Chapter Eight

The doorbell rang, and I rushed to answer it, my heart pounding like a drum. My breath hitched as I reached for the doorknob. *Kane is here!*

But when I swung the door open, my blood turned to ice. A shiver raced down my spine, and my fists clenched instinctively.

There they stood—my mother and younger sister, Jenna, their smiles wide and unnervingly bright. Their expressions twisted my stomach into knots, and I swallowed hard, fighting the bile rising in my throat. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt this way today.

“Well?” My mother’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and impatient. “Your sister and I traveled all the way from Las Vegas to New York to see you, and you leave us standing on the doorstep like strangers?” Her glare was piercing, her tone dripping with disdain. Jenna snorted beside her, arms crossed, her smirk as smug as ever.

I stepped aside without a word, letting them in. The door clicked shut behind me, and I turned to find my mother surveying my apartment with a look of pure contempt. Her nose wrinkled as if the air itself offended her.

“So this is where you live?” she sneered, her voice laced with mockery. “It’s so… small. And—”

“Why are you here?” I interrupted, my voice cold and flat.

I stared at them, my chest tightening with a familiar ache. Since I’d left home, I’d worked tirelessly to build a life for myself, all while sending money back to them. They never called. Never visited. The only time I heard from them was when they needed something.

My gaze lingered on my mother, the old wounds reopening. She had never looked at me with love, never cared for me the way she did Jenna. My younger sister—spoiled, adored, handed everything I had ever wanted.

I used to beg for her affection, even a shred of it, but she’d always pushed me away. The loneliness had been unbearable, the ache for her warmth a constant shadow. And yet, seeing her here now, after all these years, stirred something dangerous inside me—a flicker of hope.

A stupid, fleeting hope.

“Can’t a mother visit her own daughter?” she snapped, her voice rising. “You’re so ungrateful! I should’ve known better than to expect anything from you.”

Her words cut deep, but I kept my face blank, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Anyway,” Jenna chimed in, her tone dripping with faux sweetness, “Mom and I came to give you this.” She held up a sleek, embossed envelope, her smirk widening. “It’s an invitation to my wedding. Tomorrow.”

*Tomorrow?*

My stomach dropped. Jenna was engaged? And I was only finding out now, a day before the wedding?

My nails dug into my palms, the pain grounding me. There was no point in arguing or screaming. They’d never understand. They never had.

“Oh, and Mom was kind enough to buy you a dress,” Jenna added, her voice syrupy with false generosity. “We couldn’t have you showing up in your usual… *rags*.”

That’s when I noticed the bag in my mother’s hand. My eyes locked onto the bold lettering across the front.

*Louis Vuitton.*

My breath caught. Since when could they afford Louis Vuitton?

I snatched the bag from her so quickly I thought I might’ve dislocated my wrist. Ignoring their indignant glares, I pulled out the dress, my fingers trembling as I searched for the price tag.

$4,500.

“What the hell?” I blurted, my voice rising. “How did you afford this? This is insane!”

Jenna rolled her eyes, her smirk never wavering. “Relax. It’s pocket change for us now.”

“How?” I demanded, my voice shaking. None of this made sense.

My mother stepped forward, her chin lifted in that infuriating way of hers. “Your sister has proven herself to be the daughter I always knew she could be. She’s the secretary to John, the CEO of TS Enterprises—her fiancé. They’re worth millions. Dresses like this?” She waved a hand dismissively. “We could buy ten of them. A hundred. It’s nothing to us now.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I stared at them, my mind reeling. Jenna, a millionaire? Engaged to a CEO? It felt like a cruel joke, one designed to remind me of my place—always second, always less.

The flicker of hope I’d felt earlier sputtered and died, leaving behind a hollow ache.

My mother looked around my small apartment once again, and her eyes lingered on...on

Shit!

My pregnancy kit!

The one I used and was yet to dispose of.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“I wanted to let you know that John's friend, who is a wealthy CEO, has expressed his interest in marrying you. He would like to meet you tomorrow at the wedding ceremony to discuss the marriage plans and get to know each other better” My mom said, reaching for the pregnancy kit on the table.

“What did you say??” I asked, anger bubbling inside of me like a fucking volcano about to erupt as I grabbed her arm before it could reach for the kit.

“I said what I said, Nina.” My mom snatched her arm from my grip and turned to face me, completely forgetting about the existence of the pregnancy kit. And I was thankful for that.

“You’re not serious,” I said, my voice low and trembling. “You’re setting me up with some random man—some *CEO*—without even asking me? Without even *telling* me until now?”

My mother’s lips curled into a thin, condescending smile. “Don’t be dramatic, Nina. This is an opportunity most women would kill for. He’s wealthy, powerful, and he’s willing to take you off our hands. You should be grateful.”

“Grateful?” I choked out, my hands balling into fists once again. “You think I should be *grateful* that you’re trying to sell me off like some kind of transaction?”

Jenna let out a laugh, sharp and mocking. “Oh, come on, Nina. It’s not like you’re exactly drowning in options. Look at this place.” She gestured around my apartment, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “You’re barely scraping by. This could be your chance to finally do something worthwhile with your life.”

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, my chest tightening with a mix of anger and humiliation. They had always treated me like this—like I was nothing like my dreams and choices were irrelevant. But this? This was a new low, even for them.

“I’m not some pawn for you to move around,” I said, my voice shaking. “I don’t care how rich or powerful this guy is. I’m not interested.”

My mother’s eyes narrowed, her patience clearly wearing thin. “You’re being ridiculous. This is for your own good. You’re not getting any younger, and let’s face it, you’re not exactly thriving on your own. This man can give you the life you’ve always wanted.”

“The life *you’ve* always wanted for me, you mean,” I shot back. “Not the life *I* want. There’s a difference.”

Jenna rolled her eyes, clearly bored with the conversation. “Whatever, Nina. You’ll come to the wedding tomorrow, meet him, and stop being so difficult. End of story.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but my mother cut me off. “Enough. We’re done discussing this. You’ll be there, and you’ll be polite. Do you understand?”

Her tone left no room for argument, but I wasn’t about to back down. Not this time.

“No,” I said firmly, crossing my arms. “I won’t be there. I’m not going to Jenna's wedding, and I’m not meeting some stranger you’re trying to pawn me off on. I’m done playing along with your games.”

My mother’s face turned red with anger, and for a moment, I thought she might actually hit me. But instead, she took a step closer, her voice low and venomous.

“You ungrateful little brat. After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? You’ll do as you’re told, or you can forget about ever hearing from us again.”

The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. But instead of feeling the usual sting of rejection, I felt something else—a strange sense of relief.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “If that’s the price of my freedom, then consider this goodbye.”

My mother’s eyes widened in shock, and even Jenna looked momentarily taken aback. But I didn’t wait for their response. I walked to the door, opened it, and gestured for them to leave.

“Get out.”

For a moment, they just stood there, staring at me as if I’d grown a second head. But then my mother straightened her shoulders, her expression hardening.

“You’ll regret this,” she said coldly, grabbing Jenna’s arm and storming out the door.

I didn’t respond. I just shut the door behind them, leaning against it.

My hands trembled as I reached for the pregnancy kit still sitting on the table.