Chapter 3

After the party, Mom took me upstairs to my old bedroom. She opened the door and eagerly watched for my reaction. "Well? What do you think?"

The walls had been painted pink again. Dolls covered the bed, and the desk was stocked with school supplies better suited to a teenager. The closet was filled with dozens of dresses, all in the sizes I'd worn before I turned 18.

Mom seemed to think that bringing my old bedroom back would somehow bring back the daughter she'd known four years ago.

She picked up a white stuffed bunny and tucked it into my arms. "Remember this?You used to refuse to sleep without one of these."

I stroked its soft, brand-new fur. "What happened to my old one?"

Mom looked momentarily confused. "Oh, that? It was getting pretty worn out, so I threw it away years ago."

I nodded.

My college education, my career, the illness I'd never gotten treated… Apparently, those were no different from an old stuffed animal to her. As long as she could buy me something new, she saw no reason to care about what I'd lost.

Mom sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a stack of bank cards.

"We saved every penny you sent Cedric over the years. We never touched any of it. And with your reward for passing the test, you've got 1.2 million dollars."

She pressed the cards into my hand with a warm smile. "You can buy yourself a car, go study abroad—whatever you want. It's your money."

I stared at the cards.

Four years ago, I didn't need 1.2 million dollars.

I needed Mom to come home, even just once, when the creditors were pounding on our door. I needed Cedric to pick up the phone and call for help when I was on my knees, barely able to breathe through the pain in my chest.

More than anything, I needed someone to tell me I didn't have to work myself to death just to prove I wasn't an ungrateful daughter.

But while I was struggling to survive, my family had been sitting back, waiting to see whether I'd pass their little test.

A knock interrupted us, and Dad came in with a document.

"Celine, there's something I need you to sign."

It was a nondisclosure agreement, forbidding me from telling anyone about the test. Apparently, the truth getting out would be bad for the company's reputation and the Vossmere family name.

Mom gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. "Your father has to protect the family, sweetheart. We only staged the accident and those debts to teach you a lesson, but people wouldn't understand that. You know how quickly rumors spread."

Dad held out a pen. "You've passed the test, Celine. Surely you've learned by now that family comes first."

My eyes settled on the word "voluntary", and I was suddenly 18 again.

Back then, I'd torn up my college acceptance letter and taken a job at the cold storage warehouse. When I signed my employment contract, the manager asked whether I was doing this voluntarily.

I told him I was.

After all, Mom had always taught me that when someone had done so much for you, you didn't get to put your own future ahead of theirs.

Now, four years later, my hand shook so badly I could barely sign my name.

Dad took the agreement back, looking satisfied. Mom pulled me into a hug.

"There's my good girl."

A sudden stab of pain tore through my chest. I pushed her away and staggered into the bathroom, barely making it to the sink before coughing up a mouthful of blood. It splattered against the spotless white porcelain.

Mom knocked on the door. "Celine? Honey, are you feeling all right?"

I looked up at the mirror. My face was deathly pale.

For the first time, I almost told her everything.

"Mom, the doctor actually told me—"

Suddenly, Cedric called from downstairs. "Mom! Come down for the photos! The photographer's ready for our family portrait!"

Mom hesitated. "Just freshen up a little, okay? It's our first day back together as a family. We shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

With that, she hurried downstairs.

I stayed there, gripping the edge of the sink, unable to move for a long time. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to finish what I'd been trying to tell her.

The doctor had told me my heart was failing. I didn't have much time left. But after four years, Mom had finally acknowledged me as her daughter again. I couldn't bear to let her down on our very first day back together.