All Chapters of The Daughter They Loved Too Late: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When the System found me, I'd just gotten out of jail.I'd spent two weeks locked up, and winter had arrived while I was inside. The bitter wind cut through my trench coat, so I pulled it around me tighter.Hunching my shoulders against the cold, I quietly asked the System, "Are you sure? As long as this body dies, you'll be able to take me to another world?"The System confirmed that it could.I glanced at the nearby lake and started toward it when someone suddenly draped a coat over my shoulders.I turned around, only to find myself face-to-face with the last person I wanted to see.My older brother, Jake Morgan—the same brother who'd had me thrown in jail just two weeks ago.All because a painting belonging to his precious adopted sister, Olivia Morgan, had been found torn to pieces in my room. It was supposed to be her entry for an art competition.I'd tried everything to explain that I hadn't touched it. I'd practically screamed myself hoarse, but no matter what I said, no

By the time the crowd around the lake thinned, I could finally get to my feet. I carefully tested the ankle I'd twisted in the fall, but I'd barely taken two steps when an ice-cold hand grabbed my arm."Emma, what the hell are you trying to do?"I ignored Jake and glanced around, still trying to figure out how I could leave this world for good.The lake was clearly out of the question. Someone would just come and drag me out again, and I might end up getting them killed in the process. The nearby buildings weren't tall enough either, and banging my head against a wall probably wouldn't work."Emma! I'm talking to you!"My silence only made Jake angrier."What the hell do you want from us?" He snapped. "Did you think jumping into that lake would scare us? Listen to me, Emma. Threatening to kill yourself won't get you anywhere! If you think we're going to give you whatever you want just because you pulled a stunt like that, think again!"His shouting made my ears ring, but I alm

By the time I collapsed onto the floor, Olivia was still standing there with the knife in her hand.She was too stunned to move.My blood splattered across her face, and she stared down at me in horror, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost.For a moment, the entire room fell silent.Maria's scream eventually shattered the silence, and everyone seemed to snap out of their shock at once.I lay on the floor, feeling the warmth of my blood spreading beneath me as my vision slowly began to blur.Strangely enough, I wasn't afraid.After everything I'd been through, I felt nothing but relief.I smiled to myself, thinking it was almost over.I barely had time to enjoy that thought when a cold hand pressed against my neck. Someone was trying desperately to stop the bleeding, pressing down so hard that I could barely breathe. Their hands trembled against my skin as blood continued to seep through their fingers.I struggled to focus my fading vision, wondering who was so determ

I'd always known I could never compete with Olivia for my biological parents' love. Looking back, I think I understood that from the very first day we met.I still remembered coming home from the scrapyard that afternoon with a filthy sack of recyclables slung over my shoulder.As I approached our rundown street, I noticed a sleek luxury car parked near the entrance. It looked completely out of place among the shabby buildings, and the people standing beside it looked just as out of place.They were all dressed in expensive clothes and seemed to be talking with the nosiest woman in our neighborhood. I wasn't especially interested in their conversation, but as I approached, she spotted me and immediately pointed me out."That's her! That's Emma Porter!" she announced. "I'm telling you, that girl's a real piece of work. Always scheming, that one."Everyone turned to look at me, and I suddenly became painfully aware of the dirt under my fingernails and the sour stench of garbage clin

Jake must have told everyone what I'd said to him, because Jude showed up at my hospital room that very evening. It was the first time he'd come to see me in ages, and judging by the large bloodstains on his clothes, he'd probably come straight from Olivia's side.He stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Then, without even asking how I was doing, he said, "I know Olivia made mistakes, but she almost died this time. Isn't that enough? Hasn't she paid the price for it all?"I didn't bother answering. I simply grabbed the first thing I could reach on my bedside table and hurled it at him. When he didn't move, I grabbed something else and threw that, too.Jude didn't try to dodge or protect himself. He just stood there while I threw one thing after another until nothing was left within reach.…By then, blood was dripping from his nose. He slowly raised a hand to wipe it away, stared at the red smear on his palm, then looked bac