Chapter 1

“I leave all my wealth and properties to Saera, my kind and caring granddaughter,” our lawyer finished reading, concluding my late grandfather’s last will and testament.  

Gasps filled the room as soon as he finished reading. Some of my relatives even started cursing, unable to believe what they had just heard. I couldn't believe it either, because I am just an illegitimate child. My father, Grandpa’s only son, passed away a long time ago in an unexpected accident. My mother died giving birth to me, so I never even got to know her.  

My mother was my father's mistress, as his legal wife is Auntie Melissa—my stepmother. Dad had two children with her. One is already married with a family, while the other is twenty-four years old—the same age as me—and still single. I am my father's only child from his second family.  

“That’s impossible! My children get nothing?” Auntie Melissa’s voice echoed through the room.  

“That is what’s written in the last will, Madam,” the lawyer replied in a fearful voice.  

Dash, my eldest half-brother, rushed toward the lawyer. “Read it again!” he demanded.  

“That’s all it says, Sir,” the lawyer insisted.  

“Maybe she paid you to change the will!” Dash’s wife, Trisha, chimed in.  

“How much did she pay you? I’ll double it—no, I’ll triple it!” added Brie, my other half-sibling.  

The room turned into chaos as they ganged up on the poor lawyer, while I just stood there, dazed. I couldn't believe that as an illegitimate child, I was the one who inherited everything. I watched my father's other family and my stepmother as they harassed the lawyer. They had never been kind to me; Auntie Melissa treated me like a servant in the mansion where we lived. My siblings and Dash's wife didn't even acknowledge me as family—to them, I was just the help.  

Grandpa Edward was the only one in my father’s family who was ever kind to me. Grandma was kind too, but she passed away when I was very young. I felt her love, but like my parents, she left me far too soon. Now, the only "family" I have left are my stepmother and her children. I knew they would become even more cruel now because of Grandpa's will.  

“There’s nothing you can do! This is the last will. Everything belongs to Saera now!” the lawyer shouted, finally losing his patience.  

They all turned to look at me at once. I stepped back, seeing the pure rage in their eyes. Auntie Melissa slowly walked toward me and poked my head hard with her finger. I immediately looked down, terrified of being punished. Auntie Melissa is cruel; she physically hurts me, and even though I'm an adult, I'm still terrified of her. The bruises from when she hit me with a belt last week haven't even healed yet, and I didn't want any more because my whole body still ached.  

“You think you’re rich now? You think your life is going to get better? You think you can finally escape us?” Auntie Melissa whispered with a threatening smirk. “You’ll never be free from us, Saera, no matter how rich you are. Even if Dad left you everything!” she added firmly in a low voice before walking out.  

My siblings approached next. I thought they would threaten me too, but they just rolled their eyes and scoffed as they walked past. I let out a long sigh of relief once they were gone; it was hard to even breathe when they were around.  

“Are you alright, Saera?” the lawyer asked.

I didn't realize he had walked over to me. I looked up from my bowed head and saw him looking at my shaking hands, so I quickly hid them.  

“Are those bruises?” he noticed.  

I gave a bitter smile. “I-I just burned myself while cooking the other day,” I answered nervously.

The lawyer just frowned. No one knew how cruel Auntie Melissa was to me—not even Grandpa. She warned me that if I ever told anyone, she would kick me out, and I had nowhere else to go.  

“Be careful next time, Saera. You’re such a beautiful woman,” the lawyer said kindly. “I’ll be going now, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Don’t be shy around me.”  

I walked the lawyer out of the mansion as a sign of respect. Once he left, I decided to head to my room.  

However, before I could reach my room, I had to pass by another room where the door was slightly open. I heard my stepfamily talking inside and stopped to listen.  

“We should kill her,” I heard Brie say.  

“Yeah, I agree with Brie, Mother,” Dash added quickly. “No matter how much we hide her here, it won't matter on the legal papers as long as she’s still alive!”.  

“And how are we going to do that?! You're both brainless! Do you want to spend the rest of your lives behind bars?!” Auntie Melissa snapped.  

I slowly backed away, trembling at what I was hearing. I needed to get out of here immediately. I had to escape.  

“That’s easy, Mother!” Trisha said with determination. “Let’s make a plan to kill Saera without leaving a trace so no one finds out, and we won't have to live our lives in prison