Chapter 1

Four years slaving away in that hospital basement sorting medical waste. I’d finally scraped together every last cent to cover my brother Leo’s brain damage treatment.

Four years of night shifts, breathing in those chemical fumes that made me want to puke, those dull, throbbing aches that seeped into my bones every single night. I thought I was finally free.

But when I handed Leo the card and told him, “I got the money. We can book the doctor for next week.”

Leo barely glanced at me, all casual like. “Don’t need it.”

“What?”

“I got better ages ago. Don’t need no treatment. Victoria hooked me up with a private doctor.”

He pointed at me. “You were the one driving that night. You were being a brat, picking a fight with David. If Victoria hadn’t taken care of me, I’d still be paralyzed. Sending you down to the basement to pick through trash? We planned that whole thing. It was just to teach you to knock it off and learn to do what you’re told.”

I froze. The card in my hand almost slipped out.

My husband David stepped out of the study. His words hit me like ice picks. “That story about me going bankrupt and losing my board seat? Total lie. It was just to get you to go down to that basement without a fight.”

Leo reached over, snatched the bank card right out of my hand, rolled his eyes, and tossed it onto the coffee table. “That lousy little paycheck of yours? I already blew it on a necklace for Victoria. You really think that chump change was enough to pay for some fancy treatment?”

I went cold all over. My blood ran cold. “Why… why did you lie to me?”

My parents walked out of the kitchen. Mom, Vivian, wiped her hands on her apron, like this was all obvious. “What else? You were always picking on Victoria, weren’t you? We took you in from the orphanage, gave you the best of everything."

 "You never thanked us. You just kept targeting her, going on about how you were the real Hale family heiress. ”

“Do you have any idea how much that hurt Victoria? We needed to teach you to get your head on straight, to know your place.”

“You came at the right time. Victoria’s kidney match results came back. You’re the only one that’s a match. Just sign this organ donor agreement, okay? Consider it atonement.” She slammed the agreement down on the table.

“Atonement?” I laughed, and tears hit the floor. “What the hell am I atoning for? Victoria set me up on purpose that night in the crash!”

“Still lying!” Dad, Richard, stepped forward and slapped me right across the face.

“Victoria’s the sweetest person alive. How could she ever do something like that? You still won’t admit you were wrong? You dare slander her? Looks like four years wasn’t enough to teach you a lesson!”

David pushed a pen across the table, his gaze fixed on the clouds outside the window. “Just sign it.”

He paused, then added, “Eli’s still little. He can’t lose his mom.” His voice was so flat, like he was talking about the weather.

“Eli?” My voice cracked. “Our son? He wasn’t—”

“He’s alive.” David looked away, like he was avoiding something. “He was premature after the crash, but he pulled through. I had Victoria adopt him.”

“Eli’s the heir to this family. How the hell was I gonna let him stay in that basement with you, breathing in toxic fumes? Victoria’s sweet, she’s thoughtful. The kid’s better off with her.”

My head went fuzzy, and all the memories from four years came flooding back.

I woke up after the crash, my body covered in shattered bones. David had red, teary eyes, and he told me the baby didn’t make it.

That Leo had severe brain damage, that it would cost a fortune to save him. That he’d lost his board seat, that my parents were so disappointed in me they refused to help.

I believed him. Every word.

I signed up for the worst, hardest, most dangerous night shift job without a second thought.

The one no one else would take, down in that basement. Every day I sorted through radioactive medical waste. Rashes broke out on my hands over and over.

My bones ached so bad I’d curl up in bed at night, shaking. I gritted my teeth and stuck it out for four years. All to save my brother. All so we could have a good life together after that.

Turns out it was all just a fucking joke.

I tasted blood in my throat. I stared at them, and I said, slow and sharp, “Why didn’t you just keep lying to me until I was dead?”