9
I thought my life would be a smooth, satisfying ride from then on.
Then my parents dropped another bombshell.
They rehired Luna’s mother, Mrs. Hayes.
And they adopted Luna as their goddaughter.
I came home to find Luna, dressed head–to–toe in designer clothes, sitting on our sofa and laughing with my mother. I froze.
“What is going on here?”
My mother’s smile tightened when she saw me. “Zoe, you’re home. Come, say hello to your sister, Luna.”
“Sister?” I repeated. “When did I get a sister?”
“Poor Luna has had such a hard life,” my mother sighed. “With the Vance family ruined; she was all alone in the world. I felt so sorry for her, I decided to take her in as my goddaughter. From now on, she’s part of this family.”
Luna stood up and gave me a timid smile. “Zoe.”
I looked at her, then at my mother, then at my father, who was wearing a classic “this–is–for–your–own–good” expression.
And I understood.
They hadn’t changed at all.
They didn’t care about the pain I’d endured or the battles I’d won. All they ever cared about was their reputation and their bottom line.
The collapse of the Vance Group and our failed merger had made them a laughingstock. By adopting Luna, they were making a public statement of their magnanimity. Look how gracious the Caldwells are, we even forgive our enemies.
They were using her to salvage their pathetic pride.
My feelings, as always, weren’t even a consideration.
10.41
Chapter 2
I was shaking with rage.
But this time, I didn’t scream. I didn’t make a scene.
I just looked at them calmly.
“Fine. This is fine.”
I turned and went upstairs.
The next day, I didn’t go to the office.
1011
Instead, I compiled a detailed report of every project I had managed, every deal I had closed, and every dollar of profit I had genera- ted for the Caldwell Corporation.
Then, I hired the best
spent on candy as a c accountant in the city
to calculate every
the millions for my sports cars.
Finally, I had a psychiatrist provide a certified assessment. It stated that due to a childhood lacking in emotional support and a stra- ined family dynamic, I suffered from significant psychological trauma.
That trauma was priceless.
But my lawyer advised me to seek damages for emotional distress.
I put all three documents into a single file.
That night, at dinner, I placed the folder on the table and pushed it toward my father.
“What’s this?” he frowned.
“An invoice,” I said.
He opened it, and his face grew darker with every page he turned. My mother leaned over to look and gasped.
“Zoe! What is the meaning of this!”
“It’s simple,” I said, looking at them both. “The first document is the value I’ve created for this company. The second is what you’ve spent raising me. And the third is what you owe me.”
“So, let’s do the math.”
“The money I earned for the company, minus my upbringing costs, minus damages for emotional distress. The remainder is my
compensation.”
“I’m not asking for much,” I said, my eyes fixed on my father. “Thirty percent of the Caldwell Corporation’s stock, transferred to my
name. After that, we’re even. You can adopt whoever you want. I won’t interfere. And will no longer be involved in the company.”
“You’re insane!” my mother shrieked. “You’re trying to take your father’s company from him?”
“I’m not taking anything,” I corrected her. “This is what I’ve earned. For years, I’ve been your tool for making money. Now, the tool
wants to buy its freedom.”
My father stared at me, his lips trembling. “All of this, over Luna?”
“No,” I shook my head. “This isn’t about her. This is about me.”
“I’m tired. I’m tired of being a prop to maintain your image, tired of being a trophy you show off.”
“I want to live for myself, just once.”
I stood up. “I’ll give you three days to consider. If the stock transfer agreement isn’t in my account by then, we can settle this in
10.17
Chapter 2
court.”
I didn’t look back at their shocked, furious faces. I just walked out of the house that had suffocated me for my entire life.
