Se connecterAt my mom's 50th birthday party, the host suddenly invites my adoptive sister, Megan Fraser, and me onstage to take part in a "Who Knows Mom Best?" quiz. All the relatives assume it is a special segment my mom has arranged to officially introduce me to everyone as her biological daughter. The first question is about my mom's favorite flower. I write down "lily", the flower she always keeps in her study. Megan, on the other hand, holds up her board and says, "White camellia. Mom said it was the first flower Dad ever gave her." My mom nods and says, "Megan remembers it better than anyone." The second question asks what my mom takes for her stomach problems. I write down the medication her doctor prescribed. Megan writes down the soup my brother, Josh Fraser, makes. "Kathy, you've been back for three years, and you didn't even know Mom hates taking medicine?" Josh mocks. After that, Megan correctly answers questions about my mom's usual size, the opera she listens to when she can't sleep, and her favorite perfume. One by one, the lights beside me—symbols of our supposed bond—go out. The last question is who my mom wants to give the family heirloom brooch to. Megan doesn't write a word. Instead, she slips her arm through my mom's and says, "Mom would never let me lose." As laughter fills the room, my mom personally lights the final light for Megan. Then she looks at me and says, "Just because you're my flesh and blood doesn't mean you truly know me. We'll talk about acknowledging you as my daughter another time." I walk straight off the stage and send my lawyer, Peter Richmond, a message. "Proceed as planned. I'm leaving tonight."
Voir plusAfter leaving the island, life for the Frasers went downhill.Once I withdrew my company's support, Josh's overseas projects fell apart. One financial problem after another began to surface.To cover the losses, he was forced to sell off part of the family assets. He was drowning, barely keeping his head above water.The relatives who used to fawn over them quickly changed their attitude and distanced themselves from the Frasers.My mom's health continued to decline. Her chronic stomach problems kept flaring up, and years of insomnia worsened her migraines.Although Megan had been forced to move out of Fraser Manor, Josh was too tied up with the company's problems to care for my mom. He had no choice but to let Megan move back in to look after her.But Megan, who had been pampered her whole life, didn't have the slightest clue how to take care of anyone."Mom, the soup is a little burnt. Just have some anyway. I burned my hand making it and even got a blister.""Mom, if you don
My mom and Josh didn't leave the island. They checked into a hotel near the research center.Over the next few days, I learned from Amy that the Frasers had released an official statement online. They admitted that the birthday game was rigged and apologized to me.Josh even pulled strings to have the videos of me losing the game taken down from the internet.As for Megan, I heard that she had been asked to move out of Fraser Manor, and all her credit cards had been canceled.They tried to make amends, hoping these actions would prove that they had truly changed. But none of it changed my mind.When I left work on Friday, I saw Megan standing at the entrance of the research center.She no longer looked like the polished woman she used to be. She was dressed plainly, with dark circles under her eyes."Kathy," she called out, her voice hoarse.I looked at her without saying anything."I admit it. I helped set the questions beforehand," Megan said, biting her lip. "I was the one
At a research center on a southern island, the air always carried the salty scent of the sea and the musty smell of old paper.Wearing a lab coat and gloves, I carefully cleaned a piece of century-old fabric with a pair of tweezers.A month had passed since my mom's birthday party.I had changed my phone number, cut off all contact with the Frasers, and devoted myself entirely to the art restoration work I loved.The old letters had been carefully preserved in a climate-controlled cabinet. The white camellia, too, belonged to the past now."Ms. Stroud, someone is here to see you." My assistant, Amy Henderson, hurried in, looking awkward. "They said they're your family."I kept working without looking up."I don't know them. Have security escort them out," I replied."But…" Amy said hesitantly. "The woman said if you won't see her, she'll wait outside until you do."I put down my tweezers and removed my gloves. When I walked out of the lab, I saw my mom and Josh standing in the
Josh opened the email. The attachment contained the complete chat history and revision records.The questions for the game had been finalized a week in advance.Megan's assistant had gone through the answers one by one, even highlighting the ones most likely to win over the relatives.As for my mom's reply, there was only one short sentence."Go with Megan's version. Leave the last question blank. I'll unveil that one myself."Josh stared at the screen, blood draining from his face.He had always thought that the birthday game was just a way to liven things up, and that I lost because I had never truly fit into the family.But now, the evidence was right in front of him. Only then did he realize that my mom and Megan had worked together to keep me from being recognized as a Fraser.At dawn, my mom finally woke up.Josh stood by the bed with the printed emails in his hand."Mom, why did you do this?" he demanded, tossing the papers onto the bed, his voice filled with anger. "D












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