Chapter 1 - The Ultimate Betrayal
The first thing I saw when I pulled into my driveway was my sister’s husband unloading baby furniture onto my porch.
A massive white crib gleamed under the afternoon sun.
Stacks of pink storage bins blocked my front door.
Heavy cardboard boxes labeled with the word nursery were piled high against my expensive cedar siding.
I slammed my brakes so hard my hot coffee spilled completely all over my lap.
I ignored the burning pain and threw my car door open.
I demanded to know what on earth was happening on my property.
My pregnant sister, Vanessa, waddled out of my lake house carrying a familiar ring of silver keys.
They were my spare keys.
She smiled brightly like she had already signed the deed and owned the place.
She told me that our mother said I would completely understand the situation.
I stared at her with absolute disbelief and asked what I was supposed to understand.
Before she could answer, my mother walked out behind her holding one of my framed family photos.
She looked at the picture in disgust, acting like she was already planning to redecorate my home.
My mother snapped at me to stop being so dramatic in front of the neighbors.
She boldly claimed that my sister needed this house much more than I did.
I laughed out loud because I genuinely thought this was a ridiculous, elaborate prank.
I asked them if they were seriously trying to move into my house without permission.
My mother crossed her arms and glared at me with pure judgment.
She stated that I was single, while Vanessa was about to have a precious baby.
She pointed out that this property had plenty of space, a big yard, and a beautiful lake.
I raised my voice and firmly reminded them that it was my house.
My dad finally stepped outside carrying one of my antique kitchen chairs.
He muttered that while I legally owned it, family always helps family in times of need.
I felt something deep inside my chest completely crack and shatter.
For ten gruelling years, I had worked sixty-hour weeks as a ruthless real estate attorney to buy this exact lakefront home.
I sacrificed a decade of my life, taking zero vacations and having absolutely no dating life.
Meanwhile, Vanessa had quit every single job she ever had simply because she did not like dealing with stress.
Now, my parents wanted to casually hand her my entire life on a silver platter.
I whispered that they did not even have the common decency to ask me first.
My mother rolled her eyes and said they did not ask because they knew I would be entirely too difficult about it.
Vanessa dramatically touched her swollen stomach and complained that she could not possibly raise a baby in a tiny, cramped apartment.
I looked at the mountain of nursery boxes stacked across my porch.
They had already made their final decision without me.
That night, I sat completely alone on my wooden dock staring at the dark water while my family laughed and ate dinner inside my house.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to a very specific, dangerous number I had sworn never to call.
I dialed the number and waited as it rang three times.
A deep, terrifying voice answered the phone, asking what I wanted.
I told Victor that I had a pristine lakefront property I wanted to sell to him for cash immediately.
May you like
Victor chuckled darkly and asked if I was absolutely certain about this transaction.
He warned me that if he bought this house, my father was going to be a dead man.
