Note: This chapter has been categorized as mature and therefore may contain sexual content and/or strong language that may not be appropriate for underage readers.

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"Mom, I want ice cream! Buy me ice cream, please... " Lacey was pointing at the ice cream truck with her eyes pleading, but her mother did not listen to her. Lacey screamed in pain as her mother pinched her left arm, leaving her shocked and confused.

She cried that everyone had turned their attention to her.

Lacey was rubbing her eyes with both of her hands as she continued to cry.

"Ice cream, I want ice cream. "

"Lacey, will you shut up? Her mother said and pulled her away from the park.

Why? She just wanted that ice cream. If her father were here, he would buy her an ice cream. But it's been a day since Lacey has not seen her father. 

Why was her father not coming to see her? She just wanted her father, not her mother, who was always hitting her.

She saw how her mother glared at her when she tried to point it out to the ice cream truck, with her mouth-watering, imagining the taste of the ice cream. Lacey saw many kids like her lining up in front of the ice cream truck.

"Ice--"

*Pak*

A slap came from her mother's hand that landed on Lacey's right cheek. As for Lacey, a five-year-old kid with skin as plump as a peach and white as snow, her mother's slap at her became visible.

"Mom..."

"If I were of no use to you, I would not take you with me!" said her mother, repeatedly pointing at her and poking her forehead.

Holding her forehead, Lacey immediately backed away.

There were so many questions in her mind about why her mother was doing this to her. But since she was young, she would not understand. 

As her mother approaches her, trying to hold her again, Lacey runs away from her mother. She ran as fast as she could when she saw her mother's angry face while trying to catch her.

She ran in the direction of the park. Lacey stopped running when she saw her mother not following her. She sat on the grass and hid in an old tree. She didn't care if the very beautiful dress that her mother wore for her became dirty.

She would accept the hit coming from her mother. But for now, she doesn't want to see her mother.

Annoyed, she removed the colorful clip from her hair and threw it away. Lacey turned around, but there was no one there. She crouched down beneath the old three. 

Almost half an hour had passed and Lacey was still hiding in the three, crouched down, waiting for her father to call her. 

She didn't notice that someone was approaching her side. When she looked up, she saw the three kids the same age as her.

"What are you doing here?" asked the kid, wearing a red shirt while licking the ice cream he was holding. Instead of answering, Lacey looked away and avoided looking at the ice cream the kid was holding.

"We saw what the woman did to you," said the kid who was wearing the same shirt as she and her father's favorite sport to watch--baseball games. He sat next to her, and Lacey moved a bit.

"It looks like it hurts your right cheeks. " Lacey quickly moved away when he was trying to touch her.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. " He said and raised his hands.

"Can we leave her now?" Lacey turned her head to the kid who spoke.

"Can't you see that she doesn't want us here? " The kid said, frowning. He remained standing not far away. 

"I..." Lacey wanted to say something, but not until she heard her mother's voice.

The three immediately ran when they saw her mother. She even heard them mumbling "witch" until they left, leaving Lacey with her mother, who looked like she wanted to swallow her whole.

Lacey prepares herself to be hit by her mother.