Chapter 3

Jillian sounded surprised. "Wanda? Why are you here? Today's academic conference is strictly invite-only. Did you steal someone's invitation?"

Her voice faded like she was embarrassed just being near me.

Mom looked uncomfortable when she noticed me, but she knew she was in the wrong for keeping me in the dark. "Wanda, don't make a scene. We brought Jilly here for business. Her company needs to secure a patent."

Then she caught sight of Professor Faucher standing behind me, and suddenly, she looked thrilled.

"Professor Faucher, we're very interested in that latest aerospace patent from your university. Any chance Jilly's company could license it?"

Professor Faucher glanced at me. "Wanda invented that patent. You'll need her permission."

Jillian's eyes flashed with pure venom, but she covered it fast, sounding disappointed. "What do we do now? Wanda hates me. There's no way she'll hand that patent over."

The second Dad heard that, his expression went dark. He dragged me aside at the venue and said, "Wanda, switch the inventor on that patent to Jilly now.

"You're her older sister, and you've never given her a decent gift in her life. She needs this patent now. Just give it to her.

"It's wasted on you anyway. You'd never make anything of it."

I almost snorted. What made this any better than robbery?

Without hesitation, I replied, "If she wants it, she can buy it. I'm not handing it over for nothing."

Dad jabbed a finger at me, too furious to form a word.

Mom's face was pure disappointment as she stared at me. "Wanda, we're family. How could you do this to Jilly? You sneaked into this conference just to force us to admit you're our daughter before everyone, didn't you?

"Fine, here's the deal—give Jilly the patent, and we'll give you the acknowledgment you're after."

I couldn't believe they'd sink this low. I smirked. "You really think I want anything to do with this family?"

Before they could say another word, I turned and left. As I stepped out of the venue, I noticed a huge plush bear sitting in a store window. Suddenly, I remembered how I used to love those plush bears when I was a kid, and I'd nagged Dad nonstop to buy me one.

He lifted me up onto his shoulders back then, chuckling as he watched me clutch a plush bear like it was the most amazing thing in the world.

"I'll buy you whatever you want, Wanda. If you love it that much, I'll get you 100 of them and stuff the whole house with them."

Little me had squealed with joy, hugging him and clapping my hands. Right then, I was sure nobody could ever love me the way Dad did, and I thought that would never change.

But after just 18 years of me being gone, everyone who ever cared about me had been snatched up by some adopted daughter. I hated everything about it, but there wasn't a thing I could do.

Jillian was right on my heels when she noticed me eyeing the storefront. She let out a dramatic sigh as she looked at the toys in the window. "Those plush toys are so exquisite. I'd kill to get one like that for my birthday."

The second Dad heard her, he whipped out his phone and called his assistant, Bernard Nealon. "Get everything in the store boxed up and delivered to the house for Jilly."

Jillian faked a little pause, then asked, "Isn't buying out the whole store kind of over the top?"

Dad ran his fingers through her hair. "Not at all. As long as it makes you happy, nothing else counts. Why wait till your birthday? They're yours now."

Jillian lit up right away. "Thanks, Dad!"

Just then, Harvey helped Mom step out from behind me. He shot me an eye roll. "What's with the staring? Did you really think Mr. Swain would get you anything?

"Yeah, keep dreaming. You were never family, and you'll never be Jilly. No one could take her place."

They hopped in their car and peeled out, leaving me alone outside the venue.

The wind bit into me. I tugged my coat closer and waved down a cab home. All my stuff had been thrown outside, dumped across the doorstep like garbage.

The maid looked sorry as she said, "Mr. and Mrs. Swain told me you have to leave and never come back."

I didn't charge in to yell at them. I just packed up quietly, then walked away with my things.

That very night, I got on a plane out of town, heading to a hidden research base run by the National Space Agency.

Just before I left, I texted everyone, "I, Wanda Swain, am officially done with the Swains for good and by choice."

I was about to turn off my phone when a message popped up. It was Jillian.

"Wanda, Mom and Dad know you're leaving. They want to talk to you."