"Bella, what's wrong? Don't scare Mom."
Chloe's words pulled her back to reality.
Bella Green suddenly threw her arms around Chloe Johnson, burying herself in that warm embrace, trying to warm her whole body up.
Sensing Bella's vulnerability, Chloe tightened her arms and held her even closer.
"Don't be scared, don't be scared, Mom's right here. No one can bully our Bella."
When she was little, Chloe used to coax Bella just like this.
She had thought she would never again call herself mother to Bella, never again be called that by her. She hadn't expected there would still be such a day.
As she spoke, she ended up crying first.
The three of them fell silent for a while, each with a heavy heart.
After a long time, Bella finally came back to herself and wasn't so worked up anymore.
Pulling away from Chloe's arms, she wiped the tears off the woman's face.
"Why did he lock you two up here?"
