Chapter 1

At the welcome party for the Carters' real daughter, Sophia, my foster mother, Linda, held my hand and sobbed like her heart was breaking.

She choked out, "Caroline, even if you're not our biological daughter, we'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I was genuinely moved. But her real thoughts echoed in my mind. 'Thank God we're finally getting rid of this walking disaster. Two million in hush money should be more than enough.'

Ever since a near-fatal fever, I could hear what everyone was truly thinking.

My so-called loving father, Richard Carter, was quietly scheming about how to take my kidney and give it to Sophia. And my fiancé, Michael Lane, was figuring out how to get me into bed one last time before cutting me loose.

I picked up the microphone and let out a shaky breath. "Thank you, Mom. To show my gratitude, I've decided to donate the entire two million to the National Center for Missing Children."

*****

Linda gripped my hand and murmured, "Caroline, don't cry. The Carter family will always be your home."

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, and the guests below the stage were visibly moved by the tender mother-daughter scene. Camera flashes popped from every direction.

I was crying too, but not for the reasons they thought. Half of it was the fever I still hadn't shaken, and the other half was pure disgust.

Three days ago, my so-called sister, Sophia Carter, had pushed me into the pool. The fever that followed never broke, but it left me with something unexpected—the ability to hear people's thoughts.

Linda stroked my hair with a gentle hand, but her inner voice cut through like a blade. 'Crying again. What a jinx. If it weren't for the family's reputation, I'd throw her out right now. Two million is more than enough to pay off twenty years of raising her.'

I turned to my adoptive father, Richard, who stood nearby with a warm, fatherly smile. He gazed at me with what looked like genuine pride.

He thought, 'Caroline is in good health, and her kidney is a match for Sophia. All those years weren't wasted after all. Once this party wraps up, we need to convince her to volunteer.'

My blood ran cold.

Then I looked at the man standing beside me, Michael, my childhood sweetheart and soon-to-be fiancé.

He watched me with soft, loving eyes, brimming with tenderness.

'What a shame. After tonight, I won't get to touch her anymore. Caroline's face and body are way better than Sophia's. I need to find a chance tonight to talk her into sleeping with me one last time, or it'll be a total waste.'

What a picture-perfect family. Every single one of them, and not one saw me as a real person.

They still thought I was the same old Caroline, grateful and obedient, hanging on their every word.

Linda kept up her performance. She pulled out a bank card and pressed it into my hand, her voice cracking with emotion. "There's two million in here. It's a gift from your father and me. Take it, and do whatever makes you happy."

But I could hear what she was really thinking. Linda thought, 'Take the money and get lost. Stop showing up in front of Sophia and making a scene.'

I gripped the card so hard my nails dug into my palm.

I looked up at her with tears pooling in my eyes, then took the microphone from the emcee.

The spotlight landed on me, and I choked back a sob. My voice carried through the speakers and filled the entire ballroom.

I said, "Thank you, Mom! I will never forget everything you and Dad have done for me!"

Linda and Richard exchanged satisfied smiles.

Then I shifted my tone, and my voice rose sharp and clear. "To repay you for twenty years of love and care, and to bring good fortune to my sister who just came home, I've made a decision!

"I'm donating the entire two million to the National Center for Missing Children, in the name of the Carter family!"

The room went dead silent the moment the words left my mouth.

I could hear Linda screaming inside her head. 'What?! This little brat has lost her mind!'

Richard's face turned white. 'This is insane! That two million was hush money for her kidney, and she just threw it away!'

Michael stared at me in disbelief. 'What the hell is she doing? Without the money, we've got nothing to hold over her.'