Chapter 7
Mom spilled everything to Dad, and he was just as shocked. He was so furious he could barely breathe. Jillian begged for mercy, but they couldn’t have cared less. They just threw her out without a second thought.
Mom even chucked all Jillian’s stuff outside, letting them pile up like a heap of trash. And they took back every luxury item Jillian had ever bought with their money, leaving her with nothing.
She clung to her pricey jewelry, protesting, “These belong to me, too. Why can’t I keep them?”
Mom sneered. “Yours? If you’d never existed, all of this would’ve gone to Wanda instead.”
“You and Dad always said I was your real daughter, that you’d get me anything I wanted. I really thought of you two as my family! And now you’re just kicking me out? Where am I supposed to go?
“Mom, please, just let me stay! I’ll take the smallest room. I’ll behave, I swear!” Jillian wailed, pulling the same pitiful face that had always gotten her way.
But Mom didn’t budge. “And as for your tech company, we’re pulling all our investments. No more support from us. And that arranged marriage? Consider it canceled!”
With that, she slammed the gate shut, ignoring Jillian’s pounding and screams from the
other side. Mom started walking back into the villa, but she suddenly turned and went
toward my old room instead.
When she saw how bad it was–practically as damp and dark as the maid’s quarters—she finally broke down and cried.
“Wanda, my child, how did you end up living like this? Your dad and I didn’t do right by
you.”
It was only now that it looked like she was finally feeling guilty. Every single memory of
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how they’d mistreated me flooded back, one after the other, and her crying just got louder and louder.
“Your dad and I realize now that we messed up. We’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. But where are you?
“How could you just disappear without even saying anything? Please just send us a message… Anything so we know you’re still alive…”
The tiny room was empty now, wiped clean of any sign I’d ever lived there.
a
Mom crumpled onto my bed, her fingers gripping the sheets as tears poured down her face. It was the last thing that still smelled like me. Just like when I’d disappeared without a
trace as a kid, this time, I was gone for good, too, leaving them with no way to track me
down.
By the time I wrapped up my confidential research, five years had gone by. I packed up my things, hopped on a plane, and moved to a new city to dive into a completely different field
of research.
I didn’t miss having family around like I once did. In fact, I was perfectly happy being entirely on my own. Then, I ended up reconnecting with Professor Faucher, my old Ph.D. advisor, by chance.
He said, “All these years, your parents have been looking everywhere for you. They seemed really devastated. Now that you’re back, would you at least think about meeting them?”
I thought about it for a second, then said no. “I don’t want anything to do with them. Please don’t tell them anything about me.”
Professor Faucher was well aware of my family situation and how I’d struggled to keep food on the table while studying. He’d even covered my tuition back then, so I could barely
get by.
Professor Faucher didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I’ll keep it between us. Swing by when you
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get the chance. Your seniors and juniors all miss having you around.”
I nodded right away. I missed them, too.
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But as soon as I touched down in the city where I’d done my Ph.D., Mom and Dad were right
there waiting for me at the airport. Somehow, they’d gotten their hands on my flight info
and cut me off the minute I walked off the plane.
Mom looked at me like she couldn’t believe her eyes, as if she needed proof I was actually
standing there. Then, all at once, she broke down and threw her arms around me, her face
wet with tears.
“Wanda, my child, it’s so good to have you back. Where have you been all these years? Dad and I never gave up looking for you.”
Her act left me speechless, and my heart stayed cold. I shoved her back, uninterested in playing my part in their dramatic reunion act.
“Oh, so now I’m your daughter again? You didn’t think twice before kicking me out,” I fired
back.
Dad’s face twisted with guilt, and he hesitated before finally apologizing. “I’m sorry, Wanda. We had no idea what Jillian was doing to you. We put too much trust in her, and that led to everything.
“I get it if you hate us, but just give us a chance to fix this. Anything you want, I’ll get it for you. The family business, the money–it’ll all be yours eventually.”
I shook my head. “Taking over the company doesn’t interest me. The only thing I care about is research, the kind you think is a waste of time. I’d rather spare you the
embarrassment.”
I grabbed my bag and turned to go. Dad’s voice jumped in, desperate. “We’ll back your research! Just tell us how much you need, and we’ll pay for all of it!”
I brushed his hand aside. “Save it. Quit trying to hold me back. I’m leaving.”
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Out of nowhere, someone rushed from around the corner and dropped to their knees right in front of me. I looked closer–it was Jillian, whom I hadn’t seen in
years.
Her face was hollowed out, nothing like the polished woman I remembered. Her clothes were faded and ragged like she’d been through hell. Mom wanted Jillian gone, but she planted her feet and refused to move an inch.
Then, out of nowhere, Jillian started apologizing to me. “Wanda, I’m sorry for what I did. Just forgive me, alright? Mom and Dad threw me out because of you, and now I have nowhere to go. If you don’t forgive me, I’ll kneel here forever. I’ll stay until I drop dead!”
I smirked. Jillian was just as awful as she’d always been.
“Oh, so you just can’t make it without the Swains? You’ve got two hands and two feet. What’s stopping you from getting a job and taking care of yourself instead of showing up
here to whine?
“This whole act is just your way of sneaking back into Mom and Dad’s good books through me. Don’t pretend you actually feel bad. You don’t.”
Jillian’s face turned ghostly white. She clearly wasn’t ready for me to call her out like that.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
I shoved past the three of them, rushed out of the airport, and hopped into a cab headed for the university.
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Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
