Todos los capítulos de A Lifetime of Lies: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 8

I didn't leave.I searched for the earliest flight home, desperate to escape this country where I'd come all this way just to humiliate myself.But there were no suitable flights, which meant I'd have to stay here another day.I found a corner and curled into a tight ball.When I was little, whenever other kids called me a motherless child, I'd curl up in a corner just like this, as if making myself small enough could keep me from hearing their words or feeling their fists.Another hour passed.Then a woman suddenly emerged from the exit.I glanced at her, looked away, then turned back for another look.She wore an expensive-looking coat and carried a handbag whose brand I couldn't identify. Her hair fell in big, carefully styled curls, and she had the polished air of a high-powered executive.A teenage girl walked beside her, clinging to her arm and whining sweetly, "Mom, I'm hungry."The woman smiled and stroked her head. "I've booked us a Michelin-starred restaurant for yo

I remembered the last thing my mom had said to me that day."I've remarried. My husband's a fund manager on Wall Street. Our daughter is smart and sweet, the apple of our whole family's eye."I checked the summit's attendee list, and sure enough, I saw my mom's name and Sofia's. They were attending with Graham O'Neill.I looked him up. He was around forty, held the same position as I did, and wasn't even as accomplished as me.For the past five years, I'd slept no more than five hours a night.I'd memorized every bit of professional knowledge so thoroughly that no matter which page my boss opened, I could recite its contents word for word.I knew every client's likes and dislikes. They all spoke highly of me, and some had even promised that wherever I went, their money would follow.I supposed that was why, at just twenty-three, I was able to stand among these people.On the third day of the summit, a business gala was held at Larkspur University. I learned Sophia is also study

I straightened my back and looked her in the eye."Tell me, what possible reason could keep you from coming home to see your daughter for more than a decade? What possible reason could make you keep pretending to be a good mother who scrimped and saved every penny?"You bought Sofia a piano and an expensive car, but you sent me the things she didn't want."You went with Sofia to summer camp, but you couldn't even be bothered to call me when I was taking my college entrance exams."Where were you when I cried? Where were you when I had a fever? Where were you when people bullied me? Where were you when I got my college acceptance letter?"You weren't there. You were never there. Because I'm not your daughter. I'm just the one you threw away."I thought I'd forgotten it all. But the moment I saw her in person, I realized how clearly I remembered everything—every incident, every heartbreak, and every time I'd cried myself awake calling for my mom. It was as if an invisible diary h

Time flew by. Three years later, I founded my own investment firm.The people I'd once looked up to were now my peers. That included Graham, my mom's husband.I ran into him again at an industry gathering.A beautiful blonde with blue eyes stood beside him and greeted me, "Sue, long time no see."As my reputation in the industry grew, more and more people began paying attention to the markets I worked in. Before long, keeping up with my work and investment strategies had become a favorite pastime among finance professionals."Long time no see." I raised my champagne glass in greeting from across the room.Something seemed to occur to him, and he hurried over to me."Sue, I had no idea your childhood was so..." He struggled to find the right word before finally managing, "Miserable."I shrugged and let him continue."You have to understand that where we're from, abandoning a child can land you in prison. And that's especially true when the child grows up to be an investment man