"Congratulations to Michelle Bennett on winning the Enchanted Painting Competition. All hail our talented goddess!"

"She could've just coasted on her looks, but she chose to showcase her skills. Our goddess isn't leaving room for anyone else!"

Sitting by a humble roadside snack stall, Gabriella Bennett scrolled through the comments beneath these headlines, a pang of sadness resonating within her.

Everyone knew of Michelle, the Bennett family's eldest daughter, the champion of the Enchanted Painting Competition, lauded as a gifted artist.

Yet, nobody knew that it was Gabriella who had painted all of Michelle's celebrated works.

That was because Gabriella was the hidden, illegitimate child of the Bennett family, a secret they did not want to be revealed.

Suddenly, her phone rang, jolting her from her thoughts.

Seeing Sophia Coleman's name on the screen, she hesitated before deciding to pick up, only to be met with an immediate barrage of harsh scolding.

"You b*tch, why haven't you come back yet? Did you hook up with a man outside? You're just like that b*tch mother of yours!"

Gabriella frowned and asked coldly when she heard Sophia Coleman insult her mother, "What can I do for you?"

"What kind of attitude is that? Don't forget who's supporting you now!"

Sophia's arrogant scream became louder in an instant. "If we, the Bennett family, hadn't given you money, your b*tch mother would have died long ago. You ungrateful b*tch. How dare you yell at me! Believe it or not, I'll call the hospital and ask them to remove your mom's oxygen mask, and you'll have to collect that b*tch's corpse!"

Insults filled Gabriella's ears. However, she was already used to it. After all, things have been like this since she was a child.

Her father, Harlan Bennett, cheated on his marriage. Her mother was ill and hospitalized. However, her father refused to take care of her mother. Instead, he brought Sophia and Michelle into the family. Sophia and Michelle took her mother's shares and drove her and her mother out of the family. Sophia and Michelle tried to cover up Gabriella and her mother's identity. On the contrary, they raised Sophia's status as the legal wife of the Bennett family, while Michelle became the daughter of the Bennett family.

Over the years, Gabriella drew and drew to get medical expenses for her mother, but all the honor and glory went to Michelle. The Bennett family members threatened to stop treating her mother if anything went wrong. Gabriella did not dare to resist and could only become Michelle's shadow.

Sophia cursed for a long time and finally calmed down. Then she said, "Come back quickly and draw another painting for Michelle!"

Gabriella was confused and asked, "Isn't the competition over? Why do I have to draw again?"

In the past few days, she had drawn a lot of pictures in preparation for Michelle's competition. She wanted to take advantage of the end of the competition to accompany her mother to the hospital. Most importantly... Michelle had deliberately pushed her before, and her broken finger had not yet recovered.

"Just draw when I ask you to. There's no need to talk nonsense!"

Sophia scolded her again from the other end of the phone. "Mrs. Ellison is coming to visit us today. She likes Michelle's painting very much. We promised to give her a painting. After drawing this painting, we can give you the medical expenses for this month. Otherwise, don't even think about it!"

"But..."

Gabriella hesitated for a moment and said, "My finger was broken before. It's not completely healed yet."

Gabriella still had some impression of the Mrs. Ellison mentioned by Sophia. Mrs. Ellison was a famous painter, and her eyes were very sharp.

Gabriella's hand had been injured and had not recovered. Her hand tremored when she picked up the brush. Mrs. Ellison could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with the painting.

"How many days have you been recovering from the fracture of your finger? Do you really think you are the daughter of a rich family?"

Sophia ignored her and continued to force her. " Mrs. Ellison's identity and background are extraordinary. I heard she is selecting a future daughter-in-law. This is a good chance for Michelle to show off. If you mess it up, be ready to collect your mother's corpse!"

Without giving Gabriella a chance to react, Sophia hung up.

Gabriella sat by the snack stall in a daze. She looked at the cold noodles and sighed helplessly.

After dinner, she packed her things and was ready to go home. On the way, she faintly heard a child crying.

Gabriella stopped in her tracks and carefully listened where the sound was coming from. Finally, she zeroed in on the ditch next to the car.

She walked over and pushed aside the thorns on the drain, only to see a four or five-year-old child trapped inside.

The kid was dirty all over, and it was unknown how long he had been trapped inside. There were injuries from the thorns on his hands and face.

Gabriella's heart ached when she saw the wounds on the kid's body. She called him tentatively, "Hey, are you alright?"

The kid slowly raised his head. His body was trembling because of the coldness and fear.

Gabriella's heart ached even more when she saw the kid's tear-filled eyes. "Why are you here? I'll pull you out of here, okay?"

The place where the kid was located was a little higher than the ground, and it was overgrown with thorns. It was not easy for Gabriella to stand on it, and to prevent causing him a second injury, she could only break off those thorns with her hands first and open up a safe path for him.

There were several wounds on her fair and tender hands that had been pierced by thorns. Gabriella frowned, but she persistently cleared up the thorns.

She reached out and said, "Take my hand and slowly climb up."

The kid curled up in a ball. He looked at Gabriella's hand and hesitated for a moment. Finally, he moved and put his hand on it.

Gabriella pulled him up with a little force. Just as she was about to squat down to check his injuries, the kid hugged her.

He clung to Gabriella's legs, his voice soft as he whispered, "Mom..."

"Uh..."

Gabriella was taken aback, managing only a bitter smile. "Kid, I'm not your mom. Is your home close by?"

She hoped she could find his parents, but the child clung to her legs as if terrified.

After a while, he lifted his face to look at her.

His adorable face was smeared with dirt, making him look like a spotted little kitten. "Mom, I'm hungry..."

It was then that Gabriella got a good look at his face.

She couldn't help but admit that his parents must be good-looking!

His small, fair face was exquisite, with features so delicate and beautiful that they put child actors on TV to shame.

Gabriella had even dreamed of having such an adorable and lovely child.

She bent down and gently stroked his cute head. "Alright, let's get something to eat first, and then we'll find your parents..."