21 years later
"Oh really, Hannah. You actually have the nerve to deny this."
Jane's voice cut through the hallway like a blade, sharp and cold, nothing like the playful tone she used whenever she needed me for one of her stupid content ideas. She stepped closer, her blue eyes glittering with something ugly.
"Just yesterday," she continued, her lips curling, "I was begging Mom and Dad not to kick you out. I defended you. But now, after what I've seen, I'll tell them everything you did. And this time, they will kick you out for good."
The moment those words left her mouth, my legs gave out beneath me.
I dropped to my knees without thinking. The marble floor was cold, biting through the thin fabric of my dress, but I barely felt it. All I could hear was my own heartbeat pounding wildly in my ears. Jane's pranks never went this far. Never. She liked humiliating me, using me, embarrassing me for laughs online, but this… this was different. This was dangerous.
I knew her temper, but I had never seen this look on her face before. Hard. Final.
Maybe if I begged her. Even if I didn't do anything wrong. Maybe if I begged enough, she would stop.
"I didn't do anything," I cried, my voice cracking as I pressed my palms together, rubbing them frantically in front of her. "I swear I wasn't the one who stole your money. You're misunderstanding me. You're not listening. Please don't call them. Please don't call Mom and Dad."
Mom and Dad.
The words tasted strange in my mouth. I only ever used them around visitors, around strangers who needed to believe we were a normal family. Legally, they were my parents. On paper. In reality, they were my bosses. My judges. My jailers.
Still on my knees, I leaned forward, desperation burning my chest. I knew exactly what would happen if they heard this accusation. The last time I was blamed for something I didn't do, I went three days without food. Three days of scrubbing floors while my stomach twisted in pain.
Jane didn't even blink.
The twenty three year old blonde girl turned away from me as if I were nothing more than dirt on her shoe and stormed down the hallway. Her heels clicked sharply against the tiles as she raised her voice.
"Mom. Daddy. Where are you? You need to hear this."
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
This is it.
I looked around wildly, my mind racing for some impossible escape, some miracle that would swallow me whole and erase this moment. But there was none. There never was.
Footsteps thundered from the first floor, fast and angry. The sound echoed through the house as Mr and Mrs Ragnar appeared, rushing toward us. Mr Ragnar came first, tall and imposing, his face already twisted in irritation. Mrs Ragnar followed closely behind him, silent, her sharp eyes fixed on me with pure contempt.
"What is all this noise about, my child?" Mr Ragnar asked as he approached, his gaze dropping to where I knelt on the floor and then shifting to Jane.
Mrs Ragnar said nothing. She simply stood behind him, her lips pressed into a thin line, looking at me as if I were something rotten.
"Why is she on her knees?" my adopted father asked, his voice firm.
Jane didn't hesitate.
"Mom, Dad, I just saw Hannah's nude picture on Beta Desmond's phone," she said smoothly. "And that's not all. She stole from me. I went to the bank to confirm the debit alert I got. Fifty thousand dollars. It was sent straight to her account."
The words hit me like a slap.
"What?" Mr Ragnar turned to me sharply. "Hannah, is that true?"
"No," I rushed out, shaking my head violently. "It's not true. My phone camera is terrible. You yourself said phones aren't allowed when I'm working, so when would I even have time to take pictures? I'm always working. And how would I send money from her account when I don't even know her password or her details? This is a lie."
Jane scoffed and turned toward me, one hand pressed dramatically to her chest, the other resting on her slim waist.
"Who knows what you do at night?" she said sweetly. "Because no one approaches her, she got jealous. She wanted to steal my man, my beta, and my money."
"This isn't true," I cried. "You are lying."
I didn't even get to finish.
"Shut up."
Mrs Ragnar's voice was cold and loud enough to make me flinch. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowed.
"I've been noticing the way you act so seductively whenever the beta is around," she added, her tone dripping with disgust.
My chest tightened painfully.
"Is there proof that she sent the money?" Mr Ragnar asked Jane.
Jane immediately pulled out her phone and held it up.
"You know how long I've been saving that money," she said, fake tears shining in her eyes. "It was for when Desmond and I finally get married. And now look at this. She stole it. She wanted to start a new life with what doesn't belong to her."
Mrs Ragnar bent slightly, towering over her husband, and spoke close to his face.
"Honey, why are you even asking?" she said softly. "That is exactly the kind of thing she would do. Especially after realizing she doesn't have a scent and no one wants to mate with her. She got jealous and decided to seduce our daughter's mate and steal her money."
She turned and caressed Jane's face lovingly.
"If you think I'm lying," Jane added, "check her phone and her account. I traced it. It's her account."
Mr Ragnar's eyes burned into me.
"Hannah, go and get your phone. Let's see who's telling the truth."
My hands were shaking as I stood up and walked to where I had kept my phone. Every step felt heavy. I brought it back, switched it on right in front of them, and opened my Cash App.
And there it was.
Fifty thousand dollars.
My vision blurred. My eyes widened in horror as my heart slammed so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest. I hadn't touched this phone in days. How was this possible? How was the money there?
"I told you I wasn't lying," Jane said triumphantly, standing tall like a queen, her hand still on her waist, a half smile playing on her lips.
Tears spilled down my cheeks as I shook my head.
"I didn't send this money," I cried. "I didn't do this."
Mrs Ragnar immediately stepped forward, placing herself protectively in front of her daughter.
"Jane, baby, don't worry," she cooed. "You don't need to explain anything. You said you have a date with the beta, right? Go to him. I'll handle this. You know mummy always fixes everything."
She kissed Jane's forehead tenderly.
"Take my card," she added. "Go get that new bag you wanted. The latest one they just released. And make sure you look sexier. Mummy's got this."
Jane took the card and turned to leave.
"Is she just going to leave?" I asked shakily. "Like she didn't just accuse me of stealing?"
"Accuse who?" Mrs Ragnar snapped. "Didn't she just prove that you stole her money? What is she supposed to do here? Fan you?"
She turned to Jane. "Go, my dear. Don't mind her."
Jane looked me up and down as I knelt there, her lips curling into a smirk. She said nothing else. Then she walked away.
Mrs Ragnar turned back to me, her face hardening instantly.
"You are a thief," she spat. "You are ungrateful. We got you out of the orphanage. We adopted you. We gave you a roof over your head, and this is how you repay us?"
Something inside me snapped.
I didn't know how it happened, but I found the courage to stand up. For the first time in my life, I faced them head on. I knew there was no escape anyway.
"Adopted me?" I challenged, my voice shaking but loud. "Thief? Do you even know what that word means? You bought me from the orphanage to be your maid. I clean after you every day. And what do I get? Punishment. Accusations. Sleeping on an empty stomach. No matter what I say, you never believe me. You just look for excuses to hurt me. You believe her because she's your blood. And you call that adoption?"
"What did you just say?" Mr Ragnar asked darkly, his hand moving toward the rim of his belt.
"I said your wife bought my freedom," I continued, my chest heaving. "You were supposed to be my foster family, but I became your servant. You never listen when I'm accused. You never give me a chance to speak. You just punish me."
The words poured out, raw and burning.
And for the first time in thirteen years, it felt good to finally speak.