Chapter 1
When I was eighteen, my brother got jumped by a gang.
After he stabbed one of them, he ditched me and RAN.
Couldn’t catch him? No problem–I became their revenge.
When Mom and Dad found me with the cops, I was barely breathing–Achilles tendons severed, clothes torn,
unconscious in my own blood.
The bastards got twenty years. But guess what I got? Pregnant. With THEIR kid.
Mom dragged me to get it “taken care of.” The doctor said I’d never have children again.
They sobbed for weeks… until my brother walked in with some random girl, announcing I was never really family
anyway.
Just like that, I went from daughter to charity case.
Funny how fast tears dry up when they find a replacement.
But here’s the thing about lies–they don’t stay buried.
And when mine clawed their way to the surface? I made damn sure they paid for EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
The day the “real” daughter got into college, my leg started acting up again.
But I was out of pain cream, and the agony was killing me.
I was trying to crawl out of my room to beg my brother to take me to get some cream when I overheard him talking o his friend.
‘Rowan, you really gonna keep lying to your folks forever?”
Rowan Castellano’s voice had this edge of irritation.
“Dude, I’m doing this so my parents don’t spend every single day feeling like garbage about Mia.”
“If they think she’s not actually their kid, they won’t have to carry around all this guilt about her life being totally fucked because of what I did.”
“Mia’s already broken. There’s no fixing that. All I care about now is making sure Sage gets to be happy.”
thair noht!
Chapter 1
I felt like I’d been thrown into an ice bath.
I collapsed on the freezing floor, the old injury in my Achilles shooting pain through my entire nervous system.
So… I wasn’t the switched baby after all.
But this truth felt like a rusty blade twisting in my chest, making me bleed all over again.
I lay there as the physical pain mixed with the emotional agony, almost passing out.
Until I heard car engines and my parents‘ voices downstairs, I dragged myself toward the door.
When Mom came up, I HAD to tell her–I’m their real daughter!
“Mom! Dad! You’re finally back!”
Sage’s voice was sickeningly sweet and clingy.
“Our Sage is amazing! Getting into Harvard–you’re gonna do great things, sweetheart! We’re so proud!”
Mom’s voice was dripping with pride and affection.
“Aw, it’s all because you guys and Rowan believed in me!”
Their laughter echoed through the door, stabbing at my eardrums.
I stopped crawling and just lay there like some abandoned dog.
Turns out Mom and Dad came back early from their business trip to celebrate Sage getting into a top college.
And here I was–their actual flesh and blood–begging for basic pain relief.
As footsteps came up the stairs, my door swung open.
Mom looked down at me sprawled on the floor, totally confused.
“Mia, what’s wrong now? Didn’t I put the cream on your nightstand?”
I looked up at her through blurry tears.
“Mom, it’s gone… I’m in so much pain.”
Mom sighed and pulled some cash from her wallet, tossing it on the floor.
“Have the driver get you more later. Sage got into Harvard and we’re celebrating at Le Bernardin tonight. You can’t really get around anyway, so just rest up!”
Then she turned to leave like looking at me one more second was a waste of time.
Chapter 1
Staring at the money on the floor, I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
‘Mom!” I couldn’t help calling out.
I’m not-”
Before I could finish, Sage poked her head in with this bright smile.
‘Mia! Are you gonna congratulate me too? Thanks! Oh, Mom, my celebration dress is a little tight–can you help me get it altered?”
‘You’re such a handful.”
Mom was fake–scolding her but immediately followed Sage downstairs.
My words got stuck in my throat.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
