From Cellblock to Chaebol: I Took the Fall, Then Took It All.Chapter 3

"Oh my god, honey! It actually worked! They believed you!"

The door hadn't even clicked shut before Brenda started shrieking. Her hands shook so violently the five-million-dollar check made a frantic, fluttering sound in her grip. "Five million! Five million dollars for absolutely nothing!"

"Mom, listen to me," Riley said, dropping the timid-girl act immediately. Her voice was sharp, commanding. "He thinks I'm Wren. You need to get her out of here. Now. Give her some cash and her college acceptance letter. Tell her to leave town today."

"Why?" Brenda asked, distracted by the zeroes.

"Because we can't have loose ends!" Riley hissed. "Once she's gone, you take this money and buy a luxury condo across the city. Cut your phone line. Even if she comes back, she won't be able to find you."

They were standing less than ten feet away from me, loudly conspiring how to erase my existence.

I couldn't help it; a dark, quiet joy bloomed in my chest. Walking away from this nightmare was going to be so much easier than I thought.

"But... she is your sister," Brenda murmured, the check lowering slightly. For a fraction of a second, I thought a dormant, maternal instinct had finally flickered to life.

Then she sighed. "If she leaves, who’s going to do all the chores around here?"

And there it was. The drop from heaven to hell. For half a breath, I thought I was a daughter. I was just losing an unpaid maid. It was liberating, honestly, to let the last shred of hope I had for her love finally die.

"Mom, you have five million dollars! You can hire a live-in housekeeper!" Riley argued, exasperated. "Don't forget, the billionaire wanted her!"

Seeing Brenda waver, I decided to give them the final push.

"Wait," I said, stepping forward, my voice trembling with fake indignation. "Were those men looking for me? I'm the real granddaughter? How could you lie to him, Riley? He's dying! He just wants to see his real family! I'm going to go find him!"

I bolted toward the front door. Riley lunged, grabbing a fistful of my shirt. I was chronically malnourished and built like a bird; she easily yanked me backward.

Her face darkened, a vicious sneer twisting her features. "You take one step out that door, and I'll break your legs. I am the heiress now. You are never, ever stealing my luxury life again."

Together, Brenda and Riley shoved me down the short hallway and threw me into my bedroom, locking the door from the outside.

To sell the performance, I pounded on the cheap wood. "Let me out! Please! You can't do this!"

"Give it up!" Riley yelled through the door. "Get out of this city and don't ever let me see your face again! If you try to ruin this for me, I'll make sure the Kensington family destroys you!"

Her footsteps retreated. Once I was sure they were gone, my hands dropped from the wood. I slid down the door until I hit the floor, my tense muscles finally going slack.

My shirt was plastered to my back with cold sweat.

Riley thought she had stolen a golden ticket. She had only seen the paparazzi photos from my past life—the designer clothes, the galas, the pristine smile. She had no idea what was happening behind the velvet ropes.

A dying billionaire searching for a lost granddaughter. It was the greatest lie ever told.

A dark, bitter smile stretched across my face. Fortunately, someone else was going to take the fall for me this time. I just hoped Riley enjoyed her "luxury life" when she finally realized what it actually cost.