Chapter 1: The Girl They Threw Away
"Get out! You don't belong here!""
Vanessa's voice exploded across the marble entrance of the Whitmore mansion.
Before twenty-two-year-old Emily Whitmore could understand what was happening, a pair of hands shoved her through the enormous front doors. Her shoulder struck the stone railing, and she stumbled onto the porch.
Then came the sound of breaking glass.
CRACK!
Emily spun around.
Vanessa stood in the doorway, holding Emily's smartphone in one hand. The phone had been smashed against the stone floor. Its screen was shattered, its metal frame bent.
"NO!"" Emily screamed.
She dropped to her knees and reached for the pieces.
"Give me my phone!""
Vanessa looked down at her with an expression of pure disgust.
"Stop embarrassing yourself. You should be grateful I allowed you to stay in this house as long as I did.""
"That's my phone!"" Emily's voice trembled.
"My father gave it to me!""
"Your father?"" Vanessa laughed coldly.
"Your father isn't here, sweetheart. And apparently, he doesn't care enough to come back.""
Emily stared at her.
For three years, Vanessa had occupied the position of the Whitmore family's lady of the house. She had arrived after Emily's mother died, wearing expensive perfume, designer dresses, and a smile that could charm an entire room.
At first, she had pretended to care about Emily.
She brought her breakfast. She asked about her classes. She called her darling.
But everything changed after Emily's father, Michael Whitmore, left the country on business.
The woman who once called Emily family began treating her like an unwanted guest.
And today, she had finally thrown her out.
"Please," Emily whispered.
"Just let me call my dad. I don't have anywhere else to go.""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"That's no longer my problem.""
"Mrs. Whitmore, please...""
"Don't call me that.""
Vanessa stepped forward, her high heels clicking against the marble.
"You have been living in luxury that you didn't earn. You eat expensive food. You wear clothes purchased with this family's money. You walk around as if this mansion belongs to you.""
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"But it does belong to my family.""
Vanessa's expression hardened.
"Your family?""
She laughed.
"Emily, listen carefully. Your father is gone. Your mother is dead. And nobody in this house needs you anymore.""
Those words struck harder than the shove.
Emily slowly looked past Vanessa.
The entrance hall was enormous, with polished marble floors, golden wall sconces, and a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
She had grown up there.
She had taken her first steps on that marble floor. She had celebrated birthdays beneath that chandelier. Her mother had once sat beside the grand staircase and read bedtime stories to her.
Now, the place looked like a stranger's home.
Emily reached for the broken phone again.
Vanessa placed her expensive heel on one of the larger pieces.
"Leave it.""
"Please, that's the only way I can contact him!""
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before making trouble.""
"I didn't do anything!""
Emily finally raised her voice.
"I only asked you why you were taking my mother's things out of her bedroom!""
For half a second, Vanessa's expression changed.
Then she leaned closer.
"Your mother's things?""
"Those boxes. I saw you packing her jewelry and documents. Why are you taking them?""
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"You have no right to question me.""
"Those things belong to my father!""
"And I am his wife.""
Emily shook her head.
"My father never said you could take them.""
Vanessa suddenly grabbed Emily's wrist.
"Listen to me, little girl. You are not going to interfere with my marriage, my property, or my future.""
Emily tried to pull away.
"You're hurting me!""
Vanessa released her with a dismissive shove.
"Get off my property.""
Then she slammed the enormous wooden doors.
The sound echoed through the entrance hall.
Emily remained on the porch, staring at the closed doors.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
A cold breeze swept through the driveway, lifting strands of hair across her wet cheeks.
She gathered the broken pieces of her phone with shaking fingers.
The screen was completely black.
She pressed the power button.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Her breath caught.
Without that phone, she had no way to contact her father. She didn't even know whether his overseas number was still active.
Emily pulled her knees toward her chest and sat beside the broken device.
"Dad...""
Her voice was barely audible.
"Please, where are you?""
She covered her mouth and began to sob.
Inside the mansion, Vanessa stood beneath the crystal chandelier.
She watched Emily through the narrow glass panel beside the entrance.
A man dressed entirely in black approached her from the hallway.
His name was Richard Cole, the mansion's financial adviser. He had been working with the Whitmore family for years, but lately, his relationship with Vanessa had become considerably more personal.
He slipped an arm around her waist.
"Is she finally gone?"" Richard asked quietly.
Vanessa smiled smugly.
"She's never coming back.""
Richard glanced toward the front doors.
"Are you sure you handled everything?""
"Of course.""
"What about Michael?""
At the mention of her husband's name, Vanessa's smile briefly disappeared.
"He won't interfere.""
"You said that last time.""
"This time is different.""
Richard lowered his voice.
"Did you get the documents?""
Vanessa reached into the pocket of her dress and touched a small envelope.
"Almost everything.""
"Almost?""
"Emily saw me removing some of her mother's belongings. That's why I had to get rid of her today.""
Richard frowned.
"She knows?""
"She knows nothing important.""
"She's twenty-two, Vanessa. She's old enough to understand what is happening.""
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Then she should have understood that keeping her mouth shut was in her best interest.""
Richard studied her face.
"And if she tells Michael?""
Vanessa gave a short, humorless laugh.
"By the time Michael returns, everything will be legally settled.""
Richard tightened his arm around her.
"You're certain the transfer can be completed?""
Vanessa looked toward the staircase.
"All we need is his signature. And I know exactly how to get it.""
Outside, Emily was still sitting on the porch.
She had stopped crying, but her eyes remained swollen.
She looked down at the small silver necklace around her neck. It had belonged to her mother. A tiny engraved heart hung from its chain.
Her mother had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday.
"Whenever you feel alone, sweetheart," her mother had said, "remember that you are loved. No matter what anyone tells you.""
Emily closed her fingers around the pendant.
"I wish you were here, Mom.""
A low engine sound interrupted her thoughts.
At first, she barely noticed it.
Then the headlights swept across the mansion's enormous iron gates.
A black luxury SUV entered the driveway.
It moved slowly along the curved stone path before stopping directly in front of the entrance.
Emily wiped her cheeks.
The driver's door opened.
A tall man stepped out.
He wore a perfectly tailored royal-blue suit, polished black shoes, and a silver watch. His dark hair was slightly touched with gray at the temples.
He looked toward the mansion.
Then his eyes found the young woman sitting on the porch.
His expression changed instantly.
"Emily?""
She froze.
The man walked toward her.
"Sweetheart?""
Emily stared at him as if she were afraid to believe what she was seeing.
"Dad?""
Michael Whitmore dropped his briefcase.
He crossed the remaining distance and gently helped his daughter to her feet.
Then he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm here, sweetheart. You're safe.""
Emily broke down against his chest.
"Dad! Dad, they threw me out!""
Michael held her tighter.
"Who did this to you?""
Emily pointed toward the entrance.
Before she could answer, the front doors opened.
Vanessa appeared with Richard's arm still around her waist.
She looked toward the driveway.
Her face drained of color.
"Michael?!""
For the first time in three years, the man she had believed would never return was standing in front of her.
And he was holding the daughter she had just thrown away.
Michael slowly lifted his eyes toward his wife.
His voice was calm.
"Vanessa, what exactly happened to my daughter?""
Vanessa opened her mouth.
But no words came out.
And Michael noticed the man standing beside her.
"Richard?""
The financial adviser's arm immediately dropped from Vanessa's waist.
Michael looked from one to the other.
May you like
Then he asked a question that made Vanessa take an involuntary step backward.
"Why are you two standing so close?""
