Not only did their family take the inheritance my parents left me, but they also never spent a dime of it on me. Instead, they treated me like a servant. Even when I went to college, they didn’t give me a cent. I had to rely on student loans and scholarships to get by.
It was only after I became successful that they started treating me better. Now I realize that it wasn’t me they cared about—it was my money. From the beginning, I was just a means to an end for them.
“Your parents left you a property, which your stepmother, Kate, sold out,” the private detector told me, handing me a document. “If you didn’t know about this, you can sue them for embezzling your property.”
I took the document and immediately forwarded it to my lawyer. I already had the upper hand legally, but this new evidence was a game-changer. It wasn’t just about getting back what they took from me—it was about reclaiming the inheritance they stole from my parents. With this proof, I could finally cut all ties with that family for good. They wouldn’t be able to claim me as part of their family or try to take advantage of me ever again.
I handed everything over to my lawyer and had no intention of seeing that family again. I knew exactly what they were like—scoundrels with no knowledge stock of law. They were the kind of people who might do something extreme if given the chance, so for my own safety, I decided to let the lawyer handle everything. The high fee I offered made them more than willing to take on the task.
One day, I got a call from an old friend I used to work with. He was coming for a business banquet and wanted me to join him. Even though I’d sold my company, I still had plenty of connections, and a lot of people in my circle knew me. After being cooped up for so long, I figured it was a good opportunity to get out for a bit, so I agreed.
What I didn’t expect was to run into my sister-in-law, Kate, at the banquet. When she saw me, her face twisted with anger. Their family had just received a court summons a few days ago, so they were probably too busy dealing with the lawsuits to focus on anything else. She looked at me with such hatred, like she wanted to tear me apart.
“Bella, what are you doing here? Didn’t you go bankrupt? What makes you think you belong at a high-end banquet like this?” Kate sneered, pointing at me.