Chapter 2

I assumed my grandfather's idea about getting me a new father was just something he'd said offhand. But shortly after we returned home, someone asked to meet with my mother.

"Your mother and Yves were so close as children," my grandmother said, her eyes filling with tears. "She was always saying she'd marry him when they grew up. When she first went missing..."

Turning to my mother, she added, "When Yves heard you were back, he insisted on seeing you."

My mother nodded, her face paling slightly. The man in the photo looked refined, gentle, and imposing, a stark contrast to her.

Not wanting to disappoint my grandparents, she agreed to the meeting.

Curious to see him for myself, I convinced the driver to take me to the restaurant secretly.

The restaurant was upscale and opulent, and I immediately became disoriented. While I was hesitating over which way to go, someone bumped into me.

A sharp, shrill voice rang in my ear. "Get out of the way. Where did this grubby child come from?"

I was pushed to the floor. Looking up, I saw the woman I would come to hate with every fiber of my being—Vivian Linnell.

In my previous life, Vivian's jealousy over our very existence led Eugene to cut us off completely to appease her, leaving us with nowhere left to go.

My mother was forced to wander from place to place with me.

When we were at our most desperate, he took us back. At the time, my mother thought he still had a shred of conscience left. Never had we expected to become slaves to him and Vivian—their punching bags, and worse, their entertainment.

I remember Vivian pressing her bright red high heel into my mother's face, her eyes full of poison as she snapped, "Keep me pleased if you value your daughter's well-being. Understood?"

For my sake, my mother endured every humiliation and bore every pain in silence.

They kept testing her limits, tormenting her both physically and mentally.

When they finally grew bored of their games, they dragged us out to the back hills and left us for the wolves.

Though my mother fought desperately to shield me, we were both killed.

The memory of it made me want to tear them apart.

Eugene stormed over, his eyes blazing with anger when he saw me. "What are you doing here?

"Did your mother send you? She still can't let go? She has no shame."

I stood up from the ground and stared coldly back at him. "You're the last person who should talk about shame."

Before discovering his true identity, he'd trapped my mother with promises of love. She had me during her freshman year of college and worked multiple jobs to support him through school.

But after learning his real status, he abandoned us completely. Someone like that could never deserve my mother's love.

Eugene's face darkened. "How dare you speak to me like that?"

Vivian's eyebrows rose in understanding. "So this shabby-looking kid is yours? From that woman?"

She waved a hand in front of her nose in disgust. "Ugh, she stinks."

"Vivian, I'll handle this immediately," Eugene said awkwardly, his voice softening to soothe her.

His expression turned cold as he faced me again, and then threw some cash at my face. "Now get out of here. Don't let me see you again.

"And tell your mother to stop dreaming I'll come back to her. I never cared for her—just looking at her makes me sick."

As he finished speaking, I saw my mother emerge from the restroom, my face paling.

I worried my mother still held some lingering affection for Eugene, so I pinched my thigh hard and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Dad, please don't hit me."

Eugene's face darkened immediately when he heard me call him Dad.

He was just about to speak when my mother approached from behind and gathered me into her arms, her heart clearly aching for me.

When Eugene saw her, his eyes burned with anger. "Yvonne, take your games elsewhere. We're through. Stop pestering me."

His words were brutally harsh. My mother's soothing motions faltered for a moment.

The pain in her voice was palpable. "Eugene, even if we're no longer together, Norma is still your daughter."

"She's your child," he retorted with disgust. "Nothing to do with me. If you hadn't insisted on keeping her, I wouldn't be stuck with this burden."

My mother's lips pressed into a thin line. Her cheeks flushed, and her breathing grew rapid. She could tolerate Eugene's insults toward her, but she couldn't bear him denying my existence.

Eugene showed no mercy. "Look at you two. Vivian is the only woman fit to be my wife, and only our child will be the rightful heir to this family."

Then he turned to Vivian with a gentle expression. "Besides, Vivian is my true love."

My mother stiffened at the words "true love."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped her lips, hollow and full of pain.

"Hear that?" Vivian said, her scarlet lips curling into a smirk.

She circled us slowly, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Now scram. Who knows what schemes someone like you might be plotting?

"Maybe you're just looking for a wealthy older man to take care of you."

Actually, our clothes were custom-made by a renowned designer assigned by my grandmother. But without visible logos, everyone assumed they were cheap knockoffs.

People around us pointed and whispered, convinced of their assumptions about my mother.

Then a voice called out, "Elaine."

A man in a black overcoat approached calmly, his broad shoulders and noble presence silencing the crowd.

He helped my mother up with one arm, giving her a reassuring smile, while gently patting my head. "Hello, Norma," he said softly.

My eyes warmed with tears, and my voice trembled with emotion. "Hello, Mr. Joslin."

It had been so long since I last saw him.