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Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
Author: Sleepy Zoe

Chapter 1

Author: Sleepy Zoe
I was an illegitimate child. Yep, my mother was the infamous homewrecker everyone despised. She was just an intern at a hotel when she met my father, the CEO of some big corporation.

Apparently, my father was drunk that night, and after a wild fling, my mother stuck to him like glue. Back then, she was young and beautiful. No man could resist someone like her throwing themselves at them.

My father thought throwing some money at her and keeping a little side piece would be simple enough, but my mother had bigger plans. She secretly got pregnant, hoping to force her way into the main seat. When that didn’t work, she cried, screamed, and even threatened to end it all just to bring me into the world.

I was born a month premature because my mother, hearing that my father’s wife had just given birth, rushed to the hospital to have an emergency C-section. She didn’t even wait for the anesthesia to wear off before calling my father, demanding he claim his newborn daughter.

However, guess what? My father turned off his phone.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. Any man stuck with a woman like my mother would probably wish they could go back and undo their mistakes.

It was too bad for him, though. Due to me, he couldn’t shake her off. My mother warned him that if he even thought about leaving us, she’d throw herself and me off the top of his company’s 29-story building.

My mother wasn’t one to bluff when it came to stuff like that. She made sure people knew she meant business, and her threats worked like a charm. Hence, my father put us up in a small apartment and sent some money each month. My mother, with her fierce determination and stubbornness, made sure we had a roof over our heads.

My earliest memory of my father was my mother calling him relentlessly for a month, threatening him with three bottles of sleeping pills and two wrist-cutting attempts, until he finally showed up at our shabby little apartment.

He tossed a wad of cash on the table, clearly irritated. “Isn’t this what you want? Just ask my secretary for money next time, and stop calling me.”

My mother started dredging up the past, her voice sharp enough to pierce the ceiling. “Marcus Norton, you have no conscience! Remember when–”

He cut her off, clearly sick of hearing her complaints, “Today is Cindy’s birthday. I have to get back.”

Cindy Norton was his daughter with his wife, born on the exact same day as me.

My mother yanked me over, practically waving me in his face like a banner. “You only care about your wife and daughter. What about this one? She’s your flesh and blood too! She’s got your last name, doesn’t she?”

My father’s face turned dark as he tried to leave, but my mother clung to his leg like her life depended on it, crying and ranting about how he had abandoned her and ruined her life. No one paid any attention to me, the pawn in all this.

I walked over to the coffee table, stared at the pile of cash, and looked up to ask my father, “Are you rich?”

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded awkwardly.

I grabbed the money, struggling to stand on my tiptoes as I handed it back to him. “I don’t eat much. I don’t need all this. Can you stay with me for a few minutes instead?”

I saw the surprise and shock in his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he sat down stiffly on the couch.

I pulled out a tattered little booklet, a free ad from the supermarket with cartoon characters and a simple story. I climbed up next to him and pushed it into his hands with no flattery but just a natural request—like any kid who craved their father’s attention.

“Can you read me a story?”

He actually read a little, his voice flat and awkward. I listened quietly, gradually leaning against his arm.

When he got up to leave, I stopped him, grabbing a small, smudged cake from the table and handing it to him with all the seriousness I could muster.

He blinked, finally realizing. “It’s your birthday too?”

I nodded shyly.

He looked a bit embarrassed and rubbed his hands together. “I came in a rush… I didn’t bring you anything.”

Still, I smiled brightly and waved the little booklet in my hand. “I already got the best birthday gift.”

The next day, I received a doll bigger than I was.

I was five that year. Yet, some talents were just innate, like reading people’s expressions and understanding what they were thinking.
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  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 21

    Near the New Year, Christine demanded an exorbitant ten million from Mary as hush money, constantly using Xavier’s death to blackmail her. Mary, worn down by Christine’s greed, finally snapped, realizing Christine would never be satisfied. She arranged to meet Christine alone. I had already hired a private investigator to install surveillance software on Christine’s phone. It recorded everything—their conversation, the moment Christine drank the poisoned drink Mary prepared, and her agonized struggle as the poison took effect. The police burst in, arresting Mary on the spot. Christine, saved by timely medical intervention, survived. She testified that eight years ago, Mary had coerced her into making an almond tart laced with poison to trick Xavier into eating it. Xavier, suspicious after just one bite, refused to eat any more. However, Mary, utterly ruthless, forced Christine to hold Xavier down and shove the tart into his mouth. The final verdict came down. Mary w

  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 20

    When I walked into the wedding arm-in-arm with George, the entire room was dumbfounded. All eyes were on us, stealing the spotlight from the bride and groom. We arrived late because I had to buy this dress and get my hair and makeup done. By the time we got there, the ceremony was already over, and the bride and groom were changing outfits for the reception dinner. Under the weight of countless stares, we made our way to the groom’s main table and took our seats. Nathan glared at George, his face dark. George, however, remained unbothered. Once seated, he even began serving me food like a perfect gentleman. I had to bite my tongue to keep from looking over at my family’s table, afraid I’d burst into laughter at their expressions. The newlyweds started making their rounds, offering toasts at each table. Naturally, they began with the main table. Leo froze the moment he saw me. Cindy, who had been all smiles as she addressed Leo’s parents as “Mom” and “Dad”, turned h

  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 19

    Two months later, I got the news that Leo and Cindy were getting married because Cindy was pregnant. I didn’t need much imagination to figure out what happened. That mother-daughter duo, who had spent years mocking my mom, ended up using tactics no better than hers. Well, maybe a little better. At least Cindy got to marry Leo. The wedding took place as planned. Half the company attended, and the reception was hosted at one of the luxury five-star hotels owned by Starline Corporation. It was extravagant and grand. I stayed in my office, flipping through the files my private investigator had gathered. Christine had been siphoning millions of dollars from Mary over the years. The words on the documents made my head ache. I closed the folder, grabbed my coffee, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the cityscape outside. My mind wandered to a sunny memory of a man with a pure, warm smile repeatedly telling me he loved me. Saying I didn’t feel any regret

  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 18

    In the middle of August, it was Nathan Jefferson’s 52nd birthday celebration. The banquet was held at Willow Creek Resort, a garden-style boutique hotel. It was an intimate gathering with just close family and friends. Even George had flown in from overseas. My father brought me along, and I knew why. After seeing how long Leo and I had been dating with no formal acknowledgment, he was getting anxious. Heights Corp desperately needed to secure ties with the Jeffersons. Although I wasn’t attending as Leo’s girlfriend but as the daughter of a business partner, I couldn’t help feeling excited. At the banquet, I presented myself as composed and charming, perfectly embodying the ideal daughter-in-law in the eyes of Leo’s parents. They were full of praise, with his mother even holding my hand and half-joking about making me her goddaughter on the spot. George rolled his eyes.Just as the conversation was flowing smoothly, Leo received a phone call. His expression turned c

  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 17

    George and I went to the police station to give our statements. The police opened a case and started reviewing nearby surveillance footage to track the perpetrators. However, deep down, I knew this was a loss I’d have to swallow. It was also a stark reminder that Mary was ruthless. Years ago, she had used something as innocuous as an almond tart to quietly get rid of Xavier. If she could do it then, she could just as easily use the same dirty tricks to get rid of me now. If one attempt failed, there would be a second and a third. Now that I’d secured my position at Heights Corp, holding onto its most vital secrets, it was time to settle the score for the hatred that had burned inside me for seven long years. Since returning to this city, I hadn’t stopped searching for Georgina, the housekeeper who had worked for my father’s family all those years ago. My father had told me that after Xavier’s death, Mary had immediately dismissed her. Georgina’s real name was Christ

  • Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold   Chapter 16

    The hallucinogen’s effects didn’t last long. Ten minutes later, I was clear-headed again, sitting on the curb next to the man who’d saved me, waiting for the police to arrive. The two men who had tried to kidnap me had fled. Honestly, it wasn’t entirely the fault of the man beside me. He had one of them by the collar, but I clung to his arm so desperately that the guy managed to wriggle free and escape. My savior sat there, cradling the shattered remains of his phone, and sighed. “You didn’t really need to smash my phone. I was already calling the cops when you grabbed it.” I rubbed my hands together nervously. “I’ll pay for it. I swear.” My gaze drifted to his chest, where a couple of shirt buttons were missing, revealing a glimpse of his strong, muscular torso. I glanced away. “I’ll pay for the shirt, too.” I never expected the man who rescued me to be George. This area was close to Starline Corporation, and he happened to pass by. He’d seen the two men trying to

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