Chapter 1

My adopted daughter, who I raised for eighteen years, found her biological parents.

The very first day she moved into their mansion, she kicked me out.

"You must have stolen me back then. You're so cruel!"

I tried to explain I'd found her abandoned in a dumpster, but she wouldn't believe a word.

Later, when I was dying of late-stage cancer, I called her, just wanting to see her one last time.

But she sneered, "My parents are throwing me a birthday party. If you're going to die, do it far away from me!"

Then she hung up.

The next second, a new post popped up on her SnapChat story.

In the photo, she was beaming, arm wrapped around her biological mother.

The caption read: "Thank you, Mom, for everything all these years. You gave me a second chance at life!"

Just then, a man appeared before me. "Ms. Vance, the orphan you sponsored all those years ago is now worth thirty billion dollars."

"He says, it's time to repay your kindness."

The man had barely finished speaking when my phone rang again. It was my adopted daughter, Cassie.

Her impatient tone from earlier had vanished. "My mom wants to meet you and thank you for raising me all these years."

"Come to the birthday party tonight. I'll text you the address."

"Make sure you dress respectably. Don't embarrass me!"

"Since you're incurable anyway, just sell that old apartment of yours and use the money to buy my mom a pink diamond necklace as a welcome gift."

"Oh, and my mom has exquisite taste. The necklace needs to be at least ten thousand dollars. Don't be so cheap, okay?"

My throat tightened at her words.

Between my retirement savings and supporting Cassie all these years, I'd barely been making ends meet.

Now, all I had left was a few thousand dollars and a small apartment downtown.

I'd planned to give up treatment and leave everything to her, but I never imagined she held me in such contempt.

I sighed, not bothering to reply, and hung up the phone.

Staring at the photo of young Cassie on my screen, I lost myself in thought.

I'd never had children of my own. First, I adopted Cassie, who I found abandoned in a dumpster. Later, I sponsored an orphan named Adrian through college.

I honestly thought I'd done enough good in my life and would enjoy my golden years.

But to my dismay, Cassie had resented me ever since she turned ten.

She was convinced her biological parents were wealthy and that I'd kidnapped her from them for my own old age.

No matter what I said, she wouldn't believe me. She even reported it to the police station.

I spent half a year tirelessly compiling all the legal adoption documents and records of finding her, just to clear my name of child trafficking.

Later, she started running newspaper ads to find her birth parents.

Finally, on her eighteenth birthday, she found her biological mother, Victoria, a millionaire.

She not only unhesitatingly sent me to a nursing home but also immediately changed her name from Cassie Vance to Cassie Hayes.

My heart had shattered more than once, but watching her grow from a babbling toddler, I always loved her.

But then I wondered, did she ever truly see me as her mother?

Just a few days ago, my cancer had spread, and I developed a sudden fever, needing a family member's signature for treatment.

Over the phone, she snapped at the nurse, "She's not my real mom. What does it have to do with me?"

That's when I finally understood. All those years, it had been a one-sided devotion.

"Ms. Vance."

The man's voice jolted me from my thoughts. "Mr. Thorne is coming to Sterling City tonight for business. The address is The Summit Grand Hotel."

"He asked me to pick you up first. He believes he can help with your treatment, if you're open to it..."

I gave a bitter smile. "Alright, I'll go with you."

As I spoke, I replaced Cassie's photo on my phone.

Eighteen years of raising her. I was done.

That evening, dragging my aching body, I followed Mr. Davies to The Summit Grand Hotel.

After settling me in, Mr. Davies respectfully said, "Ms. Vance, I'll go meet Mr. Thorne at the entrance. Please wait here."

No sooner had he left than Cassie's voice, filled with utter disgust, reached my ears. "Didn't you say you weren't coming?"