I Decided to Escape

By the time I, the long-lost daughter, was brought back to the Sterling estate, my place in the familyor lack thereofwas already carved in stone.
My brother, Marcin, three years my senior, was the designated heir to the Sterling Corporation.
And the impostor, the girl who had stolen my life, was already married to a man of equal stature, living her own fairytale.
And me?
I was the country girl whod barely finished high school, a ghost from a past theyd rather forget, stumbling over my words in their polished world.
My biological parents could only sigh at the sight of me before tucking me away in the old west wing of the mansion. They promised to support me for life, yet they were too stingy to even share a single meal at the same table.
After three months in this gilded cage, I made a decisionI had to escape.
01
Oh, my sweet grandson, come, come! Look what Grandma has for you!
Mom, youre spoiling him.
Hes my precious boy. Isnt spoiling him my job?
The mother and daughter laughed, their playful banter filling the grand living room as they led a little boy of about three inside. It was a scene of domestic bliss that had played out countless times over the past three months.
But none of it had anything to do with me.
I had returned to this house three months ago. My adoptive parents had just passed away when a man who shared a faint resemblance to me found me. He said he was my brother. He told me the family had been searching for me for years, that our parents were desperate to have me home.
Id always known I wasnt my parents biological child. I was curious to see what my real parents were like, to understand why I was lost in the first place.
But when I arrived, I learned that another daughter had long since taken my place, basking in the warmth of their affection: Annelise Sterling.
It was Annelises biological mother who had stolen me from the hospital and abandoned me. By some miracle, someone found me and took me in.
Now, Annelise was a graduate of a top university, the Director of Public Relations at the Sterling Corporation, and married to Julian Kensington, the heir to a family as powerful as our own. They had a son.
And me? I was just a girl from a fishing town who hadn't even finished high school.
My parents took one look at me and sent me to live in the estates forgotten west wing. The constant flurry of activity and celebration at the main house was a world away. My only connection to them was the half-million dollars my brother deposited into my account"pocket money," hed called it.
I stood for a moment under the rose arbor, listening to my mother, Eleanor, ask when Mr. Kensington would be arriving for dinner. Just then, the housekeeper assigned to me came rushing over, grabbing my arm and pulling me back toward my solitary wing.
Honestly, Miss Stella, don't you know your place? Why are you loitering in the main courtyard? You can't possibly understand what the madam and Lady Annelise are discussing. Why embarrass yourself? Don't tell me you still dream of replacing her and marrying Mr. Kensington? You should take a good, long look in the mirror and see if you even come close!
The Sterlings and the Kensingtons had an old family arrangement, a promise made before either child was born. If Annelise's mother hadn't thrown me away, the one marrying Julian Kensington should have been me.
Id actually met him once during these three months. I was looking for a stray kitten Id been feeding when I accidentally stepped in front of his car. My so-called mother, Eleanor, had rushed out, yanking me aside with a look of pure mortification.
What are you doing making a scene out here? I told you, it was that womans fault you were taken! Annelise was just a newborn baby; you can't blame her! She and Julian grew up together, they have years of history. You can't just wedge yourself in with your high school education. Have some self-respect! The Sterling family won't let you starve, so stop causing trouble!
Three months in, and Annelise was still the only Sterling daughter. I was just the girl in the west wing, so unfamiliar with their state-of-the-art kitchen that I had to rely on the housekeepers whims for every meal.
As dusk painted the sky, I looked at her face, contorted with a vicious sort of glee, and a slow, genuine laugh escaped my lips.
She dragged me back to my rooms and darted into the kitchen, tossing a final warning over her shoulder. You wait right here! Youre not a child anymore. You should be trying to get on the good side of the young madam and Lady Annelise. Maybe theyll set you up with a widower or something. If they kick you out, who will you go crying to then?
She sounded more entitled than the actual daughter of the house.
I didn't wait for her. I turned and walked out of the west wing.
In truth, I only came here to see what my biological parents looked like. Just now, I was only thinking of saying a quiet goodbye.
If this was how it was, then so be it.
02
I walked out with only three things: my ID, the bank card, and my phone.
I followed the long, paved driveway until I was beyond the Sterling estate's imposing gates. A taxi was already waiting.
I had arrived on the Sterlings private jet. For my departure, I chose the cheapest ticket on a slow, rocking train.
After buying a sleeper ticket, I picked up some takeouta warm roast chicken, some fresh bread, and a box of pastriesand boarded. The train chugged along at its own leisurely pace. I ate, drank, and watched the world go by. A week later, I was back in the small seaside town where Id grown up.
I shared the supplies Id shipped ahead with my neighbors, then went to the marina to look at boats.
The people here have been fishermen for generations. Just over three months ago, my parents were lost at sea during a sudden squall while trying to rescue another boat. Their own vessel was badly damaged, no longer seaworthy. I never thought Id own a boat of my own again, but fate had a strange sense of humor. Now I had half a million dollars.
With two hundred thousand, I bought a boat that had only ever existed in my wildest dreams. I took her out on the water immediately.
The salty wind whipped through my hair, and the feeling of being suffocated by that grand mansion finally began to fade. My parents had taught me everything: how to helm a boat, how to read the winds, how to find the fish. I didn't need modern gadgets; I could find a school just by instinct, by the feel of the wind and the currents.
As the drag on the nets grew heavier, a smile spread across my face.
This was my life.
As for the future
I hauled in the nets, sold the catch at the docks, and went back to town to pay off the rest of the boat. By the time I got home, the sky was dark.
I lit three sticks of incense for my parents and cleaned the small house. Mrs. Gable from next door came over with a hot meal, her face etched with worry. My mom once told me it was Mrs. Gable who found me by the shore, nearly frozen to death, and brought me to them.
Were they cruel to you, dear? But I thought they were your real family.
I shook my head, a small smile on my face. It seems blood isnt thicker than water. Besides, she really is exceptional. Annelise, I mean. Top university, sharp and capable.
Mrs. Gable sighed. But youre a young woman all alone. How long can you manage out on the sea by yourself?
I walked her home, then went to see the town mayor.
Most of the fishermen here sell their catch to a large processing plant, which then distributes it across the country. But the plant pays pennies on the dollar. In recent years, more and more young people had left for the cities, leaving only the elderly and children to struggle on.
I pitched an idea to the mayor. I was willing to use some of the remaining money to buy equipment and set up our own direct-to-consumer livestreaming channel. We could increase our profits by at least thirty percent.
The mayor was overjoyed. He immediately gathered a group of sharp, nimble-fingered women from the town to set up a temporary processing station at the docks, where they would sort, ice, and pack orders. For our hosts, we chose young people who had worked in the cities, the ones with clear voices and a knack for storytelling.
I started my own channel too, but mine was different. I took my viewers out to sea, showing them how to find fish, identify seafood, read the tides, chase the wind, and even survive an emergency fall overboard.
Life alone was a little lonely, but it was also freeing. I could go home when I wanted, or just drift on the waves if I didn't. Being alone meant I could venture into more remote waters and catch more valuable seafood.
03
One afternoon, I fell asleep on the deck. I was drifting in that space between dream and reality when my other phone, the one the Sterlings had given me, suddenly rang.
The moment I answered, my brother Marcins voice, cold and tight with fury, shot through the line.
Stella, are you done with this childish tantrum? How old are you, still playing these running-away games? You think this makes you interesting? Get your ass back here right now! Grandfather wants to see you!
It took me a groggy moment to remember the Sterling family had a patriarch, an old man who had been recuperating overseas. So, he was back and wanted to meet me. Thats the only reason theyd even noticed I was gone.
Give him my best. Im busy with work. Im not coming back.
Work? His voice jumped an octave. Youre a high school dropout. What kind of work could you possibly have? Waiting tables? Working on an assembly line? Arent you ashamed?
Im giving you one day, Stella. Get back here immediately! Apologize to Mom and Dad, and then stay put in the west wing where you belong. We have enough money to feed you, so stop embarrassing me out in the world!
I lay back, feeling the breeze on my face, my sailors instincts already kicking in. I shouted an order to adjust the boat's course, then realized Marcin had finally stopped his tirade. Are you done?
You
I wasnt asking for your opinion. I was informing you. Im not coming back. And you dont have to worry about me embarrassing your family. After all, your name is Sterling. Mine is Morgan. Oh, and thanks for the half-million dollars and the three months of hospitality. From now on, you dont need to concern yourselves with my life.
04
After splashing some water on my face, I remembered my livestream was still on.
The chat had exploded. The viewer count was soaring.
Everyone was asking which Sterling family I was talking about, what my connection to them was.
The Sterlings thought I was an uneducated embarrassment. I wanted nothing more to do with them, so I ignored the questions. After waterproofing my gear, I dove into the ocean, taking my audience on an underwater tour to see a world more beautiful than any starry sky.
But it wasn't long before my channel was shut down due to complaints.
I started a new account. It got banned too.
I had to head back to town to get a new SIM card, but as I approached the village, the atmosphere felt off.
A line of black sedans was parked at the pier. When he saw me, Marcin stepped out of the lead car, his face a thundercloud. A moment later, the rear door opened, and my mother, Eleanor, emerged, her expression pinched with distaste.
Stella, how long are you going to keep this up? Her voice dripped with undisguised disappointment. Are you doing this on purpose? Staying in this backwater town just to make us the laughingstock of our entire social circle?
Annelise appeared from behind her, a supportive hand on her arm. Her face mirrored Eleanors disgust, but her words were laced with a pained, sorrowful tone.
Stella, I know. What my birth mother and I did we wronged you. But what good does this do you? Putting yourself on display like this the sea is so dangerous, so difficult. Youre breaking Mom and Dads hearts. I know youre angry, but to me, they are my only parents. If if you dont like me, if you cant stand the sight of me, Ill stay away. I can meet them and Marcin somewhere else, would that be better?
Little Jack, Mrs. Gables grandson, ran up and hugged my leg, trying to pull me toward his house for dinner. I scooped him up and lifted him over my head, spinning him around until he squealed with laughter.
Stella! Marcin roared, his patience gone.
I sighed, then walked a few steps closer with Jack in my arms, and looked Marcin straight in the eye. Do you remember what I told you before I agreed to go back with you?
Marcin frowned. Clearly, my words had never meant anything to him.
I said, I would go and see.
Ive seen it. Now Ive left. Whats the problem?
We dont like each other. Why force it?
You Where do you get the nerve? he sputtered.
Right here, isnt it? I retorted, pointing to my head.
As if on cue, little Jack reached out and patted Marcins cheek. Its right here, he said in his tiny voice.
I turned my gaze to Eleanor. The family wont let me starve, right? When did I ever need you to feed me? If you truly missed me, if you felt guilty, if you loved me, wouldnt you have thought of me all the time? I lived there for three months. When, in all that time, did you ever once think of me as anything other than an embarrassment? Its true, Im not educated, Im not refined. But when I was dying, it was my adoptive parents who fed me, who taught me to read and to be a decent person! Dont think that just because you contributed some DNA, you get to dictate my life.
As for Annelise, I shot her a glance and laughed.
Do you have any idea what I was like when I was found? A newborn baby, floating alone in the sea, with nothing. Do you know what could have happened? Drowning is the obvious one. Or hypothermia from the cold water, leading to heart failure and organ shutdown. Or maybe the shock of the temperature change could have caused a laryngeal spasm, suffocating me. Or I could have been torn apart by the currents, or eaten by marine life. Youre the one who benefited from all of this. Don't play the victim with me. Do you really think Im stupid enough to not tell a real apology from a fake one?
Marcin erupted. Stella, you watch your mouth!
Eleanor was trembling with rage. You Youre being completely unreasonable! She gestured to the black-suited bodyguards who had emerged from the cars. Bring her back!
Two men lunged forward. They snatched Jack from my arms, tossing him onto the ground, and started forcing me toward the car. I was small and thin, completely powerless against them.
Hey! What are you doing?!
A young man from the village, Mike, came running over, holding a selfie stick with his phone attached. He grabbed me, trying to pull me back. His livestream was on.
Eleanor was furious. Im taking my own daughter home! This is none of your business!
Mike shoved the camera right in her face. Say that again!
She gritted her teeth and fell silent, her face a mask of hatred.
I let out a dry laugh. So disgusted with me? Then lets just say that half-million dollars was the price to sever our ties for good.
I scooped up Jack, grabbed Mikes arm, and walked away without looking back.

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