All Chapters of Orphaned by Greed: I Testified Against My Mom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I huddled beside a dumpster, clutching Dad's urn to my chest as I stared at the giant outdoor screen across the street. It was playing a birthday tribute Mom had paid for—an entire day's exclusive use of the city's central tower and every billboard surrounding it. The price tag? 100 thousand dollars. On the screen, Ethan Carter and his son, Henry Carter, stood shoulder to shoulder, flashing peace signs at the camera like a happy father and son. Beneath the photo read, "To our big man and little man—may you always be happy."A cold breeze cut through the air. I wrapped my coat tighter around Dad's urn and shivered. "They're so handsome. I can't tell who's the father and who's the son," someone said. "He's a huge celebrity. No doubt he takes care of himself," another replied. "They say Ms. Kelly adores Ethan. Do you think he's the secret husband she's been hiding?" someone asked."Wouldn't surprise me. She's always spoiling them. If they weren't family, why would she show t

"Sally?" I froze at the sight of my class president, Sally Lambert.Everyone at school had been saying I had a crush on her. Worried that I'd make her uncomfortable, I kept my feelings to myself. Yet of all times, she found me at my lowest. She wrapped her scarf around my neck, then slipped the bread and 200 dollars into my hand. "Don't eat that. It's dirty." With that, she turned and walked toward the Ferrari waiting nearby, its driver already holding the door open. I snapped out of my daze and hurried after her. "T-Thank you! I'll pay you back!" She stopped, glanced over her shoulder, and smiled. "How are you going to pay me back when you're in this situation?" I had no answer. She simply waved and got into the car. That night, I spent 15 dollars on a meal and used the remainder to find Dad a place to rest. Before long, I found a part-time tutoring job. The woman who hired me was kind. After learning about Dad's death, she paid me a month's wages in advance so

"So not only has he been pretending to be someone he's not, but he stole Henry's watch and even attacked him?"My eyes burned with fury. "Who's pretending? Henry was never part of this family! Ah!" One of Henry's friends punched me square in the face. "You've got some nerve! Ms. Kelly gave you a roof over your head, and Henry's always looked out for you. Instead of being grateful, you're making up lies about him?" Accusations came from every direction. Standing at the edge of the crowd, Sally frowned almost imperceptibly, looking at me with contempt. Mom looked at me. "Adrian, return the watch."I tightened my grip. "I won't… I'll never give away my father's keepsake to an illegitimate child!" "Enough!" The sports captain drove his fist into my face, knocking me to the floor. "I don't usually hit people, but you're asking for it!"Henry's done nothing but care about you, and this is how you repay that? You're the illegitimate child! Your father was the homewrecker!"

Samantha paused. "But Adrian, you can't go through life without a father. What do you think of Ethan?" The words caught in my throat. I turned to her in disbelief. Keeping her eyes on the road, Samantha continued, "You need a father while growing up. Ethan and Henry are both kind and responsible. I've decided to marry him." My chest tightened. "Ms. Kelly, we're no longer connected in any way. But as an outsider, don't you think remarrying so soon after your husband's death is disrespectful?" "I'm doing this for your own good." "You're not my mother anymore!" Anger flared in my chest."You—" She frowned, her jaw tightening. After a moment, she let out a sigh. "Forget it. You're too emotional right now. We'll talk about this after your college entrance exams." I said nothing. The rest of the drive passed in silence. When the car stopped in front of the villa, the butler rushed out in a panic. "Ms. Kelly! Mr. Carter... he..."Samantha's face was drained of color. "Wh

"It was my late father who protected you, who helped you rebuild your life. Since when did Ethan become the one who did all that?""Why is he ruining the mood?" Someone turned toward me and frowned. "Wait… doesn't he look familiar?""Hold on! Aren't you an illegitimate son? You actually had the nerve to show up?" In an instant, every eye turned toward me.Sally stepped in front of me. "I'm sorry. This is just a misunderstanding." "It's not."I gently pushed her aside. "But you got one thing wrong. The illegitimate son is the one standing beside the groom.""What a joke! Ms. Kelly already revealed the truth, and you're still denying it? Security! Throw him out!” Several guards immediately headed toward me. But before they could reach me, someone suddenly shouted, "Wait... what's this? Did they play the wrong video?" On the giant screen, the wedding slideshow that was supposed to showcase Ethan and Samantha's love story suddenly changed. The man standing beside Samanth