The Senator’s Daughter Is Now the CEO They Need Chapter 01

The Senator’s Daughter Is Now the CEO They Need Chapter 01

I was the only biological daughter of the Davis family, the product of a surrogacy agreement, but they’d already thrown me out twice.

The third time they brought me home, I finally understood.

At dinner, the family’s adopted daughter, Olivia, put on her usual performance, accusing me of trying to steal her spotlight.

Everyone believed her. My father’s expression turned to ice as he warned me not to cause trouble for the family.

This time, I didn’t lose my temper the way I always had before. I just stood there and watched them flock to Olivia’s side. I watched them say she was the one who acted like the real daughter of the family.

In that moment, something inside me broke for good.

From now on, I would stop expecting them to love me.

I would take what was mine.

The tuition for law school. They owed me that.

The share of the family trust that belonged to me. I would get that, too.

Everything they owed me, I would take back, piece by piece.

They had always treated me as a legal obligation they were forced to fulfill.

Fine.

I would show them how a future lawyer handles an obligation.

…

After dinner, everyone convened in the living room, where my father, Senator Robert Davis, held court.

The bright lights cast ugly shadows on every face in the room.

I stood in the center of the Persian rug like a defendant awaiting sentencing.

“What, exactly, were you trying to accomplish tonight, Chloe?” my father asked, his voice tight with anger. “Did you have to embarrass Olivia in front of all our guests?”

I didn’t look at him. I looked at Olivia, who was curled into my mother’s arms, her eyes artfully red. She’d calibrated her performance perfectly.

“No.” I lifted my head and met my father’s gaze. “I just wanted you to see me.”

They all froze.

I didn’t give them a chance to speak before I continued.

“Yes, I wanted you to see me. Because apparently, that’s the only way any of you remember that I have to save my own money just to afford a dress for one of your dinner parties.”

The living room fell silent.

My mother, Catherine, looked stricken, but it was Julian, standing beside her, who spoke first.

“What are you talking about?” Julian stared at me. “The trust has an annual wardrobe allowance for you. What, are you playing the victim now?”

He was always like this.

Always the stickler for rules. Always casting me as the liar.

I turned to look at him, my expression one of genuine confusion.

“I didn’t know that existed,” I said. “Because I’ve never once successfully applied for it. Why don’t you walk me through the process?”

Julian’s face flushed. He clearly hadn’t expected that answer.

“What is that tone?” he said in a low voice. “You’re attacking your own family. You think I can’t cut off your credit card this very second?”

I ignored him, my eyes fixed on my father.

He had been my last hope.

But Senator Davis merely frowned. Then he looked away, as if he couldn’t be bothered to get involved.

My mother didn’t look at me either. She was gently patting Olivia’s back, murmuring words of comfort.

I let out a short, sharp laugh.

“Fine,” I said flatly. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come tonight. I shouldn’t have ruined everyone’s mood.”

“You—” Julian’s anger flared.

“Enough!” My father finally made a ruling. He pointed upstairs. “Go to your room. Until your law school application results come in, you are forbidden from attending any more social events.”

“Fine,” I said.

I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry.

I had tried both so many times before.

The outcome never changed.

My composure made my mother glance over at me. She looked as if she wanted to say something.

But just then, Olivia let out a soft groan, complaining of a headache.

My mother’s attention snapped back to her instantly.

“Poor thing.” She hugged Olivia close and shot me a passing glare. “This is all Chloe’s fault. She had to make such a scene.”

The math had always been simple.

They liked Olivia, so Olivia could do no wrong.

I was outside that circle.

I stopped looking at them and turned to go upstairs.

I closed the door. Locked it.

Before long, the low murmur of laughter drifted up from downstairs, as if nothing had happened.

That warmth had never been for me.

This time, I didn’t even feel the sting of it.

I had raged. I had been obedient.

It made no difference.

There was no point wasting any more time.

I got up from the bed and walked to my desk.

Instead of grieving over this family, I might as well work through a few more LSAT practice sets.

They could play their happy family game.

I would use their resources to build my own way out.

When the acceptance letter from Yale Law School arrived, they would finally understand exactly who they had ignored.