Kidnapped in Sister’s Place and Emotionally Numbed: The Tragic Twin Cuts All Ties Chapter 10
“Liora, what is this?”
“Exactly what it looks like. I don’t want to be your daughter anymore.”
Mom stepped forward.
“Liora, why does it have to go this far? We’re family. We can work this out.”
“If we made mistakes, we’ll apologize right now, right here. Would that help?”
“We’ll set up the best room for you. And from now on, anything Veyra gets, you get too. No. You’ll get first
pick…”
“Mom.” I stopped her. “I don’t need any of that.”
I brought them into a private anteroom.
I closed the door, pulled off my coat, and turned around.
Scars covered my back from my shoulder blades to my waist. Every size, every shape.
Some from the kidnapping. Some from the car.
All of them still hurt.
“Liora…”
I didn’t turn around to see their faces.
I looked at the document on the table.
“I lost my emotions, not my nerve endings. These scars ache every time it rains.”
“I don’t care that you picked Veyra. I don’t even care that you never loved me. But I’m done getting hurt.”
“I already signed my part. Just sign it.”
Mom broke down.
Dad stared at the pen. He didn’t reach for it.
Evander stepped forward. “Sign it.”
Dad looked at him. “Once she walks out, she’s never coming back.”
“I know.” Evander’s eyes were red. “But we don’t get to keep her. Not after everything”
He set the moonstone pendant on the table in front of me.
“Take it back.”
“I’m sorry. I spent all that time thinking you came back to take what was hers.”
“Turns out this family never gave you anything to begin with.”
I left the pendant on the table.
Dad signed. Mom took longer. She cried through most of it, but she signed too.
Veyra, standing by the door in enforcer cuffs, couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“Without the Rothmere name, you’re nobody. The Calders won’t even look at you.”
I glanced at her. “Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”
“You…” She caught herself and forced a smile. “Fine, Liora. We’ll see how long you last.”
She was already picturing it: the Calders shutting the door in my face the second they found out I wasn’t a
Rothmere anymore.
Mr. Wren handed me the papers.
“That’s my promise to your grandparents kept.”
“Go live your life now, sweetheart.”
Two sheets of paper. They weighed almost nothing. They meant everything.
For the first time, the ground felt solid under my feet.
I wasn’t anyone’s daughter anymore.
I was just me.
