Chapter 1

The moment I sent my “backup request,” my younger brother, Theodore Sedgewick, lunged forward and ripped my phone out of my hand.

The screen was still open on the “Jernigan Family Backup Hotline” group chat.

Two messages popped up instantly.

Nat: Don’t you worry, sweetie. I’m full throttle right now. Your dad and I are on our way!

Hank: Who dares lay a hand on my daughter? The Sedgewick family, right? I’ll make them pay for this!

Theodore let out a derisive laugh when he saw their flashy punk-style profile pictures.

Then, with clear sarcasm, he read the two brazen messages aloud in front of my biological parents, Arnold and Eleanor Sedgewick.

The fake daughter, Jenna Sedgewick, doubled over laughing. She wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes away, her voice dripping with disdain.

“This is hilarious, Willa. You really think those two street-thug parents of yours can take on the Sedgewick family? You’re biting off more than you can chew.”

I froze.

Had they truly not bothered to look into my background before bringing me back? My adoptive parents might have a flashy punk-style look, but they were anything but street thugs.

Beside us, Eleanor’s face darkened. The look she gave me was filled with undisguised contempt.

She took a step forward and spoke with a firm, uncompromising tone.

“A daughter of the Sedgewick family cannot be associated with a couple of lowlife street thugs. If word got out, we’d become the laughingstock of the city. Our family’s reputation would be ruined. Willa, now that you’ve returned to the Sedgewick family, you have to cut ties with all those shady people.”

With that, she shot Theodore a look, signaling him to hand the phone back to me.

“Delete all your adoptive parents’ contact information and sever all ties with them right now. This is your first test as a Sedgewick.”

I swallowed my anger and reached for my phone, intending to take it and leave. However, before my fingers could even close around it, Jenna snatched it away.

She turned to Eleanor with an exaggerated pout.

“Mom, look at Willa. She’s had that sour look on her face the whole time. She clearly doesn’t want to delete their contacts. She doesn’t respect you at all. Since she won’t do it herself, I’ll be the good big sister and help her out. It’ll keep those lowlifes from latching onto our family in the future.”

I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of these people.

The so-called prestigious Sedgewick family meant absolutely nothing to me.

If anyone wanted to be their biological daughter, they were welcome to it.

I, Willa Jernigan, did not want any part of it.