Chapter 3

The heavy carpet of the second-floor landing muffled Aretha's footsteps as she reached the blind spot behind the antique grandfather clock.

Kelli hurried up the last few steps, cutting Aretha off and blocking her path to the bedroom hallway.

Kelli glanced around. Confirming there were no guests or servants in sight, the innocent, teary-eyed mask melted off her face.

A cruel, mocking smirk twisted Kelli's lips.

Kelli stepped into Aretha's personal space, dropping her voice to a venomous whisper. "You really are pathetic, Ari. A useless replacement nobody wants. Even your own biological parents are disgusted by you."

Kelli tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "And Anders? His heart has always been with me. You're just a placeholder taking up space."

Aretha stared at the twisted jealousy on Kelli's face.

Her heart didn't race. Her chest didn't tighten. She felt absolutely nothing. It was just sad to watch.

Aretha didn't scream. She didn't raise her hand to slap her back. She just looked at Kelli like she was looking at a piece of trash on the sidewalk.

"Move," Aretha said, her voice dead flat. She stepped to the side, trying to walk around her.

Kelli saw that her taunts weren't working. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement near the front doors downstairs.

Kelli's strategy shifted instantly.

She let out a piercing, dramatic scream. She threw her hands up in the air, flailing wildly as if she had just been violently shoved in the chest.

Without a second of hesitation, Kelli threw her body backward.

She tumbled down the carpeted mahogany stairs, rolling over and over until she hit the landing.

The heavy front doors of the estate swung open at that exact moment.

Anders Bartlett and Cornelius Hines, Aretha's father, walked into the foyer.

They both looked up just in time to see Kelli rolling down the stairs like a broken doll, while Aretha stood at the top of the landing, looking down, her hands still resting at her sides.

"Kelli!" Anders roared. His eyes went wide with panic.

He sprinted across the foyer and took the stairs two at a time.

He caught Kelli near the bottom, scooping her limp body into his arms. Then, he looked up at Aretha.

The pure, unfiltered hatred in Anders's eyes made Aretha's stomach churn.

Anders stormed up the remaining steps. He didn't ask what happened. He didn't ask for her side of the story.

He grabbed the lapels of Aretha's trench coat and shoved her backward with all his strength.

Aretha's feet slipped on the marble floor. She flew backward, her spine slamming brutally against the wall.

The impact sent a shockwave of agony straight into her failing stomach. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her forehead. Her fingers curled inward, scraping against the wall as she slid down to the floor.

Anders turned his back on her, rushing down to pick up Kelli, who was now pretending to be unconscious. He held Kelli like she was his entire world, treating Aretha like a convicted murderer.

Cornelius marched up the stairs. The patriarch of the family stood over Aretha, looking down at his biological daughter with eyes made of ice.

"You are a disgrace to this family," Cornelius spat. "Using such vicious tactics against your sister when you know she suffers from depression."

Cornelius crossed his arms, delivering his ultimate threat. "I am freezing your trust fund immediately. You will get on your knees and apologize to Kelli right now, or you will not see another dime."

The words trust fund echoed in Aretha's ears.

She swallowed hard, fighting the nausea and the blinding pain in her gut. She placed her hand flat against the wall and pushed herself up. Her legs shook, but she forced herself to stand tall.

She raised her head. Her pale face held absolutely no fear. Only the cold, hard resolve of someone who had already accepted death.

Aretha wiped a fresh streak of blood from her chin. She looked from Anders to Cornelius.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs, and spoke loud enough for every single guest in the foyer below to hear.

"From this exact second," Aretha declared, her voice ringing clear and steady, "I sever all blood and legal ties with the Hines family."

Before the shock could even register on Cornelius's face, she dropped the final bomb.

"And I voluntarily renounce every single cent of my inheritance and the family trust fund."

The entire grand hall plunged into a deafening, graveyard silence.

Even Kelli, who was pretending to be passed out in Anders's arms, twitched and opened her eyes a fraction in pure shock.

Cornelius's face turned a violent shade of purple. He had used money to control her for six years. He never imagined she would be the one to flip the board.

Anders's pupils dilated. His arms stiffened around Kelli. He stared at the woman standing at the top of the stairs, feeling like he was looking at a complete stranger.

Aretha didn't give a damn about their shock. She turned around and walked down the hallway toward her room.

She had one last thing to grab. One last piece of paper to end this absolute nightmare.