From Miner to MansionChapter 1
When my biological parents found me, I had just crawled out of the coal mine in West Virginia.
I was covered in coal dust, filthy and disheveled.
I could tell they looked at me with disgust.
Richard Grant, my biological father, even said, “Hire another car for him — don’t let him dirty the family car.”
Elizabeth Grant, my biological mother, forced a caring tone through her disdain: “Child, you’ve been through so much these years. Go home and wash up, and Mom will take good care of you.”
Then they climbed into the car and left.
With them was their adopted daughter, Sophia Grant. She glanced at me, then at her pink Maserati, sighed, and said, “Get in my car.”
“There’s a shower at the mine. I can wash and change before I get in.”
I answered listlessly and went to wash.
After I changed, I got into Sophia’s Maserati and went to my parents’ house.
Back at the Grant house, I didn’t see my biological parents right away. Instead I saw someone around my age — Liam Grant, the family’s false heir, the one who had been switched with me at birth.
Liam stepped forward smiling, grabbed my hand and said, “I guess I should call you my brother, right? Don’t worry — I won’t do that whole real-or-fake heir nonsense. From now on we’re real brothers. Let’s get along!”
As he spoke, he shoved a small kitchen knife into my hand and pulled me toward him as if to make me stab him.
On our first meeting he put a fruit knife in my hand and dragged me toward him. Was this some twisted Grant family welcome ritual?
I’m lazy but strong; I didn’t let him succeed.
He pulled hard but couldn’t move me, then blinked at me with a strangely clear look in his eyes.
He tried to pull again.
I pointed at the phone hanging from my chest and, sparing words, said: “Documenting life.”
Liam was startled and immediately let go of my hand.
Just then Sophia, who had parked the car, came in. Seeing the knife in my hand and Liam’s frightened face, her expression turned odd.
I couldn’t be bothered to explain, so I casually placed the knife back into Liam’s hand.
“Sis, you’re back!” Liam said.
“I told Mrs. Johnson to prepare oatmeal with blueberries for you. I’ll go get it.”
His face was full of ingratiating smiles.
“Not hungry.”
Sophia shook her head, then turned to me and asked, “Ethan Walker, are you hungry?”
“Too lazy to eat.”