Mom, why do you hate me?

[FLASHBACK]

The night of Zoren's visit to the Bennet household…

A deep exhale escaped Allison as she wiped Penny's forehead. Penny had been sweating profusely in her sleep, so aside from trying to keep her temperature down, Allison had to wipe the sweat forming on Penny's forehead and back.

'I don't remember nursing her back to health like this,' thought Allison, her eyes softening as her lips curled bitterly. 'Did Haines have to look after her like this when they were abroad?'

To be honest, Allison felt jealous of Haines.

Although Allison and Charles never failed to fly out of the country to see their daughter, and Penny would fly back during her vacations, it wasn't enough. Penny hadn't spent the first thirteen years of her life with her real family. Adding to those twelve years, it felt like they hadn't truly looked after her.