Daddy's Little Lamb

Chapter 1

"Sir, these are the goods we specifically prepared for you. Please take your time to take a look at each of them."

The flabby-bellied man clasped his palms while fawning over the customer. He diligently guided him towards the row of children he referred to as 'goods' and let the man examine them one by one.

The fat man is James, who is the director of this orphanage. However, in reality, it is more like a*****e where rich people can shop for orphans, like some sort of merchandise in the guise of adoption.

And there I was, looking scrawny and worn-out, standing at the end of the line.

I was still a baby when I arrived here. Now I’m already twelve and still, no one wants to adopt me. If I don’t get adopted this year, I will have to step out on the streets and toil to make a living for myself. I don't even know what happened to the children who were adopted.

They say that those who have been chosen were very lucky to have been picked by a family and granted a chance to live a good life, but no matter what they say, I still have my doubts.

Sometimes, I’m thorn between wanting to leave this place to stop all the hurting. Not wanting to be bruised and hit again by the director for every error that I commit. But what if, out there, a greater pain is waiting for me?

Why would people as rich as them spend money on smelly children just to play house?

When our own parents give us up and throw us away like some kind of trash?

Should I just wait to live on my own?

I was already having thoughts of living off the streets; be it beg or doing odd jobs like selling magazines. But then, suddenly, a pair of well-polished black shoes stopped in front of me.

So, I lifted my head and there I saw you for the first time, looking neat with a grey cardigan. I couldn’t see your face due to the mask you were wearing but a seemingly friendly gaze was reflected on your black irises. Unknowingly, I was starstruck at your beauty.

Quite after, you took your expensive-looking scarf off and carefully wrapped it around me. And said the words no one had ever told me.

“Would you like to become my family?”

You were the first one to reach out to me. So, I willingly hold out my hand to you. All the doubts that I accumulated in my heart instantly crumbled when you appeared. You shook me to the core and took me out of my cage.

Perhaps it was at that time that you became my light. My life’s meaning.

“Yes, I would love to!”

That is what I said with confidence. So why?

Why would a young man adopt me as a daughter instead of a sister?!

---

“You’ll bore a hole in the picture frame if you stare at it like that, Rhian.”

Stanley--- I mean dad teased and ruffled my hair after catching me staring at our first picture together. It was taken right after he adopted me more than five years ago.

“Aish! Cut it out, dad!”

“Why are you looking so grumpy in the morning?” he slumped on the couch and switched on the television, looking comfortably at his pair of sweatshirt and pants.

I suddenly felt my blood pressure rising. You’re still asking why? Really?!

“Do you know how much my classmates pestered me after seeing you fetch me from the university?”

I sat beside him and grabbed the chips he had just opened. He looked at me disapprovingly but didn’t complain. I smirked triumphantly. Heh! That’s right, be generous to your kid!

I started munching off the chips while he just opened another bag and a red can of soda.

“You can’t drink this.” He stated before I even snatched it. I puffed my cheeks in annoyance. So, what if I’m a little acidic! I just want to have a taste… hmp!

Suddenly, a thought-provoking idea occurred in my awesome head when I saw him start drinking. I rested my head on his shoulder and whispered…

“They thought you’re my lover, da—d?! H-hey!”

“Ack--! Kahak! Kahak!” He spit out his drink and started coughing non-stop.

“There, there…” A smile crept onto my face while suppressing my laughter by looking at his indignant expression. Dad glared at me after noticing my reaction.

Yeah, I did that intentionally, but so what? That’s what you get for being a meanie!

“Pfft--- hahaha!”

“You little…!” he tackled me on the couch and started tickling my sides.

“D-dad staaah…. haha hey ah haha the c-chips… are haha falling haha aish please…”

“Now you’re begging, huh?” he continued to tickle me with a broad grin while he held both of my arms up and his towering figure above me.

And you must be enjoying seeing me get tormented, huh dad? You’ll pay for this!

I snaked my legs out of his and wrapped them in his waist. He was stunned.

“H-hey Rhian, I’ll stop so… ah!” I pushed my weight to the side, making us roll down on the carpeted floor. He quickly held me in his embrace, trying to protect me from the impact.

It hurts! I feel like my brain was shaken from the inside.

“Argh…” I will never do that again!

“Are you okay?” Dad, who’s now beneath me, inquired while supporting my head to check if I was alright.

A blow of hot steam hit the side of my cheeks as dad’s voice entered my ears. The tingling sensation made my body jolt.

“Ah…” a soft moan escaped from my mouth without realizing.

Perhaps due to the proximity of our faces, I immediately saw his dark eyes widen and his worried look turned into something I couldn’t take my hands on until his eyebrows furrowed.

“Ah…? Did you just---"

No! I did not! What the hell!

Without letting him finish whatever he wanted to say, I sat up and held my head, acting like I was in so much pain.

“What were you saying? Ah---aaw! Ouch! My gosh, my head hurts like crazy dad. I can't even understand you and my vision is… getting blurry…”

Eh…?

Why is dad leaning sidewards?

‘What are you saying? Now, I can’t really hear you dad!’ My hand reached out to his worried face. ‘I was just acting so don’t be an…xious’

“Rhian… Rhian...!”