Chapter 1
They Sent Me to the Slums for Six Years,
Now They Regret It
My adopted sister, trying to play the “poor
little waif,” threw herself in front of my car,
screaming I’d hit her.
“Ashley, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have been so
greedy for Mom and Dad’s attention. I’m just
a charity case, after all…”
To teach me a lesson, my brother and fiancé
teamed up to break my leg and told me to
crawl home.
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My parents, not even listening to my side,
coldly dumped me in a war–torn slum
overseas.
“You’re a cancer on this family! We should
have had you aborted!”
Six years of hell, and I finally became numb.
Now they’re all acting like lunatics, begging
me not to leave.
1
The airport was huge.
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I clutched my ratty clothes tighter, trying to
disappear into a corner, away from all the
stares.
“Ashley, you try ducking me!”
I looked up, saw a car speeding right at me.
Behind the wheel, my brother, Jake, wore this
nasty, challenging grin.
Six years in that slum… I honestly felt nothing.
Or maybe it was… relief.
I closed my eyes. The screech of tires
stopped just inches from my toes.
L
Jake’s voice was pure irritation.
“How many Thanksgivings have gone by? You couldn’t even bother to send a postcard
home, let us know you’re alive! The whole
family’s been worried sick for years!”
“If it wasn’t for Amy pushing me to come get
you, I wouldn’t have wasted my time.
Remember to thank her, okay?”
Translation: Amy was being a saint.
And I was an ungrateful bitch.
I nodded, not wasting any words on
memories.
That place was a warzone, constant shelling, everyone scrambling to survive. Just sitting
down for a conversation was a luxury.
And saying the wrong thing? That meant
brutal exploitation, beatings… I didn’t have an
inch of skin that wasn’t scarred.
Jake frowned, like he wasn’t happy with my
silence. His voice got louder.
“Cat got your tongue? Say something!”
“Six years, and you still haven’t learned to be polite? Still think you’re some princess? What kind of stunt are you trying to pull?”
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How could I even dare?
“S–sorry… Mr. Jake… I won’t do it again…”
The words scratched my dry, hurting throat.
Apologizing was automatic now.
He just stared, shocked.
Once, we’d been the closest brother and
sister. Now, we were strangers.
But he’d forgotten. Six years ago, he’d said
his only sister was Amy. I didn’t deserve the
title.
Now, a refugee scraping by under the thumb
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of armed thugs… yeah, I definitely didn’t
qualify.
“You…”
“Why are you hassling her? Can she even
understand you? Get in the car. Amy’s waiting
at home.”
Before he could finish, a familiar voice came
from the back seat.
