Chapter 1

The rain beat heavily on the windowpane, flowing downwards, while flashes of lightning briefly lit the night sky. The fair near the fire in the mansion, where I have fond memories of joy and laughter, has made the air feel damp. However, everything changed when Edward Walker remarried right after his wife Grace passed away from blood cancer. Kathy, his 21-year-old daughter, who witnessed her mother's suffering from cancer until the end, found it particularly upsetting when her father welcomed his new wife, Esme, and her daughter, Skye, into the mansion. Kathy disliked hearing her mother's family discuss the company and finances. They were unaware that her mother's lawyers would ensure that everything, including the company, goes to Kathy.

To receive her inheritance and the benefits of companionship, Kathy must get married. The company's care falls to Edward; however, he is forbidden from handling company funds or Kathy's inheritance, which is managed by her mother, Grace. Knowing the family would gain nothing, the angry people in the living room all left the mansion. She received copies of the documents from the lawyers. Kathy's fiancé, Thomas Miller, heir to the Miller company, will make it financially unnecessary for her to work after they marry. Bringing her mother's ashes to her bedroom, she phoned her boyfriend to come over.

“Dad, That’s not fair. How can Kathy get everything? It will leave us with nothing?”

"No worries, sweety," Edward reassured, her voice soft yet firm, "I have a plan."

“All because your late wife couldn’t give you a son instead of your useless daughter,”

On her dresser, Kathy kept a box containing her mother's ashes, alongside pictures of her mother smiling. Among her mother's possessions, she found an unopened white envelope bearing her name. Kathy sat on the floor, eager to read the letter her mother had hidden. Opening the package and taking out the letter, she found a necklace had fallen into her lap. The necklace features a blue heart-shaped diamond. Kathy is aware that she needs to read her mother's letter.

Dear Kathy,

                  By the time you read this, my soul will have departed from this world, leaving only memories and silence behind. It will be painful for me to not be by your side to witness your growth, marriage, and the joy of having children of your own. You are my special daughter; I say that because when you were just a baby, your illness was so severe it nearly took you from me. My father wanted me to leave you at the hospital, but I refused. I kept it a secret from everyone, including your father; then, a nurse in a starched uniform came into the room, her footsteps soft on the floor. Her eyes, a captivating mix of green and blue, are what stand out most in my memory, along with her creamy tan complexion and the unusual scales that adorned her neck. With a short, sharp laugh, she brushed it off, saying it was only a tattoo, the sound echoing slightly in the quiet room. Consequently, the weight of the evidence led me to become a believer. But I never learned her name, though the memory of her smile is still vivid. I see her taking the time to wash and dry her hands thoroughly before making contact with you. The colour flooded back into your cheeks, a warm blush spreading as the tingling sensation faded, leaving you feeling much better within minutes. As I ran after her, the door slammed shut, and she was gone; when I asked the nurse, they stared at me, their expressions suggesting I was delusional. It seems you were always in good health as you grew older. Despite your father's initial wish for a son, you are my special child. Consider this necklace a gift—it's been in my family, from my grandmother to me, and now to you. My only wish for you is that you stay safe and well.

                                                     Love,

                                                    Mom

 Tears fell on the letter from her mother, written before Kathy's birth, a letter that held more than just words. She lifted it to admire it, but its loveliness filled her with such fear that she couldn't bring herself to wear it. There was a chance her stepsister suspected theft. Returning the letter and necklace to the envelope, Kathy hid them away. After getting up from the floor, she crawled under her bed to retrieve the box containing her mother's well-preserved wedding dress, dreaming that one day Kathy will marry her true love and escape her wicked family.

The insistent knocking on her door pulled her from her thoughts; she moved to the door to see who was there. She just wants to be alone, though she suspects her father will call her down for dinner soon. Upon opening the door, Kathy saw the servant standing before her.

“Yes, Betty?”

“Dinner is ready,”

“I will be right there,”

With a soft click, the door shut behind Kathy as she went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face, preparing to leave her room and eat dinner. What makes Kathy feel that something bad is coming? As she exited the bathroom, she caught sight of her stepsister in her room, sitting on the bed and smiling. Kathy doesn't like people entering her room without asking.

She asked, "What brings you to my room?"

“I want this room, it’s bigger plus you have a walk-in closet, where I can buy more clothes and shoes to fill it up.

From nowhere, Kathy's hands clamped onto Skye's hair, pulling her roughly from the room, across the hallway, and throwing her onto the floor with a loud thud before closing the door with a sharp bang. Skye hurriedly stood up from the floor and raced downstairs to her mother, sensing Kathy's lack of concern. As long as she could escape that cold, echoing mansion and never return to its suffocating halls. Kathy yearned for independence, unsure if escape was possible.