For Her, He Destroyed Me

I told Charlie my biggest secret—I was the long-lost daughter of the powerful Moore family in Dreslane.

He swore he'd help me reunite with them.

But the night before I met them, the Moore family made a grand declaration—they'd already found their missing daughter. A ceremony was set.

I rushed there, heart pounding, only to see Charlie standing beside his childhood friend, Raine. She was being introduced as the Moore heiress. And somehow, she had the exact same birthmark as me.

Before I could do anything, Charlie locked me in a restroom.

"It's just a name," he said. "You still have me. So why does this matter? Raine's parents died saving me—she never had a real family. For my sake, can't you just let her have this?"

Then, to erase any doubt, to make sure Raine could live as me without fear—Charlie took a knife and carved the birthmark off my body.

The shock. The pain. I lost my three-month-old unborn baby that night.

And as I lay there, blood soaking through my clothes, I finally gave up.

"Why?"

I stared at Charlie Jaudon. Guilt flickered across his face, but he didn't look the least bit sorry.

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day I reunited with my real parents.

But the girl standing on that stage today—the one they were calling their daughter—was Raine Toth.

My head spun.

Why were my parents recognizing her instead of me?

Why did she have the exact same butterfly-shaped birthmark as mine?

Charlie took a step forward and pulled me into his arms, holding me gently.

"Madelyn, does it really matter? It's just an identity."

I stared at him like he was a complete stranger.

He knew what this meant to me. He knew the hell I grew up in. My adoptive parents never let me forget I wasn't theirs. They'd punish me for the smallest mistakes—forcing me to kneel outside in the snow, barely clothed. When they were in a bad mood, they'd beat me and feed me spoiled leftovers.

And then I saw the announcement.

The Moore family—the most powerful family in Dreslane—was searching for their lost daughter. She had a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her chest. My birthmark. Even the place where she went missing lined up with my past.

I wanted to believe it. But the Moores were untouchable. They were a dream I'd never reach. So I told only Charlie.

He swore if he got in contact with them, he'd take me to meet my real parents.

I trusted him.

But instead of helping me, he handed my life to Raine.

Charlie met my gaze, trying to convince me. "Madelyn, you know Raine lost her parents when she was little. They died saving me.

"She never had a family, but you did. You had your adoptive parents. Why can't you just let her have this?"

I went cold.

Who gave him the right to decide Raine deserved my life more than I did?

And he knew what my adoptive parents were like.

I wasn't going to argue. I just needed to get out of this bathroom, end this farce, and expose Raine for the fraud she was.

Charlie blocked my way, looking pained and conflicted.

"Is being a Moore really that important to you?"

He still thought this was about power.

"It's not about that. They're my parents. Why should Raine get to take my place?"