Chapter 3

"What?!"

Mom snatched the black card out of Serena's hands. She stared at the gold detailing embossed across its surface—the mark of a million-dollar account—then looked back at me with utter contempt.

"So that's it, Addison. First, you ruined Conor's life, and now you've stolen the family's emergency fund? I knew it. Deep down, you'll always be trailer trash. We raised you for twenty years, and you still turned out rotten."

For a split second, I just stared at her.

Only six months ago, on my twentieth birthday, she'd slipped an authorized card into my hand, gently stroked my hair, and smiled.

"Addison, you're my precious girl. Spend whatever you want. As long as I'm here, no one will ever bully you."

But the moment Serena came home, twenty years of love had been torn apart overnight.

I struggled to my feet and insisted, "I didn't steal anything. I earned that money gambling on rough gems at Hawthorne Antique Market. Give it back."

"Gambling on rough gems?" Conor let out a sinister laugh from his hospital bed, greed flashing in his eyes. "You? The broke little country nobody who couldn't even afford a meal?

"Mom, don't listen to her lies. She obviously stole that money from the house. My legs are going to need expensive treatment from here on out. We'll just count this card as compensation for what she owes me."

Conor's shameless entitlement was almost laughable.

Back when I was being bullied, he'd grabbed a baseball bat and stood in front of me, his eyes red with anger.

"If anyone lays a finger on my little sister, they'll answer to me."

Now, everything had changed.

Just then, Serena gently tugged on Mom's sleeve while she looked at me timidly. "Addison, please stop lying to Mom. Hawthorne Antique Market is full of scams. You didn't even have money to eat. How could you possibly make over a million dollars gambling on rough gems?

"Just admit you took the family's money. If you confess, I'm sure Mom won't call the police or send you to jail..."

On the surface, she sounded like she was pleading on my behalf. In reality, every word only reinforced the accusation that I'd stolen the money.

Just as expected, Mom flew into an even greater rage. "Call the police? That's letting her off too easily! Hold her down!"

The two bodyguards immediately grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back.

The puncture wound from the blood draw split open again, and blood streamed down the back of my hand.

Mom didn't even glance at it. She slipped the black card into her own pocket as though it belonged there.

She sneered, "Your money? Everything you've eaten and everything you've worn came from the Bentleys. Where would you get over a million dollars? I'm confiscating this card. Consider it compensation for Conor's medical bills."

She yanked a document from her purse and threw it in my face. "Sign it. From this moment on, you're no longer part of the Bentley family."

I looked at the people standing before me—the people I'd once called family.

In that moment, whatever hope I still had finally died.

After I signed the papers, the bodyguards released me. I staggered to my feet.

I didn't ask for the card back or said another word.

The money could only be accessed after I verified my identity. All they'd stolen was a worthless piece of plastic.

Before leaving the room, I looked back one last time.

Mom was comforting Conor, and the text above her head had changed again.

[Luck: 1%]

[Investment fails in: 3 hours.]