"If you're still worried," my father said coldly, his voice sharp enough to cut steel, "then I'll make it official right now. I hereby expel Selena from the family. From this moment on, I no longer have a daughter like her bringing shame to my name. Victor, what do you think?"
Victor didn't answer immediately. He looked at me, locking eyes with an expression that revealed nothing. Not guilt. No doubt. Just... silence.
My father caught that hesitation, and like the seasoned manipulator he was, jumped right in to apply pressure.
"Victor, you're the successor I've chosen," he said, calm and calculated, like he was stating the terms of a contract. "I have no sons. One day, Stone Corporation will be yours. Don't disappoint me."
Victor paused a moment too long before finally looking away. He reached over and took Nadine's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You're right, Uncle," he said.
And just like that, Nadine and Marilyn both lit up with matching smiles—smug, polished, and delighted. Their entire performance had gone exactly as they planned.
So, that's what this dinner was for. Not forgiveness. No closure. Definitely not reconciliation.
It was a meticulously planned public execution—a spectacle.
They aimed to strip me in front of everyone, take away whatever dignity I had left, and leave me with nothing. Not a name. Not a future. Not even a seat at the table.
Not the Stones' daughter. Not the Blackwell bride. Just a castoff no one claimed.
I didn't say a word, then turned and walked away.
Victor came after me, catching up in a few strides. He grabbed my hand and pressed something small into my palm.
"Selena, this client is really important," Victor whispered, his voice low and rushed. "Once the deal's signed, I'll explain everything to your dad and the others. Just hang in there a little longer, okay?"
Before I could say anything or slap him, he was already walking back to Nadine's side. The applause started up again as he slipped a diamond ring onto her finger. Big, flashy, and about as subtle as a billboard.
I looked down at what he gave me.
Earrings.
Cheap, dull, fake diamond studs. The kind you'd typically find in a dollar store bin, alongside knockoff body spray and plastic scrunchies.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
He forgot one basic thing.
I don't even have pierced ears.
…
That night, a scream ripped through the air and yanked me out of sleep.
The bedroom door slammed open, loud enough to rattle the windows. Victor stormed in, grabbed me by the wrist, and dragged me right out of bed.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I snapped, trying to break free, but he wasn't listening. He yanked me down the hall like I weighed nothing and shoved me straight into Nadine's bedroom.
"Selena!" he shouted, voice full of fury. "I already explained everything to you. Why are you still being so damn unreasonable?!"
I barely had time to catch my breath before he pointed to the bed like it was a crime scene.
"What?" Victor added. "Just because I didn't acknowledge you in public today, you had to take it out on her? If you're mad at me, fine! Come at me! But why the hell would you hide nails in Nadine's bed?!"
The pink bedsheets had been peeled back, revealing a mattress covered in rows of nails. Dozens of them. Long, sharp, gleaming in the low light, reminiscent of something out of a horror movie.
Nadine sat on the edge, wrapped in a blanket, her shoulders trembling like a frightened rabbit. She hugged it to her chest and sobbed with every breath.
"Selena, I know you're upset about the video," she whimpered, "but I really did it for your own good, and about the engagement, Dad made that decision. I'm his daughter. I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. Why would you hurt me like this? Is it because I can't see?"
Victor stepped in close, grabbed me by the collar, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "I really thought you'd changed, but you've only gotten more vicious."
"I didn't do it," I replied, calm and collected. "You're welcome to investigate."
"Enough!" Victor barked. "You really think Nadine would lie? That she'd hammer nails into her own bed? She's not like you. She's not manipulative!"
His tone shifted, settling into something heavy and final.
"I made a promise to take care of Nadine for the rest of my life. That means I have to keep her safe. You pulled this stunt, and you're going to pay for it. Selena! Either you kneel and apologize to her right now, or you roll across that bed of nails. Do that, and I'll let tonight go."
I stared at him, trying to understand how far gone he truly was, and then I laughed. Not bitter. Not fake. Just amused. Genuinely, darkly amused.
"And what if I refuse?"
I turned to walk away.
But his following words made my blood run cold. "Then I suppose you don't want your mother's ashes anymore?"
That son of a bitch.
Just like before.
Back then, he and my father used her ashes as leverage to send me abroad. It was the only reason I left and agreed to vanish, and now they were pulling the same trick again.
My fists clenched tightly, nails digging into my palms. I could feel the rage coil around my spine, slow and suffocating.
My voice trembled, but it wasn't out of fear, only anger.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "I'll roll."
…
Ten minutes later, I crawled off that bed, my skin torn open and soaked in blood.
The nails had cut deep. Every part of me throbbed as if I'd been skinned alive. My body shook so badly I could hardly stand.
Victor stepped forward, appearing truly shaken. He extended his hand as if he was about to help me.
He let out a quiet sigh. "Selena, why do you have to be so damn stubborn? A simple apology would've been enough…"
"Are you in pain?" he asked. "Let me take you to the hospital—"
I shoved him away with my last bit of strength.
My voice came out hoarse, but steady. “Now,” I said, “can I have my mother’s ashes back?”
Victor gave a short nod toward the butler.
A few minutes later, the butler rushed back, panic evident on his face. He was clutching the urn with trembling hands.
“Sir,” he stammered, his voice shaking, “the urn is still here, but… the ashes are gone.”
“What?!”
Both Victor and I froze.
My stomach twisted as I stared at the urn, my breath catching.
Nadine gasped as if she were in a soap opera and dramatically covered her mouth, her eyes wide with fake innocence. She blinked a few times, acting like the confused little angel.
“Oh… are you talking about that round container I found in the storage room?” she asked, tilting her head as if she was trying to remember. “I thought it was just trash, so I had someone flush it down the toilet…”
My vision blurred red.
“Nadine—! I’ll kill you!”
Before Victor could even react, I was already lunging at her.
But I didn’t make it.
A brutal kick slammed into my chest, knocking the air right out of me. I hit the ground hard, the impact jolting through my bones.
Victor stepped in front of Nadine, his body a human shield, his face dark and unreadable.
“Selena,” he said, voice low and cold, “you’ve left me no choice.”
His words sliced like glass.
“Nadine didn’t do it on purpose. Your mother is already dead. What’s left is just some useless ash. Is that really worth attacking her over?”
He looked down at me, disappointment evident in his tone as if he were scolding a child.
“You’ve already hurt her once. I won’t let it happen again. Clearly, you’ve learned nothing. You’ll be sent overseas for another three years.”
