Chapter 3

It had been Cedric who grabbed me.

"Sadie, have you lost your mind?" He looked furious. "You could have died doing that."

"Why would you not let me die?" I asked.

"Because... because..." His expression turned strange, as though he wanted to say something but could not bring himself to.

"Because life is precious, and looking out for each other is basic human decency."

I stared at him blankly. He pulled out a black card and held it toward me.

"The PIN is my birthday. No spending limit. Go wild. Once you have had a taste of what money can buy, I guarantee you will not want to die anymore."

He might have had a point. Dying did not sound as appealing anymore.

Once he saw that I had calmed down, Cedric finally left. Allegra walked right back in.

The girl felt like a bad rash that refused to go away.

I quickly shoved the black card under my pillow.

She caught the movement and scoffed. "Pathetic. I have had cards like that for years. Even the housekeeper who does the grocery shopping has one. Only someone as clueless as you would treat it like a treasure."

She insulted me again. It never stopped.

Allegra paced toward me slowly, then grabbed my chin. Her teeth looked clenched. "That face of yours really does look like an Ainsworth. I know they beat you all those years. Shame they did not finish the job."

She paused, then curled her lips into a vicious smile.

"Mom and Dad are throwing you a welcome banquet next weekend. Are you excited? Here is a little spoiler. I have a surprise planned just for you. I promise you will not forget that day for as long as you live."

She planned to sabotage me at the banquet, and I had no idea how to fight back. I gave up thinking about it and decided to eat well and wait for whatever came.

Over the next few days, all I did was spend money. I started to look noticeably healthier because of it.

The week flew by, and before I knew it, the day of the banquet arrived. I wore a custom-fitted couture gown with a starry night design. My parents walked me around on their arms and introduced me to prominent guests from every circle.

Then Allegra stepped onto the center of the stage and drew everyone’s attention.

"Thank you all for coming to my sister’s welcome banquet today. My sister spent 20 years lost out in the world, and she suffered greatly. To help her feel the warmth of family, I prepared a special surprise for her."

The moment she finished, a commotion broke out near the entrance.

My foster parents strutted in with their precious son in tow. The second my foster mother, Brenda Firth, spotted me, she rushed over, grabbed my hand, and started wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Sadie, you have gone and become a rich heiress, and you did not even bother telling us. Your dad, your brother, and I all thought that thug Dustin Corley ran off with you again.

"You cannot keep letting him trick you into his bed. God knows how many women he has been with. Stay with someone like that, and you will catch something sooner or later."

The room went silent.

To prove she told the truth, Brenda pulled out her phone and showed everyone a photo of me being held tight by a scrawny blond guy. She paraded the phone around and shoved it in every guest’s face.

"Look at him. That is the little punk right there. He took advantage of her body and her feelings."

Brenda’s face twisted with frustrated disappointment. "We told her so many times, and she would not listen. We thought she ran off with that thug again. Turns out she found her rich parents and decided she did not need us anymore."

Allegra had done her homework. I figured I might as well die right there and liven up the party for everyone.