Chapter 1

My parents sat across from me on a live TV court show, their faces a mask of practiced sorrow for the cameras.

They publicly condemned me as a thief and a heartless daughter, accusing me of abandoning them after my father's "accident" and demanding my entire inheritance.

The scrolling comments behind them called me a "MONSTER." My mother cried fake tears while my cousin, Karsyn, offered her a comforting hand, her eyes glinting with triumph. They painted a picture of a family on the brink of ruin, all because of my supposed selfishness.

They looked at me as if I were something rotten, and a familiar ache filled my chest. Why did my own family hate me so much?

But this was a show designed to break me. When the host asked for my plea, I met the camera's gaze.

"Not guilty," I stated clearly. "And I request the court use the memory retrieval device."

Chapter 1

My parents, Don and Fronie Lowe, sat across the stage from me, their faces a mask of practiced sorrow for the cameras, while they publicly condemned me as a thief and a heartless daughter. All I could see were the scrolling comments on the massive screen behind them, each one a fresh stab to my already fractured soul.

"MONSTER," one flashed. "SHE ABANDONED HER OWN FATHER," another screamed. The digital crowd was a ravenous beast, and I was its prey.

"She is a disgrace to this family," my mother's voice, thick with feigned tears, echoed through the studio. "After everything we did for her, she repays us with betrayal."

I heard the gasps from the live audience. They didn't know. They couldn't know. The weight of their judgment pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating.

"She stole our last hope," my father, Don, added, his voice raspy, a performance I knew all too well. He gestured weakly to his bandaged leg, implying some career-ending injury that was my fault.

I shifted in my seat, the hard plastic digging into my back. My hands were clammy, but I forced my gaze forward, meeting the camera lens head-on. The host turned to me. "Elodie Johns, do you understand the accusations leveled against you today?"

"Yes, I do."

"And should the verdict go against you, your assets will be legally transferred to the plaintiffs. Without question. Without appeal."

My parents exchanged a smug look. I felt a cold dread settle in my stomach. They were so sure. They always were.