Gentle but Unshakable

For twenty years, I was the daughter my parents adopted.

The day the real heir, the Golden Child, was brought back by my adoptive father's former flame, he pointed to her, draped in designer labels, and declared:

This is the golden phoenix of our family.

Then, he gestured to the woman I'd called Mom for two decades, saying:

"It's thanks to Delilah that our daughter is back. She's like our daughter's second mother. You should be very grateful to her."

"From now on, the three of us will live together. All the family money will go to our true daughter. None for outsiders."

My mother, Eleanor, nodded with a forced smile, then ushered me into the guest room. Later, she personally cooked a lavish feast, a "Full Imperial Banquet," to thank Delilah for her kindness.

But that very night, Mom quietly slipped into my room, clutching two high-speed train tickets.

"Quickly, pack your things. Mom took all the cash from your father's safe. We're leaving this house together."

1.

Just a few hours earlier, my adoptive father, Adam King, had returned with the true heir and his old flame.

At that so-called "reunion dinner," I felt like my world was collapsing.

The true heir, Jasmine King, wearing the latest season's haute couture, sat at the head of the table, picking at the dishes with a look of distaste.

"I suffered so much out there. And I come back to these cheap meals?"

She turned to my mother, Eleanor, her eyes full of contempt.

"Dad said I got lost because you weren't watching me properly? Was that intentional? Afraid I'd get a share of the inheritance?"

At this, Adam shot Eleanor a scathing look, his tone filled with disgust.

"Always just a housewife at home, can't even cook a decent meal. Useless."

He dotingly placed food on Jasmine's plate.

"Just bear with it today. Tomorrow, Dad will hire a Michelin chef for you."

"Don't worry, all the family money is yours. Those irrelevant outsiders won't get a penny."

As he spoke, his gaze sliced through Eleanor and me like a knife.

Seeing this, Delilah, the so-called "old flame," sitting beside Adam, gently poured Eleanor some tea.

"Eleanor, don't take it to heart. Jasmine is just straightforward. From now on, let's be like sisters, serving Adam and Jasmine together. It's a blessing."

This wasn't sisterhood; it was a brazen takeover, a mistress asserting her dominance.

I looked at my mother.

She was wearing faded loungewear, her face etched with that ingratiating smile I detested yet pitied most.

"Delilah is right. I'm not fortunate enough. I'll have to trouble you for more help in the future, sister."

She even looked at me directly.

"Nia, you're grown now. The master bedroom has the best light; let Jasmine have it. You can squeeze into the guest room."

In that moment, my heart felt like it was submerged in ice water.

I remembered when I was first adopted, I wouldn't even lift my head, terrified that one wrong move would get me sent away.

It was Mom who gently held my cold little hand and led me into the room she had personally decorated.

She had whispered to me:

"Nia, don't be scared. This will always be your home, and Mom will always be with you. No one will ever bully you again."

But now, the mother who promised me a home, who said she'd always protect me, was kicking me out.

Twenty years of mother-daughter bond C was it truly so fragile against the ties of blood?

My eyes red, I tried to speak, but Moms gaze cut me off.

Swallowing my anger, I went back to my room to pack.

Looking at the walls covered with murals Mom had painted for me, and the dolls she had picked out, I cried so hard I couldnt breathe. I wouldn't give up.

Through my blurry tears, my gaze inadvertently fell upon the sparkling engagement ring on my ring finger.

Liam Shakman had placed it there himself three years ago when we got engaged.

He had promised, holding me close, "Nia, no matter what, no matter when, I will always be on your side."

Like grasping at a final straw before drowning, I shakily dialed his number.

The call connected. Before I could even speak, his impatient voice came through.

"What do you want?"

"Liam, I'm so upset"

"Upset about what?" Liam scoffed. "Isn't it what's supposed to happen, things returning to their rightful place? Jasmine is the rightful King heiress. You've occupied her spot for twenty years. Are you feeling wronged now?"

In the background, I faintly heard a womans soft giggle.

"Liam, who is it? So annoying."

2.

It was Jasmine's voice.

A chill ran through me, and my phone almost slipped from my grasp.

"Liam, where are you?"

"At the King estate, of course. Jasmine just got back; naturally, I should be here with her. Actually, come down. We need to discuss canceling the engagement. It was always an alliance between the King and Shakman families. Now that the true heiress is back, you, the impostor, are useless."

He hung up.

The next second, my door was unceremoniously pushed open.

The housekeeper stood in the doorway, her eyes glinting with schadenfreude.

"Mr. King wants you downstairs immediately."

No matter how unwilling I was, in this house, Adam's word was law.

I wiped away my tears and descended the stairs.

In the living room, Liam had his arm around Jasmine's waist, their bodies pressed close.

Adam and Delilah watched them, faces full of doting affection.

When I came down, Liam didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Nia King, give me back the ring. It's a limited edition Cartier. You don't deserve to wear it."

Jasmine covered her mouth, giggling. "Oh, Liam, don't be so mean. Even if she's adopted, she did call you brother for a few years. Besides, I still need her to be my personal assistant, carry my bags later."

Liam playfully tapped her nose. "Anything for you. Nia, did you hear that? As long as you know your place, you'll still have a bite to eat. I'll even still consider you like a sister."

The humiliation was blatant, naked.

I looked at Mom, standing in the corner.

She remained meek and submissive, as if none of this concerned her.

In that moment, I completely gave up hope.

I took off the ring, tossed it onto the coffee table, and turned to rush out of this suffocating house.

"Stop right there."

My adoptive father Adam's voice cut through the air, cold and imbued with an undeniable authority.

"Where are you going? I raised you for twenty years, and now you think you can fly off?"

He leisurely wiped his mouth, his eyes looking at me as if I were an ungrateful dog.

"Know your place now. Since you're not the King heiress, don't put on airs. This house doesn't keep freeloaders. You'll handle all the housework from now on. Consider it repayment for these twenty years."

Jasmine covered her mouth, her laugh sharp and piercing. "Did you hear that? Hurry up and get to work! Don't flatter yourself."

Liam watched, his eyes cold, as if enjoying a joke.

I bit my lip hard, rage churning violently in my chest, but I could only swallow it down.

Just as Adam said, everything I had now was from the King family.

Graduation was only a month away. If I didn't comply, given Adam's nature, he'd ensure I didn't even get my college diploma.

Finally, I lowered my head and, under their smug gazes, silently walked towards the kitchen.

I washed dishes for three grueling hours, then knelt and scrubbed every inch of the living room floor.

Just as I finished taking out the trash and turned, I was yanked into the shadows by the wall.

It was Liam, reeking of alcohol.

His eyes were hazy, with a condescending air of benevolence.

"Nia, you're too stubborn."

"We've been together for so many years, and my feelings for you are genuine. But with your current status, I really can't marry you..."

His fingers lightly brushed my cheek, but I turned my head, dodging his touch.

He was unfazed, chuckling softly. "As long as you're obedient, I'll rent you an apartment outside and still take care of you. Besides the title of Mrs. Shakman, I can give you anything."

With that, he leaned in, trying to kiss me.

My stomach churned, and I instinctively slapped him.

Smack!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed loudly in the silent night.

"Liam Shakman, in your dreams!"

I glared at him, seeing his face clearly for the first time, and it struck me as utterly foreign and repulsive.

Liam clutched his face, the tender affection in his eyes instantly twisting into humiliated fury.

"Nia Brooks! Don't you dare be so ungrateful! You're a stray dog now, who's going to protect you?"

He pointed to the brightly lit master bedroom on the second floor of the villa, where Adam and Delilah were celebrating, then gestured to the room that had once belonged to my mother.

"Even the woman you called 'Mom' for twenty years, to please that mistress and her illegitimate daughter and secure her place as Mrs. King, didn't she throw you out like trash?"

His words were like a poisoned dagger, tearing my heart to shreds.

I pushed him away and fled back to the guest room, burying myself in the musty blankets, wishing I could die from the pain.

I don't know how long passed when the door suddenly opened.

It was Mom!

She locked the door and drew the curtains tightly.

The moment she turned around, all traces of her previous humility, obedience, and fawning were gone.

Ignoring my astonished gaze, she pressed two high-speed train tickets and a bank card into my hand.

"Quickly, pack your things. Mom took all the cash from your father's safe. We're leaving this house together."

I was stunned. "Mom, where? Why are we leaving?"

"Silly child." Mom wiped away the lingering tears from my eyes, her voice still gentle, but every word forceful.

"This house is rotten to the core. Are we to stay and be their servants? To watch them degrade you?"

3.

I was completely bewildered, clutching the two thin train tickets as if they were scorching hot irons.

"Mom, you"

Mom was now deftly stuffing a few changes of clothes into an unassuming black travel bag.

Her movements were shockingly quick, showing no trace of the timid, subservient housewife she usually was.

She spoke rapidly as she packed.

"Don't bring any useless junk C no designer bags, no clothes the Kings bought. Take your ID, passport, and your drawing tools. You have five minutes."

My mind was still a jumble. I subconsciously asked.

"But Dad Adam will find out, and what will we do once we're gone?"

"And my diploma"

Mom finally stopped what she was doing and turned to look at me.

Her eyes were startlingly clear, a hint of a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.

"Find out? By the time that old fool sobers up, we'll be halfway across the country."

She walked up to me and patted my shoulder.

"The diploma? Mom already arranged everything. I've spoken to your thesis advisor and department head beforehand. As for later?"

She pulled out a black USB drive from her pocket and dangled it in front of me.

"Nia, do you really think Mom has been his housekeeper for twenty years?"

She slipped the USB drive into my hand, her voice serious.

"Adam's company has long been hollowed out by his cronies. If I hadn't been using my pre-marital assets to plug the holes, he'd have been in jail a hundred times over."

"This USB drive contains all the evidence of his tax evasion, commercial bribery, and the financial records of him transferring assets to Delilah."

My eyes widened. My worldview felt like it was crumbling.

The seemingly meek woman who always bowed to Adam King actually held such devastating power.

"Don't just stare!"

Mom tapped me on the forehead.

"Get moving! Tonight is our last chance."

That tap jolted me awake.

Yes, why should I stay here and suffer humiliation?

Why should I watch Liam and Jasmine flaunt their affection in front of me?

I quickly turned and pulled my old backpack from under the bed.

Five minutes later, we stood at the villa's back gate.

The night was thick and inky black.

The master bedroom on the second floor was brightly lit. I could faintly hear Jasmine's spoiled laughter and Adam's boastful exclamations.

Hearing Jasmine's laughter, I looked at Mom.

"Mom what about Jasmine? She is your biological daughter after all."

Mom's body stiffened imperceptibly. Her gaze drifted to the brightly lit window on the second floor.

After a few seconds of silence, she pulled her gaze back and looked at me.

"I only recognize you as my daughter."

Then, Mom tugged my sleeve, pointing to an unassuming ride-share car parked not far away.

"Let's go."

Before we got in the car, Mom told me to remove my phone's SIM card.

"Throw it away," she said coldly.

I looked at the small card, holding thousands of sweet nothings Liam had sent me over three years, and the contact information for the man I'd called "Dad" for two decades.

With a flick of my wrist.

The card traced an arc, disappearing into the roadside grass.

The car started, and in the dead of night, it carried two "fugitives," silently into the darkness.