The Daughter They Threw Away Came Back Wearing His Ring Chapter 04

The Daughter They Threw Away Came Back Wearing His Ring Chapter 04

To avoid being abandoned and to stop Gina from targeting me, I stood in front of my parents and ripped up my admission letter from the gifted high school.

Then I enrolled at the lowest-ranked high school Gina had been accepted to and went back to being her caretaker.

To keep up with Gina’s treatments, my parents became busier and busier with work.

Most of the housework fell to me.

Laundry.

Mopping.

Groceries.

Cooking everyone’s meals according to their preferences.

Their hostility toward me slowly eased through the endless repetition of those chores.

Once in a while, they praised me for being sensible.

But every time they did, they checked Gina’s face immediately afterward.

Three years passed.

Gina became more composed and no longer made a scene every time my parents gave me a casual compliment.

Because of her illness, we went to take a family portrait every year on her birthday.

After everything that had happened, I never asked to go again.

Gina could not hold back.

One day, while our parents were out, she crossed her arms and looked down at me.

“What game are you playing?”

“I don’t believe you actually want to be my servant forever.”

“You want to stay here until you’re grown so Mom and Dad realize I’m useless and you’re the only one they can rely on. Is that it?”

I paused.

I said nothing.

I only reminded her to take her medication.

Gina laughed in anger.

“I will never let you win, Addison.”

“Mom and Dad have always been mine. Your existence is worth about as much as my dog.”

The strange thing was, after that outburst, my parents treated me even better.

My father started asking about my grades on his own.

My mother even did something unheard of and bought me a few new clothes.

For so many years, even my underwear had been Gina’s hand-me-downs.

When I changed into the new outfit, my mother brushed my hair and studied me.

“Addison is a young lady now.”

I sat there, stiff with awe, trying to force my body to relax beneath her hand.

Her gaze dropped to my right leg.

“It’s just a shame about your leg.”

I jumped up at once.

“I put a lift in every right shoe. As long as I walk slowly, no one can tell I limp.”

My voice turned urgent.

“I never embarrass you or Dad.”

She froze for a second.

Then she gave me a small smile.

“Tomorrow is your eighteenth birthday. Let’s take a family portrait. All of us together.”

My eyes instantly burned.

After eighteen years, my parents were finally accepting me as part of the family.

I was so excited I did not sleep all night.

In the middle of the night, I heard them arguing in their bedroom, but I could not make out the words.

The next morning, I put on my new clothes early.

My hands trembled from excitement.

At the studio, my mother kept starting to speak and stopping herself.

My father simply pushed me into a side room.

Inside, a strange man looked me over from head to toe.

“She’s eighteen?”

From the hallway, my father called in a bright voice, “She turned eighteen today. The paperwork can wait. We just need the pregnancy first.”

The photographer tilted his head toward the red backdrop.

“Bride, stand in front of the curtain and look at the camera.”

The truth hit me all at once.

My parents had used the family portrait as bait.

They had tricked me here to sell me to a man from an illegal surrogacy ring so Gina could get cord blood from my baby.

I lunged for the door and yanked at the handle.

My mother braced herself on the other side.

Her voice came low and pleading.

“Addison, I’m begging you.”

“Cord blood is Gina’s last chance at a full recovery. I can’t have another baby. You’re the only hope left.”

“Help Gina one last time. Help this family one last time.”

“Once we have the cord blood, you will be completely free. You won’t owe her anything anymore. You can go to college. You can do whatever you want.”

My throat felt scraped raw.

“Mom, I just want you to love me.”

“I’m your daughter too.”

“Please don’t do this to me.”

She fell silent.

The man grabbed me and dragged me away.

I struggled, kicked, scratched, and bit with everything I had.

It was no use.

When it became clear there would be no photo, he hauled me straight out to his van.

My mother hesitated and took half a step forward.

My father stopped her.

“Don’t forget why you had her in the first place.”

In the end, she clenched her teeth and helped the man slam the van door.

I stopped struggling.

Through the glass, I looked straight at her.

She could not bring herself to meet my eyes.

When the van reached the bridge, I wrenched the door open and threw myself into the churning river below without hesitation.

Wind roared past my ears.

In the distance, I thought I heard a heartbroken scream.

“Addison!”

…

“What are you thinking about? You look so serious.”

Spencer pushed open the studio door and wrapped me in his arms like he had done it a thousand times.

I came back to myself and smiled.

“Just remembering my childhood.”

“If you hate seeing them, don’t force yourself. I can cancel the dinner.”

I laced my fingers through his.

“No. After all these years, it’s time to close the book.”

“Besides, I have you with me now.”

At the private room door, I took a long breath.

Spencer’s fingers tightened around mine.

His thumb stroked my knuckles in a slow, steady rhythm.

The waiter opened the door.

The moment my parents saw Spencer, they hurried over with their wineglasses and eager smiles.

Gina snapped her lipstick shut and switched on her polished socialite smile.

Spencer spoke first, his voice calm.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

He lifted our joined hands slightly.

“This is my fiancée, Eleanor Vale.”

The diamond on my finger flashed across their faces.

Their expressions froze in disbelief.

Gina shrieked, “Addison?”