Chapter 8
Soon as I got in the taxi, my phone rang. Dad
I picked up to his furious voice:[]
“Clairel
ass!”
You back
backstabbing bitch! How much did Sterling pay you? Give us that money to save your sister! Or I’m suing your
I laughed coldly:
“Sue me for what? For not helping you commit crimes? Dad, Sterling knows the truth. He knows exactly who did what. Taking the fall wouldn’t even work.”
You–r
Dad was so mad he couldn’t speak. Mom grabbed the phone, crying:
“Claire, please! I’m begging you! I gave birth to you, raised you–save your sister! If she goes to prison, our family’s ruined!”
“Gave birth to me? Raised me?“]
cold.]]
My voice went ice cold.
“You raised me just so I could take the blame for Emma when you needed it? Five hundred grand buys out our whole relationship. We’re even after this. Money’s coming–remember your promise.”
I hung up and blocked all their numbers.[]
Over the next few days, Mom and Dad wouldn’t give up. They posted this long–ass rant online.
Crying about how ungrateful I was, how I wouldn’t save family.
Said I sold out my own sister for money, helping outsiders destroy her. They dug up all that old dirt from when I was a kid–stuff they’d pinned on me–trying to get people to pressure me.
But they totally underestimated Sterling’s power.]
Within hours, all their posts got wiped.]]
Instead, evidence of their perjury and cover–ups for Emma got leaked, plus the whole truth about the theft.]
The internet flipped instantly. Everyone was calling Mom and Dad the real monsters.
Two daughters, both their own blood, and they played favorites this hard.
Mom and Dad became total pariahs. Couldn’t go anywhere without people pointing and whispering.
That whole neighborhood shitshow made them the local laughingstock.]
They couldn’t live there anymore, had to sell the house and rent some dump.
They tried suing me but kept losing.
Plus got slapped with a huge fine for slandering Sterling. Completely wiped out.[]
When they had nowhere left to turn, they went to visit Emma in prison, only to find out she was dead.[]
Word was Emma had gone crazy in jail, kept saying people were trying to steal her baby.]
They found her dead in her cell with her belly sliced open. The fetus was gone.]
Nobody knew who did it.
But I had a pretty good idea it was Sterling’s revenge.]]
The same day Emma’s death hit the news, the Sterling family held a press conference.]
Sterling took Sophia’s hand and announced sweetly:
“Sophia and I had successful IVF. She’s pregnant with our child.“]
At the conference, Sophia was glowing, and Sterling looked at her like she was everything.
Under the camera lights, they were the perfect couple, soaking up congratulations from everyone.]]
After the conference ended, Mom and Dad completely lost it. They rushed the stage trying to stab Sophia in the stomach with a knife.
Sterling’s security caught them instantly and turned the blade on them instead.
As they were dying. Mom and Dad kept screaming that Sterling would get what’s coming, that karma would bite him in the ass.
But Sterling just looked down at them with zero emotion.[]
Like they were bugs he’d stepped on–not worth a second thought.]
After they died. I got my five hundred grand back
I packed up and moved to a different city.[]
Standing on my balcony, watching all the city lights spread out below, I finally breathed easy.
All the shit from my past life was settled.
This time. I’m living for myself.
Om
