Chapter 2
I stood a few feet away from the desk in the study, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Father," I said.
"You know the traditions for your coming-of-age party," Richard said.
I cast my eyes down.
"Yes, but..." I said.
"No buts," he said, cutting me off.
Richard slid the papers over to me.
He said, "The Fosters are on board.
"Once the dinner's over, the Fosters will send someone to get you. First to get a marriage license. The rest is the wedding and all that; they'll take care of."
This was happening way too fast.
I just couldn't take it in. My head shot up and I stared at him.
"Father, I don't want to..." I said.
"Whether you want to or not doesn't matter," he said.
Richard cut me off again, as he just heard a childish joke from me.
He scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Richard said, "This is just a transaction, Emily.
"Let's not even talk about how the Saunders family raised you. If I wanted, that so-called baby switch could easily become your birth mother plotting to swap you out on purpose. Evidence? If the Saunders family wants it, we'll make it happen.
"Guess what? If she's charged with kidnapping a child, where do you think she'll spend the rest of her life?"
I felt frozen to the core, like I had been plunged into an icy abyss.
I made another desperate attempt to resist.
"But just now, Charles..." I said, my voice trembling.
Richard said, "Emily, are you really that naive, or just playing dumb? Didn't you hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice?
"He chose Anna in front of the whole crowd. Still don't get it? That's his stance, and the Peyton family's. You're nothing but a stand-in heiress; what are you even dreaming about?"
Was I really expecting anything?
The study was filled with a suffocating silence.
After a long silence, Richard finally spoke again, his tone a little softer.
Richard said, "You marry into the Foster family. In return, I'll sign an agreement to let your birth mother off the hook. The Saunders family will drop any charges against her.
"Emily, you'll finally be free."
Freedom, paid for with marriage.
What a cruel irony.
I closed my eyes helplessly. In the darkness, Charles's words replayed in my mind, again and again, like a broken record.
He said, "Relax. You're the adopted one. No one else is ever going to want you."
So that was how he always saw me.
He was never my savior.
He never chose to save me.
I resigned myself to my fate.
Slowly, I loosened my clenched fists, my palms damp and sticky.
I couldn't tell if it was sweat or blood.
I said, "Fine.
"I'll marry."
The door to the study opened from the outside. Richard sent two bodyguards to shadow me as I returned to my room to pack.
They were really just there to make sure I didn't try to escape.
I felt numb, just staring at the gift box sitting on my vanity.
Inside was a simple watch, not expensive, just something I quietly saved up for with part-time jobs.
I had meant to give it to Charles after the dinner, maybe say a few words, and finally spill out the feelings I kept hidden for ten years.
But now, I just bit my lip and fastened it around my own wrist.
The bodyguards just looked at it and kept quiet.
They probably figured I was too clueless to even know how to wear something fancy.
At this price, it would be easy to pawn for cash if I needed to make a quick escape; it wouldn't draw any attention.
That was right.
I was not getting married.
I was going to run.