic that makes pain disappear."