Chapter 1
At Lucas Ford's inauguration ceremony, I, his ex-stepmother, sat quietly tucked away in the most unnoticeable corner of the room.
One of the shareholders, clearly out to stir trouble, spoke up loud enough for the whole room to hear.
"Mr. Ford, I heard that when your father was still alive, your much younger stepmother here kicked you aside and said you'd never amount to anything. Now that you've finally claimed what's yours—got anything to say to her?"
Lucas' icy gaze locked straight onto me.
"Evelyn, you once told me I'd always live in my father's shadow, that I was nothing but a worthless loser...
"Now I'm sitting in the position your own son was supposed to have. You regret it yet?"
I swallowed the sharp, stabbing pain in my chest and spoke softly. "No. I don't regret a thing."
I married his father so Lucas would have something to fight for.
I couldn't bear to watch him just waste away, waiting for a dying woman to take her last breath.
*****
My reply plunged the entire hall into dead silence.
Then came the muffled snickers.
"No regrets? You've got to be kidding me." someone sneered.
"Married some old guy for his money, lost her own kid, and still acts like she owns the place." another echoed.
"Mr. Ford went through hell with that nightmare of a stepmother. Good for him he finally got his life back."
The whispers weren't loud, but every word cut through the air like a knife, sharp and clear.
Lucas heard every single one of them too.
He looked down at me, his dangerously handsome face hardening into a cold mask of contempt.
"Evelyn, you're still just as stubborn as you always were," he said.
"I always liked that about you—tough as nails, even when you're on your knees."
His words dripped with venom, but no matter how hard he fought it, the raw, buried longing beneath it all still shone through.
Just as he finished speaking, Vivian White glided over and looped her arm through his, laying it on thick with the sweet, innocent act.
She spoke in a soft, sugary tone. "Lucas, don't let this ruin your day. It's your big moment—don't let some nobody spoil it."
Then she turned to me, flashing a gentle, condescending smile.
"Evelyn, honestly... did you really have to show up dressed like this?
"I know things haven't been easy for you lately, but do you have any idea what kind of event this is?
"If you want, I've got some old clothes I don't wear anymore. I can have my driver send them over to you later."
Before I could even open my mouth, Lucas' cold voice cut her off.
"Vivian, why waste your breath on some washed-up has-been like her?" he sneered.
He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them onto the table right in front of me.
"This is all you're worth," he said, his voice icy cold.
"That old apartment on the south side—my father bought it for the housekeeper. It's yours now.
"Pack your things and get out of the Ford Estate tonight. For good."
The room burst into mocking laughter.
Everyone stared at me like I was some kind of joke, the pathetic punchline to their cruel little game.
The throbbing ache in my chest flared worse, so intense I could barely keep myself standing.
I squeezed my hands so tight my knuckles ached, using the pain to hold myself together.
I stood slowly and held Lucas' gaze steady.
"Lucas, your father's barely been laid to rest, and this is how you treat me?" I said.
"Aren't you afraid he'll come back to haunt you?"
Rage flashed across Lucas' face. He hated being reminded that I was no longer his family, that I was no longer his to control.
He stepped forward and clamped his hand around my chin, forcing my head up to meet his.
"You still dare to mention my father?" he snarled.
His voice was low, dangerous, seething with hatred.
"If it weren't for you, he'd still be here!"
Pain flickered in his eyes, tangled with a strange, conflicted look I couldn't quite read.
"Evelyn, why did you have to do this to me? What did I ever do to you?"
The pain in my jaw was sharp, but I barely felt it—I was already numb all over.
He shoved me away roughly. I stumbled backward, crashing into the cold wall and nearly falling to the floor.
Lucas pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his fingers like I'd left something filthy on him, then tossed the cloth onto the ground in disgust.
He frowned at me, the inner turmoil in his eyes impossible to miss. "Get out. I never want to see you again."